Investors around the world are closely watching the US presidential election for clues on the outcome.

Benchmark stock indexes in Japan and Australia made gains in Wednesday morning trade, while the US dollar was higher against other major currencies.

The result of the election is expected to have a major impact on economies across Asia.

It is uncertain whether the result of the election will be known during Asian trading hours, as counts in swing states could take days to be completed.

“Markets look in good spirits despite there being no clear signs yet of who will take the reigns of the White House,” said Tim Waterer, chief market analyst at investment firm KCM Trade.

In Japan, the benchmark Nikkei 225 stock index was up by around 1%, while Australia’s ASX 200 0.8% higher.

In the US on Tuesday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500 and Nasdaq all closed more than 1% higher.

“We could yet see some fluctuations across markets today though, particularly by assets which could be affected most by the outcome, with the US dollar and Chinese stocks being prime examples,” Mr Waterer said.

Donald Trump has said throughout the campaign that if he became the next US president he would dramatically increase trade tariffs, especially on China.

If Kamala Harris wins investors expect her trade policies to be a continuation of Joe Biden’s more predicable approach.

Investors also have other key issues to focus on this week.

On Thursday, the US Federal Reserve is due to announce its latest decision on interest rates.

Comments from the head of the central bank, Jerome Powell, will be watched closely around the world.

On Friday, top Chinese officials are expected to unveil more details about Beijing’s plans to tackle the slowdown of the world’s second largest economy.

MARTIN Lewis has urged savers to act now to boost their balances ahead of a key decision tomorrow.

He spoke during Tuesday’s episode of his ITV programme, The Martin Lewis Money Show Live.

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Martin urged Brits to check what interest they currently get ahead of an expected fall in the UK base rate this Thursday.

He said: “The UK base rate, this is the Bank of England set rate, obviously was very low and then it’s risen recently and peaked at 5.25%.

“It’s dropped to five per cent now and we are expecting on Thursday that interest rate to drop by about a quarter of a per cent.”

He qualified that this was not guaranteed.

Martin went on: “Now though we are in the position where inflation is substantially lower than we have on interest rates so your money is growing in real terms.

“If you put money away in savings and in a couple of years, you will be able to buy more with it than you could at the point you put it in.

“Saving is finally, at last, paying.”

In the same programme, he also warned that a million people have been overpaying their student loans – and could be owed a refund.

In the last tax year, more than one million university leavers overpaid their student loans, according to figures released by the Student Loans Company (SLC).

Speaking on The Martin Lewis Money Show Live, on ITV on Tuesday, the show host said graduates were able to claim money back if they had overpaid, which was “very easy to do”.

There were four main reasons you may have overpaid your student loan.

Martin said: “The first, and the biggest by a mile, over a million people overpaid this way, is you should only repay if you earn over the annual threshold.”

He added: “For Plan 2, which has the most number of people on it, 2012 to 2022 English starters, you’ve got to understand, if you earn less than that [£27,295] you shouldn’t repay the student loan but because it’s taken via the payroll your student loan is taken monthly.

“A twelfth of that is £2,274 per year, so if you earn more than that in a month, you’re gonna have student loan contributions taken from you.”

He explained that because repayments are taken from your payroll monthly, if your earnings vary through the year, you may be assumed to be over the yearly limit in one month of decent earnings.

This is despite you not earning above the total threshold for the year when earnings are taken as a whole – meaning the money is taken from you despite not being eligible.

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A second reason was people were on the wrong student loan repayment plan – in which case you should talk to your employer and tell them what plan you’re on.

The third reason is that you started repaying too early.

If you started university from 1998 onwards and were a full-time student, you should not have begun paying your loan back until the April after finishing your course.

But the latest figures from SLC reveals that 59,251 students had loan repayments taken before they were due to start repayments in 2023/24, according to MoneySavingExpert.com.

The fourth reason is that the loan was wiped – which typically happens after 30 years – but a number were still left paying in error.

A number of case studies of those who overpaid were revealed in an article for Martin’s Money Saving Expert website, published on November 4.

Fiona wrote in during October 2023 saying: “I knew something wasn’t right when I lodged my tax returns and reading Martin’s article was the catalyst for a sustained attempt to work out what had happened. I received £3,773 back.”

Lyndsey said: “Thanks to watching Martin Lewis’s programme last night I contacted the SLC and have got a refund of £706 as I had started paying straightaway. Great just before Christmas.”

Melissa said: “Just wanted to say a massive thank you as I read your article on overpaying on student loan repayments and realised there was a chance I had overpaid.

“Turns out I had and I’ve since received a refund of £900! I’ve been doing house renovations this year so this money has been incredibly handy in going towards them.”

