Same-sex marriage and abortion will be legal in Northern Ireland

Same-sex marriage and abortion will become legal in Northern Ireland for the first time, how WhatsApp is linked with huge protests in Lebanon, and dirty air is linked with spikes in heart attacks.

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UN calls for independent inquiry into Chile protester deaths

Chile’s president orders another overnight curfew as violent protests show no sign of let up.

Chile’s President Sebastian Pinera has promised to meet opposition leaders to create what he calls a “new social contract”.

Pinera is trying to appeal to protesters who have defied a military curfew for a third night.

The demonstrations began over an increase in metro rail ticket prices, but turned into a movement against the government.

The United Nations has called for an independent investigation after 11 people were killed in riots over the weekend.

Al Jazeera’s Teresa Bo reports from Santiago.

Erdogan, Putin to discuss phased YPG withdrawal in Syria: Turkish source

ANKARA (Reuters) – The Kurdish YPG militia is expected to initially withdraw from a 120-kilometre (75 mile) strip of the border with Turkey in northeast Syria as part of an agreement brokered by Washington, a Turkish security source said on Tuesday.

The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, added that Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin would discuss the YPG withdrawal from the rest of the border at a meeting in Russia later on Tuesday.

UK government may struggle to pass Brexit legislative timetable – BBC

LONDON, Oct 22 (Reuters) – Prime Minister Boris Johnson may struggle to pass his legislative timetable on Tuesday to lead the United Kingdom out of the European Union in nine days time, the BBC’s political editor reported.

“If govt loses control of timetable it might lose control of the whole thing and end up losing or with something totally unrecognisable anyway,” Laura Kuenssberg said on Twitter. (Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge and Andrew MacAskill)

New Oriental Education & Technology Group Q1 adjusted earnings Beat Estimates

New Oriental Education & Technology Group (EDU) revealed a profit for its first quarter that climbed from the same period last year.

The company’s profit came in at $208.99 million, or $1.31 per share. This compares with $123.23 million, or $0.77 per share, in last year’s first quarter.

Excluding items, New Oriental Education & Technology Group reported adjusted earnings of $230.16 million or $1.44 per share for the period.

Analysts had expected the company to earn $1.37 per share, according to figures compiled by Thomson Reuters. Analysts’ estimates typically exclude special items.

The company’s revenue for the quarter rose 24.4% to $1.07 billion from $859.85 million last year.

New Oriental Education & Technology Group earnings at a glance:

-Earnings (Q1): $230.16 Mln. vs. $184.14 Mln. last year.
-EPS (Q1): $1.44 vs. $1.16 last year.
-Analysts Estimate: $1.37
-Revenue (Q1): $1.07 Bln vs. $859.85 Mln last year.

-Guidance:
Next quarter revenue guidance: $753.6 – $771.0 Mln

Centene reports profit growth that edges past consensus

Centene CNC, -2.37%, the health insurer, said third-quarter net income rose to $95 million, or 23 cents a share, from $19 million, or 5 cents a share, with revenue climbing to $18.98 billion from $16.18 billion on growth from the Health Insurance Marketplace business. Adjusted for various items, Centene said it would’ve earned 96 cents a share. Analysts polled by FactSet expected earnings of 95 cents a share on revenue of $18.47 billion. The health benefits ratio, a measure of medical costs as a percentage of premium revenues, rose to 88.2% from 86.3%.

China’s Harbin weighing bid for GNC, Bloomberg reports

Harbin Pharmaceutical Group 600664, +0.79% is considering a bid to buy U.S. vitamin retailer GNC Holdings GNC, +3.48%, Bloomberg News reported, citing people with knowledge of the matter. Harbin is an investor in GNC, which has lost more than half its value over the last year.

Regions Financial Corp. Announces Fall In Q3 Profit

Regions Financial Corp. (RF) reported a profit for third quarter that dropped from last year.

The company’s earnings came in at $385 million, or $0.39 per share. This compares with $548 million, or $0.50 per share, in last year’s third quarter.

Analysts had expected the company to earn $0.39 per share, according to figures compiled by Thomson Reuters. Analysts’ estimates typically exclude special items.

The company’s revenue for the quarter rose 2.1% to $1.49 billion from $1.46 billion last year.

Regions Financial Corp. earnings at a glance:

-Earnings (Q3): $385 Mln. vs. $548 Mln. last year.
-EPS (Q3): $0.39 vs. $0.50 last year.
-Analysts Estimate: $0.39
-Revenue (Q3): $1.49 Bln vs. $1.46 Bln last year.

Britain's worst driver, 33, is still on the road despite racking up 78 points in just 4 years

BRITAIN'S worst driver is still on the road despite racking up 78 points in just four years.

The penalty points-laden motorist from Bradford, West Yorks. tops the list of more than 10,000 drivers who are still behind the wheel despite repeated driving endorsements.

Oil Prices Rise On US-China Trade Deal Hopes

Oil prices rose on Tuesday as investors cheered signs of progress in U.S.-china trade talks, helping offset bearish forecasts of a buildup in U.S. crude stockpiles.

Benchmark Brent crude rose 0.6 percent to $59.30 a barrel while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures were up half a percent at $53.76 per barrel.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday said that China had already begun promised purchases of farm goods and that the first part of a wider commitment was almost complete.

Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said efforts to commit the agreement to paper before the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Chile next month are “on track” though some work remains to be done.

Trump’s economics adviser Larry Kudlow indicated that tariffs scheduled for December could be cancelled if the talks go well.

On the Brexit front, investors await two crucial Brexit votes in parliament that will determine whether the United Kingdom can leave the European Union at the end of October.

Meanwhile, ahead of the API and EIA reports on inventories, a Reuters poll showed that U.S. crude stockpiles are expected to have increased for a sixth straight week, while distillates and gasoline stocks likely fell in the week to Oct. 18.