Morning Briefing: Friday 7 August 2026
- Petrol: Oil has steadied around $82 a barrel after this week’s swings, as Iran and Oman edge towards a deal over the Strait of Hormuz. Petrol prices are likely to hold rather than fall sharply for now.
- Savings: Gold has surged to fresh highs and shares are firmer, with investors betting on interest-rate cuts — a lift for many pensions, though the pound is a little weaker.
- Food: The drought is set to make vegetables smaller and dearer, and the harvest is heading for a record low, keeping food prices under pressure.
Iran and Oman Reach Hormuz Framework as US Holds Back
Iran and Oman have reached a temporary framework for shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, under which vessels would enter on an Iranian-controlled route and leave on an Omani one, according to reports. The United States has yet to endors…
Thailand School Shooting Kills at Least Six
A teenager shot dead his grandparents and then opened fire at a school in central Thailand, killing at least six more people and wounding over a dozen, police said. The attack, in Nonthaburi province near Bangkok, was carried out by a youn…
Yemen Fighting Toll Climbs Amid Fresh Houthi Strikes
The death toll from a Houthi assault on Yemeni government forces has climbed, with reports putting the number of troops killed as high as fifty-eight, in some of the deadliest fighting in the country in years. Fresh Houthi drone strikes on…
Israeli Ministers Weigh Defying US Gaza Plan
Israeli ministers and security chiefs debated whether to defy President Trump’s plan for postwar Gaza, as the rift between the allies widened. The head of the Shin Bet security service was reported to have called Hamas’s agreement to the p…
Israeli Raid in the West Bank Injures Dozens
Israeli forces raided the area of Qalandiya, near Jerusalem in the occupied West Bank, injuring dozens of Palestinians and arresting many more, according to Palestinian reports. The operation came amid a sharp rise in military raids and se…
Burnham Orders Review to Block Grooming-Gang Releases
Andy Burnham has ordered an urgent review to stop members of grooming gangs from qualifying for early release from prison, personally intervening to close what officials called a loophole in the scheme. The move follows an outcry over whic…
Tories Pledge to Bar Foreign Nationals from Social Housing
The Conservatives have pledged to bar foreign nationals from social housing, saying it would free up homes for British families. The plan, announced by the party leader, Kemi Badenoch, was swiftly condemned by critics as divisive and unwor…
Thetford Disorder Enters Third Night With More Arrests
Disorder over the housing of asylum seekers entered a third night in Thetford, Norfolk, with further arrests and some asylum seekers moved to safety. The unrest followed attacks on properties earlier in the week in which a police officer w…
Illegal-Working Arrests Have Doubled in Two Years
Arrests for illegal working have doubled over the past two years, the Home Office said, pointing to a surge in enforcement raids across the country. Officials cast the figures as evidence of a crackdown on the black-market labour that draw…
Rail Disruption Hits North-West for a Second Day
Rail passengers across north-west England faced a second day of disruption on Friday after a power failure at a Manchester signalling centre threw services into chaos. Operators warned of continued cancellations and delays, with knock-on e…