The 10 most important things in the world right now
Hello! Here's what's happening on Tuesday.
1. US President Donald Trump defended his Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, calling the judge's Senate confirmation process "not fair." Kavanaugh is accused of sexual misconduct by several women.
2. EU diplomats rejected Prime Minister Theresa May's plea to break the Brexit deadlock. The EU commission president said he regretted that the voters had not been properly informed of the cost of Brexit.
3. Officials say tensions between the US and China are escalating to "dangerous levels." China has reportedly called off security talks with the US, the latest warning that the bilateral relationship is deteriorating.
4. North Korea says it does not want to use a statement declaring the end of the Korean War as a "bargaining chip" in denuclearization talks. State media said now is the time to end "belligerent" relations with the US.
5. The Trump administration is denying visas to same-sex partners of foreign diplomats and UN employees. US officials are also requiring those already in the US to get married by the end of the year or leave the country.
6. The death toll from the Indonesian earthquake and Tsunami has reportedly risen to 1,200. Reports indicate that the country's advance tsunami warning system failed.
7. Tens of thousands of people in Catalonia gathered to mark the one-year anniversary of the contested referendum on independence. Last month, about 1 million people marched through the streets of Barcelona in heightened calls for Independence.
8. Australia expects the nation's resource and energy exports to hit a record of $182 billion by next year. China buys over half of Australia's commodity exports.
9. The 2018 Nobel Prize winners in medicine found ways to hack our immune system to fight cancer. Two researchers from the US and Japan have revolutionized the future of cancer treatments.
10. A New Zealand company adopted a full-time four-day work week after a successful trial. Staff at Perpetual Guardian, a trust and estate planning company, reported lower stress levels and better work-life balance.
And finally...
Here are all the sexual-misconduct allegations against Brett Kavanaugh