Lisa added: “I spent 15 minutes on the phone and got £555 back for overpayments on my student loan.

“Most was because of my maternity leave. Thanks so much, couldn’t have come at a better time.”

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THERE’S a Christmas market in the West Midlands that leaves visitors feeling like they’ve stepped into festive Victorian England.

At the Worcester Victorian Christmas Fayre, stallholders dress in traditional period clothing like bonnets, lace blouses, full-length black skirts, shawls, and top hats, transporting visitors back 150 years.

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The Christmas market has been a staple part of the city’s festivities ever since it first opened in 1992.

It’s home to over 200 stalls where traders sell handmade gifts and festive treats.

While the themed traders form the bulk of the market, there are other period attractions too.

One of those is a performer dressed as Scrooge who moans his way through the crowds, daring brave Brits to approach.

Arthur Conan Doyle‘s characters Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson will be solving crimes on stilts.

The Temperance lady is another one of the characters at the market, trying to get visitors to denounce the demon drink.

Gin Lane is another attraction at the market, with performances from local actors taking place in the alleyway.

Located between New Street and The Shambles, Gin Lane will be open for visitors at set times over the weekend.

Live music and entertainment will also take place at the Cardinal’s Hat on Friar Street.

Dating back to the 14th century, the Cardinal’s Hat is Worcester’s oldest inn.

The boozer serves a range of pub snacks and real ales and also functions as a boutique hotel.

There’s also Dancefest, a pop-up dance festival, where a host of other yuletide characters, including the Temperance Lady and Mr Scrooge, will be putting on a performance or two.

Last year, funfair rides were also at the market – although it is not yet known whether they’ll be returning for 2024.

Visitors will have to plan their break carefully, because the market is only open for four days from November 28, 2024, until December 1, 2024.

The Victorian market spans several streets in Worcester, including New Street, Friar Street, Pump Street, High Street, the Cornmarket, and Cathedral Square.

Worcester Victorian Fayre announced its return earlier this year, with fans taking to Facebook to share their excitement.

One person wrote: “I’m really looking forward to the Christmas market”.

Another added: “Wouldn’t miss it”.

And last year, one couple from Stourbridge told local newspaper Worcester News: “It’s chilled out and family-friendly. There are lots of independent retailers and they are selling products for a good a price too.

“I think it is much better than Birmingham and reminiscent of the European markets.”

Worcester is a 50-minute drive from Birmingham and is a three-hour drive from London.

Visitors who drive to the market are encouraged to use the city’s park-and-ride scheme at Worcester Crowngate Bus Station to help avoid overcrowding.

Worcester’s train stations also have direct links to Birmingham Moor Street and London Paddington.

Meanwhile, this travel writer thinks their hometown has the best Christmas attraction in the UK.

A city in Germany has been dubbed “Christmas city” because it has one of the world’s oldest and most famous Christmas markets.

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Alec Russell makes an excellent point in his FT column “How the west should re-engage with the global south” (Opinion, October 31) when he takes note of the rise of Brics and states that “global power is shifting” and “the post-1945 order is crumbling”.

The expanding Brics is but one response to the malaise afflicting the world order. This malaise is centred on the failure of the west, led by the US, to account for the rise of the global south, a meta-region stretching from Latin America to south-east Asia and the Pacific containing about 70 per cent of the global population and most of the world’s growth in people and economic output.

Russell correctly prescribes climate finance as a pathway to repairing west-south relations. However, given the constraints of domestic politics, it is hard to see the US and Europe committing to the much greater spending needed to bridge the yawning financing gap on climate mitigation, adaptation and loss and damage.

Global south states are not just looking for more money. They are also looking to rise in the international order in terms of their national power and influence. Brics is an important sign of their investment in collective action. But most of these states’ efforts are focused on their autonomous rise in what is increasingly a self-help international system.

Thus, a key ask from global south states is for greater respect for their sovereignty.

Two actions from the west, especially from the US, would help here. First, a pullback on punishing secondary sanctions that are illegal under international law and mostly target the global south. Second, a rethink of the obsession among both the left and the right in the west to rewire the global south’s domestic economic systems. This push, whose unstated goals are often protectionist, is increasingly packaged under the label of environmental and labour standards.

Both correctives will go a long way in bridging the divides between the west and the global south.

Sarang Shidore
Director, Global South Programme,
Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, Washington, DC, US

MORRISONS is selling its strongest ever garlic bread that’s 10 times more powerful than usual – but you’ll have to get your skates on.

The Dracula’s Devil version of the supermarket’s garlic bread pizza has a whopping 10 extra whole cloves of garlic.

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It’s thought to be the most potent garlic bread pizza ever sold in the UK.

