The new NMC chair, Paul Rees, apologised for serious failings, admitting the regulator handled cases ‘completely wrong’. He pledged a root-and-branch overhaul to end a toxic culture, improve investigations, and tighten safeguards for patients and the NHS workforce.

Ministers plan to trim £150m from the UK’s Global Fund pledge for HIV, TB and malaria, committing £850m over three years, 15% less than 2022. Critics, including Andrew Mitchell, warn up to 250,000 lives are at risk, while No 10 cites fiscal pressure and a shift towards defence.

Rachel Reeves signalled Budget income tax rises to tackle a public‑finances shortfall, saying everyone must contribute, even if it means breaking Labour’s pledge. A think tank warned a 2p rise may not suffice. The pound slipped to a six‑month low as the opposition attacked the plan.

Police have charged a 32-year-old with 10 counts of attempted murder after an incident on an LNER train near Huntingdon. Detectives are examining potential links to earlier assaults in Peterborough, including one at a barbers, as part of a wider investigation.