Monday briefing: How is it possible the prime minister didn’t know about Mandelson’s vetting failure?

• Oil prices have climbed following Iran's signal that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed despite a potential management agreement with Oman. • Iran stated that reopening the vital waterway is contingent upon the United States meeting a specific list of conditions.

• Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has reshuffled Iran's military leadership, announcing six new senior appointments. • The leadership shake-up occurs as diplomatic talks regarding the Strait of Hormuz appear to have stalled.

• A magnitude-7.4 earthquake struck western Colombia, resulting in at least 73 deaths and the collapse of numerous buildings. • In the Middle East, Iran's president reported that the supreme leader is calling for national "unity" to withstand the pressure of U.S. sanctions.

Burnham has asked the justice secretary Alex Norris to come to parliament in September with solution Good morning. Andy Burnham has been prime minister for three weeks and one day, and arguably he is performing his first U-turn. It is in relation to the prisoner early release scheme and, in particular, finding a way of ensuring that two of the killers of PC Andrew Harper are not included.Burnham has been looking at this for some time. Early last week he announced significant changes to the early release scheme that he inherited and that was due to come into force from September. Around 1,000 fewer prisoners were going to be included. But two of the three Harper killers (Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers) were not affected by the change, and remained eligible. The main perpetrator (Henry Long), who was driving the car that dragged Harper to his death, was not covered by the scheme anyway because his manslaughter sentence was longer than theirs.The prime minister is determined to ensure that there is a solution to this, and I think he’s made that really clear. And he’s tasked the justice secretary to come to parliament in September with that solution. He’s looking at alternatives like the indefinite sentences, like women prisoners and speeding up foreign nationals being deported. So there is a lot of work that’s going on.The prime minister is really clear. He will not just accept that the system says no. He understands the anger and the trauma that PC Harper’s family are going through, and other victims who are seeing this prison crisis unfold. Continue reading...

Andy Burnham said to be ‘determined’ to work out solution after increasing pressure from family and policeAndy Burnham has told the justice secretary to find a way to exclude PC Andrew Harper’s killers from the early release scheme aimed at easing prison overcrowding.The prime minister is said to be “determined” that a solution can be found after increasing pressure from Harper’s family and police not to allow Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, who were sentenced to 13 years for manslaughter, to be freed in January under the existing plans. Continue reading...

Russian attacks on the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia killed at least six people and injured 20, officials saidOvernight Russian attacks on the southeastern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia killed at least six people and injured 20, officials said. Another six people were killed and 16 injured in attacks on Dnipropetrovsk and Donetsk, Reuters reported.Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Zaporizhzhia “was struck with North Korean ballistic missiles, Zircons, and guided aerial bombs.”“Every step Russia takes – increasing ballistic missile production, bringing in North Korean equipment, preparing for mobilisation – all of this shows that Moscow is preparing not for peace, but for escalation. And the world needs to respond now, not wait.” Continue reading...

West London airport reports 7.86 million passengers in July, compared with 8.15 million for IstanbulBusiness live – latest updatesHeathrow airport has argued “the case for expansion has never been clearer” after it lost its position as Europe’s busiest airport to Istanbul.Figures published on Tuesday showed 7.86 million passengers passed through Heathrow’s four terminals in July,whereas its Turkish counterpart recorded 8.15 million passengers over the same period. Continue reading...

Flexible short-term bookings used to store and pack drugs and stash weapons and cash, says Ine Van WymerschAirbnb-type short-term rentals are being used as stash houses by criminal gangs, as booming e-commerce aids organised crime “enormously”, Belgium’s lead official in charge of countering drugs has said.More criminal organisations are using “these Airbnb platforms etc” as a stash place for money, drugs, weapons or people, Belgium’s national drug commissioner, Ine Van Wymersch, said. Continue reading...

The alerts come a day after it was officially declared that there are now 11 regions in the country in droughtHealth alerts are set to come into force across England this morning as parts of the UK brace for fifth climate crisis-driven heatwave this summer.Amber heat health alerts have been issued for all regions in England, except the north-east, which mean significant impacts are likely across health and social care services due to the high temperatures, according to the UK’s Health Security Agency (UKHSA). The alerts stretch from 9am on Tuesday until 9am on Friday. Continue reading...

Anthony Albanese facing criticism after appearing to joke on a podcast about a gift of melons from Sanae TakaichiAustralian prime minister Anthony Albanese has rejected calls to apologise to Japan’s prime minister over a joke he made about melons on a satirical podcast, amid a media frenzy and accusations of sexual innuendo.Government MPs have defended the prime minister as criticism mounted over last month’s remarks, branded by the Coalition opposition as “grubby”. Assistant minister Pat Gorman told media: “I don’t know why we’re still talking about this”. Continue reading...

Apollo, BlackRock, Goldman Sachs and KKR among those working with chipmaker to fund infrastructureNvidia ⁠has partnered with six major Wall Street financial institutions to raise ⁠more than $500bn (£370bn) capital for artificial intelligence infrastructure.The Nvidia chief executive, Jensen Huang, said on X that the company has ⁠the option to backstop up to $125bn, or 25% of the potential deals. Continue reading...

Barclays says survey shows people feel more secure in jobs and have more leeway to spend on non-essentialsBusiness live – latest updatesConsumer confidence hit its highest level in almost two years in July, according to research that indicated the closing stages of the men’s football World Cup and more people holidaying in the UK lifted summer spending.A truce in the Middle East conflict in June and the arrival of a new prime minister in No 10 also gave a lift to consumers after a long period of heightened uncertainty. Continue reading...