Afternoon.

It’s Monday 26th October: the Budget could bring a change for pensioners, gas prices are climbing again and a student-led movement has pulled off a remarkable election victory in Serbia.

Kettle on.

📅 On this day: In 1863, the Football Association was founded at a meeting in London, beginning the process of establishing a common set of rules for football. Before then, different clubs and schools played rather different versions of the game. Some even allowed players to carry the ball.

Chancellor John Healey delivers his first Budget on Wednesday, and one of the more interesting developments concerns pensioners who could soon find themselves paying income tax on their state pension.

The full new state pension is expected to rise to around £13,036 a year from April, putting it above the standard £12,570 personal allowance. That's the amount most people can receive in taxable income before paying income tax.

According to reports ahead of the Budget, the government is preparing a new tax-free allowance for lower-income pensioners. That would protect people relying solely on the state pension from facing a tax bill simply because their pension has increased.

The measure hasn't been formally announced, and the chancellor is also under pressure to explain how the government will fund its spending commitments while keeping borrowing under control. Wednesday should provide some answers.

European wholesale gas prices have reached their highest level in four years, raising concerns about another increase in household energy bills this winter.

Wholesale prices are what energy suppliers pay to buy gas before selling it to customers. They've been rising amid concerns about winter supplies, with European gas storage levels lower than usual and disruption in the Middle East adding further pressure.

The UK is particularly exposed because gas is used both to heat millions of homes and to generate electricity. When gas becomes more expensive, electricity prices can rise too, even for households that don't use gas directly.

Ofgem's latest price cap already increased by 4% in October for a typical household on a standard variable tariff. Further rises are forecast for January, although the exact amount won't be confirmed until November. Not exactly the winter warmer anyone was hoping for.

The government has announced another £432m to tackle rough sleeping in England, bringing its total investment in the programme to £874m.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham wants everyone sleeping rough to have been offered a route off the streets or wider support by Christmas. The new funding, which will be confirmed in Wednesday's Budget, is intended to keep services running beyond this winter.

The programme includes emergency accommodation and specialist support, while housing associations have pledged to identify at least 2,000 potential homes and bedspaces. The latest official estimate recorded 4,793 people sleeping rough in England on a single night in autumn 2025, although that doesn't include everyone experiencing homelessness.

There's an important distinction in the government's promise. Offering everyone support isn't the same as ensuring nobody is sleeping rough by Christmas. The longer-term challenge is helping people find stable accommodation and avoid returning to the streets.

Consultant doctors in England have announced two days of strike action on 25 and 26 November after talks over pay and working conditions failed to produce an agreement.

Consultants are senior specialist doctors who treat patients and supervise other medical staff. Hospitals will make arrangements to maintain essential care, but routine appointments and planned operations could be disrupted. Negotiations may still prevent the walkout.

A student-backed movement has won Serbia's parliamentary election, ending 14 years of political dominance by Aleksandar Vučić and his party. With almost all votes counted, the movement had secured 52.7% of the vote, enough for a parliamentary majority.

The movement grew out of protests following the collapse of a railway station canopy in 2024, which killed 16 people. Protesters blamed corruption and negligence, accusations the government denied. What began as demonstrations developed into a nationwide campaign for political change. The students have won the election, although who will lead their new government remains unclear.

Storms Boelo and Austen brought destructive winds and widespread disruption over the weekend, with two men killed by falling trees. Around 90,000 properties were still without electricity on Monday morning, while forecasters warned of further strong winds.

If you've been affected, there's some practical information worth knowing. Under Ofgem's rules, prolonged power cuts during severe weather can qualify for compensation. Depending on the storm's severity, payments can begin after 24 or 48 hours without electricity, with additional payments for longer outages.

A major new study has found significant inequalities in breast cancer diagnosis and treatment in England. Researchers examining more than 86,000 patients found that Black patients had 29% lower odds of being diagnosed through routine screening than White patients, and were more likely to receive a diagnosis following an emergency hospital visit.

Patients with learning disabilities also experienced longer waits for diagnosis and treatment. The research examined cases from 2009 to 2018, so it doesn't establish whether the same gaps persist today. Researchers say the findings highlight areas where improvements are needed.

Almost a kilometre of London's Oxford Street has become traffic-free, with buses, taxis, cars and bicycles now diverted away from the stretch between Orchard Street and Great Portland Street. Emergency vehicles and mobility scooters can still access the area, while deliveries are permitted during designated hours.

The idea is to make one of Britain's busiest shopping streets more pleasant for pedestrians, with seating, trees and other improvements planned. The first phase uses temporary changes so officials can assess how the new layout works before introducing a permanent design.

An embroidered account of the Norman conquest has become an unlikely hit with younger Britons.

The Bayeux Tapestry exhibition at the British Museum is attracting extraordinary demand, with the latest batch of tickets selling out within three hours. According to spending data from Monzo, 55% of its customers buying tickets during the first hour were under 35.

For anyone whose history lessons are a distant memory, the Bayeux Tapestry depicts the events surrounding the Norman conquest of England in 1066. It's nearly 1,000 years old, around 70 metres long and, despite its name, technically an embroidery rather than a tapestry.

Not bad for something made several centuries before anyone invented the phrase limited tickets remaining.

Have a great afternoon.

See you tomorrow.

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