European Parliament ratifies withdrawal agreement
Brexit has passed its final hurdle, 3 years and 7 months after the UK decided in a referendum to leave the European Union. 621 MEPS in the European Parliament in Brussels voted on Wednesday in favour of the withdrawal agreement, with 49 voting against and 13 abstentions, Deutsche Welle, the BBC report. CNBC focuses on British MEPs leaving and the EP shrinking to 705 members, while The Washington Post reports that the British permanent representation in Brussels is actually growing its staff. The New York Times reckons Brexit is a “Texas-size defeat for the EU”. In an op-ed for Newsweek, Nigel Farage explains why he thinks populism is gaining ground. The Guardian has a “highs and lows” of the UK’s 47 years as a member of the EU, while Yahoo News has 26 pictures showing “five years of utter Brexit chaos”.
Is Trump’s team winning witness battle?
Attempts by Democrats to get senators to approve the appearance of witnesses at the impeachment trial of Donald Trump appear to be flagging, which means the president could be acquitted by the end of the week according to Reuters. The Washington Post is not so sure and lists some of the scenarios that could still play out. Time looks at the few undecided Republican senators who will sway the decision. Trump himself displays his accustomed confidence as Fox News reports that he has tweeted a video interview given by John Bolton in which the former national security adviser calls the president’s communications with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky “warm and cordial”.
White House seeks ban on Bolton book
In any case, CNN, the BBC and Business Insider are among media reporting that The White House has issued a letter aimed at preventing Bolton from publishing his book, arguing that it contains “significant amounts of classified information”.
WHO decision day on Coronavirus
The World Health Organisation’s emergency committee, comprising 16 independent experts, will meet in Geneva today to decide whether the Coronavirus epidemic constitutes a global emergency. Reuters reports that the WHO has praised China’s reaction to the outbreak. The BBC has a great visual guide to the outbreak. Wired argues that the world “may be better off adjusting to a new normal of periodic outbreaks” rather than projecting fear. The Guardian, too, says that fear, misinformation and blame will hinder the fight against the virus.
EC publishes 5G guidelines
The European Commission has issued its guidance on 5G and the role that "high-risk" vendors should play in networks. The guidelines stop short of barring Chinese tech giant Huawei from involvement, the BBC, France24 and FT report. Reuters says Huawei has welcomed the guidelines. The Guardian, meanwhile, takes an historical look at why Huawei has no British competitor.
German cabinet approves coal exit
Germany will stop using coal as an energy source by 2038, Angela Merkel’s government stated on Wednesday. Reuters reports that along with an exit from nuclear power by 2022, the move spurs a shift toward renewable energy sources.
Boeing reports loss
Boeing has reported a loss of $636 million in 2019, the first time it has been in the red since 1997. The cost to the aircraft maker bill of the two 737 Max crashes amounted to nearly $19 billion, CNBC reports.
Falcon 9 success
SpaceX successfully launched its Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral in Florida on Thursday. The rocket has deployed all 60 satellites it was carrying into orbit, The Verge reports.
Something for the weekend
Friday 31 January: Aleksey Igudesman and Hyung-ki Joo return to the Phil at 7pm for a show that takes a fresh and humorous look at classical music greats. And if you feel like marking the withdrawal of the UK from the EU, head to the Brexit vigil in the courtyard of the church of St Alphonse, rue des Capucins at 10.30pm. Saturday 1 February: one of Delano’s favourite local bands, Mutiny On The Bounty, plays its first gig in Luxembourg for two years at Rotondes. Sunday 2 February: Neimënster’s apéro-jazz features Irish singer Natashia Kelly and her trio at 11am.
Staring at the sun
Images captured by the Inouye solar telescope in Hawaii have revealed the surface of the sun in unprecedented detail, Vice, CNN, Scientific American and The Guardian report
Today's breakfast briefing was written by Duncan Roberts