Ggood morning. The FTSE 100 is expected to rise at the open, after a cautious performance overnight from stock markets.

5 things to start your day

1) Increased taxes or more austerity are the “only ways” to pay for Covid Chancellor Rishi Sunak faces a drastic choice as coronavirus measures threaten to consume the planned increase in departmental budgets.

2) Pubs and bars close curfews at 10 pm Business owners were outraged after it emerged, and curfews were imposed without government scientists modeling its effect on infection.

3) Black bankers are fighting for a place at the top table The rising stars of the Black Business Awards are giving their judgment of how far the sector has come in terms of diversity – and how far it has yet to go.

4) Here’s what negative rates can do for your retirement pension The Bank of England can take interest rates below zero to help the faltering economy – but at what cost?

5) Petrol station kings take the lead in the Asda race Blackburn billionaires are set to buy the supermarket from Walmart, which means the private equity giant will lose.

What happened overnight

Asian stocks were mixed on Tuesday after Wall Street regained some of this month’s losses as investors looked forward to a debate between President Donald Trump and his November election rival, former Vice President Joe Biden.

Shanghai and Seoul advanced, while Tokyo and Hong Kong retreated. Sydney has been of little change.

The Shanghai Composite Index rose 0.5% to 3231.89 while the Nikkei 225 in Tokyo lost 0.3% to 23,433.82, down by reports that telecom giant NTT Corp plans to make DoCoMo private, enabling it to cut interest rates in line with its policy. the government. .

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index fell 0.3% to 23,414.78.

The Kospi in Seoul advanced 0.8 percent to 2325.33 and the S & P-ASX 200 in Sydney fell less than 0.1 percent at 5949.80. New Zealand weakened, while Singapore and Jakarta rose.

Is coming today

Interim results: AA, Cairn Energy, Card Factory, IHS Markit

A whole year: Ferguson, the chocolate hotel

Trading statement: Grainger, Greggs

Economics: Mortgage and lending approvals, consumer credit (UK), business and consumer confidence (Eurozone), and merchandise trade balance (US)