Evening Briefing: Saturday 25 July 2026
- Heat & Fire: Britain faces a fourth heatwave next week, with temperatures near 35C and fresh heat-health alerts, as wildfires flare from the Cairngorms to southern Europe. Check on elderly or vulnerable neighbours and heed local warnings.
- Petrol: Yemen’s Houthis say they have struck Saudi oil sites, and the US–Iran war continues, keeping a risk premium on oil. With markets closed for the weekend, any price effect will show on Monday; pump prices remain elevated.
- Travel: If you are holidaying in France or Spain, wildfires have forced more than 267,000 people from their homes and closed roads and rail. Check official advice before travelling and follow evacuation instructions.
Wildfires Force More Than 267,000 to Flee France and Spain
Wildfires have forced more than 267,000 people from their homes across France and Spain, in what may be France’s largest peacetime evacuation, as a relentless heatwave and record blazes overwhelm firefighters. Around 197,000 have fled in F…
Houthis Say They Struck Saudi Aramco Oil Sites
Yemen’s Houthis said they had fired dozens of missiles and drones at Saudi Aramco oil facilities in Jizan and Yanbu on Saturday, opening a new front against the kingdom in the widening Gulf war. Civil-defence sirens sounded in both provinc…
US Halts Its Strikes on Iran as Both Sides Signal Talks
The United States paused its bombing of Iran overnight for the first time in nearly two weeks, and both sides signalled a willingness to negotiate. Iran reported “a peaceful night” after thirteen consecutive nights of American strikes, whi…
At Least Eleven Killed as Russia and Ukraine Trade Strikes
At least eleven people were killed in strikes across Ukraine and Russian-held territory on Saturday. Russian-appointed officials said a Ukrainian strike on a holiday camp at Kyrylivka, on the occupied Azov coast, had killed eight people, i…
Israeli Settlers Set Up New Outposts After Deadly Clash
Israeli settlers established four new outposts in the occupied West Bank overnight, a day after a gun battle near the village of Tell killed two Israeli soldiers and four Palestinians. The Israeli military said it had arrested more than se…
Cairngorms Wildfire Declared a Major Incident as a Village Flees
A large wildfire in the Cairngorms National Park was declared a major incident by police on Saturday, forcing the evacuation of hundreds of residents and an entire village near Nethy Bridge. Fire crews battled the blaze into the afternoon…
Twenty Firefighters in Hospital After an Essex Explosion
Twenty firefighters were taken to hospital after a large explosion and blaze at an industrial site in Essex, near Rettendon, believed to have involved fertiliser. More than a hundred firefighters were deployed and three fire engines were d…
Burnham Rules Out a Snap Election and an Independence Vote
Andy Burnham used his first weekend as Prime Minister to rule out both a snap general election and a second Scottish independence referendum, vowing to govern to Labour’s 2024 manifesto. On a visit to Scotland, where he met the First Minis…
Record 165 Migrants Cross the Channel in a Single Boat
A record 165 migrants crossed the Channel to Dover in a single vessel, a so-called “mega dinghy”, as small-boat arrivals continued into the weekend — the first crossings since Andy Burnham became Prime Minister. The figure, the highest rec…
Britain Braces for a Fourth Heatwave as Alerts Widen
Britain is bracing for its fourth heatwave of the summer next week, with temperatures forecast to peak around 35C. Fresh heat-health alerts have been issued for parts of England, warning of risks to the elderly and vulnerable, as wildfires…