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.

After UK bases in Bahrain and Cyprus were targeted, Kemi Badenoch urges a more assertive stance against a hostile Middle East regime, saying Britain cannot rely on others. She will outline higher defence spending to reassure allies who fear the UK is stepping back.