California legislation bans toxic chemicals in cosmetics

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Dozens of earthquakes rattle Southern California near Mexico border, USGS says

The border towns were shaken relentlessly, data shows

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Mitch McConnell ‘refusing to debate his election rival if there is a female moderator’

‘He continues to resist allowing women to host debates,’ said McConnell’s opponent in the Kentucky Senate race

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Get the facts: Election ballots dumped in Sonoma County?

A Facebook post circulating the internet has led to claims of ‘ballot dumping’ in Sonoma County ahead of November’s Presidential Election. Someone snapped a photo of what they said were election ballots in a Sonoma County landfill, and then posted the photo to their social media page with the caption "This is why we can’t trust a mail-in election." The post led to many Sonoma County residents sharing the information online and accused the county of dumping election ballots and rigging the election. Get the full story in the video above.

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Crown prince becomes oil-rich Kuwait's new ruling emir

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U.S. missile destroyer ship breaks Navy record for longest stint at sea

The USS Stout reached 208 days at sea Sept. 26 as the Navy has imposed restrictions on port visits to protect sailors from the coronavirus.

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White House Blocked C.D.C. Order to Keep Cruise Ships Docked

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Families of 12 Hong Kong activists captured at sea by China look for answers

The families of 12 activists captured by China in August demand their swift return.

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Denise Johnson: Posthumous solo album finally puts singer centre stage

Denise Johnson was almost ready to release her debut when she died unexpectedly in July.

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Trump admits greenhouse gases contribute to climate change 'to an extent'

For the first time in his presidency, Donald Trump acknowledged that human-generated greenhouse gases contributes to climate change.

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Despite hopeful speculation, Biden campaign says remaining debates are still on

At the end of Tuesday night's raucous presidential debate, cable news hosts and pundits immediately began speculating on whether it would be the only one held this year, but Democratic nominee Joe Biden's campaign quickly dashed that dream.Many thought Tuesday's debate was an unmitigated disaster, as Trump routinely interrupted Biden and moderator Chris Wallace. CNN's Wolf Blitzer, for example, called it an "embarrassment for the United States" and wondered whether the next two debates would be canceled.During a phone call with reporters, Kate Bedingfield, Biden's deputy campaign manager, said he is "going to show up" at the next debate, scheduled for Oct. 15 in Miami. Biden wants to "continue speaking directly to the American people," Bedingfield said, and is looking forward to the debate's town hall format, with the nominees taking questions from undecided voters."There is an open question here based on what we saw from Donald Trump tonight," Bedingfield said. "Is he going to try to bully actual voters? Is he going to insult his way through the next debate? Joe Biden's going to show up. ... We'll see if [Trump] decides to show up in Miami next month." Biden is also planning on attending the third debate set for Oct. 22 in Nashville, Bedingfield confirmed. "We are going to the debates, guys," she said. "We don't know how many different ways we can say it. Yes, we are going to the debates."More stories from theweek.com Rockets reportedly hit Iraqi base where U.S. troops are located Trump pummels Biden — and America Marvel casts newcomer in the role of its 1st Muslim superhero, Ms. Marvel

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Chinese rail stations and airports swamped during holiday, raising fears of fresh Covid outbreak

People have begun swarming into China’s rail stations and airports as the country where the coronavirus pandemic emerged enters into its first major public holiday week after lockdowns began easing, potentially raising the risk of new infections. Nearly half of the country’s 1.4 billion people are expected to hit the road during China’s “Golden Week,” kicking off on Oct 1 as the nation celebrates its founding anniversary. Chinese authorities have relaxed some travel restrictions as the number of daily infections have begun dropping significantly. About 30 people were confirmed with the coronavirus through Tuesday this week, a figure that could rise given increased movement of people over the holiday. As such pandemic precautions remain in place, including detailed contact tracing via mobile phone apps that allow users to flash a green, yellow or red code – a health contagion profile that determines whether someone might pose an infection risk.

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'Basically nobody' turned off the 1st presidential debate while it was in progress

Viewers apparently couldn't peel their eyes away from the first presidential debate Tuesday night.Despite widespread criticism of the chaos that unfolded on stage, the final 15 minutes actually rated slightly higher than the opening 15 minutes, and audiences fell just 2 percent from the 9:30 p.m. ET peak by the time it all wrapped up, Nielsen data shows. So, even if they were disappointed with what they witnessed, it seems like those who tuned in were prepared to finish what they started and stay engaged with the national political moment. > Debate rating and share by quarter-hour:> > 9:00 - 42.5/68 > 9:15 - 43.4/68 > 9:30 - 43.7/69 > 9:45 - 43.5/68 > 10:00 - 42.9/68 > 10:15 - 42.2/67 > 10:30 - 42.9/69> > -- Michael Mulvihill (@mulvihill79) September 30, 2020Overall, though, Tuesday's ratings across the major networks dropped significantly from 2016's first presidential debate. > The early TV ratings for the debate last night are down BIG.> > A total of only 29 million viewers across ABC, NBC, FOX and CBS.> > The viewership on broadcast was nearly 43 million in 2016 for the first debate.> > Brutal numbers. Have people lost interest? (Source: TVLine)> > -- David Hookstead (@dhookstead) September 30, 2020More stories from theweek.com Rockets reportedly hit Iraqi base where U.S. troops are located Trump pummels Biden — and America Marvel casts newcomer in the role of its 1st Muslim superhero, Ms. Marvel

