IFS warns the chancellor’s fixation on fiscal rules is leading to poor decisions and could derail her promise of sustainable public finances. It urges relaxing self‑imposed debt targets that block borrowing for day‑to‑day spending and require debt to fall by 2029‑30.

Internal files suggest the government’s plan to address IPP sentences will fail, leaving at least 520 people still detained without release dates by 2030, 18 years after abolition. The data fuels pressure for resentencing, clearer timelines and improved rehabilitation support.

Residents of a European capital face a harsh winter as energy infrastructure is repeatedly targeted, causing rolling blackouts and heat shortages. Community aid, shelters and generators keep essentials going, while Britain and partners are urged to intensify support for repairs.

At the Munich Security Conference, Yulia Navalnaya said opposition leader Alexei Navalny was killed with a rare toxin and urged accountability for Vladimir Putin. The UK and European allies cited forensic tests, with the PM backing coordinated sanctions and legal action.