Talking Points

Obama, Romney resume debate hostilities

The debate season continues in the US, with President Barack Obama taking on Republican challenger Mitt Romney in a discussion that will be noticeably different from the previous debate. The town-hall format will allow members of the audience of 80 undecided voters in New York to ask questions of the two White House hopefuls. Obama's poll lead has vanished since his lacklustre performance in the first debate in Denver two weeks ago. The final debate, on foreign affairs, takes place in Florida next week.
 

Now for the next tussle over Legco jobs

The tussle between pan-democrats and Beijing loyalists for influential positions in the Legislative Council continues, with the legislature due to elect the chairmen and deputy chairmen of 20 panels and subcommittees. The Beijing loyalist kept the presidency of Legco at the start of the new legislative term last week and took the key committee chairmanships.
 

Oil tanker captain goes on trial

A Greek ship captain and three others go on trial in Madrid for their role in one of Europe's most serious environmental disasters, the 2002 sinking of the oil tanker Prestige off Spain's northwestern coast. The sinking spewed thousands of tonnes of fuel along the coast. The 26-year-old tanker was being towed by a Chinese tug when its hull broke apart in bad weather, about 130 nautical miles out to sea between Cape Corrubedo and Cape Finisterre.
 

Man Booker winner announced

The winner of one of the English-speaking world's most prestigious literary awards, the Man Booker Prize, is revealed in London. Among those on the shortlist is Hong Kong-educated Indian writer Jeet Thayil for his debut novel Narcopolis, a tale of drug addiction in 1970s Mumbai. The short-odds favourite is Hilary Mantel for Bring up the Bodies, a sequel to her 2009 Booker winner Wolf Hall.
 

Taiwan's top negotiator visits mainland

Taiwan's new mainland affairs negotiator, Lin Join-sane, starts his first visit to the mainland since becoming head of the Straits Exchange Foundation. Lin will visit Beijing, Shanghai and Kunshan on the six-day trip and will meet his counterpart Chen Yunlin and the mainland's top official on Taiwanese affairs, Wang Yi , director of the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office.
 

Jolie Chan falls in love with jazz

There's a bit of a change of pace for Canto-pop star Jolie Chan Yuen-kei, who swaps her usual sound for a night of jazz. Chan teams up with pianists Phoebus Chan and Yusuke Hatano, and saxophonist Miles Li for the "Love Affair with Jolie" show at the W Hotel to raise money for Hao Xue Action, which runs educational projects for underprivileged children on the mainland.