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People with irregular or unusually long menstrual cycles may have a higher risk of dying young

Menstruation hormone disruptions may be linked to risk of dying from cardiovascular illness, higher chance of other health problems, says a new study

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Germany walks away from Lockheed, Boeing cargo helicopter offers

The surprise decision halts an acquisition race that was scheduled to a see a contract awarded in 2021.

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High road at Chilling: India builds Himalayan bridges and highways to match China

Ligen Eliyas deftly turns the excavator's hydraulic arm to push a huge boulder into the Zanskar river below in a cloud of dust, clearing another bit of land for a strategic highway that India is hurriedly building near the Chinese border. The construction site near the hamlet of Chilling in the Ladakh region is around 250 km (150 miles) west of the area where Indian and Chinese troops are locked in the most serious confrontation in decades.

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4th person killed in devastating California wildfire

Flames devoured swaths of brush and trees in Northern California on Wednesday amid unseasonably hot and dry weather. Officials said wind-whipped flames led two firefighters to deploy the emergency fire shelters they carry. The firefighters were assigned to the Glass fire burning in wine country north of San Francisco Sunday when gusty off-shore winds fanned the fire, prompting them to deploy their fire shelters after flames overwhelmed them.

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Hathras gang rape: India victim's death sparks outrage

The 19-year-old woman died after fighting for her life in a hospital for two weeks.

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China Accelerates Its Crackdown on Foreign Journalists

