Erdogan may still pull his punches on Khashoggi
It has been the kind of leaking by officials that journalists covering the Salisbury nerve agent attack could only have dreamed of.
Refugee offer could strengthen embattled Australian PM’s grip on power
Australian opposition lawmakers have offered a deal to resettle 150 refugees from a Pacific detention camp, which if accepted by embattled Prime Minister Scott Morrison could strengthen his tenuous grip on power.
China opens world’s longest sea crossing
Chinese President Xi Jinping has opened a new bridge between Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland - the longest sea crossing in the world.
Taiwan train travelling twice speed limit before crash that killed 18
Driver allegedly disabled the automatic train protection system that would have caused it to brake
The driver of a train which derailed in Taiwan killing 18 people is under investigation after an inquiry found the train entered a turn at 140km/h (87mph), almost twice the speed limit for the section.
The driver of the train is also being investigated for negligence for allegedly disabling the automatic train protection system that would have caused it to brake, reported the official Central News Agency.
Continue reading...Poland’s first openly gay politician says progressives can win
After losses for ruling Law and Justice party in local elections Robert Biedroń says Poland is ‘ready for progressive politics’
Poland’s first openly gay politician has said “progressives” can win in the country, as the ruling Law and Justice party suffered setbacks in local elections at the weekend.
“I don’t believe that Poland is not ready for progressive politics,” said Robert Biedroń, who stood down as mayor of Słupsk to launch a pro-European, “pro-democratic” movement. “Because if you give people a tempting, credible offer, people are willing to trust you.”
Continue reading...Universities: Is free speech under threat?
BBC Reality Check looks at whether universities have banned books, speakers or changed course content.
London stabbing: teenager dies in Greenwich
Police say 18-year-old died at the scene from his injuries
A teenager has died after a stabbing in Greenwich, south-east London.
Police were called to a report of a disturbance in Armitage Road on Monday at 9.25pm, Scotland Yard said. Officers found an 18-year-old man suffering from a stabbing injury.
Continue reading...Speed control on Taiwan train ‘malfunctioned’ before deadly accident
A speed control system was not functioning when a train in Taiwan crashed killing 18 people and injuring 187, in the island's worst rail disaster in decades, a top investigator said on Tuesday.
‘One stroke took my speech away – I think another brought it back’
Four years ago, Peter had a stroke and lost the ability to speak. This year, on the day he had a second stroke, it came back.
China’s Xi opens Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday opened a new bridge connecting Hong Kong, Macau and the Chinese city of Zhuhai, one of the world's longest bridges, across the mouth of south China's Pearl River.
Five things you need to know about the world’s longest sea bridge
The $20bn Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge is one of the world’s most unusual roadways
The world’s longest sea bridge, connecting Hong Kong and Macau to the Chinese mainland has been officially opened, in a ceremony in Zhuhai attended by Chinese president Xi Jinping and Hong Kong’s chief executive, Carrie Lam.
In a short address Xi declared the bridge open, as digital fireworks exploded on a screen behind him. The bridge will open to traffic on Wednesday.
Continue reading...Somebody to love! How Rami Malek became Freddie Mercury
The actor explains the lengths he went to to avoid his portrayal of the Queen star becoming a crude impersonation.
‘Beautiful Ted’: Trump and Cruz bury the hatchet as midterm anxiety mounts
Their bitter 2016 rivalry was all but forgotten at a Houston rally, where Trump lent his support to the embattled Texas senator
Two years ago they were sworn enemies, but with a handshake, a hug and a sycophantic prediction that “in 2020, Donald Trump will be overwhelmingly reelected as president of the United States,” the real-estate mogul’s victory over the Texas senator was complete.
Desperate times call for desperate measures. Ted Cruz is coming under extreme pressure from his Democratic challenger, Beto O’Rourke, in the fight for his Texas senate seat. Trump is turning to an increasingly fantastical narrative of fear and falsehoods as he tries to shore up Republican control of Congress in the November midterm elections.
Continue reading...‘Naked truth’: Turkey to reveal Khashoggi findings
Turkey's president will reveal the "naked truth" about the killing of Jamal Khashoggi today, as Saudi Arabia presses ahead with a major conference despite high-profile attendees dropping out.
China’s Xi declares Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge open
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday declared open a new bridge connecting Hong Kong, Macau and the Chinese city of Zhuhai, the state news agency Xinhua reported.
Taiwan driver granted bail after 18 killed in train crash
The driver of a train that derailed in Taiwan killing 18 people and injuring 187, was granted bail on Tuesday after being detained in connection with the island's worst rail disaster in decades.
TSB’s online service suffers temporary outage
Online banking for British retail bank TSB suffered a temporary outage on Monday, sparking complaints from customers who took to social media to say that they were unable to log on.
Street harassment ‘relentless’ for women and girls
MPs call on the government to act, saying the failure to tackle harassment "normalised" it for girls.
Geoffrey Rush close to tears as he gives evidence in ‘King Leer’ defamation trial
Actor becomes emotional on stand as he defends himself from accusations of inappropriate behaviour with woman on stage
Geoffrey Rush came close to tears in court explaining how he imagined his own daughter’s death during a scene in the production of King Lear in which he was accused of behaving inappropriately.
