While the Budget revealed high levels of spending - £150bn over three years – this was offset by tax rises. After days of trailing announcements about transport, health, education, the minimum wage and ending the public sector pay freeze, Chancellor Rishi Sunak finally delivered his plans for the country in the House of Commons on Wednesday. They will see public spending reach its highest sustained level since the late 1970s, and taxes rises will soon reach levels last seen during Clement Attlee’s post-war Labour government. This makes for a "philosophical shift" in Conservatism, says Chief Secretary to the Treasury, who makes "no apologies" for spending more on public services. "What we want to see is to get the economy turbocharged, unlock productivity, and to deliver growth more evenly across UK. That does require some upfront spending," says Simon Clarke.
This level of spending and tax rise is a concern for some Conservative MPs. But Mr Sunak - who promises to cut taxes before the next general election - says although he doesn’t like the rises, he "cannot apologise for it - it's the result of the unprecedented crisis" of the pandemic. He claims, "we have a choice…do we want to live in a country where the response to every question is: what is the government going to do about it?" These spending plans, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies think tank, are "more similar" to those of the Labour governments in the 2000s. Though Labour agree it’s important to raise money, shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves - who stepped in at the last minute to respond to the Budget after leader Sir Keir Starmer tested positive for coronavirus - says she disagrees with "the way the government is doing it". Her criticism comes as the government's forecaster says the cost of living could rise at its fastest rate for 30 years, further straining household budgets. Mr Sunak might liken himself to a reluctant taxman, says our economics editor Faisal Islam, but his strategic decision has been to spend at the same time as keeping borrowing down, so taxation has taken the hit.

In the first official acknowledgement by the US that China conducted two missile tests over the summer, a top general says it’s close to a Sputnik moment - when the Soviet satellite launch sparked the Cold War arms race. China is suspected of carrying out a hypersonic missile test, a claim it denies by insisting it was a spacecraft. However, reports indicate it was a nuclear-capable missile that could evade US air defence systems. "What we saw was a very significant event of a test of a hypersonic weapon system. And it is very concerning," says Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Hypersonic missiles can travel at five times the speed of sound and are more capable of avoiding interception from air defence. The test reportedly left US military stunned. "I don't know if it's quite a Sputnik moment, but I think it's very close to that. It has all of our attention," Gen Milley says .

Have you found yourself listening to the radio less in the mornings? If so, you’re not the only one. It appears many breakfast radio shows now have smaller audiences than before the pandemic. The drop’s in part down to fewer people commuting as many people still work from home, and popular shows are among those that have been hit. Shows by Zoe Ball, Greg James, Roman Kemp and Chris Evans as well as BBC Radio 4's Today programme now have fewer listeners, according to the latest rating figures. But industry body Rajar urges caution because it’s also measuring audiences in new ways.

"Spend now, cut taxes later". That’s the Guardian’s take on the Budget revealed by Chancellor Rishi Sunak. Wednesday’s announcement dominates the front pages this morning, with many picturing Mr Sunak carrying the red Budget box. The Daily Telegraph says the plans take government spending to the "highest sustained level since the late 1970s". "Cheers Rishi" headlines the Metro and the Daily Mail declares: "The drinks are on us!" Meanwhile, according to the Daily Mirror it’s "champagne for (the) rich… real pain for (the) poor", claiming the Budget failed to tackle the cost of living crisis. The i points out Mr Sunak is taking the tax burden back to the 1950s, but the Daily Express reports on the chancellor’s "moral" mission to cut them. Read the newspaper review in full here.

People were said to be either drinking too much while at home during the pandemic or cutting back, but one thing that wasn’t really reported was those who were getting into the spirit of trying something more adventurous. It appears more unusual drinks and wines from countries that don't usually interest everyday consumers have been hits. Here's the story.
Could this next one be a future hit? Toy Story's a firm favourite with children and grown-ups alike, and now the backstory of the much-loved space ranger Buzz Lightyear is being released. You won’t hear Tim Allen as the voice of Buzz this time because Hollywood star Chris Evans is taking the reins. Take a look at the first trailer and see what you think.
And finally, it’s not quite a journey into space but carbon from the atmosphere is being used to create diamonds. Could these sky diamonds replace mining for the gemstones? Watch to find out more.

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