China's factory activity improved in September ahead of talks with Washington aimed at ending a tariff war.
Surveys released Monday by an industry group and a business magazine both showed improvement, though gains were small.
The China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing said its purchasing managers' index rose to 49.8 from August's 49.5 on a 100-point scale on which numbers below 50 show activity contracting.
The magazine Caixin said its index rose to 51.4 from 50.4.
Demand for Chinese goods has been hurt by weakening domestic and global economic growth as well as US tariff hikes in a fight over trade and technology.
Negotiators are due to meet next week in Washington but there has been no sign of progress toward ending the dispute, which threatens to tip global economic growth into a recession.
"We don't expect a meaningful breakthrough," said Citigroup economists in a report.
"Even if there is a ceasefire, the damage is already partly done because of elevated business ...

China factory activity improves in September amid trade war

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Pop star-actor Ricky Martin and husband, artist Jwan Yosef are set to become parents once again.
The 47-year-old singer shared the news while accepting an award at the 23rd annual Human Rights Campaign National Dinner in Washington, DC over the weekend.
"My family's here. I don't see you but my husband Jwan, I love you, my beautiful twins, Valentino and Matteo, they're also here, I love you with all my heart, you're my strength, you inspire me every day, you motivate me to keep doing what I'm doing and you guys are amazing kids.
"Lucia, my baby girl who is not here with us, she stayed at home with grandma, but she's also the light of my life. I have to announce that we are pregnant. We are waiting. I love big families," Martin told the audience as he gave a shout-out to his family.
The "Livin' La Vida" hitmaker was honoured with the HRC National Visibility Award for his advocacy of LGBTQ rights and his philanthropic efforts.
Martin and Yosef, 35, also share 11-year-old twin sons ...

Ricky Martin, Jwan Yosef expecting fourth child

Fast-moving Typhoon Mitag is bearing down on northern Taiwan, where it is expected to bring high winds and heavy rain.
Alerts have been ordered for parts of the island's east and north, including the capital, Taipei, with the worst of the weather expected to arrive overnight on Monday.
The storm's center was expected to pass just east of the island before heading toward Shanghai on mainland China, then weakening as it moves toward South Korea and Japan.
On Monday, Taiwan's weather bureau said Mitag was strengthening gradually as it moved north at about 27 kilometers (17 miles) per hour with winds gusting at up to 162 kph (100 mph).

Typhoon bearing down on northern Taiwan

Hong Kong authorities have rejected an appeal for a major pro-democracy march on Tuesday's National Day's holiday after two straight days of protest-related violence in semi-autonomous Chinese territory.
The Civil Human Rights Front says the appeals board on Monday upheld a police ban on the march. The group warns the ban could accelerate violence because citizens will turn up anyway, as they've done in past instances of police bans.
Apart from the march, rallies are planned in multiple locations.  Local media reported that several people, including an actor and activist, were detained early Monday over their participation in the protests. Police couldn't immediately confirm this when contacted.
Violence erupted over the weekend in what has become familiar cycle since protests began in June.

Hong Kong upholds ban on National Day march after violence

Car behemoth Volkswagen will face a German court Monday, as hundreds of thousands of owners of manipulated diesel cars demand compensation four years after the country's largest post-war industrial scandal erupted.
The first hearing in what is likely to be a grinding, years-long trial opens at 10 am in Brunswick, around 30 kilometres from VW headquarters in the northern city of Wolfsburg.
Around 450,000 people have joined a first-of-its-kind grouped proceeding, introduced by lawmakers after the "dieselgate" emissions cheating scandal broke in 2015.
Consumer rights group VZBV, representing the plaintiffs, says the German carmaker deliberately harmed buyers by installing motor control software that allowed vehicles to pollute far more on the road than under lab conditions.
The trial is Germany's largest so far in the tentacular diesel scandal, which last week saw VW chief executive Herbert Diess charged with market manipulation over his role.
In the mass lawsuit, the most important of ..

