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.

Eleven people were injured during an incident on a London-bound train from Peterborough. A rail worker remains in a critical condition. Police arrested a 32-year-old from Peterborough on suspicion of attempted murder; a second man was released. Officers say there is no evidence of terrorism.