James Dyson, one of UK's richest people, calls the budget 'spiteful'

Sainsbury's extends Aldi Price Match to convenience stores

Sainsbury's has extended Aldi Price Match to its convenience stores - becoming the first UK grocer to do so.

The price match scheme, which sees like-for-like products advertised at prices listed by the German chain, has been adopted by several of the country's biggest supermarkets as they compete for customers.

Sainsbury's said the extension meant Aldi prices could be found in more than 800 convenience stores as well as its nearly 600 supermarkets.

Tuition fees set to be raised

An increase in tuition fees, the first for eight years, is expected to be announced this afternoon.

Sky News understands the rise will come into force in England from next year.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson is set to confirm the move in a House of Commons statement later.

The Department for Education declined to comment.

Fees are currently frozen at £9,250.

Lidl introduces new security measures and self-checkouts amid store revamp

Lidl is adding new security measures and self-checkouts as part of a revamp of its stores.

More space has been made at the front of the store for fresh fruit and vegetables, alongside a healthy snacking section, with tinned veg, pasta and sauces moved further back.

Frozen foods have been moved, while new self-checkouts have replaced manned tills.

New security measures include a one-way barrier at the entrance to the store, according to The Grocer, who visited one of the revamped supermarkets. Like Sainsbury's, customers must scan a receipt before leaving.

Some of the layout changes have come amid Lidl's ambition to increase sales of "healthy or healthier products".

IKEA opening its first standalone restaurant

IKEA's meatballs are getting their own restaurant in London.

The world's biggest furniture retailer, which has 21 stores in the UK, is opening a standalone restaurant in Hammersmith, west London.

It will be located next to its existing store and sit 75 people who can dine on their famous meatballs and mash.

Has calm returned to markets?

The UK market has continued where it left off at the end of last week: with a sense of calm returning after some post-budget turbulence.

The pound has gained 0.3% against the dollar amid political uncertainty in the US ahead of Tuesday's presidential election - on Thursday, the pound dropped to $1.286, its lowest in 10 weeks, but has since hit $1.30 this morning.

Meanwhile, UK gilt yields - essentially the rate of interest that the UK government pays on its debt - were more stable than in the second half of last week, when they rose sharply as the market worried over the budget's impact.

And all market indexes are flashing green, with the FTSE 100, a collection of the UK's largest publicly traded companies, up by 0.6%.

UK's richest resident calls the budget 'spiteful'

One of the UK's wealthiest people has called Labour's budget "spiteful" and warned the rise in inheritance tax on farms and family businesses will be the "death of entrepreneurship".

Sir James Dyson (who has a fortune of £16.20bn, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index - which says he is the UK's wealthiest resident) said the budget "will rip apart the very fabric of our economy".

In her maiden budget, the chancellor confirmed that from April 2026, the Treasury will alter agriculture property relief and introduce a 20% tax rate on the value of all farms and businesses worth more than £1m - where previously they were exempt.

Sir James said the move was an "ignorant swipe at aspiration".

"Every business expects to pay tax, but for Labour to kill off homegrown family businesses is a tragedy," he wrote in The Times. 

"In particular, I have huge empathy for the small businesses and start-ups that will suffer. Labour has shown its true colours with a spiteful budget."

Sir James is reported to have amassed more than 30,000 acres of farmland, which - before the new budget - was exempt from inheritance tax.

Lottery scammers dupe four people out of £50,000

Four victims have lost money and valuables worth a total of £50,000 in a lottery scam, Bedfordshire Police has warned.

The victims were approached by men on the street who claimed they had a winning ticket but were unable to claim it due to immigration reasons. They were on the phone to a third man, who claimed to be from the National Lottery.

They offered to split the winnings if the victim cashed the lottery ticket - but then demanded cash or jewellery as a deposit. The victims were driven to their homes to collect the valuables, and the thieves then drove away.

Four-day working week being trialled by 1,000 workers

More than 1,000 workers will get an extra day off with no loss of wages from today as part of the second four-day week pilot in the UK.

The six-month pilot, led by the 4 Day Week Campaign and flexible working consultancy Timewise, involves 17 businesses across the country.

The British Society for Immunology and Crate Brewery in Hackney, east London, are among those involved.

A previous trial in 2022 involving 61 companies and around 2,900 workers saw "overwhelmingly positive results", according to the 4 Day Week Campaign, with most carrying on the change and more than a quarter making the four-day week permanent.

-SKY NEWS