These days, foreign journalists are facing unprecedented challenges in China.A March report from the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of China (FCCC) finds that in 2019, “82% of [foreign] reporters [in China] experienced interference or harassment or violence while reporting. . . . 43% said digital/physical surveillance affected reporting. And 70% reported interviews cancelled due to actions taken by Chinese authorities.” The FCCC also finds that Chinese authorities continue to restrict foreign journalists’ access to certain parts of China, including Xinjiang, where millions of Uighur Muslims languish in internment camps. The most striking finding of the report, however, is that not even a single foreign journalist said working conditions in China had improved from 2018 to 2019.It seems that this state of affairs has only gotten worse in 2020. Just this week, the Washington Post’s Anna Fifield published a story about the difficulties she’d faced as a foreign reporter in China. “Reporting in China increasingly feels like reporting in North Korea,” she tweeted. Beijing has expelled around 17 foreign journalists this year, including 15 Americans, and is threatening to expel more. Chinese authorities also continue to punish some foreign journalists by refusing to renew their visas.In August, Cheng Lei, an Australian citizen of Chinese descent who worked for the state-owned China Global Television Network (CGTN), was detained by Chinese authorities. No charges were filed, and Cheng simply “disappeared.” China's foreign ministry waited until early September to announce that she was suspected of “criminal activity endangering China's national security.” Her family and friends still do not know her whereabouts, and it is unclear if she has any legal representation.The Chinese Foreign Ministry’s announcement of Cheng’s detention came after the Australian government was forced to mount a frantic mission to extricate the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s (ABC) Bill Birtles and the Australian Financial Review’s (AFR) Mike Smith from the country. Both had been questioned by Chinese authorities regarding their dealings with Cheng, and both sought help from the Australian consulate. They were allowed to leave China only after a five-day diplomatic standoff. Birtles’s former boss, the ex-ABC China bureau chief Matthew Carney, recently disclosed the threats and interrogations that he and his family, including his 14-year-old daughter, had to endure from Chinese authorities back in 2018, which eventually led them to leave the country, too.Early this month, a Los Angeles Times reporter was detained by Chinese police in Inner Mongolia while investigating the central government’s push to teach Mongolian children key curriculums in Mandarin rather than Mongolian. Many parents and students have been protesting that effort, which they view as Beijing’s latest attempt to erase their cultural identity. The Times reporter said plainclothes men “took her to a police station, where she was interrogated and separated from her belongings, despite identifying herself as an accredited journalist. She was not allowed to call the U.S. Embassy; one officer grabbed her throat with both hands and pushed her into a cell.”Beijing’s treatment of foreign journalists is appalling. But surprisingly, this wasn’t always the case. In fact, for decades, the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) welcomed foreign journalists when it found them to be of use in helping achieve its strategic policy goals.The most famous example of this phenomenon was American journalist Edgar Snow. In the 1930s, Snow visited the CCP’s stronghold in the Chinese countryside and interviewed its leaders, including Mao Zedong. Back then, the People’s Liberation Army was no more than a ragtag bunch of poorly fed, ill-equipped guerrilla fighters. Mao was dismissed by the ruling Nationalist Party as a “bandit,” and he was virtually unknown to the West. Mao recognized the help that Snow could provide in solving that problem. He granted Snow access that was unavailable to any Chinese journalist and charmed the American. Snow, who was somewhat naive and ideologically left-leaning, fell for Mao’s charisma. Mao asked that the texts of Snow’s interviews be translated from English back to Chinese so he could “correct any inaccuracies” prior to the publication, and Snow granted him his wish.The final output was Snow's 1937 book, Red Star Over China, which presented Mao as a great leader who was candid, thoughtful, and funny. It described the goal of the Communist revolution as the creation of a new China that would be egalitarian and democratic. Nowhere did it mention Mao’s brutal purge of a rival faction within the Communist Party, which ended with the arrest of over 100 party members and the execution of more than a dozen. The purge was an early indication of Mao’s ruthlessness in quashing dissent, and there would be many more like it to come.Unfortunately, the inaccurate portrait painted by Snow’s book cast Mao and the Communists in such a positive light that it won them many domestic and international supporters. This, in turn, set a precedent. Recognizing the propaganda value that Snow had provided, Mao invited him back to China several more times over the next three-plus decades. Each time, he manipulated Snow into serving as his mouthpiece for domestic and international audiences.After Mao’s death, a succession of Chinese Communist Party leaders followed the same template, welcoming foreign journalists to China as the regime launched its campaign of economic reform and opened up to the rest of the world. These leaders recognized that they needed the foreign press to tell stories about China, and sure enough, the resulting stories helped attract badly needed foreign investment and tourism to boost the country’s economy.In a country where corruption is rampant and justice is whatever local authorities say it is, many Chinese people have come to believe that the fastest way to get their grievances heard and resolved is through reporting by journalists, especially foreign journalists. As Yuan Yang, the Financial Times’s deputy Beijing bureau chief, has noted, “Sometimes it is not the coverage itself, but the mere appearance of a foreign journalist on the scene, that gets officials to start listening intently to their problems.”Sadly, even that means of getting authorities’ attention is increasingly being closed off by China’s current leader, Xi Jinping, who demands absolute loyalty from all corners of China including the media. Unlike his predecessors, Xi doesn't see foreign media as a friend or a useful tool, but rather as a threat to the narratives advanced by his propaganda and an obstacle to his goal of building a new, China-centric world order. Especially after the coronavirus outbreak, Xi has needed an obedient media to tell a story of Chinese success under his leadership, which has only increased his incentive to keep a tight leash on critical reporting.Xi seems to believe that China is now wealthy, powerful, and resourceful enough that it no longer needs the prestige that foreign media outlets once lent it; state media can tell the stories he wants told both at home and abroad. Since Xi doesn’t see foreign journalists as useful to his own strategic objectives, Chinese authorities have intensified their attacks on foreign journalists. If any informed observer had any remaining doubts about the true nature of the Chinese regime, this crackdown should have dispelled them.

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Opinion: The next presidential debate needs a Trump timeout room

Tuesday's debate between Trump and Biden could have used a mom -- someone who knows how to exert some discipline over a heedless child.

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Job loss fears as furlough lifeline starts to wind down

Firms face higher furlough costs from Thursday, as Labour warns millions of jobs hang in the balance.

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Newspaper headlines: PM warns rule breakers as dad shops without mask

Boris Johnson's statement about a "critical moment" in the pandemic dominates most front pages.

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'I worked a five hour shift and got paid nothing'

A 19-year-old woman begins a campaign to ban unpaid work trials after working a shift for no pay.

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Swaggering Trump goes into first Biden debate eager to fight

Donald Trump always fancied himself streetwise, a real tough guy, and at the first presidential debate with Joe Biden on Tuesday he'll be wearing the verbal brass knuckles.

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High road at Chilling: India builds Himalayan bridges and highways to match China

Ligen Eliyas deftly turns the excavator's hydraulic arm to push a huge boulder into the Zanskar river below in a cloud of dust, clearing another bit of land for a strategic highway that India is hurriedly building near the Chinese border. The construction site near the hamlet of Chilling in the Ladakh region is around 250 km (150 miles) west of the area where Indian and Chinese troops are locked in the most serious confrontation in decades.

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Air Force Completes 8-Year B-1 Bomber Battle Station Upgrade

The service announced that it finished the Integrated Battle Station, or IBS, modification earlier this month.

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Biden and Trump’s First Debate: What to Watch For

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Ascension Island considered as location for asylum centre

The British territory in the southern Atlantic Ocean was suggested as an outpost for processing asylum claims.

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Victorian Society risk list: Auf Wiedersehen, Pet pub added

The Victorian Society releases its annual list of 10 important buildings most at risk of being lost.

