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United Kingdom
- Follow-up: UK Chancellor John Healey presents first budget, aiming to help families through a 'difficult moment'
British Chancellor John Healey presented his first budget on Wednesday, Oct 28, the first annual tax and spending plan of the government formed when Keir Starmer was replaced as prime minister in July. In a pre-budget statement Healey said 'this budget is for getting through this difficult moment', promising families 'breathing space' and targeted support for businesses. Inflation and borrowing costs in Britain have risen because of the US-Iran war, and government debt has increased. The prime minister said on Monday the budget would explain how to fund the defence investment plan drawn up by his predecessor; the BBC reported that details on how to reach NATO's target of defence spending at 3.5% of GDP by 2035 were expected to be delayed.
Oct 28, 2026 Afternoon - Fourth-tier Fleetwood knock Arsenal out of the League Cup on penalties to reach the quarter-finals
In a League Cup last-16 upset on Tuesday, Oct 27, League Two side Fleetwood drew 1-1 with Premier League champions Arsenal, who played with 10 men, then won 5-3 on penalties to reach the quarter-finals. Loupalo-Bi gave Fleetwood the lead in the 21st minute and Arsenal striker Gyokeres equalised four minutes into the second half; play was halted for more than eight minutes early on after a drone appeared above the ground. Arsenal teenager Max Dowman was sent off after a clash with an opponent. In the shootout goalkeeper Jay Lynch saved one kick and Conor Haughey scored the winner. Arsenal's manager called it 'a very sad day'.
Oct 28, 2026 Afternoon - Follow-up: UK prosecutors say RAF Fairford petrol lorry plot was directed by handler working for Iran
Prosecutors told Westminster Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, Oct 27, that a handler known as 'Ali', whom police believe was working for Iran, instructed a group of men to drive lorries full of petrol to RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire in the early hours of Sept 27. One of the five drivers called police that morning after the handler warned there was a bomb on the lorry. Two 24-year-old men from London were charged under the National Security Act 2023: one with assisting a foreign intelligence service, allegedly by buying lorries on instructions, who was granted bail, and the other with entering a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to the UK, allegedly by filming the base on a video call, who was remanded in custody. Both will appear at the Old Bailey on Nov 20.
Oct 28, 2026 Morning - UK Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds says officials discussing long-term EU ties, with free movement among options
Britain's business secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Tuesday, Oct 27, that UK officials have begun discussing a long-term relationship with the EU, and that options could include restoring free movement of people, though the British public 'are the boss'. He said the immediate focus is November's UK-EU summit, where agreements easing some trade restrictions and a youth mobility deal are due to be signed, including a food and drink agreement and arrangements on emissions trading. He said the prime minister wants a long-term, stable relationship with the EU and will set out the trade-offs after the summit.
Oct 28, 2026 Morning - UK Chancellor Healey to scrap tariffs on marmalade, gherkins and 100-plus goods before Budget; shop price inflation hits 2.1%
Britain's chancellor, Healey, who presents the Budget on Wednesday, Oct 28, previewed 'everyday fixes' including scrapping import tariffs on more than 100 household favourites such as marmalade and gherkins; together with earlier suspensions on pasta, juice and tuna, households could save up to £21 a year. Marmalade had faced a 20% tariff plus £19 per 100kg. The British Retail Consortium said the same day that shop price inflation rose to 2.1% in October from 1.4% in September, with food inflation up from 2.5% to 2.9%, while the Conservatives called 'cheaper gherkins' an insult to families hit by tax rises.
Oct 27, 2026 Afternoon - Follow-up: Harry Kane becomes first England player in 25 years to win Ballon d'Or; Alexia Putellas wins third women's award
At the Ballon d'Or ceremony held in London for the first time on Monday, Oct 26, Bayern Munich and England striker Harry Kane won the men's award ahead of Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappé, the first English winner since 2001. The 33-year-old scored 73 goals in 65 games for club and country last season, helping Bayern win the league and cup double, and scored 6 at the World Cup. Midfielder Alexia Putellas won the women's Ballon d'Or for a third time after leading Barcelona to the Champions League and then moving to London City Lionesses.
