Campaigners urge the Chancellor to reverse the freeze on income tax thresholds, warning it drags more pensioners into tax. The Conservatives support the call, arguing retirees shouldn’t be penalised. About a million extra people could be affected if the policy continues.

With pump prices forecast to approach £2 a litre amid Middle East instability, the Chancellor faces pressure to freeze fuel duty. Rachel Reeves has rejected calls to cancel a planned rise, saying her fiscal plans remain, despite warnings of a squeeze on motorists and inflation.

Donald Trump accuses the PM of undermining the UK-US special relationship by delaying permission for US use of UK bases amid the Iran crisis. Critics call the response a dereliction of duty, while No 10 says ties remain strong and diplomatic work continues.

A senior royal urges children to spend less time on phones and rediscover reading. Citing a fall in reading for pleasure, they pledge a literacy drive, encouraging families and schools to support book clubs, storytelling and writing to spark imagination.