How Puerto Rico joke could move US race

Hello. Today we're looking at the fallout of a speech from a comedian at Donald Trump's New York rally on Sunday, calling the US territory of Puerto Rico a "floating island of garbage". My colleagues in Asia are reporting on a crack down from Chinese authorities on Halloween festivities. Also in your newsletter: Georgian politics, queer geography and cheese robbery.

QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Backlash after pro-Trump comedian speech

Tony Hinchcliffe's podcast Kill Tony has 1.89 million subscribers on YouTube. Credit: Reuters

Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe called the US island of Puerto Rico a "floating island of garbage" at a large Donald Trump rally in New York, sparking fury from Republicans and Democrats alike. The comments, which come in the final days of the campaign, could weigh on the race.

What did Tony Hinchcliffe say?

In his joke at the Trump rally, the comedian said: "There’s literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. I think it’s called Puerto Rico." He also made a series of jokes than leant on racist stereotypes on Latino, Black, Palestinian and Jewish people.

How could it affect the vote?

Residents of Puerto Rico, an US territory, are unable to vote in presidential elections. But there is a large diaspora across the US who can. In the last seven years, there has been an exodus from the Caribbean island, whose inhabitants have moved to the mainland US including Florida and swing states such as North Carolina, Georgia and Pennsylvania. Puerto Ricans are now reportedly the second largest Latino subgroup in those states.

How are Puerto Rican figures reacting?

One of the world's top Latin celebrities, Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny, endorsed Harris for president a few hours before the Trump rally. He did not address the remarks by Hinchcliffe. But fellow Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin did, telling his fans "this is what they think of us" and urging them to vote for Harris. Democratic lawmaker Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, whose family is Puerto Rican, said the comments were "super upsetting".

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THE BIG PICTURE

Satellite images show Israel's Iran strikes

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The Parchin military complex in Iran has been linked to rocket production. Credit: Planet Labs PBC

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Satellite images analysed by BBC Verify show damage to a number of military sites in Iran from Israeli air strikes on Saturday. They include sites experts say were used for missile production and air defence, including one previously linked to Iran’s nuclear programme.

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And finally... in London

Cheese-lovers across the world have been asked to keep their eyes peeled for 22 tonnes of the pungent protein which has been stolen from a London specialist. Fraudsters posing as wholesalers took £300,000 ($389,000) of the stuff in what has been described as a "sophisticated" con, with the cheese potentially being taken to Russia or the Middle East. The scam has even caught the eye of celebrity chefs, with Jamie Oliver posting on social media, calling for people to keep an eye out for "lorryloads of posh cheese" being sold "for cheap".