The 10 most important things in the world right now

REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

Outgoing UN Ambassador Nikki Haley.

Hello! Here's what's happening on Wednesday.

1. US President Donald Trump says he's shelving the idea of a second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un until after the US midterm elections. "I just can't leave now," Trump told reporters.

2. Nikki Haley resigned as US ambassador to the UN. Haley also shot down rumors of a 2020 presidential run.

3. The wife of disappeared former Interpol chief Meng Hongwei says Chinese agents threatened her over the phone. Hongwei went to China on September 29 and hasn't been heard from since, prompting concerns for his safety.

4. CCTV footage from the Saudi consulate in Turkey has vanished, following the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Staff members were also told to go home on the day Khashoggi visited, leading to speculation that Riyadh was behind his disappearance.

5. Leaked transcripts from Google reveal the company is actively working on a censored Chinese search engine. Google's privacy chief Keith Enright previously said the company is "not close to launching a product in China" amid backlash.

6. A Venezuelan politician jailed for his alleged involvement in a suspected assassination attempt on President Nicolas Maduro died under mysterious circumstances. Venezuela's government said Fernando Alban killed himself but his party asserts that he was murdered by the government.

7. Hurricane Michael is predicted to be a major Category 4 storm, and it's still strengthening as it approaches Florida's Gulf Coast. Hurricane warnings are in effect in Florida from the Alabama border to the Suwannee River.

8. Softbank may make a $15 billion to $20 billion investment in coworking space company WeWork. SoftBank's technology-focused Vision Fund already made a $4.4 billion investment in WeWork last August, giving it a 20% ownership stake in the company.

9. The Australian government has pledged to continue to back coal, despite environmental risks. The move follows a major UN report which said reducing coal consumption was critical to reducing global warming.

10. Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and Nestle are the top producers of global plastic waste, according to Greenpeace. The environmental group found Coke-branded trash in 40 of the 42 countries it inspected.

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