Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Tuesday 22 Aug 2017

1. Trump to increase Afghanistan troops

Donald Trump yesterday told US troops in Afghanistan a decision to increase their numbers by 4,000 – announced in June – was not his "original instinct". However, he said, he wants to stop the country becoming a haven for terrorists, honour the "tremendous sacrifices that have been made" already and make the region more stable.

2. Torso found as police hunt journalist

Danish police searching for a missing reporter have found a headless torso in the area where she disappeared. They say it is "too early" to tell if it belongs to Kim Wall, 30, a Swedish reporter who went to interview the inventor of a home-made submarine, Peter Madsen, on 10 August and did not return. Madsen says Wall died by accident.

3. Two killed in Italian earthquake

At least two people have died after an earthquake struck the Italian island of Ischia, off the coast at Naples. An elderly woman was said to have been killed by debris from a church. A second woman died in a building collapse, while 39 other people were injured. The quake was 4.0 magnitude and struck the island at 7.57pm UK time.

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4. Ford offers £2,000 scrappage scheme

Ford is offering £2,000 off new models if customers trade in a pre-2010 car, which will be scrapped in an attempt to drive up air quality in the UK. Vauxhall has previously run a similar scheme but Ford says its is the first open to commercial vehicles. The BBC's Richard Westcott says the scheme is "also an attempt to boost sales".

5. US enjoys spectacular eclipse

Some 7.4 million Americans travelled to the strip of the country from which a total solar eclipse was visible yesterday. The shadow of the moon swept across 12 states at an average speed of 1,700mph. The last time an eclipse was visible from coast to coast was 1918 – and the last total eclipse seen anywhere in the US was in 1979.

6. Plotters 'hid bomb in Barbie doll'

Lebanon has released details about an alleged terror plot foiled in Sydney, Australia, in July. Lebanese-Australian brothers Khaled and Mahmoud Khayat are said to have hidden bombs in a meat grinder and a Barbie doll and tried to board a flight to Abu-Dhabi. They were thwarted because their luggage was overweight.

7. First C4 Bake Off reviews positive

Journalists have been shown the first episode of the new series of Great British Bake Off, the first instalment of the cookery competition made since it moved from the BBC to Channel 4, and the verdict seems to be mostly positive. The show manages to be "exactly the same but also just subtly different enough", says The Guardian.

8. Mumbai blue dog factory shut down

The authorities in Mumbai have shut down a factory accused of heavily polluting a local river with untreated industrial waste. The contamination was spotted when 11 local stray dogs were seen to have turned a vivid blue. It is thought the colouring was a reaction they had sustained when swimming in the polluted Kasadi river.

9. Coin gag funniest of Edinburgh Fringe

The funniest one-liner by a comic at the Edinburgh Fringe this year is a gag about the new pound coin, according to a public vote for TV channel Dave. Stand-up comedian Ken Cheng said he was surprised to have won, because audiences tend to groan at: "I'm not a fan of the new pound coin, but then again, I hate all change."

10. Briefing: Is Australia's far-right creeping into the mainstream?

Australia's nationalist movement was thrown into the international spotlight last week when a far-right senator wore a burka in parliament and called for a ban on the Islamic garment.

Pauline Hanson, leader of the One Nation party, entered the Senate in a floor-length black gown and face veil to gasps from stunned colleagues, who were vocal in their condemnation of what one senator called an "appalling" stunt.

Hanson was unapologetic. "I would not change a thing; I am not embarrassed by what I did," she told local broadcaster Seven News, adding that wearing the burka is "not an Australian way of life".

It was the latest publicity coup by Australia's emboldened far-right, which has seen an astonishing resurgence in popularity after teetering on the verge of extinction a few years ago.

Is Australia's far-right creeping into the mainstream?