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Coronavirus doctor's diary: Trying out tech that may help make worship Covid-secure

Dr John Wright looks at the kit installed in a Bradford mosque in the hope of limiting the spread of Covid-19.

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What Polls Say About the 2020 Race as Biden and Trump Square Off

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Biden and Trump’s First Debate: What to Watch For

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How to Watch the First Presidential Debate

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Compact Nuclear Fusion Reactor Is ‘Very Likely to Work,’ Studies Suggest

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Two-fifths of plants at risk of extinction, says report

We are failing to harness the many benefits plants can provide, say scientists.

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Universal Credit: Plea not to axe £20 a week ‘lifeline’

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation calls on the chancellor to extend an increase to Universal Credit.

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Egg freezing 10-year limit should be scrapped, says ethics body

UK ethics body says it would give women worried about declining fertility more time and options.

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Coronavirus: NHS well stocked for ventilators this winter

The NHS now has access to 30,000 machines that can help people breathe if they are very ill with Covid-19.

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Black History Month: Postboxes painted to honour black Britons

Sir Lenny Henry is among a variety of figures to feature on the postboxes in Black History Month.

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Newspaper headlines: PM 'hasn't a clue' and 1m missed breast cancer scans

Many of Wednesday's papers reflect on Boris Johnson's confusion over Covid rules in the North East.

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Great Barrier Reef: Uncovering the secrets of Australia's deep waters

Scientists explain how the biggest deep-sea study of two marine parks led to exciting discoveries.

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Female Koran reciters 'part of Islamic legacy'

How female Muslim Koran reciters are making their voices heard.

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Hydrogen-powered train makes UK maiden journey

The Hydroflex made a 25-mile round-trip in Warwickshire, reaching speeds of up to 50 mph.

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Coronavirus: What is the R number and why does it matter?

Experts keep discussing the value of R, but what is it and why does it matter?

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'The new Covid support for business is nuts'

Dejection over latest government help for business has left many small firms fearing for their futures.

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Russian cleaner sweeps to power in surprise village vote

'Flabbergasted' Marina Udgodskaya only entered the race as her boss needed someone else to stand.

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Veteran facing border wall scam charges with Steve Bannon: ‘Not a penny’ was taken

When ‘Build the Wall’ amputee veteran Brian Kolfage was arrested, officers forbade use of prosthetic legs, now he plans to sue

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Body camera footage shows Trump's former campaign manager Brad Parscale being tackled by police outside his Florida home

Candice Parscale called 911 on Sunday, saying her husband had loaded a firearm and threatened to hurt himself, according to a police report.

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Donald Trump argues he was entitled to limit tax payments as Democrats go on the attack

Donald Trump has attempted to justify minimising his tax payments as the Democrats argued reports he contributed nothing in federal income taxes for a decade showed he was out of step with ordinary Americans. The US president said in a tweet he was “entitled” to leverage business losses and tax credits to limit his tax payments “like everyone else” as he tried to contain the fallout from the New York Times investigation. Mr Trump continued to deny the reporting was accurate, claimed the information was illegally obtained and said he had paid “millions of dollars” in taxes. He also hinted he could release financial statements showing his wealth, though gave no timeline. The comments suggested a two-pronged strategy: To both delegitimise the reporting, which said he paid no federal income taxes in 11 of the 18 years the paper scrutinised, and argue that limiting tax payments showed business savviness. The campaign of Joe Biden, the Democratic presidential nominee, released an attack advert going after Mr Trump’s reported payment of just $750 dollars in federal income taxes in 2016, the year he won the election, and again in 2017, his first year in office. The 30-second video compared the average annual amount certain workers had paid in income tax, such as $7,239 for an elementary school teacher and $5,283 for a firefighter, with Mr Trump’s $750 figure.

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How can you safely have a Thanksgiving meal? CDC has tips for families during COVID-19

Here’s what health officials say about dinners and travel for the upcoming holiday.

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'Motherf-----': Former Mueller prosecutor describes the moment his team nailed Paul Manafort for financial fraud

Another prosecutor "let out a freewheeling hoot" when she saw the evidence, Weissmann writes. "If this holds up," Weissmann told them, "he's dead."

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Three killed in Northern California wildfire; thousands flee

Northern California's wine country was on fire again Monday as strong winds fanned flames in the already scorched region, destroying homes and prompting overnight evacuation orders for more than 50,000 people. In Sonoma County, residents of the Oakmont Gardens senior living facility in Santa Rosa boarded brightly lit city buses in the darkness overnight, some wearing bathrobes and using walkers. The fire threat forced Adventist Health St. Helena hospital to suspend care and transfer all patients elsewhere.

