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Brexit: Deal by 31 October difficult, says Irish PM

First German Chancellor Angela Merkel was said to have expressed doubts over the possibility of reaching a new UK-EU deal by the time Brexit is due to happen on 31 October. Now Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar has said, following a telephone conversation with Boris Johnson, that it would be "very difficult".

For his part, Mr Johnson has urged the EU to "act quickly" and has said that he remains - having submitted a plan last week to replace Theresa May's old deal - ready to do the same. BBC Europe editor Katya Adler looks at what further Brussels talks can achieve.

Meanwhile, three Scottish judges are due to announce later whether a court can sign a Brexit extension letter on behalf of the government.

Parliament was suspended on Tuesday, ahead of next week's Queen's speech, in which the government lays out its programme of legislation. We ask whether a no-deal Brexit can actually happen, given that there is a law in place designed to make that scenario less likely.

And here's our comprehensive guide to all things Brexit.

Trump impeachment inquiry: White House 'won't co-operate'

An impeachment inquiry is looking at claims that Donald Trump asked Ukraine's president to investigate corruption allegations against Democratic rival Joe Biden, holding back aid money to push the issue. But the White House has refused to co-operate, describing the accusations against the president as "baseless" and the inquiry as "constitutionally invalid". Here is our explanation of a complex story.

Plus, could Mr Trump really be impeached and, if so, how?

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Coastal residents earn £1,600 less than people inland

Life by the seaside is an ideal many aspire to, but it can be hard to get by once there. BBC News analysis has found that workers living in coastal areas earn £1,600 a year less on average than those inland - and real wages have fallen in two-thirds of these areas since 2010.

So what's it like living in one estate in Penzance, Cornwall? And we meet the teenager from the town who faces a two-hour bus commute to go to college.

Translating for mum and dad

By BBC Stories

"Baba! Baba!" calls out the driving instructor. Thirteen-year-old Jiawei sits at the back of the car while her dad takes his driving lesson. Father and daughter exchange confused glances, then burst out laughing. The instructor, who has heard this Chinese word during one of Jiawei's father's previous lessons, looks puzzled.

"Doesn't 'baba' mean 'move forward' in Chinese?" he asks.

"No," says Jiawei. "It means 'father'!"

Jiawei was in the unusual position of acting as an interpreter for her dad as he learned to drive.

Read the full article

What the papers say

With some EU leaders warning a Brexit deal is difficult, or near impossible, the i quotes European Council President Donald Tusk's comment that Boris Johnson is playing a "stupid blame game". But the Daily Express reports that German Chancellor Angela Merkel was accused by Mr Johnson of making "impossible" demands. Metro's headline? "We're going round in Merkels." Away from Brexit, the Sun says ITV's Dancing on Ice will make "telly history" by including an all-male pairing in its next series.

Daily digest

Heat rising Hundreds of temperature records broken over summer

Brazilian forest fires UK fast food "linked to" disaster

Ben Stokes Cricketer's wife Clare denies allegations of physical altercation

Euromillions Winner gets £170m - UK's biggest prize

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Intuition: Why should we trust it?

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Marvel Comics at 80: From bankruptcy to billions

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Lookahead

Today The European Parliament discusses preparations for the EU summit on 17-18 October.

08:15 Scotland take on Russia in the men's Rugby World Cup, followed by Wales v Fiji at 10:45.

On this day

1991 The first sumo wrestling tournament to be staged outside Japan in the sport's 1,500-year history begins at London's Royal Albert Hall.

From elsewhere

Japan's state-owned version of Tinder (Economist)

Can medical care exist without plastic? (National Geographic)

After Windrush: Paulette Wilson's visit to Jamaica, 50 years on (Guardian)

How fashion got the gaming bug (Vogue)