UK house prices expected to rise over second half of year, says Zoopla

Larger number of homes for sale will help push up prices by 2%, says property portal

Reeves moves fast to tackle £22bn budget shortfall ‘covered up’ by Tories

Measures include cutting winter fuel payments for wealthier pensioners and shelving cap on social care payments

The Guardian view on Rachel Reeves’ statement: beyond the Tory black hole

Editorial: The chancellor was right to call out her predecessors’ culpability for a disastrous inheritance. But Labour must be bolder

UK politics: Winter fuel payments to be restricted as Reeves says there is £22bn spending shortfall – as it happened

Chancellor suggests budget, on 30 October, will involve tax rises and cuts to spending and benefits

Rachel Reeves goes back to the future with her public finances statement

The chancellor’s message was: this is going to hurt, but it’s not my fault. Haven’t we heard that somewhere before?

McDonald’s sales fall for first time since 2020, as higher prices deter consumers – as it happened

Live, rolling coverage of business, economics and financial markets as McDonald’s faces pressure to cut prices and lure back customers

‘Smarter money’ is the key that will unlock the promise of Africa and the Caribbean

Regions’ vast potential is being blocked by the need for better investments, key partnerships and reforms to global finance

Bitcoin price hits six-week high after Trump backs cryptocurrency

Former president says he will end persecution of crypto industry if he wins US election in November

Rachel Reeves paves way for cuts and tax rises to fill shortfall left by Tories

Chancellor will announce pause in work on a number of infrastructure projects, saying Conservatives ‘covered up’ true state of finances

We were promised a 15-hour working week. What’s the hold-up?

More UK companies are about to trial a four-day week, and all employees could soon get the right to switch off. It’s still just baby steps, writes Emma Beddington

Bank of England set to rain on hopes of interest rate cut after economic bounce

This week’s Bank meeting is unlikely to bring borrowers any joy amid a strong recovery from 2023’s mild recession

Fear of a Truss repeat should not deter Reeves from rewriting spending rules

Labour has enough goodwill with City to increase debt if the money is used for key infrastructure

Tories ‘deliberately covered up’ true state of public finances, says minister

Steve Reed hits out at Conservatives’ handling of public services as chancellor prepares to detail ‘£20bn black hole’

The Observer view: sticking to fiscal rule will imperil Labour’s future

Cutting public spending to satisfy an arbitrary financial rule conceived in opposition will confine the UK to sluggish growth

How bad are Britain’s finances? Key questions and answers on the state of the economy

Several factors restrict the Labour government’s room for manoeuvre in its agenda for growth, writes Phillip Inman