Evening Briefing: Friday 16 October 2026
- If you drive or heat your home with oil: Brent crude rose almost 3% this afternoon to about $109 a barrel on uncertainty over Middle East supplies and a large draw on American crude stocks. Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz is running about 70% below pre-war levels, and the International Energy Agency is releasing over 20 million barrels of diesel to ease the squeeze.
- If you are a pensioner or claim benefits: the International Monetary Fund has told the chancellor that, with taxes at roughly 40% of national income, savings on the pensions triple lock and “better targeting” of benefits would make more sense than a new bank tax. The Budget is later this month; nothing has been decided.
- Wherever you live in England: the water minister told MPs that over 80% of England is now in drought, affecting around 50 million people, and asked everyone to “think about ways to use water wisely”. Shorter showers and fixing leaks are the Environment Agency’s first requests; supplies are not being interrupted.
Zelensky Asks the EU for at Least €70bn More Next Year
Volodymyr Zelensky told EU leaders in Brussels that the war will cost €155bn in 2027 and that “we need at least €70bn more from you – for defence, for weapons, and for our resilience”. He answered Donald Trump’s description of Kyiv’s renew…
Trump Rules Out Nuclear Weapons and Ground Troops in Iran
“I wouldn’t use nuclear. We don’t have to,” the president told Newsmax, and on troops on the ground: “No, I don’t see that.” He neither confirmed nor denied reports that the Pentagon has drawn up plans to use the Massive Ordnance Air Blast…
Settlers Beat a Washington Post Photographer During the Olive Harvest
Dozens of masked Israeli settlers attacked Palestinians picking olives near Abu Falah, north-east of Ramallah, setting trees and cars alight. A local official said twelve Palestinians were hurt, four of them dual American citizens. The vet…
Rama Blames ‘Foreign Hands’ as Albania’s Unrest Spreads
Albania’s prime minister has ruled out resigning after four days of clashes that have spread from Tirana to Durrës, Shkodër, Vlora, Korçë and other cities, with a floor of the education ministry set on fire. “These are foreign hands that d…
Pope Leo Calls Putin From Hospital Over Oleshky
Three days after lung surgery and a cancer diagnosis, Pope Leo XIV telephoned Vladimir Putin to express “deep concern about the grave humanitarian situation” in the occupied Ukrainian town of Oleshky, the Vatican said. He asked for a cease…
IMF Tells Healey to Look at Pensions and Welfare, Not Banks
The International Monetary Fund has urged the chancellor to find savings rather than tax the banks at the Budget. “With taxes roughly at 40% of GDP – historically, for Britain, a high number – then of course balancing these measures on the…
Councillors Investigate Housing Loans Approved Under Burnham
Greater Manchester’s scrutiny committee is examining a fund that has lent more than £1bn to about 50 developers since 2015, including roughly £55m to three companies controlled by Manchester City’s Abu Dhabi owner. Those loans were approve…
Robbins Settles With the Government Over His Sacking
Sir Olly Robbins, dismissed as head of the Foreign Office in April over the vetting of Lord Mandelson, has reached an out-of-court settlement, ending his judicial review. The sum has not been published but is believed to exceed six figures…
Burnham Tells Scotland Too Much Time Is Wasted on ‘Dramas’
Speaking in Motherwell while the SNP met in Aberdeen, the prime minister offered deeper devolution from Holyrood to Scotland’s cities, including an offer to devolve Department for Work and Pensions services, and shut down talk of a second…
Government Commits to Overhaul the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme
Ministers have promised to review the scheme that compensates people injured or bereaved by vaccines, responding to the Covid Inquiry’s call for “urgent” reform. More than 24,000 Covid-related claims have been made, but just over 1% have p…