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100,000 march in Belarus capital on 50th day of protests

About 100,000 demonstrators marched in Belarus' capital calling for the authoritarian president's ouster, some wearing cardboard crowns to ridicule him

Belarus: police disperse 'people's inauguration' rallies with teargas

Protestors marched in support of Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who lost disputed election to Alexander Lukashenko

Masked police dragged people into vans and fired stun grenades and teargas to disperse crowds as tens of thousands marched for a seventh straight weekend to demand the resignation of veteran Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko.

Protesters chanted “impostor” and “Sveta is our president” as they marched through Minsk and other cities decked out in red-and-white opposition colours. At least 53 people were detained, human rights activists said.

Belarus: Mass arrests and tear gas on seventh weekend of protests

Protests are held for a seventh straight weekend, days after Alexander Lukashenko's secret inauguration.

China's carbon pledge requires it to put energy system into reverse

Country will need to kick addiction to coal and build eye-watering amount of wind and solar capacity

China’s President Xi Jinping stunned climate action observers in a speech at the United Nations general assembly last week with a pledge to reach “peak carbon” before 2030, and drive down emissions to virtually zero by 2060.

The pledge from the world’s biggest climate polluter is considered by environmentalists to be the most important step in tackling the climate crisis since the Paris Climate Agreement galvanised global governments to reduce carbon emissions in an attempt to cap global heating well below 2 degrees C above pre-industrialised levels.

Sri Lanka returns 'hazardous waste' to UK

Customs officials said hospital material and plastic was found in the shipment, in breach of rules.

How Taiwan's 'civic hackers' helped find a new way to run the country

New social media platform Polis cuts through noise and trolling to establish consensus – and create new laws

The origin of one world always begins with its feet in another. And so it was in March 2014.

It came to be known as the Sunflower movement, a sudden three-week stand-off in 2014 between the government and Taiwanese protesters occupying parliament over a trade bill purporting to bring their country closer to China.

Business

U.S. Judge Hears Arguments on Trump’s TikTok Ban

The government said a ban would address its national security concerns. But lawyers for its owner said a ban would be “no different from the government locking the doors to a public forum.”

How to Keep the Coronavirus at Bay Indoors

Tips for dodging the virus as Americans retreat from colder weather: Open the windows, buy an air filter — and forget the UV lights.

Cream of Wheat to Drop Black Chef From Packaging, Company Says

The hot cereal joins Aunt Jemima, Eskimo Pie and other products that have shifted brand names and images amid calls for racial justice.

Pelosi believes coronavirus relief deal still possible as Democrats prepare new package

Stimulus negotiations between House Democrats and the Trump administration fell apart in early August, though Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said he and Pelosi have agreed to restart talks.

Office real estate market will get back to pre-Covid level, in 2025: Cushman & Wakefield

It could be five years before the office real estate market returns to a pre-coronavirus level of occupancy, according to a new study from Cushman & Wakefield.

Finance

The ‘black hole’ of unemployment benefits: Six months into the pandemic, some are still waiting for aid

Half a year into the coronavirus-fueled recession, states are still struggling to pay unemployment benefits, leaving thousands waiting months for aid to arrive.

Why fatherhood has suddenly all gone père shaped for me

France is doubling paternity leave – which will make us hapless British fathers even more neurotic about our parenting

Liberté, égalité, paternité: the dastardly French are at it again. They’ve always known how to hit us when we’re down. In the same week that Michael Gove announced plans to cede Kent to the EU, President Macron said he was doubling paternity leave. From July next year, new fathers in France will get 28 days off, seven of which will be mandatory, making it one of the more generous schemes in Europe. Macron said parents should have “more equality in sharing the responsibility from day one”. British fathers get just two optional weeks.

The French president doesn’t have children of his own, and I expect most leaders in that position would think it was enough simply to offer the paid leave. But Macron, canny as ever, knows that if presented with the option of a paid week with their newborn, many partners would prefer to go to the office for free.

French parents will be able to feel even more smug, while British parents descend further into paranoia

The wurst is over: why Germany, land of schnitzels, now loves to go vegetarian

More than 40% of Germans are cutting down on meat, and vegan burgers are a shopping mall staple

Inside a shopping mall in south Berlin, two colleagues are chomping on hamburgers and fries, cheese sauce running down their fingers as they try to beat the lunchtime clock.

Feelings of guilt are in short supply this Friday afternoon: the burger joint where the two women have grabbed a bite is called Vincent Vegan, and the patty inside the brioche bun is made of wheat, barley and soya.

Coronavirus live updates: global death toll nears 1m, Australian state of Victoria set to ease...

France records more than 14,000 new Covid cases; Colombia passes 800,000 infections; Saudi Arabia plans to resume tourist visas by early 2021. Follow latest updates

12.03am BST

First, a catch up from APP on the latest developments in the Australian state of Victoria.

Victoria has woken up with a new health minister but Melburnians’ minds are on what freedoms are about to return to their restricted lives.

“I am disappointed that my integrity has sought to be undermined.

