Morning Briefing: Saturday 3 October 2026
- Filling up: Diesel ended the week averaging 200.01p a litre, above £2 for the first time, with petrol at 174.71p. The G7 has agreed to release 100 million barrels of reserves, frontloaded with diesel in the first twenty days.
- Your mortgage: The ten-year gilt finished the week at 5.38%, having touched 5.5098% on Thursday, and the thirty-year is well below the 6.0289% it reached the same day. Gilt yields set the benchmark for fixed-rate pricing.
- Your council tax: One London borough has warned that holding services steady could require a 150% rise in its share of the bill — an extra £29.11 a week at Band D — under the government’s new funding formula.
UAE Says the Flydubai Co-Pilot Attempted a Terrorist Act
The United Arab Emirates’ prosecutor general has said the co-pilot of Wednesday’s Dubai to Tel Aviv flight “attempted to carry out a terrorist act”, using a crash axe against the captain inside the cockpit and trying to take control of the…
Russia Strikes a Second Major Bridge in Kyiv
A Russian strike on Saturday morning damaged the road surface and the trolleybus overhead wires on Kyiv’s Northern Bridge, the mayor said — the second major crossing to be hit in days. The Southern Bridge has been targeted repeatedly since…
North Korea Fires a Ballistic Missile as Seoul Demands an Apology
North Korea launched a ballistic missile from the Wonsan area towards the East Sea on Saturday morning, flying more than 700km, according to South Korea and Japan. It came a day after Kim Yo-jong dismissed Seoul’s demand for an apology ove…
US Suspends Consular Services in Brazil Two Days Before the Vote
The United States has suspended consular services in Brazil and Australia has closed its embassy in Brasília, two days before Sunday’s presidential election. The American embassy cited security concerns without giving detail, advising citi…
Saudi Arabia Plans a Yemen Offensive to Retake Bab el-Mandeb
Riyadh is preparing an offensive against the Houthis, weighing either a coastal push to secure the Red Sea shipping route or an assault on several fronts at once, regional and Western officials have said. It would be fought by Yemeni groun…
Widdecombe Suspect Charged Over a Terror Plot Against Farage
Joshua Kerry, 28, already charged in July with the murder of Ann Widdecombe, has been charged with one count of preparing acts of terrorism, including against the Reform UK leader Nigel Farage. The charge relates to activity alleged to hav…
Two Iranians Charged Over an Alleged Plot Against Manchester's Jewish Community
Rahman Salehi, 34, and Salam Ahmadyan, 36, have been charged with preparing to commit or assisting another to commit an act of terrorism in Manchester on or before Yom Kippur. Police allege they tried to acquire components for an improvise…
Tories Promise 50,000 Prison Places Funded by Aid Cuts
The Conservatives have pledged 50,000 new prison places in England and Wales to put a stop to early releases, at a cost of £2bn a year, funded by taking £1bn from the aid budget and £1bn from culture, media and sport. There are currently a…
Half of Voters Back Rejoining the EU, a New Megapoll Finds
Rejoining was the most popular of seven options put to 11,461 people, with 49% in favour and 28.5% against — support for the Prime Minister’s stated personal preference. But cabinet ministers worried about reopening Brexit divides are priv…
An Uneasy Peace Holds at Drumcree After a Week of Stand-Off
Every ingredient of a Northern Ireland crisis has been present for a week except one: violence. The stand-off over the Portadown parade has run since Sunday morning through verbal clashes, late-night negotiations, appeals for calm and a ma…