Investors trim growth bets over fears of US economy’s AI exposure
Return to bonds after long sell-off comes as concern rises about over-reliance on tech spending
Iran warns it will retaliate without ‘geographical limitations’ if attacked
Ayatollah Khamenei tells military commanders response will be ‘immediate’ as Qatari mediators seek to avert a feared US-Israeli bombing campaign
Steve Bannon: Republicans will erupt in ‘civil war’ after midterm elections
Former White House chief strategist predicts ‘monster’ legislative battles before new Congress is sworn in
Budget frees London to go on £10bn borrowing spree, says Sadiq Khan
UK capital’s mayor hails chancellor’s financial plan that will boost key infrastructure projects
Poland suspends top judges as battle over rule of law escalates
President and prime minister are embroiled in a bitter dispute over appointments to country’s constitutional court
Serbia comes back into the fold
Decisive vote against autocratic leader Aleksandar Vučić will enable restoration of democratic checks and balances
Crypto exchanges rush to tighten security after $6.3bn Binance heist
Rival venues place ‘additional alerts and restrictions’ on the movement of funds
Chart of the Week: Bond investors may cheer gridlock
Midterms will have higher stakes for the bond market
Rating agency Fitch hits France with unscheduled outlook downgrade
Move comes hours after data showed an unexpected contraction in third-quarter economic output
Kane, Mbappé and the cost of star power
Also in today’s newsletter: the courts loom for Kalshi and the WNBA’s season of chaos
Transcript: Martin Wolf on the US midterms — What’s the risk of political violence?
Martin Wolf speaks with political scientist Barbara F Walter
US approves $2.1bn sale of Patriot interceptors to Ukraine
Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomes ‘strong decision’ but calls for the missiles to be provided immediately
Fiscal drifting: why the Budget won’t leave you better off
Frozen thresholds and higher inflation forecasts mean thousands more could be dragged into the £100,000 tax trap than previously thought
The right to be apolitical
The film ‘Fatherland’ is too harsh on the uncommitted
The rightward march of Israel
Netanyahu lost his majority. Why is he so hard to defeat?
French protests show BNP Paribas what’s in a name
Despite a strong third quarter, a bumpy journey lies ahead for investors
Equity loan scheme will struggle to deliver ‘the homes buyers want’
Many first-time purchasers want three-bed houses but Your First Home price caps mean mostly flats will qualify in large parts of country
French banks’ rising profits fail to reverse sell-off as political fears bite
BNP Paribas, SocGen and Crédit Agricole reported strong third-quarter earnings but have been hit by investor nerves over political and economic uncertainty
The bonkers business of tax breaks for entrepreneurs
Encouraging start-ups and scale-ups is a good idea but is not best served by Healey’s new Founders’ Relief
US midterms loom over jittery investors
Caution certainly seems warranted for the coming weeks
Entrepreneurs question Budget rhetoric on relief and red tape
Small business bodies said higher taxes and reduced reliefs exposed chancellor’s pledge to back Britain’s ‘bloody-minded’ founders
Bank of England explores easing key limit on riskier mortgage lending
Central bank considers lifting threshold on higher-risk mortgages in response to calls from government and industry to boost home-ownership
Lula’s surprise election victory sends agri-commodities tumbling
Steep fall in Brazilian real has made the country’s exports more competitive, undermining pricing power for farmers in other countries
How a £1 deal dragged Poundland’s owner into a political storm
Gordon Brothers is under intense scrutiny over whether it could have prevented the UK retailer’s looming insolvency