Evening Briefing: Sunday 9 August 2026
- Petrol: The Strait of Hormuz remains shut and Iran is holding firm on its terms, keeping oil near $83 a barrel. Petrol prices are unlikely to ease much while the standoff continues.
- Savings: Gold sits at a record and shares are near highs after a weak US jobs report raised hopes of interest-rate cuts — a lift for pensions, and a sign borrowing costs could ease in time.
- Water: The heat is breaking records and drought is set to be extended, with wildfires flaring and hosepipe bans spreading. The drought continues to threaten crops and food prices.
Netanyahu Rejects Trump-Backed Gaza Plan
Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected the US-backed plan to end the war in Gaza, vowing that Israel will not withdraw its forces until Hamas is fully disarmed. The move opens a visible rift with President Trump, who had hailed the fifteen-point…
Houthi Attacks Kill Several in Yemen Amid War Fears
Houthi attacks killed several people inside Yemen on Sunday, according to reports, as the government’s army warned of a “bloodier war” and the United Nations cautioned that the country risked sliding back into full-scale conflict. The viol…
Hormuz Stays Shut as Iran Holds Firm on Terms
The Strait of Hormuz remained closed on Sunday with no deal signed between the United States and Iran, as Tehran repeated that it would not reopen the waterway until Washington “corrects its behaviour”. Iran said an arrangement with Oman t…
Syria Says It Has a Deal With Russia on Its Bases
Syria said it had reached an agreement with Moscow on the future of Russia’s military presence in the country, under which the Hmeimim airbase and the Tartus naval base would become joint “training and capacity-building” centres. The deal…
UAE Extradites Alleged Crime Boss Kinahan to Ireland
The United Arab Emirates has extradited Daniel Kinahan, the alleged head of an international drug-trafficking cartel, to Ireland, authorities said. The handover is a significant blow to a criminal network accused of orchestrating violence…
Nottinghamshire Declares Major Incident as Wildfires Spread
Nottinghamshire declared a major incident on Sunday as firefighters battled large woodland fires, including one near Mansfield, amid the tinder-dry conditions of the drought. The fire service said a wave of simultaneous call-outs had stret…
UK Sets Record for Hot Days as Drought Set to Widen
Britain has recorded its highest-ever number of days above 30C in a year, forecasters said, with thirty-five such days already logged and more extreme heat to come. Drought is expected to be formally extended to more of England this week a…
Foreign-Based Accounts Drove Asylum-Unrest Posts, Analysis Finds
Most of the social-media accounts stoking this weekend’s unrest over asylum accommodation were based outside the United Kingdom, an analysis found, pointing to foreign amplification of a domestic flashpoint. The finding followed disorder l…
Labour Signals a Deeper Relationship With the EU
The government has signalled it wants a “deeper relationship” with the European Union under Andy Burnham, a minister indicated on Sunday, reviving the question of Britain’s ties with Brussels. The remarks come after reports that Mr Burnham…
UK Becomes a Bond-Market "Safe Haven", Boosting Burnham
Britain is increasingly being treated as a “safe haven” by bond investors, according to a report, handing Andy Burnham’s government an unexpected boost ahead of the autumn Budget. Demand for UK government debt has firmed even as other mark…