Huawei CFO arrested over Iran sanctions
News has been released of the arrest on 1 December in Canada of Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of Chinese tech giant Huawei. The daughter of the company’s founder, she faces deportation to the United States on charges related to violations of US sanctions against Iran. The Guardian has great background on the story and also on suggestions that Huawei technology “could provide Beijing with avenues for espionage.” CNBC reports that the Chinese embassy in Canada has demanded the authorities “immediately correct their wrong behaviour and restore Ms Meng Wanzhou's freedom.”
Facebook considered cashing in on user data
Internal emails obtained by British parliament reveal that social media giant Facebook was discussing whether to trade access to its users’ data in exchange for revenue, valuable trademarks or simple cash payments, The Guardian reports. The mails also show that Facebook harvested information about app usage on iPhones.
Yemen peace talks open
The United Nations is brokering talks between the Yemen government and Houthi rebels in a castle outside Stockholm, the BBC reports. The meeting is the first since 2016 aimed at ending the 4-year civil war that the BBC says has caused “the world's worst humanitarian crisis in recent times.”
UK halts visa deal for super rich
Bloomberg reports that the British government has decided to suspend its Tier 1 Investor visa programme. A statement from the Home Office said the programme would be reformed in an effort to tackle money laundering and organised crime. The visa had been available to foreigners from outside the EEA with access to at least £2 million to invest in the U.K. Bloomberg says “Russian oligarchs may be most affected by the change.”
State funeral for George H.W. Bush
US presidents current and past, including his own son George W. Bush, gathered in Washington on Wednesday for the state funeral of George H.W. Bush. Bush senior was US president between 1989 and 1993. The BBC cites former Canadian prime minister Brian Mulroney saying that world leaders recognised in Bush “a gentleman, a genuine leader, one who was distinguished, resolute and brave.”
Luxembourg makes headlines
If nation branding was not exactly a priority of the new government, it has managed to steer the grand duchy into the world headlines. The Guardian, Irish Times and South China Morning Post were among the media to report on its free public transport policy. More specialist media, like Marijuana Business Daily, chose to lead with the proposed policy of making cannabis legal.
Cruise calls for control
Actor Tom Cruise and director Christopher McQuarrie have made a video urging home viewers of “Mission Impossible: Fallout” and other feature films to turn off the “motion smoothing” default setting on their HD TVs. The clip can be viewed on Twitter, while The Guardian has more background on the story.
Oscars and Golden Globes hosts revealed
Awards season is approaching and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association have both unveiled their hosts for next year’s big ceremonies. Comedian and actor Kevin Hart will present the Oscars on 25 February, while actors Sandra Oh and Kevin Samberg will co-host the Golden Globes 7 weeks earlier.
Today’s breakfast briefing was written by Duncan Roberts