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French borrowing costs overtake US amid budget turmoil

22 October 2026 at 09:40

France’s bond market hit by another bout of selling as country recovers from weekend protests

French borrowing costs continued to rise on Thursday, as investors fret that France’s government is struggling to pass a federal budget after public protests gripped the country.

France’s bond market was hit with another bout of selling, with the difference between French and German 10-year borrowing costs – a metric for the risk premium attached to French debt – rising to its highest level in almost 15 years.

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© Photograph: Telmo Pinto/NurPhoto/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Telmo Pinto/NurPhoto/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Telmo Pinto/NurPhoto/Shutterstock

French borrowing costs overtake US amid budget turmoil

22 October 2026 at 09:40

France’s bond market hit by another bout of selling as country recovers from weekend protests

French borrowing costs continued to rise on Thursday, as investors fret that France’s government is struggling to pass a federal budget after public protests gripped the country.

France’s bond market was hit with another bout of selling, with the difference between French and German 10-year borrowing costs – a metric for the risk premium attached to French debt – rising to its highest level in almost 15 years.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Telmo Pinto/NurPhoto/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Telmo Pinto/NurPhoto/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Telmo Pinto/NurPhoto/Shutterstock

AI firm Anthropic to commit 5% of shares to fund for ‘public good’

19 October 2026 at 13:51

The $48bn giveaway comes amid concerns about the tech and as the company prepares for a stock market listing

Anthropic has said it will commit 5% of its shares to a fund for the “public good”, as the AI developer behind the Claude chatbot seeks to bolster its appeal before its stock market listing.

The company announced it would commit the shares, worth around $48bn (£36bn) at its latest valuation in May, subject to shareholder approval. It will add a further 2% of its stock to the fund for every 50% increase in its value above an undisclosed baseline.

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© Photograph: Dado Ruvić/Reuters

© Photograph: Dado Ruvić/Reuters

© Photograph: Dado Ruvić/Reuters

More than half of UK first-time buyers paying more for mortgage than they did for rent

19 October 2026 at 10:10

Hamptons says figure of 56% is highest in at least a decade, with mortgage rates rising since start of Iran war

A majority of first-time UK buyers now pay more towards their monthly mortgage bills than they used to pay in rent, the estate agent Hamptons has found.

Last month 56% of first-time buyers said their monthly mortgage bills exceeded their previous rent, the highest proportion in at least a decade, according to Hamptons. They paid £39 more on average.

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© Photograph: UCG/Universal Images Group/Getty Images

© Photograph: UCG/Universal Images Group/Getty Images

© Photograph: UCG/Universal Images Group/Getty Images

France hit by debt sell-off as violent protests unnerve investors

19 October 2026 at 16:23

Difference between French and German borrowing costs widens after public buildings burned and shops looted

France has been hit by a fresh wave of selling in its bond and stock markets after violent protests over the weekend led to thousands of arrests and left public buildings burned and hundreds of shops looted across the country.

The chaos has spooked investors as analysts worried that it would undermine Paris’s efforts to cut spending and reduce its debt.

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© Photograph: SDIS 87/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: SDIS 87/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: SDIS 87/AFP/Getty Images

France hit by debt sell-off as violent protests unnerve investors

19 October 2026 at 16:23

Difference between French and German borrowing costs widens after public buildings burned and shops looted

France has been hit by a fresh wave of selling in its bond and stock markets after violent protests over the weekend led to thousands of arrests and left public buildings burned and hundreds of shops looted across the country.

The chaos has spooked investors as analysts worried that it would undermine Paris’s efforts to cut spending and reduce its debt.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: SDIS 87/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: SDIS 87/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: SDIS 87/AFP/Getty Images

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