The yield - the interest rate demanded by investors to hold 30-year government bonds - stood above 5.7% ahead of Wednesday's close while its 10-year counterpart also hit its highest since July 2008, according to the Reuters news agency..
The UK is not alone in facing bond market pressure as a result of the strains facing economies from rising energy prices but its yields, the highest in the G7 of advanced economies, reflect additional investor concern over the state of the public finances and sticky inflation that has long preceded the Middle East conflict.
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The pace of price increases in the economy is set to pick up in the coming months as rising oil prices feed in beyond fuel and heating to include household energy, food and many other goods.
The lack of results in peace efforts between the US and Iran was clear to see on oil markets on Wednesday, following several false dawns earlier this month on White House claims of progress.
A barrel of Brent Crude for June delivery was up by almost 7%, above $119 at one stage in volatile trading.
The intraday peak during the war to date came on 9 March and stood at $119.50.
The FTSE 100 ended the day almost 1.2% lower, building on losses across the week that reflected growing worries for the UK and wider global economy.
Neil Wilson, investor strategist at Saxo UK, said of the mood: "Stock markets sold off and oil climbed as President Trump told aides to prepare for prolonged blockade (of the Strait of Hormuz) instead of return to conflict.
"He's apparently met US oil executives today and may be seeking ways to boost domestic production to offset the impact of a longer blockade."
Nancy Pexton, 70, slashed and stabbed Jennifer Abbott 10 times at her flat in Camden, north London, on 10 June 2025.
The 69-year-old had gaffer tape covering her mouth when a concerned neighbour broke down the door three days later.
Her sister was arrested in hospital on 18 June, with the Rolex found in her bag.
The Old Bailey heard how Pexton had told her sister she was "planning to kill" her months before, leaving her considering getting a restraining order.
She warned Ms Abbott to "watch your back" and accused her of betraying her in "every way because you [were] jealous of me".
Pexton's phone revealed a series of notes in which she referred to thinking about killing her sister and complained about other family members.
Ms Abbott, a US citizen, was last seen alive on a doorbell camera at 7.36am on the day of her death after returning from walking her corgi.
Her sister spoke to her on the phone at 11.36am and took the bus to her Mornington Place flat at 12.45pm, leaving an hour later.
The trial heard the blue dungarees and black cowboy she was wearing were left covered in blood "from top to bottom".
Pexton later called her GP and said she'd taken an overdose and was taken to hospital - where she stayed until her arrest a week later.
The fate of her sister was revealed on 13 June when her neighbour, concerned by her dog's barking, used a scaffolding pole to break in.
The trial heard Ms Abbott was found with a gaping "slash-type" wound across her neck and tape covering her mouth.
A post-mortem found she suffered multiple slash and stab wounds and had a single defensive wound on her hand.
Her gold Rolex, a gift from her son Brad Carlson which she never removed, was missing.
Mr Carlson told the court via videlink: "There was interaction and sometimes anger and hostility between my mother and Nancy, there was resentment seemingly bubbling up."
'Watch your back'
Jurors also heard Ms Abbott had confided in her nephew, telling him Pexton "was capable of anything" and asking whether she should get a restraining order.
In November 2024, she shared a message in which Pexton had told her: "You know I was planning to kill you but it was just a thought, I would never hurt you."
It also warned her to "watch your back from those you conned and stole money from".
Pexton added: "You never know they could get you while you walking your dog. Be careful honey, I worry about you. You so many enemy (sic)."
More evidence of her evil intent was found in a phone note in which she referred to potentially killing her sister and complained about other relatives.
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She told police she was just "venting" feelings and actually loved her sister. She also claimed to have no memory of the 90 minutes spent in the flat.
Pexton claimed her blood-soaked clothes were caused by her hugging her sister when she had a nosebleed. Jurors were told she had asked one of her daughters to wash the clothes or throw them away.
The killer had denied the charges and declined to give evidence in court. She will be sentenced at the Old Bailey on 1 May.
Naval chiefs from across northern Europe signed a "statement of intent" to work up the details for the "Northern Navies Initiative" following a meeting last week, General Sir Gwyn Jenkins revealed.
He said the grouping would complement NATO, with the advantage of being able to react potentially more quickly in a crisis than the larger alliance.
"We know we have no time to lose, which is why by the end of this year, I want us all to have signed a formal declaration, laying the foundations for what will be a vital and enduring partnership for many years to come," the First Sea Lord said in a lecture at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) think tank.
"I aim to create a maritime force that trains, exercises and prepares together. A force designed to fight immediately if required, with real capabilities, real war plans, and real integration."
It would be like an existing UK-led military partnership called the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) - involving their 10 members, which include the Baltic states, Nordic countries and the Netherlands.
But Canada may also join the naval initiative.
The aim is for "a force that generates the maritime, air and amphibious strike capabilities that we all need. This would be a visible and persistent conventional deterrent. A force that is stronger, collectively, than the sum of its parts", he said.
Nations would be able to switch and swap sailors, spare parts and ammunition to bolster capacity and capability, combing crewed and increasingly uncrewed vessels in what General Jenkins envisages for the UK to be a "hybrid navy".
