Evening Briefing: Tuesday 11 August 2026
- Petrol: Oil came off its highs by the evening, with Brent slipping back below $89 as flickering hopes of a Hormuz deal cooled the panic. The threatened jump at the pumps may be smaller than feared — but with the strait still shut, the risk has not gone away.
- Mortgages: As the oil scare eased, the 10-year gilt yield fell back to around 4.97 per cent from this morning’s 5.05 per cent. That is modest relief for the fixed mortgage rates that track it.
- Heat and water: Forecasters have issued an amber extreme-heat warning, with temperatures set to reach 38C this week as most of England stays in drought. Expect health alerts, spreading hosepipe bans and further pressure on food prices.
Colombia Earthquake Toll Passes 200 as Thousands Go Missing
The death toll from the earthquake that devastated western Colombia has climbed throughout the day, with officials now reporting at least 224 people killed and more than 2,700 still missing as rescuers dig through the rubble. The magnitude…
US-Iran Talks on Hormuz Stall as Oil Eases From Highs
Efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz appeared deadlocked, with President Trump claiming the United States now had “100 per cent” control of the waterway while Iran insisted it would stay shut until Washington met its demands, including a…
Netanyahu Rejects Trump's Gaza Plan in Rare Public Split
Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected President Trump’s plan to end the war in Gaza and its proposed “Board of Peace”, insisting Hamas must fully disarm before Israel withdraws — a rare open break with Washington. Qatar accused Israel of draggin…
Russia Frees Ailing Former US Marine
Russia has released Robert Gilman, a former US Marine held for around four years, and he is returning to the United States, President Trump said. The release was reportedly granted on humanitarian grounds, without a prisoner exchange. Gilm…
Pakistan-Administered Kashmir Holds Final-Phase Vote Amid Boycott
Azad Jammu and Kashmir held the third and final phase of its regional elections, after weeks of violent protests over rights and autonomy. Voting was disrupted by security fears and a boycott call from opposition and protest groups, and re…
Wealthy Areas Must Take Their Share of Asylum Seekers, Says Burnham
Andy Burnham has said affluent parts of the country must house more asylum seekers, in a shift on how they are dispersed, after a village revolt over plans for a centre housing more than a thousand people. He also pledged to “change tactic…
Reform Slumps in Polls as "Traitor" Row Engulfs Party
Reform UK has slipped in the polls, in some surveys falling back behind Labour, as an internal row erupted over Zia Yusuf calling former defence secretary Ben Wallace a “traitor”. Nigel Farage publicly rebuked Yusuf over the remark. The tu…
Amber Heat Warning Issued as Temperatures Head for 38C
The Met Office has issued an amber extreme-heat warning, with temperatures forecast to reach 38C later this week and the peak expected around Thursday. Forecasters said the summer of 2026 was on course to be the UK’s hottest on record. Mor…
UK Consumer Confidence Hits Near Two-Year High
Consumer confidence has risen to its highest in around 21 months, with spending in July up 2 per cent as Britons spent on pubs, cinemas and domestic holidays. The figures were taken as a sign of resilience in the economy ahead of official…
Government "Increasingly Confident" It Can Block Harper Killers' Release
The government said it was increasingly confident it had found a way to stop the automatic early release of the two men jailed over the death of PC Andrew Harper, as officials examined the legal routes available. The pair had been due for…