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Three Florida police officers fall ill after 'potential poisoning' on night out

Investigators await test results to show whether group was drugged

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The South African cleric taking on the church over a rapist priest

Reverend June Major has gone on hunger strike twice to demand that the church take action against her alleged attacker who still practises as a priest

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China's UK envoy warns Britain to avoid lectures over human rights

China's ambassador to London has told Britain that it will suffer "setbacks" in its relationship with Beijing if it continues to raise issues about human rights. The warning came after a junior Foreign Office minister took Beijing to task at a Chinese embassy function on Monday, held to mark the 71st anniversary of the People's Republic. In his remarks, James Duddridge said that while Britain wanted to retain good relations with China, it was also concerned about Beijing's erosion of democracy in Hong Kong and its treatment of the Muslim Uighur minority in Xinjiang. Mr Duddridge’s comments drew a cool response from Liu Xiaoming, the Chinese ambassador, who is understood to have replied pointedly that as Hong Kong was no longer under British rule, Beijing was not obliged to listen to British concerns. Mr Liu added that China's policies in Xinjiang, where the government has been accused of putting up to two million people into "re-education" camps, were designed to combat terrorism. Unless Britain and China observed a policy of "non-interference" in each other's internal politics, he continued, their relationship "would suffer setbacks or even retrogression." Mr Liu, 64, who has been China's envoy to London since 2010, is one of a new generation of Chinese diplomats who have eschewed the low profile traditionally favoured by their predecessors. Earlier this year, he hinted that some Chinese companies might pull out of Britain after the government reversed its decision to allow telecoms giant Huawei a key role in the 5G network. Last year, he also criticised the then Foreign Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, over his support for pro-democracy demonstrators in Hong Kong, saying the protests were "a matter about breaking laws". His robust reply to Mr Duddridge's comments, which were made during an online gathering of guests, will be seen as a further indication of how relations between London and Beijing have cooled. Traditionally, routine diplomatic functions are not seen as forums where political differences are aired. Other Chinese ambassadors have already taken up a much more aggressive tack than Mr Liu, developing what become known as "wolf-warrior" diplomacy - a new, assertive dialogue to remind the world that China is now a superpower. Named after a Chinese film in which Beijing's troops defeat US enemies in Africa and Asia, the "wolf warrior" tactic was pioneered by Zhao Lijian, until last year China's envoy to Pakistan. In July last year, he got in a vicious Twitter spat with Susan Rice, a former advisor to Barack Obama, about China's treatment of Uighur Muslims, in which he suggested America improve its own record on race relations. It culminated in Ms Rice urging the Chinese government to recall him to Beijing.

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Democrats, not Republicans, are hypocrites on filling SCOTUS seat

Democrats accuse Republicans of being hypocrites in the issue of the vacant seat on the Supreme Court, but it is Democrats who are full of hypocrisy.

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Sir David Attenborough gets quizzed by kids after plea to world leaders to save nature

His hope for the future of the planet lies in the hands of children, so what do they want to ask him?

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Coronavirus: NHS faces pandemic 'triple whammy' this winter

Health bosses warn about rising Covid-19 cases, a major backlog in treatment and reduced capacity.

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Coronavirus: Early pub closing 'putting shop workers at risk'

Staff in stores selling alcohol after 10pm may be exposed to violence and infection, a union warns.

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The water-saving device wasting billions of litres every week

Low flush toilets often waste more water than they save due to poor engineering and confusing buttons.

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Newspaper headlines: 'Tory rebels' virus revolt' amid 'deadly chaos'

Many of Tuesday's papers lead on pressure on ministers to give MPs a say over Covid-19 restrictions.

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TikTok ban: How did TikTok stay online in the US?

Sophia Smith-Galer explains why President Trump shifted his position on banning new downloads of the app

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Dublin Lord Mayor: Hazel Chu and her Chinese heritage

The city's first Lord Mayor of Chinese heritage reveals the racism she and her family have faced.

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From tea fields to university in Sri Lanka

Theresa is one of the first women from her community of tea pickers in Sri Lanka to go to university.

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Scientists create a microscopic robot that ‘walks’

The scientists behind a microscopic "walking" robot hope their tech could one day be used against cancer.

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The cat who hitched a lift on a worldwide tour

Former Scottish rugby player Dean Nicholson met a lifelong friend as he cycled around the world.

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Ai Weiwei: 'Too late' to curb China's global influence

The Chinese artist and dissident says the West should have worried about China decades ago.

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Life: Doctor Foster spin-off explores 'loneliness in big cities'

BBC One drama Life follows residents of Manchester whose lives intertwine unexpectedly.

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'If you steal music, you aren't a real music fan'

The music industry is trying to clampdown on the latest form of music piracy known as stream-ripping.

