Zen Brief

Britain's fiscal plans dominate the day: the IMF has backed the government's borrowing cuts, while the IFS says £35bn may be needed to meet spending pledges. Elsewhere, questions over deleted hospitality records persist, NHS waiting times rise early, and Starmer condemns a deadly strike in Ukraine.

1. 1 Deleted Records on PM-City Dinners Spark Transparency RowNew details on deleted hospitality records involving the prime minister and Manchester City's chairman add to calls for clearer disclosure rules in Westminster.
2. 2 IMF backs UK fiscal plan before autumn BudgetThe IMF has praised the UK's plan to cut borrowing three times in 24 hours, giving the government rare outside support before next month's Budget.
3. 3 IFS warns Treasury needs £35bn for spending pledgesThe IFS says the Treasury may need a £35bn top-up to honour its spending commitments, which sets a difficult test for the coming Budget.
4. 4 NHS Surgery Waiting Times Rise as Winter Crisis DeepensWaiting lists for planned surgery are rising earlier than usual, prompting warnings about winter capacity across hospital trusts.
5. 5 Starmer condemns deadly Zaporizhzhia strike, pledges UK aidStarmer condemned a Russian glide bomb strike on Zaporizhzhia that killed at least 20 and reaffirmed Britain's continued military support for Ukraine.