I am deeply sorry for the situation that Victorians find themselves in.

12.03am BST

Hello and welcome to this coronavirus live blog with me, Helen Davidson.

Global deaths are nearing 1 million, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker. Currently they stand at 990,977, with the United States recording around 20% of fatalities worldwide (204,446). Brazil is the second worst affected country (140,537), with India in third (93,379).

Activists protest ban on distributing food to migrants in Calais

Charities and human rights groups said officials had failed to provide basic services

About 250 human rights activists have protested in the northern French port of Calais against a local ban on distributing food to migrants in the city centre.

Members of about 70 charities and rights groups also on Saturday denounced what they say is the failure of local officials to provide even basic services to the migrants living in and around the city.

Entertainment

Coronavirus: No easing of theatre restrictions

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden has said there will be no easing on restrictions in theatres against the current backdrop of rising infections.

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

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

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.

Covid-19: Swansea soprano stars in drive-in London opera

You might have heard of drive-in cinemas, but how about watching opera from your car?

Dennis Skinner: Song about ex-MP tops Amazon download charts

A song about the ex-MP has topped the best-seller charts ahead of Kylie Minogue and Bruce Springsteen.

The Doobie Brothers aren't happy that Bill Murray is using their song to sell 'ugly' golf shirts

The Doobie Brothers claim actor Bill Murray has been using one of their songs without permission to sell "ugly" golf shirts and they want the actor to pay up.

Dax Shepard reveals he relapsed after 16 years of sobriety

After 16 years of being sober, actor and comedian Dax Shepard revealed he has been battling an opioid addiction.

Andrew Neil to leave the BBC 'with heavy heart'

The broadcaster is to join rival GB News after 25 years at the heart of the BBC's political coverage.

Lifestyle

The Technical Stars Who Help Pull Off a Christopher Nolan Narrative

In films like “Memento” and “Inception,” the director’s time shifts and intricate action require careful calibration by editors, stunt performers and others.

Panic! at the Disco’s Flourishes Weren’t Just Dramatic. They Were Theater.

A look back at the band’s 15-year-old debut, “A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out,” a commercial success that simultaneously satirized and celebrated staged spectacles.

In a Book About Trauma, She Hopes to Show What Survival Looks Like

Fariha Róisín has been working on her debut novel, “Like a Bird,” for 18 years, a process she says has been key to her own healing.

3 Illustrated Novels With Animal Magnetism

With nods to “Winnie the Pooh,” “The Wind in the Willows,” “Frog and Toad” and “Charlotte’s Web,” three animal-centric novels help revive a genre.

How to Make D.I.Y. Crows for Halloween

Spooky birds are perfect décor for the season and can be created from your paper and some household items.

Things to Do This Week

This week, meet the singer Tashera Robertson, hit a photo show and try your hand at making snow fluff.

How to Keep the Peace in a School Pod

‘It’s important to approach this with the idea that there’s no ideal situation. If there were, we’d all be doing it.’

Sports

N.F.L. Week 2: Is the Buffalo Bills’ Hot Start Legit?

Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs will try to keep Buffalo’s high-octane offense gunning against the 2-0 Los Angeles Rams.

LeBron James and Anthony Davis Fulfill Lakers’ Finals Promise

“When I first got here, he told me that he wants to give me my first ring,” Davis said. “And I told him that I want to get him back to the finals.”

French Open begins as top players grumble over cold weather

The French Open got off to a wet and chilly start on Sunday, with the former world No.1 Victoria Azarenka walking off court during a lull in proceedings because of the cold weather.

Valtteri Bottas wins Russian GP after Lewis Hamilton is handed 10-second penalty

Valtteri Bottas won his second Formula One race of the 2020 season, easing to victory at the Russian Grand Prix after teammate Lewis Hamilton was hampered by two separate five-second penalties.

Calderon calls for equal opportunities in motorsport after completing Le Mans 24 Hours

Racing driver Tatiana Calderon has called for more equality in motorsport after completing this year's Le Mans 24 Hours.

Science

Coronavirus Live Updates: World Approaches One Million Deaths

The number of lives lost daily has been rising through most of August and September, and new hot spots keep emerging. The U.S., Brazil, India and Mexico account for more than half of the total.

E.P.A. to Promote Lead Testing Rule As Trump Tries to Burnish His Record

The E.P.A. will tout a new rule on testing lead in drinking water as President Trump's latest environmental achievement, but water experts see only modest improvements at best.

A Man Died After Eating a Bag of Black Licorice Every Day

Doctors at Massachusetts General Hospital said the unusual case highlighted the risk of consuming too much glycyrrhizic acid, which is found in black licorice.

Covid-19 Live Updates: Latest News and Analysis

The pandemic has been a significant, and tough, setback for working women. The governor of Bali, who reopened the Indonesian island to domestic tourism, has tested positive for the virus.

Coronavirus Survey Halted After Workers Faced Racial Slurs, Officials Say

Workers were followed, videotaped and threatened in confrontations across Minnesota, the state Department of Health said.

Technology

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