Volkswagen faces first mammoth diesel lawsuit on home turf

China's top trade negotiator will lead an upcoming 13th round of talks aimed at resolving a trade war with the United States, a senior Chinese official said Sunday.
Vice Premier Liu He will travel to Washington for the negotiations, Vice Commerce Minister Wang Shouwen said. He didn't give exact dates, but said the talks would be after China's National Day holiday, which runs through Oct. 7.
"The two sides should find a solution through equal dialogue in accordance with the principle of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit," Wang said at a news conference with other officials, including Commerce Minister Zhong Shan.
The Trump administration first imposed tariffs on Chinese imports last year in a bid to win concessions from China, which responded with tit-for-tat tariffs. The escalating dispute between the world's two largest economies has depressed stock prices and poses a threat to the global economy.  Both sides have made conciliatory gestures ahead of the next round of talks, 

China to send its top trade negotiator to US for talks

At least 19 people have been killed when a fire broke out at a factory in east China, authorities said on Monday, the latest industrial accident to hit the country where lax regulations often lead to tragedy.
The fire broke out on Sunday at a facility owned by the Ruiqi Daily Necessities Company in Ninghai County, state-run Xinhua reported.
Nineteen people have been killed and investigation into the cause of the fire is underway, the report quoted local authorities as saying.
This is the fifth such incident in the last six months.
Industrial accidents ranging from factory fires to mining disasters are common in China, often due to poorly enforced safety standards.
Ten people were killed in a fire in pharmaceutical factory in Shandong province in April this year.
In March, seven people were killed and five others injured in an explosion at a scrap metal moulding plant in China's Jiangsu Province.
Five people were killed in an explosion in a factory in China's Shandong Province on March 

19 people killed in China factory fire

Tropical depression Narda is expected to regain tropical storm strength Monday after passing over the Mexican resort of Puerto Vallarta with heavy rain at the end of a day in which it caused some flooding in Zihuatanejo and other spots farther south along the shore.
The US National Hurricane Center said the storm was on top of Puerto Vallarta late Sunday, with maximum sustained winds of 55 kph after weakening from a tropical storm while moving overland. It was heading to the northwest at 33 kph and was predicted to begin picking up strength when it emerged over open water Monday and started hugging the coast while moving toward the Gulf of California over the next few days.
Authorities reported flooded roads and rivers, and the storm also toppled trees and billboards in Acapulco. Local media reported that a 26-year-old man died in Oaxaca state while trying to cross a river in San Pedro Mixtepec.
The Hurricane Center said Narda could continue to drop 12.5 to 25 centimeters of rainfall .

Narda likely to become tropical storm again off Mexico

/ -- NM Group, in association with Power Line Systems, have announced a new training event for their popular PLS-CADD training seminars. This latest seminar will occur in Chennai, India on November 11th - 15th.
The seminar will be led by Paul Richardson (B Eng. hons, CEng, MICE), a highly experienced powerline engineer of over 25 years and long-time proponent of PLS software. Aimed at overhead line design engineers, the training will demonstrate how the class-leading design software can be used for optimising transmission and distribution projects. Course modules include structure design, conductor sagging and plan and profile drawings.
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NM Group to Deliver PLS-CADD Software Training Seminar in Chennai

/ -- Forescout Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: FSCT), the leader in device visibility and control, today announced the appointment of Wahab Yusoff to Regional Vice President for Asia Pacific and Japan (APJ). In this role Wahab will focus on growing sales, increasing customer adoption and building the partner ecosystem across Australia, Japan, India and Singapore, as well as the fast-growing Southeast Asian region.
Forescout's device visibility and control platform has been rapidly adopted throughout APJ as organizations recognize the need to secure their networks against increased threats that exploit network connected IoT and operational technology (OT) devices. The IT and OT convergence adds additional challenges as organizations are now managing increased complexity and vulnerability of previously isolated ICS networks.  "Forescout provides the foundation for any strong cybersecurity strategy to protect the extended enterprise - from campus to data center to cloud and OT environments," 

Forescout Appoints Wahab Yusoff as Regional Vice President for Asia Pacific and Japan

Researchers have found a key molecule that helps bacteria living in the guts of mammals to influence the body's process behind the absorption of dietary fat.
The findings, published in the journal Science, may help understand the root causes of obesity in affluent countries, and malnutrition in impoverished countries.
The researchers, including those from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in the US, found a key molecule involved in synchronising the absorption of nutrients in the gut with our body's natural clock that lets one's cells perceive the day-night cycle.
They found that the beneficial microbes in the gut wind up the body's biological clock, or circadian rhythm, by activating a protein called histone deacetylase 3 (HDAC3) which is made by cells lining the gut.
These cells, the researchers said, act as intermediaries between bacteria that aid in the digestion of food, and proteins that play a role in absorption of nutrients.
The experiments, performed in ...

