Evening Briefing: Thursday 20 August 2026
- Petrol and energy: Brent crude climbed towards $94 as the US pressed allies to choke off Iran’s economy and the Hormuz crisis dragged on. Petrol and energy bills are set to stay high, and would climb further on any escalation.
- Council tax and services: Councils face a £4bn shortfall, so in many areas expect council tax up to the 5 per cent cap alongside cuts to bin collections, bus routes and care.
- Crypto: Bitcoin surged past $72,000. If you hold crypto, remember HMRC is now chasing tax on gains — including on selling or even swapping one coin for another.
Kyiv Barrage Kills 17 as Russia Hits Critical Infrastructure
A nine-hour Russian missile and drone barrage on Kyiv killed at least 17 people and wounded dozens, Ukrainian officials said, with a nine-storey block collapsed and a children’s hospital damaged. Mayor Vitali Klitschko said Russia had “pur…
US Tells Allies to Back Iran Squeeze or Face Consequences
The US Treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, told America’s partners they must choose whether they are “with us or against us” and back plans to crush Iran’s economy. It sharpens President Trump’s threat of secondary sanctions on any country…
North Korea Fires Barrage of Missiles as US Drills End
North Korea fired more than 10 short-range ballistic missiles towards the sea off its east coast, South Korea’s military said, as scaled-back US-South Korean exercises neared their end. The launches came hours after President Trump said he…
At Least 50 Die as Farm Workers' Boat Capsizes in Nigeria
At least 50 people, most of them women and children, drowned when an overloaded boat carrying farm labourers capsized on a river in Sokoto State, north-western Nigeria, officials and residents said. More than 40 bodies had been recovered a…
Russian Mercenaries Executed Civilians in Mali, Watchdog Says
Russia’s Africa Corps killed nine civilians, including four children, in a village in central Mali, Human Rights Watch said, in an operation carried out alongside Malian soldiers. Some were shot as they tried to flee and others detained an…
Councils Face £4bn Black Hole as Services Are Cut
Councils across the UK face a £4bn funding shortfall and will make some £3.2bn of cuts this year, a BBC investigation found, with services from bin collections and bus routes to sheltered housing under threat. Almost every authority is rai…
Reform Offers Apprentice Wage Credit and Attacks 'University Scam'
Reform UK unveiled an “apprenticeship wage credit” on GCSE results day, offering small firms a 30 per cent rebate on the wages of apprentices aged 16 to 18 plus a £2,000 retention bonus. The party’s education spokeswoman, Suella Braverman,…
Banks Warn Chancellor on Tax as Greens Seek Windfall Levy
Britain’s biggest banks warned the new Chancellor, John Healey, against raising taxes on the industry as he prepares his first budget in October. At the same time, the Green Party called for a 38 per cent windfall tax on bank profits above…
School Leaders Say Compulsory GCSE Resits Are 'Not Working'
Some 620,000 pupils face retaking GCSE maths or English next year after missing a grade 4, and school leaders say the compulsory-resit policy is “demotivating” and failing. Only about one in seven older students retaking maths passed this…
Swinney Defends £45,000 Business-Class World Cup Flights
Scotland’s First Minister, John Swinney, defended spending more than £45,000 of public money on business-class flights for himself and two aides to the football World Cup in the United States. Flights for Mr Swinney and his private secreta…