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Lindsey Graham: We need a ninth Supreme Court justice, because "the courts will decide" the election

"The courts will hear all of our complaints," the GOP senator says on "Fox & Friends." "The courts will decide"

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Where Law Ends review: why Mueller failed to hold Trump to account

Andrew Weissmann, a senior member of the special counsel’s team, has written an alarming and necessary bookThe Mueller investigation ended a year and a half ago, but the aftershocks never stopped. A passel of books highlight the omissions and missteps of the special counsel’s office. The Senate intelligence committee report fills in some of the gaps on Russian interference in the 2016 election.Although Robert Mueller found no basis for conspiracy charges, collusion remains a partisan buzzword, obstruction of justice a live concern. The harshest criticism leveled at Mueller is that he blinked.Specifically, the special counsel failed to issue a grand jury subpoena to Donald Trump, needlessly ceding the advantage to the White House. Then, his report went silent on whether grounds existed for charging the president with obstruction of justice, despite analysis that revealed such grounds. The weight of the presidency and fear of its occupant triumphed.“Had we used all available tools to uncover the truth, undeterred by the onslaught of the president’s unique powers to undermine our efforts?” asks Andrew Weissmann. “I know the hard answer to that simple question: we could have done more.”That makes Where Law Ends unique among Trump-themed books. The author was a member of Mueller’s team, supervisor of the prosecution of Paul Manafort. He is both admiring and critical of his former boss, which lends credibility and originality. Pathos is part of the package too.Weissman is a former federal prosecutor whose career intersected with Mueller’s, FBI general counsel when Mueller was director. Before the FBI, Weissmann had a reputation for zealousness. In the Enron case, he successfully prosecuted Arthur Andersen, only to see the supreme court overturn the conviction and to watch the accounting firm close.As a younger government lawyer, Weissmann prosecuted Felix Sater. In 2015, according to the Mueller Report, Sater explored the “possibility of a Trump Tower project in Moscow while working with the Trump Organization”.Under an apt subtitle, “Inside the Mueller Investigation”, Weissmann offers a detailed look at why the special counsel reached the conclusions he did, and expands on how Bill Barr ambushed Mueller with his four-page summary of a 400-plus-page report.“We had just been played by the attorney general,” Weissmann writes.Weissman expresses anger toward Barr but points the finger at Mueller: “Part of the reason the president and his enablers were able to spin the report was that we had left the playing field open for them to do so.”He is convinced of the substantive basis of an obstruction claim, even if justice department guidelines precluded the indictment of a sitting president. The “facts of the [James] Comey firing appeared to satisfy all the elements of … obstruction of justice”, Weissmann writes. “There was simply no other credible conclusion one could reach.”Where Law Ends also worries about the future of the US body politic.“I now know that the death of our democracy is possible,” Weissmann writes. “Fixing it is possible too.”That is the book’s last line. Weissmann’s rhetoric is hot – but not overblown.Trump has publicly refused to commit to a peaceful transition of power. Take him literally and seriously, especially when polls show Biden up in Ohio, with Iowa and Georgia close.“We’re going to have to see what happens, you know that” is one for the ages. Whether it is a historic blip or a harbinger remains to be determined.Where Law Ends is also a guide to how the Mueller investigation divvied up its work. Sections on the case of Michael Cohen are particularly instructive. Trump’s fixer was charged by federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York – a strategic decision.Weissmann explains that the investigation of potential campaign finance violations fell outside Mueller’s purview. He could have sought permission to charge Cohen from Rod Rosenstein, then deputy attorney general. Or he could hand the case to SDNY, where in Weissmann’s words, “prosecutors have free rein to examine all potential federal crimes”.Contrary to the hype surrounding the early days of the Mueller investigation, this was no “dream team”. In Weissmann’s telling, senior members did not possess supervisory experience, and in one instance a lawyer was hired simply because he had been a supreme court clerk. Those looking to work for Mueller were prone to both cockiness and hand-wringing, traits Mueller himself found distasteful.At one point, Mueller turned to Jeannie Rhee, a veteran prosecutor, and said she embodied the “pizazz” he wanted, but which appeared lacking in the applicant pool. Rhee, Weissmann writes, possessed “a kind of can-do, combustible energy” which is always in high demand and short supply.Weissmann upbraids Aaron Zebley, another Mueller deputy, for being overly cautious. Weissmann and Rhee concluded that the broad issue of Russian election interference was within their purview. For Zebley, the focus was limited to possible “links and coordination” between Russia and the Trump campaign.Weissmann hearkens back to the generals who served Abraham Lincoln, comparing Zebley to the “timorous” George McClellan, reluctant to fight the Confederates, and presenting himself and Rhee as approximations of Philip Sheridan and Ulysses S Grant. Sheridan helped defeat Robert E Lee at Appomattox Courthouse. Grant, who accepted Lee’s surrender, would be elected president.Perhaps Weissmann overstates. William Barnett, the FBI agent assigned to the case, contends that the lawyers, not his bureau’s investigators, drove most of the decisions. In a recent filing by the government in the Michael Flynn case, Barnett also says the special counsel’s office was both permeated by groupthink and out to “get” the president. Either way, Where Law Ends is a dispiriting work. It is not simply about the Mueller investigation, or Trump. It is also an examination of where America stands.Weissmann contrasts Trump’s inauguration with protest marches held the day after, and observes the country’s changing demographics. Mindful of history, he ponders whether the civil war ever ended. Looking at the coming election, that is an open question. America’s fissures are once again on display.