'Molecule linking weight gain to gut bacteria found'

Three medalists on the victory lap. Only two with flags.
That's the reality for Russian pole vaulter Anzhelika Sidorova after winning gold at the world championships on Sunday, officially as a neutral athlete.
But pole vaulting's a sisterhood and Sidorova's defeated rival, Sandi Morris of the United States, was her strongest advocate despite the doping sanctions on the Russian team.
"Sidorova is a friend of mine and she can't help what's going on politically," Morris said.
"If I were her, I would have done the same thing. Go out there and fight to compete, regardless of what's going on in my country. I don't necessarily think it's a bad thing because the athletes are most important. If she's clean, she's clean, and I honestly believe she is."
Morris' show of affection came despite what she called a "bittersweet" day  big jumps but another silver to go with her second places at the 2016 Olympics and 2017 worlds.
Sidorova competed in a muted blue uniform. Her neutral status, awarded by .

No flag, no anthem, but world track gold for Russia

Welsh international Aaron Ramsey scored on his first start for Juventus as the former Arsenal man's Turin gamble looks to be paying off as he flourishes in the Italian league.
Ramsey moved to the Serie A champions this season on a lucrative free transfer reported to be worth 503,000 euros per week ($515,000).
The 28-year-old has impressed in his first three league games for the eight-time reigning Serie A champions having recovered from a hamstring injury picked up with Arsenal.
He found the net on his debut against Verona on September 21, and impressed in the following two league wins over Brescia and SPAL.
"Three wins out of three in Serie A this week. Onto the Champions League Tuesday," Ramsey wrote on social media.
Juventus will host Bayer Leverkusen in their Group D clash in Turin, having being held 2-2 at Atletico Madrid in their opener.
Ramsey had come on as a late substitute against Atletico with the Italians conceding a goal just two minutes later.
"I've waited a long time ...

Ramsey gamble paying off at Juventus

Hampered by injuries and poor form, Tottenham midfielder Dele Alli faces an uncertain future while his club are battling to recover from their own troubling period.
In a clear indication of the malaise gripping Alli, the England international is far from certain to feature when Tottenham host Bayern Munich in a crucial Champions League clash on Tuesday.
That would have been unthinkable just two years ago when Alli was regarded as one of Europe's rising stars.
Since then, the 23-year-old has been stuck in a steady decline that raises questions about his long-term future in north London.
After appearing in four of Tottenham's five pre-season games, Alli was absent for the final friendly against Inter Milan due to the latest in a long line of hamstring issues.
Having missed games against Aston Villa, Manchester City and Newcastle, Alli was introduced on the hour for the 2-2 draw at Arsenal on September 1.
But that remains Alli's lone Premier League action this term, with his two other ...

Alli faces uncertain future as Spurs splutter

Bayern Munich captain Manuel Neuer heads into Tuesday's Champions League clash with Tottenham Hotspur aiming for a display that settles the debate about whether he should remain Germany's first-choice goalkeeper ahead of Barcelona's Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
The showdown in London will be key in deciding who will win Group B, with Bayern currently top after beating Red Star Belgrade 3-0 in their opener a fortnight ago and Spurs needing a home victory to get back on track after throwing away a two-goal lead in a 2-2 draw at Olympiakos.
Neuer will want to use the high-profile clash to prove his form after a shaky display on Saturday, in which he was twice beaten -- including once from long-range effort -- at bottom club Paderborn.
Neuer could do little about the first goal, but was at fault when Paderborn defender Jamilu Collins scored from 30 metres out to make it 3-2 and give Bayern a nervy final 10 minutes before they eventually won and topped the Bundesliga for the first time this ...

Neuer out to settle Germany's keeper debate against Spurs

Ripped-up paving stones lay scattered around the graffiti-scarred streets of Hong Kong  after one of the most violent days in a summer of rage, as protesters ready for fresh clashes on Tuesday's 70th anniversary of communist China's founding.
The protest-wracked financial hub witnessed its fiercest political violence in weeks on Sunday as riot police spent hours in running battles with protesters, the streets blanketed in tear gas and smoke from burning barricades.
Millions have hit the streets during nearly four months of pro-democracy protests while hardcore activists have repeatedly clashed with police in the biggest challenge to China's rule since the city's handover from Britain in 1997.
Tensions have soared the last few days.
Beijing is preparing for huge, tightly-choreographed festivities from Tuesday to mark the founding of the People's Republic of China, including a massive military parade that will showcase the country's emergence as a global superpower.
Yet the ongoing ...

