Today's briefing from the newsdesk. These are the most recent leading stories, refreshed throughout the day.
World
On the international desk, these reports are leading:
- Economic hardship deepens in Syria as rising prices spark public anger
- Ex-border patrol chief calls Trump administration's Minneapolis withdrawal a surrender
- WFP slashes food assistance to Gaza by a third over severe funding crisis
Middle East
Across the Middle East:
- Democrats lead US midterm polls as Trump shifts to telephone campaigning
- Middle East crisis complicates timing of Ukraine peace talks, Moscow says
- Iranian drones strike Kurdish opposition headquarters in northern Iraq
Business
In business and markets:
- UK job vacancies sink to five-year low as smaller businesses scale back hiring
- British economy expands 0.1 percent in August defying contraction forecasts
- Royal Mail plans to cut 2,500 head office jobs
Technology
In technology:
Sports
And in sport:
- Michael Carrick tunes out scrutiny from ex-United players ahead of Chelsea match
- Dalton Smith prepares for maiden WBC title defence against Alberto Puello
- Dalton Smith to defend WBC light-welterweight crown against Alberto Puello
This briefing is compiled by the News Inspection newsdesk and updates throughout the day as new reports arrive.