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Remains of 117 Chinese soldiers killed in Korean War returned

The remains of 117 Chinese soldiers who died in the 1950-53 Korean War were returned to China on Sunday in an annual repatriation delayed this year by the coronavirus outbreak. South Korea handed over the remains at a ceremony at Incheon airport outside Seoul, and a Chinese military transport plane flew them to Shenyang, a northeastern Chinese city near the North Korean border. Chinese soldiers fought on the North Korean side against US-led forces in the South during the war on the Korean Peninsula. Most of the 117 remains were found in the Demilitarized Zone that separates North and South Korea. It was the seventh annual repatriation, and the largest since the 437 returned in the first one in 2014. In all, the remains of 716 Chinese soldiers have been sent back. This year's return, originally planned for the spring, was postponed for several months because of the spread of Covid-19.

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Letters to the Editor: Black voters and everyone else have more than enough reasons to support Joe Biden

Trump says the Democrats play "plantation politics." To that, one reader says Trump and the Republicans are playing "genocidal politics."

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No more temperature checks? CDC changing COVID-19 screenings for international air passengers

Starting Sept. 14, the U.S. will replace its current system of temperature and symptom checks with one that focuses on where travelers have been.

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Donald Trump 'paid $750 in federal income taxes in 2016' - New York Times

The New York Times says the president paid no income tax at all in 10 of the last 15 years.

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Coronavirus: Up to £10,000 fine for failure to self-isolate in England

New rules mean anyone in England who tests positive for coronavirus has a legal duty to self isolate.

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Covid lockdown: Two thirds of Wales' population affected

Three more counties have rules imposed, with nearly two million people now affected.

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Coronavirus: 'Forced to work' as medics fighting Covid

Almost 200 health workers have died of Covid-19 in Venezuela since the pandemic began in March.

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Movers 'more likely to buy than first-time buyers'

The coronavirus crisis is changing the dynamic in the UK housing market, researchers suggest.

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Local food heroes: Tesco teams up with Olio

Supermarket chain Tesco has teamed up with the food-sharing app Olio in a bid to reduce food waste.

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Coronavirus tales from Tom's Bench on Clapham Common

Jim Grover's pictures of people he met on Clapham Common who talked about their altered lives.

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Covid: Dementia patient's wife describes 'torture' of lack of visits

A woman describes her pain at not being able to see her husband regularly at his care home.

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Orkney island of Westray claims to have UK's longest golf hole

The monster 738-yard hole on the Orkney island of Westray is one of the longest in the world.

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Voicemail from prison: How a mum and daughter rebuilt their relationship

A voicemail app makes it easier to speak to family members in prison, as one young woman found when her mum was jailed.

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The woman who quit smoking and built a hypnotherapy firm

Grace Smith used hypnosis to give up smoking, and it inspired her to take up the profession.

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Test and Trace: 'I spoke to one person in four months'

People who worked for England's NHS Test and Trace tell of technical problems, confusion and wasted resources.

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High Street hopefuls: The people opening new shops

The entrepreneurs opening High Street businesses during Covid when others have closed or gone digital.

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Meng Wanzhou: The PowerPoint that sparked an international row

The top Huawei executive's closely watched extradition case returns to court on Monday.

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MOTD2 analysis: 'Ridiculous' handball rule has 'got to change'

Jermaine Jenas and Darren Fletcher discuss the handball rule which resulted in two controversial goals for Newcastle United and Everton.

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Covid symptoms: What are they and how do I protect myself?

A new cough, fever and change in smell or taste are the key symptoms that mean you may have coronavirus.

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Covid: Seven ways the job market has changed for young people

The coronavirus pandemic has transformed the working lives of the under-25s.

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Strictly Come Dancing: How do you film during a pandemic?

The BBC has revealed how it will protect celebrities, dancers and crew working on the show.

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Former congressman Ron Paul hospitalized, says he's OK

Former GOP presidential candidate Ron Paul posted a picture of himself in a hospital Friday but said he was OK after video circulated online of him struggling to speak during an interview. The 85-year-old former Texas congressman, who ran for president three times, posted a picture on Facebook showing him smiling in a hospital gown and giving a thumbs-up. The post came after a video took off on social media showing Paul having trouble speaking during an appearance on his livestreamed show “Ron Paul Liberty Report.”

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Tucker Carlson: "Every story" about George Floyd and Breonna Taylor has "at its core" been "a lie"

Fox News recently admitted in court that its star host is not always accurate when he discusses the news on TV

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Democrat says Republican ad claiming he protects pedophiles is aimed at QAnon followers

Rep. Tom Malinowski, locked in a tight reelection race, says an attack ad meant to appeal to QAnon sympathizers has been unleashed on him by Republicans.