The 10-inch pizza costs £2 and made at Morrisons in-store fresh pizza counters.

The limited edition pizza is available now until November 9, so it’s best to rush down to your local store before the offer ends.

The launch of the pizza comes as research revealed around one third (34 per cent) of Brits confessed to hiding from Halloween celebrations by not answering the door to trick or treaters.

Others pull the curtains shut (33 per cent), and make sure lights are not on either at the front or anywhere in the house (both 24 per cent).

It also emerged that more than half the nation (54 per cent) avoid celebrating Halloween on October 31 and consider themselves a “Halloween Hider”, whilst 40 per cent of Brits identify as “Halloween Haunters” and enjoy the festivities. 

Two fifths (40 per cent) though have taken steps to celebrate, leaving a pumpkin by the door (27 per cent), prepared Halloween themed food (22 per cent), or thrown a party (17 per cent). 

Despite more “Halloween Hiders” than “Halloween Haunters” the majority (66 per cent) would be happy to share their trick or treating treats, with a further 23 per cent sharing these but keeping the majority for themselves.

One in ten (11 per cent) though would not share any, rising to 15 percent of men.

Phillip Wall, Buying Manager of Pizza Counter & Salad Bar at Morrisons, said: “After popular demand, our Dracula’s Devil Garlic Bread Pizza is back and more garlicky than ever.

“We hope all our customers enjoy this limited-edition pizza, whether they’re a ‘Halloween Hider’ and use the extra-garlicky pizza to fight off vampires, or a ‘Halloween Haunter’ and enjoy sharing the pizza at Halloween celebrations with friends and family.

“This pizza is limited edition so customers must be quick to avoid disappointment.”

 The Dracula’s Devil Garlic Bread Pizza is available now in-store at the Morrisons fresh pizza counter.

If you’re worried about the smell, scientists found that garlic can apparently make men smell more attractive to women.

It comes as shoppers have been rushing out to nab themselves a suitcase after the supermarket slashed the price to as little as £8.

Morrisons Christmas advert

Morrisons has also unveiled its Christmas advert  – which you can watch at the top of the page – and it features a famous movie soundtrack sung by kitchen oven gloves.

The common household item comes to life in this festive clip, singing the showtune “Give a Little Love” from Bugsy Malone.

Morrisons’s 60-second advert will air for the first time on television this evening on ITV during Coronation Street.

It begins with a Morrisons delivery van arriving at a home and then panning to a lone oven glove who suddenly springs life and belts into song.

As the ad progresses, viewers are taken through a series of kitchens to the backdrop of the iconic song, where more and more oven gloves appear.

The gloves, which are voiced by Morrisons workers, are singing to encourage families as they prepare their Christmas dinner.

Viewers can expect to see a number of dining tables filled with Morrisons food, including its classic turkey, salmon and a range of desserts.

Party food from its premium The Best range also makes an appearance, which is available to buy in stores now.

The ad concludes as a family sits down for their meal joined by a host of singing oven gloves.

Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.

Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories

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The Financial Times and its research partner, Statista, have been launching a series of new projects: to identify the best companies to work for — in different regions of the world.

In May, we invited readers to nominate any companies that we should consider for a new ranking of the ‘Europe’s Best Employers 2025’. And, today, we are asking all European employees to provide evaluations of the companies they work for.

All you need to do is click here, to complete a 5-minute survey.

You will be asked to answer questions about your employer, and all your responses will remain anonymous. Both full-time and part-time employees may participate, and the survey will be open from Tuesday 5 November until Monday 16 December

Complete our survey questionnaire today!

Give us your views on your employer in Europe by filling in this simple questionnaire (5 minutes to complete). Responses will remain anonymous.

In addition to gathering these survey responses, the FT and Statista will contact employees of companies in eligible countries via online access panels, and ask them to complete a questionnaire, as well. These panels comprise workers from thousands of companies across the UK who have already agreed to take part in anonymous online research (and have therefore not been selected or influenced by their employers, ensuring the independence of their responses).

Potentially eligible companies were researched by Statista earlier this year using numerous sources — including industry associations, trade journals, and economic research institutes.

How the ranking of ‘Best Employers’ will be compiled

Based on the survey evaluations, every company will receive a score and the highest scoring 500 companies will be included in the final ranking. This will be published in a special report with the Financial Times newspaper, and on FT.com, on May 21, 2025.

To be eligible for inclusion in the Europe’s Best Employers research, companies must:

• have at least 500 employees;

• operational activities, in at least two of the following European countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom.

If you would like more information about the survey phase, or if you have any questions about participation, please send an email to: europe-best-employers@statista.com.

Please note: surveys and evaluations will be subject to eligibility; completion of a survey does not guarantee that a company will be included.

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