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Pictured: An Apple iPhone X. Sales of the devices helped drive up Apple’s quarterly earnings. Photo credit: William Hook via Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0) 

IPhone sales boost Apple earnings

Apple has posted better than expected results, driven by sales of higher end iPhones, reported the Financial Times and Reuters. The tech firm sold 41.3m iPhones during its fiscal third quarter, with an average selling price of $724, which was $30 more than expected. Total revenues were $53.3bn, a gain of 17% compared to the same quarter last year. Apple shares rose 4% in after-hours trading.

Vivendi puts Universal stake on the market

The French media group Vivendi said it would sell up to half of Universal Music Group, said CNN and Variety. Vivendi has previously estimated the music group to be worth $40bn; Goldman Sachs put the figure at $23.5bn last year. Universal is home to artists such as Lady Gaga and U2.

Facebook finds disinformation campaign

Facebook removed 32 Facebook pages and Instagram accounts that were engaged in “coordinated inauthentic behaviour”, or disinformation campaigns, attempting to influence the US midterm elections, according to the Financial Times and Guardian. The company said the activity could possibly be linked to Russia.

Smart home technology can be abused

Have a Nest or HomePod? Smart home tools and “internet of things” devices can be used to perpetuate domestic abuse, said Wired.

3D gun plans cannot be sold in US for now

A US federal judge has temporarily blocked the release of blueprints for making 3D printed guns, reported ABC News and Reuters.

All survive crash in Mexico

An Aeromexico plane has crashed in the Mexican state of Durango, as reported by the New York Times and Reuters. There were several injuries, but no deaths.

Opposition to Danish burqa ban

Denmark’s “burqa ban” takes effect today, but some Danes plan to resist the measure, according to the Copenhagen Post and Reuters. Austria, Belgium, France and Luxembourg also have laws that prohibit covering one’s face in public.

Macron passes parliamentary test

The French president Emmanuel Macron has survived symbolic no-confidence votes that were called in the “Banella affair”, as reported by Deutsche Welle and France 24. Alexandre Benalla, at the time a Macron aide, was caught beating May Day protestors; he was fired, but the Élysée Palace’s slow reaction led to accusations of an attempted cover-up.

American St Nick highlighted

The Washington Post has just featured the story of Richard Brookins, a US solider who in 1944 played Santa to the children of Wiltz. He’s better known as the “American St Nick”. Jean-Claude Juncker, the European Commission president and former Luxembourg prime minister, spoke about Brookins during a speech in the US last week. The story was turned into a book and documentary a few years ago.

Today’s breakfast briefing was written by @aarongrunwald.