Evening Briefing: Sunday 26 July 2026
- Petrol & Prices: The US pause on Iran strikes held and talks are under way, easing some pressure on oil — but the Gulf war is not over, and a new front has opened with Iran threatening Ukraine. Markets reopen Monday; pump prices remain high.
- Travel: Wildfires have now displaced more than 360,000 people across France and Spain. If you are holidaying there, check official advice, follow evacuation orders, and expect further extreme heat.
- Your Region: The Prime Minister has floated electoral reform and giving city mayors a share of income tax — part of a push to shift power and money out of Westminster. Watch how it might affect your area.
Iran Threatens Ukraine After a Strike on a Caspian Ship
Iran has warned Ukraine that an attack on an Iranian commercial vessel in the Caspian Sea “cannot go unanswered”, opening a startling new front in the widening Gulf war. The foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, summoned Ukraine’s envoy and ac…
US Pause Holds as Oman Brokers Talks on Hormuz
The American pause in strikes on Iran held through Sunday, as Oman-mediated talks on reopening the Strait of Hormuz were reported to be making progress. A senior Iranian source said Tehran would hold its fire so long as Washington did the…
Wildfires Displace More Than 360,000 in France and Spain
The number of people driven from their homes by wildfires in France and Spain has passed 360,000, as fires burned beyond containment in a fourth week of extreme heat. France, which has evacuated some 250,000 people, has mounted what offici…
Israeli Strike Kills a Senior Hamas Officer in Gaza
An Israeli air strike on a vehicle in Gaza killed two Hamas security officials on Sunday, among them Brigadier General Abdel-Nasser al-Maqadma, described as the head of Hamas’s police in the north of the territory. The Israeli military sai…
Car Rams the Berlin Pride Parade; Suspect Shot Dead
A car was driven into the Berlin Pride parade on Sunday, and police shot dead the suspect, a 21-year-old man. The motive was not immediately clear, and the number of people hurt was still being established as an investigation began. The at…
Burnham Signals Electoral Reform and Tax Powers for Mayors
Andy Burnham has signalled a shift towards electoral reform, saying compulsory voting was “on the table”, and floated giving England’s city mayors a share of income-tax revenue, in interviews marking his first weekend as Prime Minister. Th…
RAF Chinooks Offered as the Cairngorms Fire Enters Day 12
The Ministry of Defence has offered Chinook helicopters and troops to help fight the Cairngorms wildfire as it entered its twelfth day, after Scotland’s First Minister, John Swinney, requested military support. Firefighters reported “welco…
Teenager Charged Over the Record Channel Crossing
A teenager has been charged in connection with the record small-boat crossing of the Channel, in which 165 migrants reached Dover in a single vessel last week. Prosecutors accuse the Sudanese youth of piloting the overcrowded “mega dinghy”…
North-South Life-Expectancy Gap Widens, Study Finds
The gap in life expectancy between the north and south of England has widened, according to research reported on Sunday, underscoring the entrenched regional inequalities Andy Burnham has pledged to tackle. People in the poorest northern a…
Miliband Puts Climate at the Centre of Foreign Policy
Ed Miliband has argued that climate change and global development should sit “at the heart” of Britain’s foreign policy, in an intervention setting out priorities for the Burnham government’s approach to the world. The remarks signal conti…