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Bill 'will be ready' to block no-deal Brexit

After another tumultuous night, not just in the Commons but in the House of Lords which sat way past midnight, the government insists a bill to stop a no-deal Brexit will be ready to be passed into law by next week. Conservative chief whip in the Lords, Lord Ashton of Hyde, said in the early hours of Thursday the government intends that the bill "will be ready" for royal assent on Monday, after consideration by MPs.

This is despite Boris Johnson's protestations that such a law would take away his leverage in talks with Brussels over the terms of the UK's withdrawal from the EU.

Having lost that argument to opposition MPs and Tory rebels he expelled from the party, the prime minister also failed in a bid to force a general election for 15 October. While Mr Johnson says he needs public backing for his negotiating strategy, most opposition parties refused to support his election call.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn accused the PM of playing a "disingenuous game" and other critics said Mr Johnson could use the election to block the passage of the bill that aims to stop no-deal.

Mr Corbyn's requirement for supporting an election? That the bill gained royal assent.

Struggling to keep up with what happened on Wednesday? Here's a quick recap of five key moments

Wondering where we go from here? Our flow chart tries to simplify matters

Want to know more about the bill that blocks a no-deal Brexit? Here's what it says

And here's political editor Laura Kuenssberg's take on the prospects of an election

Dorian's destruction revealed

Rescuers are reaching parts of the Bahamas devastated by Hurricane Dorian, as aerial footage reveals the scale of destruction. It shows roofs torn off, cars, shipping containers and boats overturned, and debris scattered for miles, with water levels still high. Marsh Harbour in the Abaco Islands has been particularly badly hit. Prime Minister Hubert Minnis said at least 20 people had been killed. The storm has weakened but grown larger as it approaches the US eastern seaboard, where it is expected to bring a "life-threatening storm surge".

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'Treated like animals' by slavery gang

An example of modern-day slavery in the UK is laid bare by the BBC's Panorama, which reports how a ruthless gang lured about 300 victims from Poland with false promises of free travel, accommodation and jobs. The slaves were held captive in squalid conditions, some having to wash in canals and eat from skips, the investigation team report. Eight members of the gang, thought to have made £2m from the racket, are now behind bars.

The 'OK' hand gesture that's rattled China's authorities

By Kerry Allen, BBC Monitoring

A video showing a Chinese girl using a clever technique to signal she needs help has been widely shared on popular social network TikTok. She is shown being escorted away by a stranger in an airport. Unable to make a cry for help, she makes a subtle hand gesture that looks like the signal for "OK".

This alerts a passer-by, who immediately begins to argue with the man, and helps others recognise that the girl is being held against her will. She is then reunited with her parents. So why has the video created such a big reaction on Chinese social media, and made the authorities so upset?

Read the full article

What the papers say

The front pages are less than complimentary about either the "cornered" prime minister or the leader of the opposition. "Britain's worst PM," is how the Daily Mirror describes Boris Johnson, while the Metro sums up his Commons record with: "He just can't win." Meanwhile, a column on the front of the Daily Telegraph describes Jeremy Corbyn as a "puppet", and the Labour leader "chickens out" of facing a general election in the Daily Mail's view. The Sun goes one further, overlaying Mr Corbyn's face onto a photo of a hen to ask: "Is THIS the most dangerous chicken in Britain."

Daily digest

Plant-based diets Research suggests link to higher stroke risk

Iran tanker US offers captain millions to hand over ship

British railways Reports of violent crime increase

Motorway spillage HGV carrying 32,000 litres of gin crashes on M6

If you see one thing today

Four failed inventions that changed the world

If you listen to one thing today

Foraging: Pleasure or profit?

If you read one thing today

The 'golden age' of video games magazines

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Lookahead

Today Pope Francis continues his tour of Mozambique, Madagascar and Mauritius in the former's capital Maputo.

21:00 Protesters take to the streets of Rio de Janeiro, in Brazil, to demand more protection for the Amazon rainforest

On this day

1997 Mother Teresa, the Nobel Peace Prize winner who devoted her life to helping the sick and the poor, dies aged 87 of a heart attack at the headquarters of the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta.

From elsewhere

Britain's political chaos shows everything is okay (Atlantic)

Gabriela Peacock, nutritionist to the Royals: You don't need crazy diets (Telegraph)

This new smartphone satire is like 'Fleabag' for wannabe influencers (Mashable)

The Testaments by Margaret Atwood - read the exclusive first extract (Guardian)