Europe is dealing with a mix of economic pressure, security shocks, and political scrutiny on Wednesday.
UK inflation is holding stubbornly high as the Bank of England weighs its next move, Paris is still reeling after a daring jewel heist at the Louvre, and Prince Andrew faces new calls to answer questions over his Windsor lease.
Meanwhile, UK regulators are turning up the heat on Apple’s app-store control.
A glance at major developments on the continent on Wednesday.
UK inflation numbers
UK inflation stayed at 3.8% in September, the third month in a row at that level, according to new data from the Office for National Statistics.
That’s actually a bit lower than the 4% economists and the Bank of England were expecting, as they thought inflation would peak in September before easing off.
Core inflation, which strips out things like food and energy, dipped slightly to 3.5% from 3.6% in August.
Rising petrol and airfare prices pushed inflation up, but food prices finally began to ease, the first drop since May 2024.
Even so, inflation is still above the Bank of England’s 2% target for the twelfth straight month, and the wider economy isn’t exactly booming.
Growth is sluggish, and the job market is losing momentum.
Because inflation is still stubborn, the Bank of England is unlikely to cut interest rates at its November meeting.
Meanwhile, Chancellor Rachel Reeves is gearing up for the Autumn Budget on November 26, with plans expected to help people struggling with the cost of living.
Paris’ Louvre reopens after heist
The Louvre in Paris reopened on Wednesday, just three days after a dramatic jewel heist that shocked both France and the global art world.
On Sunday, a group of thieves made off with eight pieces from France’s Crown Jewels, including diamond-studded diadems and emerald-lined necklaces once worn by royals in a robbery worth more than $100 million.
What makes it even more unbelievable is how cleanly it was done.
The burglars slipped past the alarms and escaped in under four minutes.
The security lapses they exploited are the same ones museum staff have been protesting for months, pointing to chronic understaffing.
Now, both President Emmanuel Macron and Louvre director Laurence des Cars are under pressure, with some officials saying the national shock is on the level of the 2019 Notre-Dame fire.
The museum drew crowds again when it reopened, but the Apollo Gallery, where the jewels were stolen, is still closed off while forensic teams comb through the scene.
Prosecutors in Paris have called the theft “unparalleled” in terms of what it means for France’s cultural heritage.
Calls to grill Prince Andrew
Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey is pushing for Prince Andrew to be brought before Parliament to answer questions about his lease on the Royal Lodge, a 30-room mansion in Windsor, as pressure grows for more transparency around royal finances.
Prince Andrew has lived there since 2003 under a 75-year lease.
He reportedly pays only a symbolic “peppercorn” rent each year, after putting down around £8 million upfront to cover renovations and future rent.
In practice, that means he doesn’t pay rent annually at all, a setup now drawing fresh scrutiny.
UK regulator eyes Apple shake-up
Apple may soon be forced to let competing app stores onto iPhones in the UK, in what could be a major shake-up for the mobile app market.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has officially labelled Apple’s iOS and iPadOS as having “strategic market status,” which gives the regulator the power to step in and push for more competition.
In practical terms, that could mean Apple has to allow third-party app stores and direct app downloads, a big shift from its current closed system.
The CMA’s review pointed out that Apple and Google together control between 90% and 100% of the UK mobile market, essentially forming a duopoly. Critics say Apple’s tight control over apps suppresses competition and innovation.
Apple, on the other hand, argues that loosening these rules could weaken user privacy and security, and might even slow down the rollout of new features.
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