Evening Briefing: Monday 10 August 2026
- Petrol: Oil jumped around 4 per cent to near $87 a barrel as the Strait of Hormuz stayed shut, reversing the earlier calm. Analysts warn petrol prices could climb again if the standoff drags on.
- Mortgages: The oil spike revived inflation fears, pushing the 10-year gilt yield back up to 5 per cent. That keeps pressure on fixed mortgage rates for now.
- Water: Amber heat-health alerts are in force as wildfires burn on drought-hit ground and a fifth heatwave builds, with up to 36C forecast. Hosepipe bans are spreading.
Oil Jumps as Hormuz Standoff Drags On
Oil prices surged on Monday, with Brent crude jumping around 4 per cent to near $87 a barrel, as the Strait of Hormuz remained shut into a second week with no deal in sight. Energy shares climbed with it, while a fuel-price analyst warned…
Powerful Earthquake Kills Dozens in Colombia
A powerful magnitude-7.4 earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday, killing at least forty-seven people, trapping others under rubble and causing serious damage, officials said. The quake, centred in the Chocó region some 250 miles west…
Iran Reshuffles Its Top Military Command
Iran’s supreme leader announced a sweeping reshuffle of the country’s military and security leadership, naming a new commander of the Revolutionary Guard and a new armed-forces chief of staff. He also appointed Mohsen Rezaei — a former Gua…
Ukrainian Drone Strike Kills 13 Deep Inside Russia
A Ukrainian drone strike on an oil refinery deep inside Russia killed at least thirteen people, including a child, and wounded dozens, Russian regional authorities said. The attack, on a facility in Tatarstan some 750 miles from the border…
Typhoon Dolphin Forces a Million to Flee in China
China evacuated around a million people and grounded hundreds of flights as Typhoon Dolphin bore down on its eastern coast. Authorities issued high-level warnings and shut schools and businesses as the storm approached. Forecasters warned…
UK First in Europe to Approve a Weight-Loss Pill
Britain has become the first country in Europe to approve a daily weight-loss pill, the medicines regulator said, clearing the tablet orforglipron for adults who are obese or overweight with related conditions, and for type 2 diabetes. It…
Farage Links Home Firebomb to Widdecombe Murder
Nigel Farage said an arson attack on his home was “directly linked” to the murder of the former MP Ann Widdecombe, and accused the police of making “mistakes” in their investigation. Detectives are examining whether a suspect in the murder…
Amber Heat Alerts as Wildfires Burn on Drought-Hit Ground
Amber heat-health alerts were issued across much of England on Monday as wildfires broke out on tinder-dry ground and forecasters warned a fifth heatwave could push temperatures towards 36C. Firefighters tackled blazes including one in the…
Reform Demands Foreign Prisoners Be Sent Abroad
Reform UK called for foreign-national prisoners to be deported to serve their sentences abroad, arguing it would help end the emergency early-release scheme freeing inmates to ease overcrowding. Nigel Farage accused Andy Burnham of lacking…
Channel Crossings Fall Overall Despite Record Boat
Total Channel crossings have fallen this year even after a record two hundred and thirty people arrived on a single boat, analysis suggested, complicating a fevered political row. The government condemned the smuggling gangs, while Nigel F…