Oct 27, 2026 Afternoon - Ballon d'Or held in London for the first time; Lamine Yamal named best young player for a third time
The 70th Ballon d'Or ceremony was held in London on the evening of Oct 26, the first time it has been staged outside France. Al Jazeera reported that it started about 45 minutes late, at 8:45pm GMT, because of transport problems and lasted about two hours. Le Monde reported that Barcelona's Lamine Yamal was named the season's best young player for the third time, and Der Spiegel said Bayern Munich's Harry Kane had a chance to crown an outstanding year with the award.
Oct 27, 2026 Morning - Follow-up: Storm Boelo kills two men in UK as falling trees strike; more than 160,000 properties lost power
Following Storm Austen, named storm Boelo continued to batter the UK and parts of northern Europe. Police said two men were killed by falling trees on Sunday: a 60-year-old man in south-west Scotland and a man in his 20s in London. The Met Office recorded gusts of up to about 84mph, more than 160,000 properties across the UK lost power at one point, and parts of France and Germany were also affected.
Oct 26, 2026 Afternoon - Follow-up: Storm Boelo kills 60-year-old man in UK; 53,000 homes in Scotland still without power
After Storm Austen hit south-west England on Friday, Oct 23, Storm Boelo, the second named storm in two days, battered Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England from the evening of Oct 24. Police said a 60-year-old man was killed by a falling tree; more than 82,000 properties across the UK lost power, and about 53,000 homes in Scotland were still without electricity at 5pm on Oct 25. Under a Met Office amber warning from 9pm Saturday, winds reached 60 to 70mph widely, with 82mph recorded on Tiree, 84mph in Argyll and Bute and 83mph in Snowdonia.
Oct 26, 2026 Morning - UK PM Andy Burnham says he wants an 'honest discussion' with the public about restoring freedom of movement with the EU
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham told the Sunday Times he wanted an 'honest', 'fact- and evidence-based' discussion with the public about the possibility of restoring freedom of movement between the UK and the EU. He has said a new deal could mean Britain 'going all the way' back into the EU, with other options including joining the single market or a customs union — both requiring acceptance of some EU rules, and single-market entry also requiring freedom of movement. He had previously pledged to keep Labour's 2024 manifesto red lines of no return to free movement and no joining the single market or customs union.
Oct 25, 2026 Afternoon - Storm Boelo brings gusts of over 80mph to northern UK; amber warnings for Scotland and northern England
Storm Boelo, the UK's second named storm of the season, is hitting northern Britain this weekend with frequent heavy showers and gusts possibly above 80 mph (about 129 kph). The Met Office issued amber warnings, its second-highest level, for Scotland and northern England down to Carlisle from 9pm on Oct 24 to 9pm on Oct 25, as well as for north-east Northern Ireland. Storm Austin had cut power to thousands of homes in south-west England the day before, and rail operators including TransPennine Express and Avanti West Coast expected widespread disruption.
Oct 25, 2026 Morning - Judi Dench, 91, says worsening macular degeneration means she can no longer act
ABC News reported that British actor Dame Judi Dench said the macular degeneration she has had for more than a decade has worsened to the point that she can no longer perform on stage or screen. Dench, 91, has had an acting career of more than 70 years.
Oct 23, 2026 Afternoon - UK inflation rises to 3.5% in September, a one-year high; government borrowing nears £25 billion
BBC, citing the Office for National Statistics, reported that UK consumer prices rose 3.5% year on year in September, up from 3.1% in August and the highest since October 2025, driven mainly by sharp rises in petrol and diesel prices. Figures released the same day showed government borrowing jumped to nearly £25 billion in September, and borrowing so far this financial year is £6 billion above official forecasts. The Chancellor will deliver a first Budget next week and has pledged not to raise income tax, National Insurance or VAT and to stick to Labour's fiscal rules.
Oct 22, 2026 Morning - Google Cloud power incident in London disrupts Revolut, Lloyds, HSBC and other UK services
Google Cloud reported problems with multiple services in its London region 'europe-west2' early on Oct 20, and Revolut, Lloyds Bank and HSBC confirmed they were affected, as were the UK courts system, with thousands of outage reports online. A Google Cloud spokesperson said that evening the outage was caused by a 'power event' at a third-party facility in the region, services had been restored and an incident analysis would be published. Meduza reported that Revolut users worldwide were affected.
Oct 21, 2026 Morning