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Louisiana AG investigates school for suspending 4th grader after teacher noticed BB gun during online class

The state’s attorney general, Jeff Landry, announced an investigation into the matter, arguing that the school violated his “constitutional rights.”

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Man dies from brain-eating amoeba linked to potted soil

While the symptoms associated with acanthamoeba castellanii can be scary, experts say it's not a major risk for those without compromised immune systems.

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Trump falsely claimed an incident where an election worker improperly discarded 9 votes shows widespread 'voter fraud.' Here's what happened.

Luzerne County officials said a "temporary seasonal independent contractor" had "incorrectly discarded (the ballots) into the office trash."

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Fact check: Viral meme listing Breonna Taylor 'truths' includes misinformation

Lists claiming to spell out what is true about the Breonna Taylor case are not entirely right. We rate a viral meme with 7 claims to be partly false.

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Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam and his wife test positive for coronavirus as health officials warn against Trump's scheduled campaign rally

Trump is slated to host a Friday night campaign rally in Virginia with roughly 4,000 supporters. One local official called it a "public health risk."

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Coronavirus: Cardiff and Swansea get ready for lockdown

By Sunday evening, 1.5 million people - almost half of Wales' population - will be locked down.

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Brexit trade talks: Deal can and must be made, says CBI boss

The head of the Confederation of British Industry urges a "spirit of compromise" as trade talks resume.

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California wildfires: The inmates training to be firefighters

Brandon Smith is a former inmate firefighter and now helps former prisoners find jobs in the fire service.

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Six the musical: From a bedroom to Broadway (almost)

The musical Six was pulled just hours before its New York debut because of Covid-19.

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Coronavirus: ‘I used to film weddings but now I film funerals’

Ian Wilkinson has filmed more than 100 services since April.

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Female street artists: 'People assume I’m not the artist'

Rosie is passionate about brightening our cities but she says she's faced sexist views on the streets.

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Photography award winners show the fragility and beauty of mangrove forests

The Mangrove Photography Award winners show the beauty and fragility of the unique ecosystems.

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University entrance: The ‘taboo’ about who doesn’t go

How have white working-class boys been so left behind in getting university places?

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Amy Coney Barrett: Who is Trump's Supreme Court pick?

A favourite of social conservatives, Judge Barrett would swing the highest US court further right.

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University students: Tips and tricks to help you cope in a pandemic

From embracing awkward Zoom chats to persevering with annoying flatmates, experts give some advice.

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Idles: 'We'd love to do a zorb gig'

The Bristol punks talk "mental" live shows, class warfare and "violent-toned" new music.

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Civil service shake-up: Rewiring the government machine or blowing a fuse?

Can Dominic Cummings succeed in shaking up the way civil servants deliver on the PM's promises?

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US election 2020: Fact-checking Trump on coronavirus

The president is under scrutiny for his response to the coronavirus pandemic.

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Italian family fosters Gambian migrant: 'The son we never had'

When Gambian orphan Muhammed Sanneh arrived in Sicily aged 16, his life took an unexpected turn.

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My Money: 'Hollie thinks she spent less than me'

Jay and Hollie from Liverpool take us through their week's spending.

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Jewish teens say life on TikTok comes with anti-Semitism

Regardless of content, Jewish teens say they are bombarded. "It definitely affects me. It gets to me."

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Coronavirus: Shoppers lost £100m in vouchers expiring in lockdown - Which?

A quarter of people had vouchers that expired when shops were shut, a survey by Which? suggests.

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Coronavirus: Dawn sea swims help with lockdown mental health

More than 100 people are taking part in weekly sea swims at dawn after seeing a social media post.

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Week in pictures: 19 - 25 September 2020

A selection of remarkable images taken around the world this week.

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'Maskne': How to fight face mask breakouts

They're a part of everyday life, so how can you wear a face mask and have clear skin too?

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The fight for women's prayer rights in Israel

How a group of Jewish feminists demanded the same prayer rights as Jewish men.

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Switzerland gets ready to vote on ending free movement with EU

Switzerland isn't in the EU, but it does enjoy access to free trade - on condition of it also having free movement.

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What's in Boris Johnson's climate in tray?

The PM promises he won't be caught "lagging" on green polices.

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Covid-19: What do scientists think of the PM's plan?

The new coronavirus restrictions have been met with mixed reviews.

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Barga: How Italy's most Scottish town coped without its annual 'invasion'

The population of Barga in Tuscany is usually swelled by visits from Scottish Italians every summer.

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Thomas Cook staff: Redundant twice in a year

A year on from the firm’s collapse, many staff are still out of work while others have set up businesses.

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The day Brexit hit boiling point

Former MPs and ministers tell the story of 25 September 2019 - one of Parliament's most dramatic days.

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Democrats, not Republicans, are hypocrites on filling SCOTUS seat

Democrats accuse Republicans of being hypocrites in the issue of the vacant seat on the Supreme Court, but it is Democrats are are full of hypocrisy.

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