In the wings of the UN General Assembly, the foreign ministers of the six again agreed on a dual-track strategy: engagement if possible, more forceful measures if not.

ECONOMIST: Diplomacy and Iran

David Kern, chief economist at the British Chambers of Commerce, said the latest unemployment data indicated the need for the Bank to continue with a "forceful QE programme", and "in conjunction with the government, supplement this with specific measures aimed at stimulating bank lending to credit-worthy businesses".

BBC: Rise in UK unemployment slowing