Chancellor Reeves announced a winter fuel payment reversal, promising more pensioners would receive support this winter while unveiling ยฃ15 billion in transport spending targeting Reform-voting constituencies. The policy U-turn dominated morning coverage, setting up heated exchanges at PMQs where Badenoch accused Starmer of "chaos" and branded his performance "disgraceful."
Trump's call with Putin emerged as the day's international focus, with the US president warning that Putin "will seek revenge" for Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian airbases. This followed the previous day's closure of Gaza aid centers, with conditions described as "worse than hell on Earth" by Red Cross officials.
The Madeleine McCann investigation intensified as Portuguese police deployed diggers and radar equipment at a derelict farmhouse, expanding their search near Christian Brueckner's former locations. Evening brought celebrity breakups, with Dakota Johnson and Chris Martin ending their eight-year relationship, while Romeo Beckham split from his girlfriend amid ongoing family tensions.