Talking points

After Mitt Romney's victory over US President Barack Obama in last week's first presidential debate, it's the turn of the vice-presidential hopefuls to take centre stage. Vice-President Joe Biden will be hoping to avoid another of his famous verbal gaffes as he faces congressman Paul Ryan in Danville, Kentucky. As for Ryan, he is expected to face tough questions on his budget plans, which include deep cuts in spending.
 

Anglo-Dutch petroleum giant Shell and its Nigerian subsidiary face off against Nigerian farmers and a Dutch environmental group in a district court in the Netherlands over pollution caused by a leaking pipeline in 2005. Friends of the Earth Netherlands claims it's the first time that a multinational is being put on trial at home to account for damage caused abroad. Shell claims that a lack of security in the African state made a clean-up impossible.
 

The world's most famous basketball player is in action in Beijing, as the Miami Heat take on the Los Angeles Clippers in the capital for the NBA China Games 2012. It's a ninth visit to China for megastar LeBron James, the hottest name in world basketball. The Heat, the defending NBA champions, take on the Clippers again in Shanghai on Sunday as they warm up for the new season.