Global bond sell-off piles new pressure on UK borrowing costs before budget

• Hundreds of trucks are currently stranded at the Iran-Turkey border following a US Navy blockade of trade routes. • Drivers are facing severe conditions in eastern Turkey, including cold temperatures and a lack of food or rest facilities.

• A president of Cambodia praised Donald Trump for his role in brokering an immediate and unconditional ceasefire and peace agreement. • The Cambodian leader credited Trump's "visionary, innovative diplomacy" and commitment to preventing catastrophic wars for the result.

• Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian delivered a speech at the United Nations pairing vows of resistance with an openness to diplomacy. • The president stated that Tehran will never surrender while simultaneously signaling a willingness to negotiate.

• President Donald Trump is meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington to discuss foreign policy and trade. • The discussions focus on American leverage regarding semiconductors, critical minerals, and sanctions against Russia and Iran.

• World leaders met today at the UN Security Council to debate a path toward peace as the war in Ukraine enters its fifth year. • Any proposed resolution faces a likely veto from Russia, which is one of the council's five permanent members with the power to block votes.

• Russian President Vladimir Putin is recruiting soldiers from 47 different countries to bolster manpower for the ongoing war in Ukraine. • Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky identified many of these recruits as coming from developing nations where Russian military salaries far exceed local wages.

• The Middle East is experiencing ongoing turmoil that threatens to reshape global geopolitics and the world economy. • The situation has evolved beyond a localized conflict into a crisis requiring an immediate and calibrated diplomatic surge.

Paris public prosecutor opens investigation into online harassment of Riner, one of France’s most popular sportspeople Paris’s public prosecutor has opened an investigation into the racist abuse and online harassment of the French judo star Teddy Riner after he expressed concern about the rise of the far right.Riner, who has often been voted France’s most popular sportsperson and is one of the most successful judo competitors of all time, told a TV sports show this month that he felt “anxiety” about the rise of the far right in France. Numerous racist insults and hate messages were subsequently directed at him online, the prosecutor’s office said. Continue reading...

Senators’ report says taxpayers face higher bills after ‘bargain’ between president and major pollutersThe fossil fuel industry secured an estimated $190bn in tax breaks and subsidies over the next decade after responding to Donald Trump’s pre-election call for major campaign donations, leaving American taxpayers to shoulder higher bills and public health costs associated with pollution, according to a new report.Released on Thursday by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, ranking member of the Senate environment and public works committee, and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, the report details what the senators describe as the fossil fuel industry’s expansive influence over the Trump administration. Continue reading...

Unions say record high figures, including assaults on rail workers as well as members of public, show need for more staff and policingBusiness live – latest updatesThe number of reported assaults on Britain’s railways has risen to a record high of almost 25,000 incidents in a year.Unions said the “horrendous” figures showed the need for more staff and policing, as the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) revealed a sharp increase in assaults on the travelling public and on railway staff last year. Continue reading...

State visit takes place at same time as UN general assembly, which Chinese leader has avoided. Plus, meet the people who are real-life Pokémon ‘professors’Good morning. Donald Trump has welcomed Xi Jinping to the US, greeting the Chinese leader on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews at the start of his state visit. Xi’s trip coincides with the UN general assembly in New York, but he is not attending the gathering.The pageantry will continue with a formal welcome on the South Lawn of the White House, private tea with the US president and first lady, and a tour of the National Archives, among other special events. The White House has also invited major tech leaders to a state dinner being held for Xi.What will the two leaders discuss? Amy Hawkins note in this explainer that topics are likely to include the development of AI technology, frosty trade relations and Taiwan.What developments have there been in US-China relations? The US treasury secretary, Scott ⁠Bessent, announced that the US ⁠and ​China agreed on Wednesday to extend the so-called Busan ⁠agreement – a temporary trade truce between the world’s two biggest economies.Who else has been invited to the US? The US has invited Vladimir Putin to take part in the G20 meeting scheduled to take place in Miami in December, in what would be the Russian leader’s first attendance at such a summit since he launched his invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, said: “We hope that’s an invitation he’ll accept.”Why is Israel facing a water supply crisis? Israel is facing weeks of water shortages after an exceptional algae bloom crippled much of its desalination capacity, in a crisis scientists say was triggered when Israeli attacks destroyed much of Gaza’s wastewater infrastructure, causing a huge discharge of untreated sewage. Continue reading...

The 11-year-old died at Westmead children’s hospital three days after suffering injuries at a unit in NorwestGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA young boy who was allegedly shot at a home in Sydney’s north-west earlier this week has died.Police said that the boy, who had been in a critical condition since being found with a gunshot wound at a unit in Norwest on Monday, died in hospital at about 8pm on Thursday. Continue reading...