In a major policy reversal, the Chancellor has decided to restore winter fuel support to pensioners on incomes of up to £35,000—benefitting around nine million people—although critics worry about the economic implications ahead of the forthcoming spending review.

In an eleventh-hour compromise with the housing ministry, the chancellor has ended a damaging cabinet conflict over spending allocations, just days before unveiling the public spending review.

Rachel Reeves robustly defends her spending proposals, insisting expanded free school meals for disadvantaged pupils and targeted measures to support lower-income communities are vital for economic fairness, even as some senior colleagues question potential public service cuts.

Foreign aid reductions by the US President, particularly affecting global HIV programmes, have spurred widespread criticism from health experts and prompted calls for greater European involvement, as he maintains the United States has already spent “billions” on the crisis.