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• Iran's security chief Mohsen Rezaei presented the United States with seven conditions for talks, including ending the war on all fronts and lifting the naval blockade. • Tehran is demanding the release of frozen assets and has threatened to exit the Non-Proliferation Treaty, the global agreement to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons. • High oil prices remaining around or above $100 a barrel are increasing economic pressure and gasoline costs for U.S. voters ahead of the November midterm elections.

• The Europe thin-film photovoltaic market, which uses thin layers of semiconductor material to capture sunlight, is projected to grow through 2029. • MarketsandMarkets valued the market at $1,154.1 million in 2024 and forecasts it will reach $2,405.9 million by 2029. • This growth represents a compound annual growth rate of 15.8% driven by strict climate regulations and net-zero emission goals.

• The Nifty index settled below 23,350 and the Sensex ended marginally lower during the most recent trading session. • Broader markets showed strength as the Nifty Small Cap 100 index traded over 1% higher and the Nifty Mid Cap 100 rose 0.5%. • Vedanta and PowerGrid Corporation have scheduled board meetings to consider fund-raising proposals to secure new capital.

• The Indian stock market ended a volatile session with the Sensex closing flat at 74,295 and the Nifty closing at 23,346. • Japan's Nikkei average futures rose 1.67 per cent as investors waited for the Bank of Japan's interest rate decision. • Regional market performance varies widely, with Vietnam's VN-Index rising only 1.4 per cent this year compared to gains of 24 per cent in Thailand and 21 per cent in Singapore.

• The US Congress passed a sweeping sanctions bill targeting Russia and Iran on September 16 and sent the legislation to President Donald Trump. • The package aims to increase pressure on Moscow and the specific countries that provide financing for Russia's war against Ukraine. • These measures create higher financial and political risks for any nation or entity assisting the Russian government's military efforts.

• Gold prices rose for a second straight session on Friday to reach a one-week high. • Spot gold increased 1.1% to $4,387.69 per ounce by 0829 GMT, while US gold futures rose 0.6% to $4,428. • Investors are shifting toward gold as a safe haven while monitoring falling oil prices and the conflict in the Middle East.

• The Qatar Diamond Exchange signed a memorandum of understanding with Borsa Diamanti d’Italia to strengthen commercial and industry links between the two organizations. • This partnership expands the Qatar Diamond Exchange's network into Europe after previous agreements with diamond exchanges in Singapore, Shanghai, and Tokyo. • The move increases the reach of the Qatari diamond market by establishing formal ties with European trade hubs.

Follow the day’s news live.Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastOne of the markers of the success of the Aukus nuclear submarine deal is how much it is opposed by potential adversaries, Britain’s Aukus chief has told a Washington DC thinktank.Sir Stephen Lovegrove, the UK prime minister’s special representative on Aukus, told an event at the Center for Strategic and International Studies: “our adversaries hate Aukus”.They really hate it. And in a sense, the way in which you can judge whether or not it is doing the things that you want it to do is how much people who don’t necessarily share our value systems and our objectives are objecting to it.It believes that – or it’s said as much, I’m not sure if it believes it – that it’s destabilising the region. I think when you look at the way in which China is putting additional nuclear-powered submarines, additional nuclear armed submarines, it’s building its submarine capability and its nuclear missile capability at such a pace, these Australian boats are not destabilising the region. We are seeking to balance in the region and… the growth of PLA nuclear powered submarine capabilities is very profound.Every part of the economy is affected by immigration these days for Australia, and so … dealing with the challenges we’ve got with housing supply, which is not immigration’s fault, but immigration needs to be part of the answer, to do that in a way that has the softest landing for the economy is something you’ve got to get right.The numbers are too high and what we’ve seen from the government today is no cut to the numbers ... We are a great immigrant nation. Make no mistake about it. But immigration needs to be capped based on the housing supply, the infrastructure, the services we have, and that has not been the case in recent years. Continue reading...