He described this as a "family of allied fleets - something that has not happened in decades".
The new northern naval force could be commanded at a major maritime headquarters at Northwood, on the outskirts of London.
Such a capability was needed in the face of an increased threat from Russia's Northern Fleet.
"We have seen Russian incursions into our waters jump by almost a third in the last two years," General Jenkins, the first Royal Marine to lead the Royal Navy, said.
"In 2025 alone, the Royal Navy was required to respond dozens of times in support of homeland defence against Russian navy surface vessels.
"That is why the Royal Navy has to be ready every day, of every month, of every year."
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He said he was most concerned by Russia's submarine force.
"Like our surface fleet, our submarines spent a substantial amount of time responding to Russian subsurface activity last year - and all the signs suggest the pattern of behaviour by Moscow will only worsen further in future."
Officers were alerted to allegations of forced marriage and modern slavery in March and carried out a series of searches in Crewe, Cheshire, on Wednesday.
Cheshire Police said six men and three women of American, Mexican, Italian, Spanish, Swedish and Egyptian nationalities are in custody.
The suspects are allegedly members of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light, which has a headquarters in the town.
All of the offences involved one victim, a woman, who was a member of the group at the time the offences occurred, police said.
More than 500 officers from Cheshire Police and neighbouring forces were involved in the operation, which took place at around 8.50am.
The Ahmadi religious community, linked to a branch of Islam, are based at a former orphanage called Webb House in Crewe, with around 150 people said to be living at the property.
Two other properties linked to suspects have also been raided.
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Chief Superintendent Gareth Wrigley, of Cheshire Constabulary, said: "Today's operation is the outcome of a detailed and robust investigation into reports of serious sexual offences, forced marriage and modern slavery involving members of a religious group called Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light in Crewe.
"While those arrested are members of the group, I want to make clear that this is not an investigation into the religion, this is an investigation into the serious allegations which have been reported to us.
"We treat all reports of sexual assault seriously and are committed to doing all we can to achieve justice.
"Following the arrests we are working closely with our partners to provide the appropriate advice and safeguarding to other members of the group.
"I would like to reassure residents that there is no risk to the wider community, and patrols have been stepped up to provide reassurance to local residents. I would urge anyone with any concerns to speak to an officer."
The arrests came after a woman - understood to have relocated to the Republic of Ireland - made allegations in March of rape and sexual abuse while part of the Ahmadi religion in 2023.
Police said the investigation has been supported by officers from Europol, the Swedish Police Authority and the Garda.
The Ahmadi religious group moved to Cheshire in 2021 from Sweden, buying and basing themselves at Webb House.
A number of welfare centres have been set up to look after the 56 children who were all home schooled and part of the local Ahmadi community.
The poster for the £49 Eucerin Hyaluron-Filler Epigenetic Serum claimed it could make a person look "up to 5 years younger" based on a four-week study of 160 volunteers.
But the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) upheld a complaint against the ad on the grounds that it did not provide "sufficient evidence to substantiate the claim".
The ad was seen at Balham Underground station on 18 November 2025 and depicted a woman's face with dots highlighting an area of her cheek.
The ASA said: "We considered that the claim to look up to five years younger was capable of objective substantiation, and we therefore expected to see evidence to demonstrate that was the case."
Beiersdorf submitted four studies and one peer-reviewed paper in support of the claim in the ad, but the ASA outlined concerns about the methodology underpinning the research.
Addressing one of the studies, in which 160 people used the serum for a week, the watchdog highlighted that there was no control group, nor any information about how participants were recruited.
The study was also described as "blind" but did not specify who was blinded, nor did it standardise how the serum should be applied and in what quantity, nor did it prevent participants from using other skincare products.
The results were also self-reported and subjective, the watchdog said, "and therefore not sufficiently robust" to substantiate the advert's claim.
The ASA ruling also noted that the study was conducted "in a country with a hotter, sunnier climate than the UK and different participant characteristics in terms of skin type".
These differences, the ruling declared, "may reduce the extent to which the results could be taken as directly representative of typical use by UK consumers in everyday conditions".
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Further concerns were raised about two more studies, while a fourth was dismissed as "not relevant".
The peer-reviewed paper was likewise dismissed because it did not examine the serum itself, but rather its active ingredient, and without examining the benefits of daily use.
The ASA concluded: "Because we had not seen sufficient evidence to substantiate the claim that the serum was clinically proven to give a more youthful appearance of up to five years within four weeks, we concluded that the claim was misleading."
The ASA ruled that the ad should not be allowed to appear again and told Beiersdorf could not to repeat the claim without robust evidence.
The serum's manufacturer, Beiersdorf, said: "All efficacy claims made in relation to Eucerin products are supported by scientific research.
"We acknowledge and respect the ASA's ruling regarding this specific UK billboard execution and have cooperated fully. The advertisement in question is no longer live in the UK.
"We are confident in the scientific evidence underpinning our products and the claims we use in our advertising and marketing materials. All of the studies we cite are carried out in line with industry standards".