INTERNATIONAL

At least 50 people have died after an oil tanker collided with a car on a major road in the west of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The incident occurred near the city of Kisantu, between the capital Kinshasa and the port of Matadi. One hundred people suffered second-degree burns, Atou Matabuana, the governor of Kongo Central region said. “The ...

The far-right candidate, Jair Bolsonaro, has won the first round of Brazil’s presidential election. He will face the left-wing Workers’ Party candidate, Fernando Haddad, in the second round on 28 October after he failed to win the 50% of valid votes needed to win outright. With almost all the votes counted, Mr Bolsonaro had 46% and Mr Haddad 29%. Opinion ...

Fears are growing over missing Washington Post writer Jamal Khashoggi, after Turkish officials said they believed he had been murdered. Mr Khashoggi, a Saudi national, went missing after visiting the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Tuesday. A Turkish official told the BBC that initial investigations indicated he was murdered there. Saudi Arabia has denied the accusations, saying it is “working ...

Top EU officials have expressed optimism that a Brexit deal can be struck by the end of the year. Jean-Claude Juncker, the head of the European Commission, said the chance of the UK and the EU reaching a deal has increased in the last few days and could be agreed by November. Meanwhile, European Council President Donald Tusk said an ...

After weeks of controversy, the US Senate is set for a final vote on the confirmation of President Donald Trump’s nominee to the Supreme Court, Brett Kavanaugh. If senators do not change their voting intentions, Judge Kavanaugh will be appointed to the top US court. The vote is expected at about 17:00 local time (21:00 GMT). Mr Kavanaugh has been ...

Tokyo’s world-famous Tsukiji fish market has held its final pre-dawn tuna auction before being relocated to a new site. The world’s largest fish market, which has been in operation for 83 years, is being moved as part of the redevelopment for the 2020 Olympic Games. The famed tuna auctions are a popular tourist attraction in the Japanese capital. “I’m almost ...

Romanians are deciding this weekend whether a family should revolve around a married man and woman. The two-day vote on changing their constitution has been portrayed by supporters of the referendum as a way of protecting the status of the “traditional” family. Opponents warn it will come at the expense of same-sex couples, single parents and children too. And there ...

Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court seat looks all but confirmed after he won the backing of key senators despite an FBI investigation into sexual assault allegations. Republican Senator Susan Collins and Joe Manchin, a Democrat, both indicated their backing for the judge on Friday. Judge Kavanaugh’s confirmation would tilt America’s highest court in favour of conservatives. The court has the final ...

France has opened an investigation into the disappearance of Meng Hongwei, the Chinese head of the international police agency Interpol. His family have not heard from him since he left Interpol HQ in the French city of Lyon for a trip back to China a week ago, police sources say. “He did not disappear in France,” a source close to ...

The US Senate has narrowly advanced President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to a final vote. Friday’s vote – 51-49 in favour – was a test of support for the embattled nominee who has faced sexual assault allegations from several women. All eyes are on several swing senators for Saturday’s final vote. Judge Kavanaugh’s confirmation would tilt ...