White House engages with Russia over JBS attack
Meatpacking multinational JBS has said it expects the “vast majority” of its plants to be operational again on Wednesday following a cyberattack that forced the company to halt operations at slaughterhouses and processing plants in North America and Australia. The White House on Tuesday said that JBS believes the attack originated from a criminal organisation probably based in Russia. Lawmakers on the Cyberspace Solarium Commission are concerned that this attack, like that on Colonial Pipeline in May, could be replicated against more critical infrastructure. White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters that the Biden administration is “engaging directly with the Russian government on this matter and delivering the message that responsible states do not harbour ransomware criminals.” CNBC, The Guardian, Reuters and The Washington Post have more.
Further lockdown easing?
The Luxembourg government will on Wednesday announce whether it plans any new easing of lockdown measures when the current law governing restrictions expires on 12 June. Commentators expect some easing of restrictions in the hospitality sector, such as an extension of opening hours beyond the current 10pm closing time (especially with the Euro2020 football tournament kicking off on 11 June) and maybe the scrapping or shortening of the midnight to 6am curfew. Delano has more and will report later on the press conference.
EPPO starts operations
The European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) started operations at its Kirchberg headquarters on Tuesday. Its chief prosecutor Laura Codruța Kövesi was joined by Commission vice-president for values and transparency Věra Jourová and commissioner for justice Didier Reynders, as well as Luxembourg justice minister Sam Tanson for the opening. 22 EU member states are represented at the EPPO, whose mission is to investigate, prosecute and bring to judgment “crimes against the financial interests of the EU.”
Biden suspends Arctic fossil fuel leases
The Biden administration has announced it will suspend oil and gas leases in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in a reversal of the policy introduced by his predecessor. Arctic tribal leaders have welcomed the move, although it is only in place pending an environmental review. “This goes to show that, no matter the odds, the voices of our Tribes matter,” said Tonya Garnett of the Native Village of Venetie Tribal Government. The BBC, CNBC and Wall Street Journal have details.
Pride month underway in Luxembourg
Luxembourg continues to embrace pride month aimed at raising awareness of LGBTIQ+ community rights and challenges. As Delano reported, Luxair on Tuesday unveiled new rainbow decked livery for one of its De Havilland Q400 aircraft, for which it has partnered with Rosa Lëtzebuerg, and the British embassy in Luxembourg is one of several public buildings flying the rainbow flag.
Florida bans transgender girls from female sport
The first day of pride month in Florida, however, saw the state introduce a ban on transgender girls from participating in female sports at schools. “We are going to go based off biology, not based off ideology,” governor Ron DeSantis said as he signed off on the Fairness in Women’s Sport act. Reuters, The Miami Herald and CBS have more.
One week until Amazon Sidewalk launch
Tech media in the United States is awash with advice for US customers on how to disable Amazon Sidewalk from devices, with just one week left for users to opt out. Sidewalk basically allows the connectivity of devices such as Echo speakers and Ring security cameras to be shared with neighbours. This could then create city-wide “mesh networks”. A former chief technology officer of the US Federal Trade Commission said Amazon was “effectively becoming a global ISP with a flick of a switch, all without even having to lay a single foot of fiber”. The Verge, PC Mag and The Guardian have details and practical tips.
Sinovac covid vaccine gets WHO emergency approval
The World Health Organization has approved the Sinovac covid vaccine, produced by China, for emergency use--meaning it can be included in the Covax fair distribution programme. According to the WHO, Sinovac prevented symptomatic disease in 51% of people who receive the vaccine and prevented severe symptoms and hospitalisation in 100%. The BBC and Reuters report.
Zoom’s first quarter beats expectations
Video conferencing company Zoom has reported first quarter revenue of $956 million and per share earnings of $1.32, both way ahead of expectations. Despite signs that revenue will fall away as lockdowns ease across the globe thanks to vaccination programmes, Zoom’s year-on-year earnings were up a striking 191%. CNBC and Business Insider have details.
Ageing slowly
And, finally, we’re grateful to The Feelgood Page on Twitter for distracting us from middle-aged white men raging about Naomi Osaka with a reminder that Jonathan the Tortoise is due to turn 190 years old in 2022. The Seychelles giant tortoise was born in 1832, five years before the coronation of Queen Victoria.
Today’s breakfast briefing was written by Duncan Roberts