As concern about loneliness and social isolation grows, we spoke to people who have joined groups and set up activitiesAmid growing concern about loneliness and social isolation, new research from the Institute for Public Policy Research found the number of young people in England with no close friends has risen fivefold since 2014, with one in 20 now reporting having none at all.Making new friends as an adult is not always easy. We spoke to people who have taken deliberate steps to make new connections about what worked for them. Continue reading...

• FBI Director Kash Patel defended the bureau's decision to loosen hiring standards for applicants with a history of prostitution and bestiality during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Tuesday. • Patel stated during the oversight hearing that the agency did not want to punish victims of bestiality. • This policy change alters the background check requirements for individuals seeking employment within the federal bureau.

• Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh stated at Jackson Hole that economic trends are the most important factor in making monetary policy decisions. • Warsh has established task forces to examine how the Federal Reserve can improve its approach to managing the economy. • The Fed's upcoming interest rate decisions will directly determine borrowing costs and investment opportunities for families and small business owners.

• The global AI market is entering a high-growth phase with projections showing steady expansion through 2035. • Market value is expected to rise from $318.30 billion in 2025 to $430.79 billion in 2026, eventually reaching $6.56 trillion. • This rapid scaling creates new revenue opportunities and adoption trends across various global industries and regions.

• China’s Ministry of State Security issued a new alert regarding the threats posed by artificial intelligence. • The agency identified specific risks to China's military apparatus, sensitive data, and cyber defenses. • This warning follows similar alarms raised by Western tech leaders, including Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, regarding the rapid pace of frontier AI models.

Follow the day’s news liveGet our new political email, free app or daily news podcastSports precinct funding report reveals a ‘pattern of behaviour’, Wilson saysTim Wilson says there are questions for Labor to answer over an ABC report which says health minister Mark Butler’s office asked an Adelaide council to put forward a $6m sports precinct upgrade for federal funding before any detailed costings or formal planning had been done.I think what we’re now seeing is a pattern of behaviour. The prime minister gave a grant to a golf course in his electorate just around the corner from his home, of which he was a member, which he failed to declare. Now we have the health minister, the next wannabe prime minister, doing exactly the same thing.That’s a difficult thing to do. However, I think one way to do it is to ensure that Muslim leaders are at the centre of any such discussion and guide that discussion in a way that Australian Muslims as a whole do not feel targeted.Because there is a real risk when you have a discussion about extremist Islam, you have a real risk that Muslims as a whole feel under pressure. Equally, if you don’t have that discussion, you play into the hands of extremists at the other end of the spectrum. Continue reading...

Financier refused to comply with subpoenas seeking his testimony for the investigation into the late sex offenderThe House oversight committee voted unanimously Tuesday to recommend that the House of Representatives hold Leon Black, the billionaire financier, in contempt of Congress, after he refused to comply with subpoenas seeking his testimony and nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) sought by the panel as part of its investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. Black contends the subpoenas are “invalid” and he is suing to block them.“Subpoenas are not suggestions; they carry the force of law and require full compliance” the representative James Comer, who chairs the committee, said in the chamber on Tuesday afternoon before the voting began. “Mr Black’s testimony is crucial to our investigation because he maintained a close personal relationship with Epstein for years during the time when Epstein was engaged in sex trafficking. Continue reading...

• Sweden's recent election ended in a near dead heat, with preliminary results giving the left-wing opposition a slim one-seat majority. • Prime Minister Kristersson has led the country since 2022 via a three-party centre-right coalition that relied on the far-right Sweden Democrats for a majority. • This shift in parliamentary control threatens the stability of the current centre-right government and its reliance on anti-immigration allies.

• Chinese President Xi Jinping attended the second session of the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, India, on Sunday. • President Xi delivered a speech during the session to address the member nations. • The event brings together leaders of the BRICS bloc to coordinate economic and political strategies among emerging markets.

• Flagstaff City Council candidates for the November general election and July primary are answering a weekly question in 150 words or less. • The candidates will provide these brief responses to help voters evaluate them before the upcoming local elections. • This process gives residents a direct way to compare candidate platforms and priorities before casting their ballots.

