Andy Burnham’s difficult first cabinet – a visual guide to the options and dilemmas

• Renewed hostilities in the Strait of Hormuz are threatening to disrupt one of the world's most critical maritime supply chain arteries. • The instability risks increasing costs for fuel, transportation, and agricultural inputs, which could trigger a broader global inflationary shock.

• Experts discussed the impact of tariffs, geopolitical tensions, and economic pressures on virgin and recycled plastic and metal markets during a virtual Supply Chain Outlook event on July 15, 2026. • The session focused on how these external forces are disrupting commodity markets and altering the flow of raw materials.

• The text discusses a conceptual shift in international relations, referencing Otto von Bismarck's principle that "the flag follows trade" (Die Flagge folgt dem Handel). • This perspective suggests that geoeconomics now drives geopolitics, meaning that national security strategies and military conflicts are increasingly dictated by economic interests.

• The ongoing conflict involving the US, Israel, and Iran has highlighted a significant disconnect between global financial markets and actual economic activity. • Oil markets have experienced extreme volatility, though these fluctuations are driven primarily by shifting perceptions and expectations rather than fundamental economic shifts.

• Global tensions are escalating across the Middle East, prompting governments to intensify diplomatic efforts to prevent a wider regional war. • The conflict is creating significant risks for international shipping, global oil markets, and geopolitical stability.

• Economic disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz are expected to have a delayed impact, with the full effects potentially not manifesting until the second half of 2026. • The situation involves critical intersections of energy, trade, and food security within the Middle East and North Africa region.

Storms are typical during intense heat but this week’s have been extreme. Plus, deadly monsoon rains in BangladeshHailstones the size of golf balls have been seen in French villages as, on top of the exceptional European heatwave, thunderstorms struck across certain parts of Europe.While thunderstorms are typical during and after a period of extreme heat, the storms across countries like France, Germany and Poland have been particularly severe and have brought flooding, strong winds and heavy showers with huge balls of hail. Continue reading...

The party’s state executive decided MP’s fate after she withdrew her legal action against the party earlier this weekGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastVictorian Liberal MP Moira Deeming has been disendorsed ahead of the upcoming state election despite dropping an eleventh-hour legal challenge against her own party.The state party called a meeting for Friday afternoon where they voted to remove the MP as a candidate for the November election. Continue reading...

‘Special conference’ to take place at noon where Burnham will be formally announced as Labour leaderGood morning. Today the Labour party is going to formally announce at a “special conference” that Andy Burnham is its new leader. We will get a speech from Burnham at that event, and then he is expected to give another speech at an event later this afternoon.As Kiran Stacey and Rowena Mason report, in his special conference speech Burnham will say he will lead a government that will have the ‘courage to fix the big things that politics has neglected’ and the ‘conviction to argue for our plans’. Continue reading...

Iranshahr airport and southern rail station and two bridges attacked, Iranian media saysThe Iranian health ministry said 38 people have been killed in Iran in recent US attacks, with more than 400 others injured.Reporting the figures on X, Hossein Kermanpour, head of public relations for Iran’s ministry of health, said 22 women and nine children were among the injured. Continue reading...

Move dealt ‘severe blow to Chinese companies’ confidence in investing in the UK’, says Ministry of CommerceChina’s government has said it is “strongly dissatisfied” with the decision to nationalise British Steel this week, 15 months after the UK government stepped in to prevent the closure of its steelworks in Scunthorpe and the loss of 4,000 jobs.On Thursday, British Steel was brought under public ownership to protect “the future of steel production”, the government announced. Continue reading...