BBC News (World)

China Belt and Road: Indonesia opens Whoosh high-speed railway Indonesia has inaugurated its first high-speed railway, a $7.3bn (£5.9) project backed by China under its Belt and Road Initiative. President Joko Widodo launched the service, which connects the capital Jakarta to Bandung, a top economic hub. The railway is named Whoosh, a Bahasa Indonesia acronym that translates to time-saving and reliable. Mr Widodo has prioritised projects like Whoosh to ease the country's severe traffic jams. read more

Nagorno-Karabakh: Armenia says 100,000 refugees flee region More than 100,000 people have fled the Nagorno-Karabakh region, Armenia says. It means that that almost the entire population of the ethnic Armenian enclave has left since Azerbaijan seized the region last week. Azerbaijan has said it wants to reintegrate the area and treat its residents as equals, but an Armenian spokesman said this was just a "lie". Nagorno-Karabakh - recognised as part of Azerbaijan - had been run by ethnic Armenians for three decades. read more

Government shutdown only hours away in the US The US government is on the brink of another shutdown with Congress poised to miss a Saturday midnight deadline to fund federal agencies. The fourth shutdown to occur over the past decade, it could significantly affect everything from air travel to national parks and marriage licenses. Most government employees will be furloughed without pay, and crucial nutrition programmes will be halted. It follows a hard-right revolt in the US House of Representatives. read more

Pakistan: At least 50 killed and dozens injured in Mastung blast At least 50 people have been killed and more than 50 injured in a suicide attack in Pakistan, police say. The blast happened near a mosque in the south-western Balochistan province on Friday as people gathered to celebrate the birth of the Prophet Muhammad. Officials in Balochistan have declared a state of emergency. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. Meanwhile, a separate blast has taken place at a mosque near Peshawar City in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. read more

Rotterdam shootings: Gunman arrested after killing three people Dutch police have arrested a gunman who killed at least three people in twin shootings in the city of Rotterdam. They say the male attacker, 32, opened fire in a home before setting it alight, then stormed the city's Erasmus Medical Center on Thursday. He was a student at Erasmus University, which is affiliated with the hospital. A woman, 39, and her 14-year old daughter were killed in the first shooting. A male lecturer, 43, was shot dead at the hospital. read more

Haikun: Taiwan unveils new submarine to fend off China Taiwan has unveiled its first domestically-made submarine as it bolsters its defences against a possible Chinese attack. President Tsai Ing-wen presided over the launch ceremony in the port city of Kaohsiung on Thursday. US officials have warned that China could be militarily capable of mounting an invasion within the next few years. Taiwan is a self-governing island which China regards as a renegade province and has vowed to reclaim one day. read more

China's Evergrande halts trading amid reports of detained bosses Shares in crisis-hit Chinese property giant Evergrande have been suspended in Hong Kong amid reports its chairman has been placed under police surveillance. It follows reports earlier this week that other current and former executives had also been detained. Thursday's market statement did not give a reason for the trading halt. But it marks another low for the heavily indebted property giant which defaulted in 2021, triggering China's current real estate market crisis. read more

Travis King in US custody after North Korea expulsion US soldier Travis King, who fled from South to North Korea in July, is in American custody after being expelled by Pyongyang, officials say. According to US media reports, Pte King was transferred into US custody in China. The 23-year-old reconnaissance specialist illegally crossed into North Korea in July. North Korean media said he had fled because of "inhuman treatment" and racism within the US military. read more

Lego axes plan to make bricks from recycled bottles Toy giant Lego has scrapped plans to make its bricks from recycled bottles, in a blow to its efforts to cut carbon emissions. The company said in 2021 that it aimed to produce bricks not containing crude oil within two years. But on Monday, it said it had found that using the new material didn't reduce carbon emissions. Lego said it remains "fully committed" to making bricks from sustainable materials. Currently, many of Lego's bricks are made using acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), a virgin plastic made from crude oil. read more

Karabakh humanitarian fears grow with thousands sleeping on Stepanakert streets Azerbaijan's military has paraded heavy weapons captured in Nagorno-Karabakh, amid warnings thousands of civilians are without shelter after the surrender of Armenian separatists. Tanks, guns and RPGs were among the haul shown to the BBC, in the first access given to journalists since separatists agreed to disarm this week. Ethnic Armenian leaders say thousands are without food or shelter. Only one aid delivery of 70 tonnes of food has been allowed through. read more

Ukraine war: US to give Kyiv long-range ATACMS missiles - media reports US President Joe Biden plans to give Ukraine advanced long-range missiles to help Kyiv with its ongoing counter-offensive, US media report. They quote US officials familiar with the issue as saying Ukraine will get some ATACMS missiles with a range of up to 190 miles (300km). This would enable Kyiv to hit Russian targets deep behind the front line. At least one Ukrainian missile hit the headquarters of Russia's Black Sea fleet in annexed Crimea on Friday. read more

