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“We had a very, very good negotiation with China,” Donald Trump said after Thursday’s trade talks between Beijing and Washington. Library picture: Donald Trump, Liu He and other US and Chinese officials are seen during a meeting at the White House, 31 January 2019. Image credit: Official White House Photo/Tia Dufour 

Trump to meet Liu

Donald Trump said negotiations between US and Chinese trade officials this week in Washington were “going very well” and he planned to meet with the delegation led by Liu He, China’s vice premier, later today. Liu said: “The Chinese side came with great sincerity”. Commentators do not expect a full resolution of the trans-Pacific trade war, but perhaps a reduction of tensions. Sources: BBC, CNBC, Deutsche Welle, Financial Times, Reuters and South China Morning Post.

Trump-Ukraine investigation

A pair of business associates of Donald Trump’s personal lawyer were arrested on charges they allegedly broke US campaign finance laws. Sources: Associated Press, CNBC, Financial Times and Reuters.

Apple pulls HKmap.live

Apple reversed course again and removed a Hong Kong mapping app from its app store following complaints from mainland China that it was used by Hong Kong protestors. Apple had previously decided to pull HKmap.live, then said it could stay up. Sources: Financial Times, the Guardian and South China Morning Post. Earlier read: The Register.

Preventative blackouts

Millions in northern California experienced power outages as the regional utility PG&E cut electricity to avoid setting off wildfires. Sources: Associated Press, BBC and San Francisco Chronicle.

Little bottle ban

California hotels will no longer be able to give guests individual containers of shampoo, in a bid to cut down on plastic waste. Sources: Los Angeles Times, NBC News and Sacramento Bee.

Turkish refugee warning to EU

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Turkey’s president, said he could “open the gates and send 3.6 million refugees your way” following EU criticism of the Turkish offensive into Syria. Sources: France 24, the Guardian and Independent.

Brexit “pathway”?

The British and Irish governments said there was a “pathway to a possible Brexit deal” following a positive meeting between PMs Boris Johnson and Leo Varadkar. Sources: Financial Times, the Guardian, Irish Times and Politico.

Dyson ends electric car project

Sir James Dyson, the British inventor who relocated his upscale vacuum and hand dryer business to Singapore in the runup to Brexit, abandoned plans to build electric vehicles. Sources: BBC, Financial Times and the Guardian.

SAP chief resigns

Bill McDermott stepped down after 9 years as CEO of the German software firm SAP, Europe’s largest technology company, with immediate effect. Sources: CNBC, Financial Times and Reuters.

MEPs vote down Goulard nomination

The European Parliament rejected France’s proposed European commissioner for the internal market. The French president, Emmanuel Macron, said: “Sylvie Goulard has been the object of a political game”. Sources: AFP, Euractiv, Politico and Reuters.

EU infringement case against Poland

The European Commission is taking Poland to the European Court of Justice over Warsaw’s judicial reform laws, which Brussels says “violates the principle of judicial independence.” Sources: The Guardian, Politico and Reuters.

Greek bonds

Greece has joined countries like Germany and Japan in issuing bonds with a negative interest rate, meaning investors are paying to lend Athens money. Sources: Associated Press, Bloomberg and CNN.

Agenda

Friday 11 October, 8:45pm: Luxembourg heads to Lisbon for a European qualifier match against Portugal, including a player you may have heard of. Saturday 12 October, 10am-2pm: The International Bazaar’s British stand hosts a secondhand book sale in Sandweiler. Wednesday 16 October, 6pm: British Chamber of Commerce forum on business ethics. Thursday 17 October, 9am-12:45am: Cyber Day 2019 tackles cybercrime, fake news and internet safety, in Esch-Belval. Sunday 20 October, 10am: Think Pink Lux holds a “Race for the cure” in Echternach.

Here are 9 science & technology stories you may have missed

Foodtech: “Lab-grown meat has been successfully cultured in space for the first time,” per the Guardian. Astronomy: It turns out Saturn has more moons than Jupiter, per Deutsche Welle. IT infrastructure: German authorities shut down a data centre in a former Nato bunker allegedly hosting illicit activities, per Data Economy. IT security: Sportswear retailer Asics said it was investigating why promotional video screens its flagship Auckland location broadcast X-rated movies for at least 9 hours last month, per The RegisterDigital ID: Anyone getting a mobile phone in China will have their faces scanned by a facial recognition system starting on 1 December, per Quartz. Digital ID: Facial recognition will be required to access digital government services in France (although that is being challenged in court), per MIT Technology Review. Digital ID: A hotel in Hangzhou, China, is using facial recognition for guest room access, instead of keys or card passes, per CNBC. Privacy: A US senator introduced a draft law that would require products with a recording device to carry a label, but Ars Technica reports the bill is unlikely to pass. Veterinary care: Researchers have developed a new technique to check the vital signs of small animals; this Science magazine video answers the question: “how do you take a hamster’s pulse?

Style

GQ named its best male haircuts of 2019.

Today’s breakfast briefing was written by Aaron Grunwald