A sparkler reportedly placed in a champagne bottle ignited a blaze at a crowded ski bar in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, leaving at least 47 dead. Authorities are investigating safety practices and the use of party props. Identification may take days, with consular support offered to Britons.

Ministers are considering issuing digital IDs at birth, expanding Labour’s scheme beyond adults. The plan, discussed in private meetings, would create a lifelong digital profile linked to public services and employment checks. Supporters cite efficiency; critics warn about privacy and state overreach.

Police chiefs warn Labour’s justice reforms—reducing use of prison and widening early release—could raise reoffending and saddle forces with an £800m bill for supervision and casework. Ministers say the changes relieve overcrowding and focus resources on the most serious offenders.

No 10 faced backlash after saying a controversial Egyptian dissident linked to posts condemned as antisemitic and anti-British would be welcome in the UK. It defended the PM’s handling of the case as the Home Sec ordered an inquiry into information failures.