Morning Briefing: Sunday 26 July 2026
- Travel: If you are holidaying in France or Spain, wildfires have forced hundreds of thousands from their homes and closed roads and rail. Check official advice before travelling and follow evacuation instructions.
- Petrol: The US has paused its strikes on Iran and talks are under way, easing some pressure on oil, but the Gulf war is not over. With markets closed for the weekend, any price effect will show on Monday; pump prices remain high.
- Heat & Water: A fourth heatwave is forecast next week, with temperatures up to 35C and renewed wildfire risk, while more than 23 million people remain under hosepipe bans. Plan for the heat and check on vulnerable neighbours.
Settlers Torch Two Mosques in an Overnight West Bank Rampage
Israeli settlers set fire to two mosques in the occupied West Bank overnight and daubed “revenge” graffiti on their walls, in a fresh wave of rampages that also saw Palestinians attacked and cars torched. The violence followed a deadly gun…
Typhoon Noul Forces Mass Evacuations in Southern China
Typhoon Noul battered southern China and Hong Kong overnight, bringing fierce winds and torrential rain and forcing the evacuation of more than 700,000 people. Hundreds of flights were cancelled and coastal defences tested as the storm mad…
US Pause on Iran Strikes Holds as Diplomacy Gains Space
The United States refrained from striking Iran for a second night, sustaining a pause that has opened the first real space for diplomacy in a fortnight of war. Iran again reported “a peaceful night”, and both sides indicated they were exch…
Hundreds of Thousands Flee Wildfires in France and Spain
Wildfires raging across France and Spain have driven hundreds of thousands of people from their homes, as a punishing heatwave pushes temperatures above 40C. France has mounted what may be its largest peacetime evacuation, and Spain has de…
Romania Downs a Russian Drone and Summons Moscow’s Envoy
Romania scrambled a fighter jet to shoot down a suspected Russian drone that had entered its airspace, and summoned Moscow’s ambassador in protest, in the latest spillover of the Ukraine war onto Nato territory. It was said to be the third…
Burnham Vows to Stand Up to Trump and Rules Out Early Poll
In his first major broadcast interview as Prime Minister, Andy Burnham said he was prepared to “stand up to President Trump” and to disagree with him publicly “if it’s right for Britain”, while declining to say he trusted the American pres…
Cairngorms Residents Return as Crews Gain Ground on the Fire
Residents evacuated from the village of Nethy Bridge were allowed to return home overnight as firefighters reported “welcome progress” against the large wildfire in the Cairngorms, which was declared a major incident on Saturday. Scotland’…
Met Police Investigate Reform Donations Linked to Tice
The Metropolitan Police have opened an investigation into donations to Reform UK from a company controlled by Richard Tice, a senior figure in the party, following reporting by the Guardian. The inquiry adds to scrutiny of the party’s fund…
Britain Braces for a Fourth Heatwave Next Week
Britain is forecast to face its fourth heatwave of the summer next week, with temperatures expected to climb to between 33 and 35C, after a cooler, showery lull this weekend. The Met Office warned of renewed wildfire risk and heat-health c…
Channel Crossings Continue Through the Weekend
Small-boat crossings of the Channel continued over the weekend, days after a record 165 migrants arrived in a single vessel, keeping migration at the top of the new government’s in-tray. The crossings, the first sustained arrivals since An…