Morning Briefing: Sunday 1 November 2026
- If you are aged 18 to 20 and on the minimum wage: your rate rises to £11.27 an hour against £13.21 for over-20s, and the chancellor would not promise this morning to close the gap before the next election — “We’ll take one step at a time,” he said.
- If you watch your energy bill: the chancellor says ministers will sign off new offshore wind farms only if the grid can carry their power without raising costs. The National Audit Office warned in September that paying turbines to switch off could cost homes and businesses £7.8bn a year by 2030.
- If you hold Binance funds: the exchange says it has covered 90% of the $6.3bn stolen, with bitcoin, ethereum and Tether holdings fully replenished, and remains on track to reopen withdrawals today. It will confirm details before doing so.
Iran Offers Two-Day Hormuz Reopening if Washington Meets Its Terms
Abbas Araghchi says talks with Qatari mediators have produced a plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within two days, down from five, provided America lifts sanctions, cuts its regional forces and releases frozen funds. President Trump said…
German Youth Protests Turn to Looting as France Marches Again
Cost-of-living demonstrations organised by the youth group Gen Z regelt turned violent overnight in Frankfurt, where shops were looted, a gun shop’s windows smashed and molotov cocktails thrown at emergency services. Police used water cann…
Tel Aviv Rally Urges Eisenkot to Govern With Arab Parties
Thousands rallied in Tel Aviv urging opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot to strike a deal with Arab-led parties to remove Benjamin Netanyahu. With all votes counted, Mr Netanyahu’s bloc holds 53 seats and Mr Eisenkot’s 48 — both short of the 6…
Tens of Thousands Rally in Delhi Demanding Election Chief Quit
Rahul Gandhi is leading a Congress rally at Ramlila Maidan demanding the resignation of the chief election commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar, over a voter-list revision that has removed 130 million names from draft rolls. The Election Commission…
Binance Covers 90% of Losses as FBI Blames North Korea
The FBI said on Saturday that North Korea was responsible for the $6.3bn theft from Binance, naming the Lazarus Group, also known as TraderTraitor. The exchange says it has replenished 90% of the stolen assets from its own treasury and oth…
Reeves Says Britain’s Future Lies in the European Union
In her first major intervention since leaving the Treasury, Rachel Reeves writes in the Sunday Times: “I do believe Britain’s future lies in the European Union.” She offers no timetable and does not say whether a referendum would be needed…
King to Address Slavery With ‘Sincere Sorrow’ as Apology Row Grows
The King will speak with “unflinching honesty” and “sincere sorrow” on the transatlantic slave trade when he addresses Commonwealth leaders in Antigua on Tuesday, Buckingham Palace says. The Sunday papers lead on Mr Burnham’s openness to a…
Healey Will Not Promise Equal Minimum Wage Before Election
The chancellor, John Healey, has declined to commit to paying 18 to 20-year-olds the full adult minimum wage before the next election, potentially breaking a 2024 manifesto pledge. “There is no question about whether or if, it’s a question…
Healey to Veto Offshore Wind Farms That Cannot Lower Bills
New offshore wind projects bidding for subsidy contracts will be signed off only if the grid can absorb their power without pushing up consumer costs, the chancellor says. “There’s no sense building power that can’t connect and then paying…
Mahmood to Set Out Settlement Rules With Care Workers Spared
The home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, will present her final decision on indefinite leave to remain to Parliament this week. The BBC understands social care workers already in Britain are likely to be exempt from a longer wait, while most o…