What do people in the South want from the Budget?
For small businesses hit by soaring fuel prices, and first-time buyers struggling to get on the housing ladder, there is a lot riding on it.
Regulation
RBNZ unexpectedly holds rates at 2.75% in split vote, signals further hikes likely
Oil sits at the centre of the call: the RBNZ expects fuel to lift inflation to 4.4% in the December quarter, but the majority chose to look through the direct effects for now, betting that weak demand will limit pass-th…
Budget 2026: six charts that reveal the economic realities facing the chancellor
From tackling the youth jobs crisis to repairing Brexit’s economic damage, John Healey has his work cut out for him
Bottled water and tinned food sales surge after UK government issues emergency stockpile advice
Retailers also report jump in purchases of wind-up radios and torches to deal with extreme weather and cyber-attacks
‘No one saves the planet if it hits their pocket’: UK heat pump installers fear planned subsidy cuts
Boiler upgrade scheme, which provides grants of up to £9,000 for sustainable alternatives, expected to be slashed in budget
Bullseye Financial Ltd enters administration
On 23 October 2026, Bullseye Financial Ltd (Bullseye Financial) entered administration. Robert Young of Azets Holdings Limited and Matthew Haw of RSM UK Restructuring Advisory LLP were appointed as joint administrators.
Kylian Mbappé apologises after being dropped by Chinese brands for Mao Zedong comment
Kylian Mbappé has apologised after the Real Madrid forward was dropped by major Chinese brands for apparently joking about Mao Zedong in a video that has gone viral. There were also signs of broader repercussions, with …
‘Meaningless as a laptop screensaver’: reviewers slate Musk’s AI-made Odyssey film
Elon Musk has released an AI-generated rival to Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey after pledging to make a version “true to the art of Homer”.
Iran’s Supreme Leader reiterates conditions for peace talks with U.S.
Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed Iran with US envoy Steve Witkoff on Wednesday and offered Moscow’s help, shortly after Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov visited Tehran as Russia seeks a role in efforts to end th…
UK officials discussing options including free movement with EU ahead of summit
Business secretary says focus for November summit will be trade and youth mobility, but talks will also include ‘future options for relationship’
Landowners could scupper free Land Registry access plans, campaigners warn
Plans by the government to give the public free access for the first time to information on who owns England’s land are at risk of being scuppered by landowners, campaigners have said.
Four takeaways from Anthropic’s potentially record-breaking stock market filing
The AI company’s first public financial disclosures reveal explosive growth, huge costs and risks ranging from cyber-attacks to the limits of safeguards
‘It’s a better experience’: shoppers praise Oxford Street pedestrianisation
To the east of Oxford Circus, there is chaos. A steady stream of red London buses swing round the last junction before the newly pedestrianised Oxford Street begins. The streets are crammed with pedestrians, some squabb…
Anthropic IPO filing in focus; Boeing to report - what’s moving markets
Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) and Nasdaq-100 Index (NDX) are climbing triple digits, as investors turn their focus to a fresh batch of earnings and today's start of the Federal Reserve's two-day meet…
UK government met 137 businesses over AI datacentres – but no environmental groups
Investigation finds dozens of ministers and civil servants moved into AI roles as government developed datacentre expansion plans
Donald Trump's biggest economic problem looks strangely familiar
The White House is confronting a familiar dilemma. The economic numbers aren't necessarily bad - but the public mood is.
Will the Budget pass Burnham's Makerfield test?
On a wet Tuesday in October, Platt Bridge Community Centre, near Wigan, is alive with the music of Shania Twain. About 30 women and one man are line dancing to her hit Man! I Feel Like a Woman! The class is so popular t…
UK shop price inflation ‘highest since 2024’ as retailers struggle to limit price rises
Shop price inflation has risen to the highest level in two and a half years, according to the British Retail Consortium, which warned that “the dam is starting to break” when it comes to retailers trying to limit price …
October 2026 euro area bank lending survey
According to the October 2026 bank lending survey (BLS), euro area banks reported a further net tightening of credit standards – banks’ internal guidelines or loan approval criteria – for loans or credit lines to enterp…
'I'm a single mum on £41,000 and limit my weekly shop to £40.' What do you want from the Budget?
Unlike in previous years there have been very few leaks about what will be in it, though Healey's tax and spending plans will be under close scrutiny at a time when government borrowing costs are at "historic highs".
iPhone Duo owners report cracks in Apple’s first foldable handset
Company says small number of devices affected by display glitch after posts appear on Reddit and social media
No 10 clarifies Andy Burnham’s stance on freedom of movement
Clarification comes after PM fuelled speculation about EU-UK relationship in series of interviews at weekend
Microsoft to reportedly offer buyouts to 60,000 employees in latest cuts
Tech company offers buyouts in an effort to reduce costs amid the rising use of AI, according to reports
Netanyahu rejects reports of potential escalation with Iran before elections - AP
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israelis entered the final 24 hours of an intense election season on Monday, as reports circulated that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may have clashed with the Israeli military over initiating a pos…