Rush became emotional on the stand during the second day of his two-week defamation hearing against Sydney newspaper the Daily Telegraph on Tuesday, describing his thoughts during a scene in the play where he carried the woman at the centre of the complaint on stage.
Continue reading...Legoland sells ‘deep fried crap’ to kids, study claims
Legoland has been dubbed "Deep Fried Crap Land" by researchers who examined the food it sells for children.
MPs accuse government of complacency over ‘fake news’ on Facebook
The UK government must take urgent action to protect democracy from disinformation, a committee of MPs says.
Gilberto Benetton, fashion brand co-founder, dies aged 77
Founding figure at Italian company best known for its daring ad campaigns dies at home in Treviso
Gilberto Benetton, co-founder of the eponymous clothing brand, has died at the age of 77 after an illness, the Italian group announced.
“Gilberto Benetton died at home today in Treviso [north-east Italy] following a brief illness,” the Benetton group said in a brief statement on Monday. “His wife, Lalla, daughters Barbara and Sabrina and son-in-law Ermanno were with him in his final moments.”
Continue reading...Amy Schumer’s pregnancy revealed in low-key post
Comedian and actress Amy Schumer is pregnant, it has been announced.
China confirms two new African swine fever cases in central province
China's agriculture ministry on Tuesday said two new cases of African swine fever had been confirmed in the central province of Hunan.
Former Newsnight editor: ‘Stop obsessing about gender’
John Morrison says a lot has changed since he edited the flagship BBC news programme from 1987-1990.
Smart speakers could be speaking Welsh
Smart speakers using Welsh are a key aim in a new Welsh Government technology strategy.
‘Watching our mates drop dead’: New Zealand’s synthetic cannabis crisis
Neighbourhoods being ‘swallowed up’ by the drug, with health officials calling for urgent action
Daniel started using synthetic cannabis when it was legal. He remembers a mild to mid-range high that was short acting. “It was fantastic,” he says.
That was before the drug was banned by the government four years ago and bootleg batches began to surface on the streets of Auckland. Now, taking synthetic cannabis in New Zealand can be deadly. “It wasn’t anything like this stuff you see now. We are watching all of our mates just drop dead around us. That’s a lot of trauma,” Daniel says.
Continue reading...Vegetarian meat substitutes ‘exceeding salt limits’
One brand of meat-free "bacon" is saltier than Atlantic seawater, according to Action on Salt's report.
The places where too many are fat and too many are thin
Up to 90% of countries are suffering from a double burden of under and over-nutrition.
‘Zombies’ wanted for mass dance in Inverness
The event in Inverness' Victorian Market will mark the close of the ZombieNess festival.
Scott Morrison’s stunts and thought bubbles won’t be enough to win over voters | Peter Lewis
There’s something Trumpian about his strategy: deny reality and then harness all your mastery of bluster to create a new one
In his spirited yet ultimately futile attempt to avoid being beached at Wentworth, Captain Scott Morrison has flagged the way he will attempt to cling to power in the general election.
At the core of Morrison’s survival strategy is a simple plan to keep the ship of state moving at break-neck speed and hope like hell that if you throw up enough new ideas one of them will land to your advantage.
Continue reading...Highlands and islands on Lonely Planet’s ‘Best in Travel’ list
The Scottish region is named one of the travel guide's top 10 destinations for 2019.
Man held after explosion at house hurts two people
Police have arrested a man after an explosion injured two people and caused a house to partially collapse.
Govt’s ‘foot off the pedal’ over sexual harassment
The government is failing to address "routine and sometimes relentless" sexual harassment in public places, MPs have warned.
Schools and home care disrupted by Glasgow equal pay strike
Primary schools are closed and home care services disrupted as unions stage a 48-hour walkout
More takeaways on high street despite anti-obesity push
Campaigners say they increase obesity levels, but local authorities say they need more powers to curb their growth.
Amy Schumer uses Meghan pic to announce pregnancy
The comedian announced the news via a friend's Instagram story, and a photoshopped picture.
Monsanto trial: judge rejects bid to overturn landmark cancer verdict
Dewayne Johnson originally won $289m after finding Roundup weedkiller caused illness, but judge reduces financial award
A California judge has rejected Monsanto’s appeal to overturn a landmark jury verdict which found that its popular herbicide causes cancer.
The judge’s ruling on Monday largely sided with Dewayne “Lee” Johnson, a father of three and former school groundskeeper, who won a $289m award over the summer after alleging that his exposure to Roundup weedkiller gave him cancer. During the trial, the first of its kind, the 46-year-old also alleged that Monsanto had failed to warn him of the risks of using its product.
Continue reading...Liam Fox says Trump ‘very keen’ on trade deal
Will the decades of military collaboration between the US and UK matter in trade talks?
Powerful Hurricane Willa bears down on Mexico’s Pacific coast
Hurricane Willa, an extremely dangerous a Category 4 storm, weakened slightly as it veered toward popular tourist resorts on Mexico's Pacific coast on Monday, prompting government warnings for people to evacuate high-risk areas and take cover.
