Here are links to select stories from major news sources today.
Woodward’s revelations raise disturbing questions about Trump
Bob Woodward’s charges that top national security staff find themselves compelled to protect the world from President Donald Trump should, in any normal time, precipitate an almost unprecedented national emergency.
Russians charged over UK Novichok nerve agent attack
A counterfeit perfume bottle, a basic east London hotel and two burly Russians likely traveling under aliases: just some of the unprecedented details revealed by British authorities Wednesday of how they believe the Novichok poisonings in Salisbury were carried out.
Bob Woodward: Trump thought Charlottesville cleanup ‘biggest f—ing mistake I’ve made’
WARNING: This story contains graphic language. Bob Woodward’s upcoming book offers new insights into President Donald Trump’s anger over advisers’ efforts to clean up his explosive “both sides” remark on the violence last year at a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Australian Instagram influencer died by hanging, says coroner
An Australian Instagram influencer who was found unconscious on a superyacht docked in Greece died by hanging, the coroner in the case told CNN on Tuesday.
Amazon is about to become America’s second $1 trillion company
Amazon’s total value neared $1 trillion on Tuesday, following Apple’s ascent into 13-digit territory at the beginning of August. Amazon and Apple now make up more than 8% of the entire value of the S&P 500, according to Howard Silverblatt, senior index analyst for S&P.
Toyota is recalling 1 million hybrids at risk of catching fire
The automaker said Wednesday that the safety recall covers its Prius, Prius plug-in hybrid and C-HR SUV models and is intended to repair a problem with their electrical systems, which in some cases can cause fires. More than half of the affected vehicles are in Japan, while just under 200,000 are in the United States.
Uber to block rude riders in Australia and New Zealand
Customers with consistently low ratings can now be removed from the app, according to community guidelines that were updated Wednesday. Riders will receive several warnings before they are blocked. “The average Aussie is extremely friendly,” Susan Anderson, Uber’s general manager for Australia and New Zealand, said in an interview with CNN affiliate Channel 7.
Facebook, Twitter face U.S. Congress over foreign bids to tilt…
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Top executives from Facebook Inc and Twitter Inc will defend their companies in the U.S. Congress on Wednesday over what lawmakers see as a failure to combat continuing foreign efforts to influence U.S. politics.
Breakingviews – Nike puts politically divisive spring in its step
(Reuters Breakingviews) – Nike is putting a politically divisive foot forward. The sneaker group will feature Colin Kaepernick, the first U.S. National Football League player to kneel in protest during the national anthem, in its “Just Do It” 30th anniversary ad campaign.
Getty family to buy majority stake in Getty Images from Carlyle
The Getty family said on Tuesday it would acquire Carlyle Group’s majority stake in photo agency Getty Images Inc.
‘Effortlessly chic’ Meghan Markle named People’s best dressed woman
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Meghan Markle was on Wednesday named the best dressed woman of 2018 by People magazine in a rare royal accolade by the celebrity publication. Markle, 37, who became the Duchess of Sussex when she married Britain’s Prince Harry in May, topped People’s annual list ahead of Hollywood actresses including Cate Blanchett and Sandra Bullock, human rights lawyer Amal Clooney and reality star Kim Kardashian.
New Elon Musk rant at Thai cave rescuer
Elon Musk has again attacked a British diver he has previously accused without evidence of being a child abuser. In an email to a reporter, Mr Musk said Vernon Unsworth – who assisted with the rescue of 12 Thai teenagers from a flooded cave – was a “child rapist”.
Black female Democrat wins landmark vote
Ayanna Pressley is set to become the first African-American woman elected to the US Congress in Massachusetts, following a primary upset. The 44-year-old Boston city councillor beat House veteran Michael Capuano to secure the Democratic nomination. She will not face a Republican opponent in November’s mid-term election.
Google bosses expected to snub Senate
When Silicon Valley companies once again appear in front of the US Senate on Wednesday, there will be one major absentee: Google. The Senate Intelligence Committee wanted to hear from Sundar Pichai, Google’s chief executive, or his boss Larry Page, the chief executive of Google’s parent firm, Alphabet.
Spacey sexual assault charge dropped
Hollywood sexual harassment scandal Kevin Spacey will not be prosecuted over an accusation of sexual assault that allegedly took place in 1992. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office said the alleged incident was outside California’s statute of limitations.
Trump condemns Woodward book as ‘con’
US President Donald Trump has condemned a book on his White House by renowned Watergate journalist Bob Woodward as a “con on the public”. Mr Trump’s chief of staff and defence secretary, in responses posted by the president on Twitter, described the book as “pathetic” and “fiction”.
Xiaomi’s Redmi 6 phones will make you sorry you paid so much for your current phone
Xiaomi’s Redmi series of phones is crazy popular in India, and for good reason: The phones offers good specs for an amazingly low price. On Wednesday, the company launched three new handsets in this series: The Redmi 6 Pro, the Redmi 6 and the Redmi 6A.
Uber introduces minimum rating requirements for riders, so don’t be a jerk
Every product here is independently selected by Mashable journalists. If you buy something featured, we may earn an affiliate commission which helps support our work. It’s long-known that Uber drivers who fall under a certain star rating face getting kicked off the platform, and now that threat will extend to riders.
Twitter bug could make it appear you liked Donald Trump’s tweets
Well this is awkward. A Twitter bug is making it appear as if accounts have liked tweets they haven’t – including those 240-character missives from our very own commander-in-chief. That’s right, your friends browsing their timelines might see your name next to an official Twitter notification saying you smashed that Like button on something you actually find repulsive.
Mercedes tries to catch up to Tesla with its all-electric SUV
Following years of rumors that Mercedes-Benz might unleash an electric model into a high-end market that has so far been dominated by Tesla, the German auto maker finally showed a major card in its hand on Tuesday when it unveiled its plans for a zero-emission crossover SUV called the EQC.
