The UK government has announced that 500,000 more children in England will become eligible for free school meals from September 2026, as part of a major expansion aimed at tackling child poverty. From that date, any family receiving Universal Credit—regardless of income—will qualify. Currently, parents must earn less than £7,400 a year after tax to be eligible.

Andy Burnham acknowledges the possibility of Nigel Farage becoming Prime Minister, urging Labour to enhance connections with voters.

The government has confirmed that more people will qualify for the winter fuel payment this year, in a U-turn on one of Labour’s first controversial policies. Chancellor Rachel Reeves stated the increased eligibility will be in place “this winter,” though specific details on the new threshold and who qualifies remain vague.

Dr Sarah Hughes of Mind charity critiques government plans as “not ambitious enough”, highlighting a crisis in mental health cases at A&E amid rising waiting times and significantly decreased bed availability.

Two men, Dylan Earl and Jake Reeves, have pleaded guilty to arson attacks linked to a warehouse supplying StarLink satellite equipment to Ukraine, causing £1 million in damages.

A body has been discovered in the search for 38-year-old Greg Monks, who went missing during a stag do in Albufeira, Portugal.