Do China's recent military purges spell trouble for Xi Jinping? They were trusted and favoured by Xi Jinping. Now, they seem to be vanishing. In recent months, the disappearances of several high-ranking Chinese officials have sparked intense speculation over whether Mr Xi is embarking on a purge, particularly of those linked to the military. The latest person who appears to have fallen from grace is defence minister Li Shangfu, who has not been seen in public for some weeks now. While his absence was not seen as unusual at first, scrutiny intensified when a top US diplomat pointed it out. A Reuters report later said General Li, who used to oversee arms procurement for the People's Liberation Army (PLA), was being investigated over military equipment purchases. read more

A shadow of 'Ukraine fatigue' hangs over Polish politics From the beginning of Russia's full-on invasion, Warsaw has been a firm supporter of Kyiv. It's often led the way in sending military aid and equipment, and argued passionately that this support is essential to protect Poland itself from Russian aggression. The change of tone from the Polish government on Ukraine is startling. Now suddenly it feels like the political knives are out for Kyiv. read more

India suspends visas for Canadians as row escalates India has stopped issuing visas to Canadian citizens amid an escalating row over the killing of a Sikh separatist on Canadian soil. India said the temporary move was due to "security threats" disrupting work at its missions in Canada. Canada's visa services remain open in India. Tensions flared this week after Canada's leader said India may have been involved in the 18 June killing. India angrily rejected the allegation calling it "absurd". read more

Nagorno-Karabakh forces agree Azerbaijan demand to disarm Twenty-four hours after Azerbaijan's army launched an offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh, ethnic-Armenian forces have agreed Russian terms for a ceasefire. One of the key demands that Karabakh forces have accepted is a proposal for complete disarmament. Some 120,000 ethnic Armenians live in the South Caucasus enclave, recognised internationally as part of Azerbaijan. Three years ago, Azerbaijan recaptured areas in and around Karabakh and on Tuesday demanded a full surrender. Karabakh officials say at least 32 people have been killed, including seven civilians, and another 200 wounded since the Azerbaijani military launched what it called "anti-terror" operations. read more

Azerbaijan launches operation against Nagorno-Karabakh and demands surrender Azerbaijan has launched "anti-terror" operations in Nagorno-Karabakh, and said it will not stop until ethnic-Armenian separatists surrender. Tensions in the South Caucasus have been high for months around the breakaway enclave, recognised internationally as part of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan and Armenia last went to war three years ago. Baku ordered "illegal Armenian military formations" to hand over arms and dissolve their "illegal regime". read more

Libya: Greek rescuers among those killed in road collision At least three members of a Greek rescue team and three members of a Libyan family have died in a road collision. The rescuers were among a team who were travelling on a bus to the flood-ravaged city of Derna on Sunday when their vehicle collided with a car carrying the family. Two others in the car and eight others on the bus were seriously injured, according to a Libyan official. An investigation has been launched. read more

Antarctic sea-ice at 'mind-blowing' low alarms experts The sea-ice surrounding Antarctica is well below any previous recorded winter level, satellite data shows, a worrying new benchmark for a region that once seemed resistant to global warming. "It's so far outside anything we've seen, it's almost mind-blowing," says Walter Meier, who monitors sea-ice with the National Snow and Ice Data Center. An unstable Antarctica could have far-reaching consequences, polar experts warn. Antarctica's huge ice expanse regulates the planet's temperature, as the white surface reflects the Sun's energy back into the atmosphere and also cools the water beneath and near it. read more

Libyan official rejects blame for flood disaster An official in eastern Libya has denied allegations that many of those killed in devastating floods last weekend were told to stay in their homes. Othman Abdul Jalil, a spokesperson for the Benghazi-based government, told the BBC that soldiers warned people in the city of Derna to flee. He denied that people were told not to evacuate, but conceded some may have felt the threat was exaggerated. Meanwhile, BBC teams in Derna say aid agencies are yet to arrive at the city. read more

'An unimaginable scene': Survivors describe Libya floods The first sign that something was wrong was the sound of the dogs barking. It was 2.30am and dark outside. When Husam Abdelgawi, a 31-year-old accountant in the eastern Libyan city of Derna, got up and went sleepily downstairs to check on them, he felt water under his feet. Husam opened the front door of the house he shared with his younger brother, Ibrahim. More water flooded in, pulling the door off of its hinges. The brothers ran to the back door, where they were met by a "ghastly, unimaginable scene, worse than death itself to witness", Husam said, in a phone interview from the city of Al-Qubbah. read more