United Kingdom · Regional Lead · 2026-10-28
UK Budget sets out household energy support for 2027
The October 28 Budget announcement combines a planned household payment with an extension of temporary electricity VAT relief.
The UK government’s October 28 Budget announcement outlined support for household energy costs alongside longer-term changes to energy policy. The measures have different implementation dates; their announcement does not mean every household receives a new payment immediately.
For 2027, the government plans a £100 Household Energy Payment for up to 20 million households in council-tax bands A to D in England. Funding for comparable support is to be provided to the other UK nations. Temporary electricity VAT relief is to continue until July 1, 2027.
The package would be financed by raising the Bank Corporation Tax Surcharge from 3 percent to 6 percent for 15 months, ending March 31, 2028. It also said planned hydrogen projects would receive public funding instead of a proposed charge on gas bills.
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Environment · 2026-10-28
Governments form international group on nature-credit finance
An October 28 Commission report describes a cooperation initiative launched the previous day at biodiversity talks in Armenia.
The European Commission reported October 28 that an international group would coordinate work on credits intended to finance nature protection. Commissioner Jessika Roswall launched the initiative October 27 at the COP17 biodiversity meeting in Yerevan, Armenia, at an event co-hosted with France and Peru.
The group is an informal government-led platform rather than a newly established mandatory trading system. Participants include European countries and governments from other regions, including Canada, Australia, Japan and New Zealand. Its purpose is to develop support and cooperation around biodiversity finance.
Read articleScience · 2026-10-28
Lucy reaches Trojan asteroid region ahead of 2027 encounter
NASA’s October 28 update describes a new stage in the spacecraft’s journey; its first Trojan flyby remains scheduled for August 2027.
NASA reported October 28 that Lucy had entered the region occupied by Jupiter’s Trojan asteroids after traveling more than 2.2 billion miles. Launched in October 2021, it is approaching the population ahead of Jupiter in its solar orbit.
There is no sharp physical boundary marking this region. Engineers establish Lucy’s position through radio tracking and images of background stars. The spacecraft and its instruments continue operating as expected despite diminishing sunlight and lower temperatures farther from the Sun.
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