Evening Briefing: Wednesday 12 August 2026
- Heat and wildfires: Ministers held an emergency Cobra meeting as forecasters warn of 38C tomorrow and wildfires reach record levels. Expect spreading hosepipe bans, possible curbs on disposable barbecues, health alerts and further pressure on food prices.
- Mortgages: US inflation came in on target at 3.4 per cent, calming markets and nudging borrowing costs a little lower. Official UK growth figures land tomorrow — a firmer read could shape where mortgage rates head next.
- Petrol: Oil is holding near $89 a barrel with the Strait of Hormuz still shut, so the risk premium has not eased. Pump prices are likely to stay elevated for now.
Colombia Declares Mourning as Quake Toll Passes 250
Colombia has declared three days of national mourning as the death toll from Monday’s earthquake passed 250, with authorities reporting some 3,800 people still missing. Rescuers pulled a 32-year-old woman alive from the rubble after 36 hou…
US-Iran Talks Stall as Hormuz Standoff Drags On
Efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz remained deadlocked, with Iran insisting the waterway would stay shut until Washington met its demands, and President Trump maintaining that the United States had “total control” of the passage. A med…
Israel Launches First Gaza Airstrike in Over a Week
Israel carried out its first air strike on Gaza in more than a week, even as the United States pressed for a deal to end the war. Israel has told Washington it will keep pursuing those behind the October 2023 attacks while talks on disarmi…
Putin Threatens to Seize European Vessels in Retaliation
President Putin warned that Russia would seize European ships “wherever necessary” in retaliation for the interception of vessels carrying Russian cargo, raising the risk of confrontation at sea. Separately, President Zelenskyy said Russia…
DR Congo Ebola Toll Passes 2,000 in Record Outbreak
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has killed more than 2,000 people and is now described by health officials as the fastest-spreading on record, with cases reported above 4,000. Vaccination campaigns are under way, but…
Cobra Meeting Held as Heatwave and Record Wildfires Grip England
Andy Burnham chaired an emergency Cobra meeting today over the extreme heat, drought and wildfires, with temperatures forecast to hit 38C on Thursday. Wildfires this year have already matched the whole of last year’s total for England and…
Watchdog Warns Early-Release Scheme Risks Serious Reoffending
The chief inspector of probation warned that the government’s emergency early-release scheme risks freed prisoners committing more serious and violent crimes, intensifying scrutiny of the policy. The intervention follows pressure from poli…
Swinney Urges Rethink on Blocked Chinese Wind Factory
Scotland’s First Minister, John Swinney, has urged Andy Burnham to reconsider the blocking of a Chinese-owned wind-turbine factory in the Highlands, a project worth around 1.5 billion pounds. The plant by manufacturer Ming Yang had been ha…
Households Near New Pylons to Get Money Off Energy Bills
The government has confirmed that households living close to new electricity pylons will receive discounts on their energy bills, as part of a push to speed up the grid upgrades needed for cheaper, cleaner power. Ministers hope the sweeten…
Few Officials Working on Climate Adaptation as Crisis Bites
Just 20 of the roughly 6,600 staff at the environment department are working on adapting the country to a changing climate, according to figures published as drought and wildfires grip England. The disclosure has fuelled criticism that the…