Evening Briefing: Tuesday 28 July 2026
- Petrol: Oil has fallen again — Brent down to around $83 a barrel — as the US–Iran truce holds, which should feed through to cheaper petrol and diesel over the coming weeks.
- Benefits: The government has begun setting out its welfare changes, offering parents up to £4,500 when a child starts an apprenticeship while signalling tougher conditions for young claimants. More contentious changes to sickness and disability benefits are still to come.
- Heat: An amber heat alert is in force with temperatures set to hit 35C on Wednesday. Expect possible rail disruption, take care in the heat, and check on elderly or vulnerable neighbours.
Powerful Earthquake Strikes Southern Japan
A powerful magnitude-7.1 earthquake struck the Kumamoto region of southern Japan on Tuesday, damaging buildings and prompting a tsunami warning along the coast of Kyushu. A shopping mall was reported to have sustained serious damage, with…
Netanyahu and Trump Hold ‘Productive’ Talks on Iran
President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu held about ninety minutes of talks at the White House, their first meeting since the war with Iran, which both sides called productive. Iran dominated the agenda, alongside Lebanon and the prosp…
Zelensky Secures Air-Defence Pledges in Trump Talks
President Zelensky held just over an hour of talks with President Trump at the White House, which he called “good” and the administration described as “positive and productive”. The two advanced plans to produce American Patriot air-defenc…
Oil Sinks Further as Oman Floats a Hormuz Deal
Oil fell sharply again, with Brent crude dropping around 5 per cent to about $83 a barrel, as the pause in the US–Iran war held and mediators pressed for a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Oman was reported to have handed Tehran a prop…
Wildfires and a Fresh Heatwave Grip France and Spain
France and Spain braced for a new heatwave that threatened to reignite wildfires, even as the huge blaze near Bordeaux was declared “stabilised” but not contained. France ordered a further 4,000 people to leave their homes, adding to more…
Burnham Unveils Welfare Package as Labour MPs Rebel
The government has set out the first elements of Andy Burnham’s welfare shake-up, pairing tougher conditions with new incentives to get young people into work. Parents on benefits will be offered up to £4,500 when their child starts an app…
French Warship Fires Shots Near a Tory MP in the Channel
A Conservative frontbencher, Chris Philp, accused the French navy of firing shots close to him as he filmed a report about small-boat crossings in the Channel on Tuesday. The BBC reported that a French warship had carried out a “shooting d…
FTSE Climbs to a Five-Month High as Oil Slides
The FTSE 100 climbed to a five-month high, rising 0.8 per cent to around 10,871, as oil slid further on the pause in the US–Iran war and hopes of a deal over the Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude fell about 5 per cent to roughly $83 a barrel,…
Amber Alerts as the Fourth Heatwave Peaks Near 35C
Amber heat-health alerts are in force across much of England as the fourth heatwave of the summer takes hold, with temperatures forecast to peak near 35C on Wednesday. The UK Health Security Agency warned of a likely rise in deaths among t…
Cairngorms Wildfire ‘Could Take Months’ to Put Out
The wildfire that has burned across the Cairngorms for nearly a fortnight could take months to fully extinguish, fire chiefs warned, even as they reported “encouraging” progress on Tuesday evening. The blaze, declared a major incident, has…