Trump invited to attend impeachment hearing
The US House of Representatives judiciary committee has issued an invitation to president Donald Trump to attend its first impeachment hearing on 4 December, Reuters reports. The committee’s Democratic chairman, Jerrold Nadler, said Trump could either attend or “stop complaining about the process”, according to the BBC. Meanwhile, a new CNN poll shows that 50% of the US public believes Trump should be impeached and removed. But over on Fox News, conservative commentator Tucker Carlson argues that the Democrats have lost the impeachment war.
Teen banned from TikTok
American teenager Feroza Aziz’s makeup tutorials on TikTok have gone viral after they were revealed to be a front for a call to action on China’s Muslim internment camps. “This is another Holocaust, yet no one is talking about it,” Aziz says in one video. But the 17-year old claims that the Chinese social media app in now censoring her content, The Washington Post, The Guardian and Rolling Stone write. However, BuzzFeed says TikTok told it that Aziz was actually suspended for another video that included a meme about Osama bin Laden.
EP votes on von der Leyen commission
The European Parliament in Strasbourg is today expected to finally vote to approve the new European Commission under the stewardship of Ursula von der Leyen. As Euronews reports, the commission requires a simple majority among the 751 lawmakers. Deutsche Welle has an interesting piece on the workings of the new commission, which it says von der Leyen wants to be “geopolitical”, green and cost-effective. The BBC has a guide of who to watch in the new commission, which does not include a representative from the UK.
Muscat on the brink in Malta
The prime minister of Malta, Joseph Muscat, faces a tricky ride in the next few days after his chief of staff and two ministers resigned on Tuesday, The Guardian reports. The resignations follow developments in the investigation of the murder of anti-corruption journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. Opposition leader Adrian Delia has called for Muscat to resign, according to Malta Independent. Thousands of protestors demonstrated outside Malta’s House of Representatives on Tuesday, Malta Today reports.
Corbyn’s BBC interview disaster
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was facing a slew of negative headlines on Wednesday morning after what most commentators agree was a disastrous Election Special interview with Andrew Neil on the BBC. The Guardian has a roundup of newspaper front pages, most of which decry Corbyn for failing to apologise for alleged anti-Semitism in his party.
Hong Kong returns to calm, for now
The Cross-Harbour Tunnel linking Hong Kong Island to the rest of the city reopened on Wednesday, as the siege of the nearby Polytechnic University appeared to be drawing to an end, Reuters reports. Meanwhile, CNBC reports on city leader Carrie Lam’s reaction to Sunday’s tumultuous elections results, which she claims show that “people have realized very clearly that Hong Kong could no longer tolerate this chaotic situation”. The South China Morning Post says mainland experts have warned the Beijing government to start considering how the outcome last Sunday will affect the 2022 race for the city’s chief executive post.
Oil production decision next week
Analysts expect the OPEC plus group, which includes Russia, to announce an extension of its ongoing agreement to reduce oil output by 1.2 million barrels a day when it meets next week. CNBC says the agreement, which is due to expire in March, could be extended to June or even the end of next year. But Fatih Birol, head of the International Energy Agency said he hopes “they will make the right decision for themselves and for the global economy, which is still very fragile”, Financial Tribune reports.
Albania earthquake
At least 20 people were killed when a 6.4 magnitude earthquake hit Albania, the BBC reports. The worst hit areas were the coastal city of Durres and the town of Thumane. CNN has photos and video.
French military helicopter crash
13 French soldiers were killed when two of its military helicopters collided during an operation in Mali. France24 reports.
No star sushi bar
The new Michelin Guide to Japan has not listed former 3-star sushi bar Sukiyabashi Jiro Honten in its latest edition, Reuters reports. The bar, which seats just 10, has been excluded because it no longer accepts bookings from the general public, the Michelin Guide said in a statement.
Today’s breakfast briefing was written by Duncan Roberts