CHINA

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's father and predecessor is said to have been born in a simple wooden hut on the slopes of a sacred mountain, and guide Kim Un Sim has no doubts: "Welcome to our holy land."The North is avowedly atheist, with its own Juche ideology proclaiming that "Man is the master of all things", but quasi-religious terminology abounds at Mount Paektu, a dormant volcano straddling the border with China.

A Bank of England survey found that nearly two-thirds of 400 companies believe they are as ready as they can be for a no-deal Brexit

OECD growth forecasts in selected countries

The fast-food chain made yet another investment in artificial intelligence, its third tech acquisition this year.

The Hong Kong protests started in opposition to an extradition bill but have morphed into a wider pro-democracy movement

The highest levels of trust were found in China, followed by India and then Canada.

Global trade is already contracting as the US and China slap tariffs on each other's goods, and is acting as a drag on the global economy

President Joko Widodo came to power promising to boost the economy with an infrastructure blitz but growth has been well short of expectations

China is set to use a huge new supply transport ship to ferry supplies to natural and artificial islands it has built in the South China Sea. Named the Sansha No. 2, it can “cover the whole South China Sea”, according to China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency. The ship passed tests in August.

The scare of a mysterious lung disease that has killed 7 people so far has led to a change in the advertisement policy of leading TV channels. They will stop airing vaping products' advertisements.

The Fed cuts rates again but even this isn't enough for Trump, who wants zero interest.

Swedish environment activist Greta Thunberg (C) speaks with Militza Flaco (R) from the Global Alliance of Territorial Communities Guardians of the Forest after a gathering outside the US Supreme Court

As expected, the Federal Reserve cut interest rates

Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell said the central bank will be willing to be aggressive to support the US economy

North Korea is allegedly looking at launching its own cryptocurrency, similar to bitcoin.

Destruction and damaged buildings from Syrian government forces' bombardment are pictured in Idlib province, where close to 1,000 civilians have been killed

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres tells reporters that he does not plan to meet Venezuela's opposition leader

Fed cut interest rates in line with expectations, far less than President Trump had demanded.

US Federal Reserve benchmark lending rates

President Mahamadou Issoufou of Niger

E-cigarettes have been pushed as a safer alternative to smoking but critics say the flavours appeal particularly to children