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The government approved the Jackdaw gas field in the North Sea. Inflation rose from 3.1 to 3.5 per cent. Government borrowing rose to £24.5 billion in September. The national debt passed £3 trillion. GDP grew by 0.1 per cent in August. Banks expected to be taxed more after the Budget. The owners of Paddy Power announced cuts of 1,400 jobs, blaming tax rises. Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative leader, said Labour would not have the courage to make public spending cuts needed to bring down debt and fund defence. The Northern Ireland Troubles Bill was approved by the Commons. Jeffrey Donaldson, the former leader of the Democratic Unionists, was sentenced to 15 years for sexual abuse against two women when they were children.

Britain will send Ukraine more ‌long-range Storm Shadow cruise missiles, and will send RAF Typhoon jets to help defend Saudi Arabia against Houthi attacks. A 24-year-old UK national and a 25-year-old dual UK-Iranian national were re-arrested in connection with whatever happened at Fairford, Gloucestershire, on 27 September, and were held on suspicion of assisting Iran’s intelligence service. Zack Polanski, the Green leader, said the party’s policy that Zionism is a form of racism could not be overturned until at least 2028. Asked about the right of Israel to exist, he said: ‘I don’t think any state has a right to exist under international law.’ The Covid Inquiry found that the claim by Matt Hancock, the former health secretary, of a ‘protective ring around care homes from the very start’ of the pandemic was ‘unfounded’. Yvette Cooper, the Health Secretary, ordered figures to be compiled on children receiving care in hospital corridors. A severe drought was declared in Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset and Sussex. Storm Austen, the first of the season, named after an Irish meteorologist, not after the novelist, swept over the British Isles.

Problems at a London data centre hit Google’s Cloud service for a day, affecting banks, businesses and courts. The BBC is to close the BBC3 and BBC Scotland television channels and Radio 4 Extra to save money. Plans remained in place for Oxford Street in London to be pedestrianised for the 1,000 yards between Orchard Street and Great Portland Street from 26 October. The Revd Ronald Lancaster, the founder of Kimbolton Fireworks, died aged 95. The Sultan of Oman made a state visit.

Abroad

President Donald Trump said that President Volodymyr Zelensky was ‘more difficult to deal with than Putin’. Ukraine resumed attacks on Russian oil facilities (its drones setting fire to an oil terminal in St Petersburg) after a three-day pause during which Russia had not let up on attacking energy targets as Mr Trump had requested. Mr Zelensky said that American intelligence on impending Russian ballistic missile strikes ‘was blocked for some period of time. And then it was deblocked by the American side. We are very thankful.’ Mr Trump stopped the imposition of sanctions on Russia that had recently been passed by the US Congress. A spacecraft was launched from Japan bound for Phobos, a moon of Mars, from which it is hoped to return with ten grams of moondust in 2031.

Mr Trump cancelled plans to livestream the execution by firing squad of Nidal Hasan, who shot dead 13 unarmed US military personnel in 2009. A 16-year-old shot dead three children and a teacher at a primary school in Bend, Oregon, and was shot dead by the father of two girls at the school, who pursued him. A school roof collapsed in Peshawar, Pakistan, killing more than 30. After five days, Katie Zacharia left her job as White House press secretary. In Australia, a man aged 43 was charged after Helen Haines MP was hit by a car in Victoria and lost both legs.

On a day of protest in France, 550,000 people took to the streets; shops were looted, cars set on fire and the town hall in Limoges burnt down. President Emmanuel Macron called for ‘calm and order’ but looting continued for a second night. Mayors were given the power to introduce curfews. In Milan, police clashed with looting protestors. In Albania, anti-government demonstrators and riot police fought in Tirana for eight days running. A fire at a Canadian military base in Alberta killed four service members and wounded dozens more. The Pope left hospital four days after his surgery for lung cancer; he telephoned Mr Putin, calling for dialogue and peace.  CSH