• France, Germany, and seven other Schengen countries are reportedly receiving more time to fully implement the EU Entry/Exit System (EES) for border checks. • The group receiving the extension includes Belgium, the Netherlands, Greece, Malta, Portugal, Italy, and Switzerland. • This delay aims to address technical problems and long border queues that have complicated travel for passengers.

Petition to king, who remains Jamaica’s head of state, is formally lodged in landmark visit to UK by officialsA palpable surge of emotion swept through Brixton’s New Park Road Baptist church as the packed congregation rose to sing Bob Marley’s Redemption Song.The service on Sunday marked the anniversary of the 1781 Zong massacre, when more than 100 enslaved Africans were thrown overboard so the ship’s owners could claim insurance for “lost cargo”. Continue reading...

Labour’s Catherine Atkinson says she will give students £5,000 paid to her by paper that falsely accused her of concealing private school educationA new scholarship supporting state-educated students will be inadvertently funded by the Mail on Sunday, using a payout it made after being threatened with legal action by the Labour MP Catherine Atkinson.The Derby North MP says she will use the proceeds of around £5,000 from the Mail on Sunday (MoS) to fund scholarships for local law students at the University of Derby who – like her – attended state schools. Continue reading...

Part of Dmitry Donskoy’s right hand sent to ‘spiritually strengthen’ soldiersEurope live – latest updatesThe Russian Orthodox church has sent a fragment of a medieval warrior prince’s remains to troops fighting in Ukraine, saying the relic would “spiritually strengthen” soldiers and help them achieve victory.A reliquary containing part of the right hand of Dmitry Donskoy, the 14th-century prince revered in Russia for his victory over the Mongolian Golden Horde in 1380, has been taken to Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine and is now being transported along the frontline. Continue reading...

Labour peer tells Council of Europe inquiry failure to implement legal protections still putting journalists at riskEurope live – latest updatesMalta is vulnerable to “repeated instances of high-level corruption” unless it strengthens the rule of law and protections for journalists, the Labour peer Shami Chakrabarti said at the opening of an inquiry into judicial failures following the death of Daphne Caruana Galizia.Chakrabarti, a member of the House of Lords and former director of the human rights group Liberty, has been named special rapporteur for a Council of Europe investigation into the fallout from the assassination of the anti-corruption journalist, who died in a car bombing in October 2017. Continue reading...

Australia declined to join move by UK, Canada and France in banning trade with illegal Israeli settlements Labor party members have criticised the federal government for not following the UK, Canada and France in banning trade with Israeli settlements in the West Bank, urging Penny Wong to mount a stronger response to violence against Palestinians.The Labor Friends of Palestine group wrote to the foreign minister on Wednesday, calling for Australia to join a coordinated approach with allies and partners overseas, in line with changes to the party’s national platform agreed in July. Continue reading...

• US stocks closed lower on Tuesday as oil prices climbed above $100 per barrel and Apple shares declined. • Treasury yields rose as investors awaited crucial inflation data scheduled for release later this week. • Rising energy costs and shifting bond yields create immediate volatility for equity markets and corporate borrowing costs.

UK foreign secretary ‘regrets’ Israel’s response to ban on trade with illegal settlements but ‘proud’ of his actionsUK accuses Israeli ‘terrorists’ of ethnic cleansing in West Bank with government backingGood morning. Yesterday Ed Miliband, the foreign secretary, made what may turn out to be one of the most important Commons statements of the year. Here is our overnight report by Pippa Crerar, Jessica Elgot and Kiran Stacey.Here is an analysis by Patrick Wintour, the Guardian’s diplomatic editor. Continue reading...

• The Sensex fell 555 points and the Nifty 50 closed at 23,635 on September 8, 2026. • Market declines occurred as crude oil prices approached $100 per barrel. • India remains under-allocated in global emerging-market portfolios despite being the fastest-growing major economy in the world.

• Institutional investors and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are increasing their capital allocations to precious metals. • This shift follows an earlier bull market driven primarily by Asian physical demand and central bank purchases. • Rising ETF holdings translate financial-market demand into direct demand for underlying metals, which can reinforce price increases.