Top news in pictures: Morning update

India's SpiceJet to open its first international hub in UAE — SpiceJet to set up hub in Ras Al Khaimah India’s SpiceJet signed on Wednesday an agreement with Ras Al Khaimah Airport to set up a hub in the emirate, and later launch an airline from there. This would mark SpiceJet’s first international hub, as the carrier looks to boost its connectivity to the Gulf and connect India to European destination. SpiceJet said it sees “tremendous potential” in Ras Al Khaimah, and will start basing aircraft in the emirate in December 2019.

Apply for Dubai residency via an app — The immigration authority in Dubai is the latest government entity to offer its services at the touch of a button. The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) in Dubai has recently launched services on the DubaiNow app to provide residents with the facility of applying, managing and cancelling residency visas for their spouse and / or children.

Hong Kong government withdraws bill that sparked protests — Hong Kong authorities on Wednesday withdrew an unpopular extradition bill that sparked months of chaotic protests that have since morphed into a campaign for greater democratic change. "I now formally announce the withdrawal of the bill," Secretary for Security John Lee told the city's legislature. Pro-democracy lawmakers immediately tried to question him but he refused to respond and the assembly's president said the rules did not allow for debate. The long-expected scrapping of the bill was overshadowed by the drama surrounding the release from a Hong Kong prison of the murder suspect at the heart of the extradition case controversy.

UK prime minister mulls early election over Brexit impasse — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson appears to be pushing for an early general election after Parliament blocked a fast-track plan to approve his Brexit deal before Britain's scheduled departure from the European Union on October 31. Lawmakers on Tuesday backed the substance of Johnson's divorce deal but rejected plans to allow only three days of debate before final consideration of the legislation, saying it didn't provide enough time for scrutiny. The government is now waiting for the EU's response on a possible extension of the Brexit deadline. Justice Secretary Robert Buckland told the BBC on Wednesday that Parliament's failure to break the logjam means "we are left with the option of a general election.

Is the stethoscope dying? High-tech rivals pose a threat — Two centuries after its invention, the stethoscope - the very symbol of the medical profession - is facing an uncertain prognosis. It is threatened by hand-held devices that are also pressed against the chest but rely on ultrasound technology, artificial intelligence and smartphone apps instead of doctors' ears to help detect leaks, murmurs, abnormal rhythms and other problems in the heart, lungs and elsewhere. Some of these instruments can yield images of the beating heart or create electrocardiogram graphs. Dr. Eric Topol, a world-renowned cardiologist, considers the stethoscope obsolete, nothing more than a pair of "rubber tubes." It "was OK for 200 years," Topol said.

Ganguly elected president of India's cricket board — Former captain Sourav Ganguly was unanimously elected on Wednesday as the president of India's cricket board, the sport's most powerful national body. Ganguly, 47, the only nominee to the post, was appointed as the 39th chief of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) at a meeting in Mumbai.