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Donald Trump said Huawei could be part of a US-China trade deal. Pictured: Liu He, China’s vice premier in charge of trade (on left), is seen meeting with Trump and cabinet members at the White House, 4 April 2019. Credit: Official White House Photo/Shealah Craighead 

Trump gives wiggle room on Huawei

Donald Trump called Huawei, the Chinese telecoms gearmaker that he recently banned from selling in the US, “very dangerous”, but said it could be part of a trade settlement between Beijing and Washington. Reported by the BBC, Financial Times and Reuters. As trade tensions ratchet up, China could retaliate against the US by banning exports of rare earth minerals, according to the South China Morning Post

May reportedly to set exit date

Theresa May is expected to announce her resignation as British PM later today, after support within her Tory party collapsed over her handling of Brexit. 10 June is the mooted effective date. Coverage by the BBC, Financial Times, Guardian, Sky News and Telegraph.

British EU poll problems

A large number of EU citizens living in the UK said they were denied the right to vote in this week’s European elections (held on Thursday in Britain), reported Deutsche Welle, the Guardian and Politico. Separately, many UK expats claimed receiving their postal ballots too late to return, according to the BBC.

Modi secures 300 out of 543 seats in lower house

Narendra Modi declared victory in India’s general election, with his Bharatiya Janata Party re-elected in a landslide. Rahul Gandhi, head of the main opposition Congress Party, lost his seat. Reported by the AFP, Guardian and Telegraph.

Hongkongers gain refugee status in Germany

Three Hong Kong political activists applied for asylum in Germany in 2017 and 2018; two were accepted but one was apparently denied. Reported by Deutsche Welle, the Financial Times, Hong Kong Free Press and South China Morning Post.

Deutsche Bank chief outlines overhaul to shareholders

The CEO of Deutsche Bank, Germany’s largest, said management was “prepared for tough cutbacks”, reported CNBC, Deutsche Welle and the Financial Times.

SpaceX begins broadband network launches

Elon Musk’s SpaceX launched 60 internet satellites in one go, reported the BBC, Reuters and Space.com.

737 Max back in the skies soon: source

Boeing may receive approval from the US government for its 737 Max jets to re-enter service in late June, according to Reuters.

NYC property snapped up by Google for $600m

Google is buying a New York City office building for “a hundred times what it was sold for in 1996”, according to the Financial Times.

Later today

Science funding: The National Research Fund (FNR) releases its 2018 annual report. Demonstration: Youth for Climate, a student activist group, plans to block the Red Bridge starting at 3pm.

Looking ahead

Saturday 25 May: US Memorial Day is commemorated at the Luxembourg American Military Cemetery in Hamm. Sunday 26 May: Donald Trump is expected to attend a sumo wrestling match during his trip to Japan, causing security concerns for organisers and fans.

Here are 9 science & technology stories you may have missed

Chemistry: There’s an expanding helium shortage and it’s much more important than problems buying birthday balloons, wrote NBC NewsClimate change: Researchers developed a plan for air conditioners to be modified to suck up carbon dioxide and water, which then “would be converted into renewable hydrocarbon fuels”, per the MIT Technology ReviewEnvironment: Researchers found a marine microbe that eats plastic, per Science magazineIt’s not just Huawei: “The United States government has strong concerns about” Chinese made drones, wrote The Register. Regtech: “A software glitch at Deutsche Bank has for almost a decade prevented some potentially suspicious transactions from being flagged to law enforcement authorities,” according to the Financial TimesFintech: Facebook will reportedly launch its own cryptocurrency next year, per the BBC. Data privacy: Many Facebook users still cannot turn off the social network’s facial recognition technology, despite the feature being introduced in December 2017, according to Consumer ReportsData privacy: Ireland’s Data Protection Commission is investigating if Google’s handling of personal data on its online advertising platform violates GDPR, reported CNBCData privacy: Microsoft called for the US to pass its own version of the EU’s GDPR, per CnetInternet: “Far-right propaganda and disinformation... has flooded Facebook ahead of parliamentary elections in the European Union this week,” wrote WiredE-books: Researchers found in a study “that toddlers interact more with their parents when they read print books compared to electronic versions,” as explained by ABC News.

Grumpy Cat

The feline internet celebrity Tarder Sauce, better known as Grumpy Cat, has passed away at the age of 7. Reported by CBS News, Deutsche Welle, The Guardian, The Times and The Verge.

Today’s breakfast briefing was written by Aaron Grunwald