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
Crime & Courts
‘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…
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 …
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.
‘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
Number of UK businesses in financial distress ‘at two-decade high’
Administrator BTG says 738,144 firms struggling as calls grow for more support for private sector in budget
HSBC says ‘no pressure’ to move HQ out of UK despite prospect of higher bank taxes
A top executive at HSBC has tried to quash speculation that the bank could move its headquarters out of the UK over tax increases expected to be announced in Wednesday’s budget.
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’
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…
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…
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.
‘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…
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
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.
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
Super-rich get ‘double dividend’ from causes and costs of climate crisis, report finds
Oxfam says investing by rich in disaster recovery widens inequality and gives incentive to delay climate action
My advice for Burnham’s first budget? Hit the banks – and hit them hard | Polly Toynbee
Vibes matter. We live by how we feel – an idea that orthodox economics gets wrong and Andy Burnham’s first budget looks set to get right.
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 …
'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".
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…
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
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
Visa and Mastercard threatened with potential £5bn UK lawsuit over fees
Application made for group claim seeking compensation for companies for alleged overcharging on customer card payments