Strife-torn Hong Kong braces for China anniversary day violence

Real Madrid's revolution was supposed to be built around their attack but resilience has been the base for the recovery ahead of their Champions League group game at home to Club Brugge on Tuesday.
At the end of last season, as Zinedine Zidane's dreary run-in came to a close and paved the way for what many expected to be a spectacular summer, polls were published by Madrid's newspapers asking fans which of the world's deadliest strikers they hoped would arrive at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Harry Kane, Mohamed Salah, Sergio Aguero, Mauro Icardi and Robert Lewandowski were some of the names offered up and, in the end, Luka Jovic arrived, the Serbian who has struggled for starts so far and is yet to score a goal.
Eden Hazard is tasked too with helping fill the void left by Cristiano Ronaldo, even if the Belgian's own opening in Madrid has also been underwhelming, stalled by injury and now seemingly a period of adjustment.
"We would like him to score because it will release him," said Zidane .

Defence is king as Madrid go back to basics ahead of Brugge test

Cameron Champ birdied the 72nd hole to capture an emotional triumph Sunday at the US PGA Safeway Open, a victory the 24-year-old American dedicated to his cancer-stricken grandfather.
"If I win no more tournaments or 10 more tournaments, this will be the greatest win of my golfing career for sure," a tearful Champ said after sinking the four-foot birdie putt that gave him a one-stroke triumph.
Champ began Sunday's final round at Silverado with a three-stroke lead, saw it erased when Canada's Adam Hadwin birdied the last three holes to match him on 16-under, then responded with two strong shots and a chip to four feet at the par-5 18th before his winning putt.
"That was the first time I didn't feel nervous all day," said Champ, who didn't hit a fairway off the tee until the 12th hole.
Champ fired a final-round three-under par 69 to finish 72 holes on 17-under 271 at Napa, California -- barely an hour's drive from the Sacramento area where he grew up and learned to golf thanks in part ..

Tearful Champ dedicates PGA win to cancer-hit grandpa

Sevilla avoided a third consecutive defeat in La Liga and stopped high-flying Real Sociedad from going top after coming from behind to beat them 3-2 on Sunday.
After Real Madrid's stalemate against Atletico on Saturday, the Basque outfit could have leapfrogged both to claim first place in Spain but came up short in a pulsating contest at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan.
It looked good for the visitors when Mikel Oyarzabal gave them a fourth-minute lead but Nolito equalised for Sevilla with a sumptuous half-volley before Lucas Ocampos and Franco Vazquez completed the comeback in the second half.
Portu still set up a nervy finish when he added a second for Real Sociedad in the 87th minute but Sevilla held on for a much-needed win, after consecutive losses to Real Madrid and Eibar this week.
After signing 12 new players in the summer, Sevilla have gelled impressively quickly and they now sit sixth, just two points off the top.
Their credentials for keeping pace with the leaders will be tested .

Sevilla edge out Real Sociedad in five-goal thriller

Napoli got back to winning ways with a 2-1 victory against Brescia on Sunday as Franck Ribery sealed a 3-1 win for Fiorentina against ten-man AC Milan that pushed the northerners down to 16th in the Serie A table with a third consecutive defeat.
All the Italian teams in European action this week warmed up with wins with Napoli seeing off promoted Brescia despite Mario Balotelli scoring his first goal for the newcomers.
First-half goals from Dries Mertens and Kostas Manolas ensured Napoli took all three points after their midweek loss to Cagliari, to boost their confidence ahead of a Champions League trip to Belgian club Genk.
Carlo Ancelotti's side stay fourth with 12 points from six games, six behind league leaders Inter Milan who beat Sampdoria 3-1 on Saturday, before they play Barcelona in Europe.
"Suffering is natural in these games if you don't kill it off with 3-0 and then concede a goal, it all opens up again," Ancelotti told DAZN.
"But all in all I'm satisfied.
"We played an ..

Napoli back winning as Ribery's Fiorentina punish AC Milan

Marseille's inconsistent start to life under Andre Villas-Boas continued on Sunday with a home 1-1 draw with Rennes that left the former European champions off the pace outside Ligue 1's top four.
Duje Caleta-Car's header seven minutes after the break earned Marseille a point at the Stade Velodrome after Mbaye Niang had finished off a sweeping attack to give the away side a deserved 19th-minute lead.
The hosts had goalkeeper Steve Mandanda to thank five minutes from the end when he pulled off a magnificent double save from Adrien Hunou to make sure Marseille's disgruntled fans didn't unleash the same whistles at the final whistle as they did at half-time.
Villas Boas' side are fifth in the league on 13 points after winning just three of their opening eight matches and drawing their last two, following a goalless draw at bottom club Dijon in midweek.
However they too had a chance to snatch the points seconds before Mandanda's heroics when the visitors' goalkeeper Edouard Mendy pushed ..

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