Banking & Finance Deals: Three major transactions are awaiting regulatory approval in Cyprus and Europe, including XM shareholders’ planned majority stake in Ancoria Bank, Bank of Cyprus buying a performing-loan/deposit portfolio from CDB Bank, and ECM Partners taking 50% of fintech payabl (with the rest to payabl’s CEO). Household Money: Martin Lewis urges UK households to buy a £92 lasting power of attorney, warning that without it, families can struggle to access bank and insurance funds if someone loses mental capacity. Pensions & Benefits: DWP confirms a one-off £10 “Christmas Bonus” for qualifying pensioners and benefits recipients, while Lewis also highlights that around 1.1m state pensioners may be missing out on Attendance Allowance (not means-tested). Regulatory/Consumer Protection: HMRC and the FCA push people to check for unclaimed Child Trust Funds (760,000 matured, avg £2,000) and warn against paid “finders” for CTF access. Corporate/Markets: Spire Healthcare agrees a £1.03bn takeover by Tulip UK Bidco, with a 66% premium and board changes ahead of the deal’s regulatory path. UK Economy: Chancellor John Healey signals growth must spread beyond London and big cities ahead of his October 28 Budget. Cyber & Fraud: Manchester Airports Group says around 8.7m customers’ data was accessed in a cyberattack, with no bank details exposed; separately, the DWP is set to gain powers from October to suspend driving licences of benefit claimants in a fraud crackdown.