Twitter to stop political advertising
In a move that Reuters says puts pressure on Facebook, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey has announced that the social media platform will stop all political advertising globally as of 22 November. “We believe political message reach should be earned, not bought,” Dorsey said. The Guardian reckons Dorsey’s statement that political advertising “isn’t about free expression,” is a riposte to Mark Zuckerberg’s defence of Facebook’s refusal to withdraw political ads that contain lies. Democratic congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who last week grilled Zuckerberg about political advertising, praised Twitter’s decision. Fox News cited AOC saying via Twitter that: “Not allowing for paid disinformation is one of the most basic, ethical decisions a company can make.”
Chile cancels global summits
Amid continued civil unrest and anti-government protests, Chile’s president Sebastián Piñera has cancelled two prestigious international summits the country was due to host. The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit was due to be held in Santiago in mid-November, and, according to CNBC, US president Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping were scheduled to meet there to discuss a possible “phase one” trade deal. Also off the books, in what the BBC’s science editor calls a huge blow to hopes of progress on climate change, is the COP25 summit scheduled for 2 to 13 December. But Deutsche Welle reports that the United Nations has said it “is currently exploring alternative hosting options” for the conference.
Fed cuts rates
The Federal Reserve’s Open Market Committee lowered its benchmark funds rate by 25 basis points to a range of 1.5% to 1.75% on Wednesday, CNBC reports. It was the third cut this year, but at a press conference Fed chair Jerome Powell indicated it could be the last for some times as the central bank’s officials “see the current stance of monetary policy as likely to remain appropriate.”
Wild fires gain ground in California
CNN reports that furious winds have stoked the flames of wild fires in Southern California, with the so-called Getty Fire threatening to lead to the evacuation of 70,000 homes in the Los Angeles area. The Los Angeles Times, which is offering non-subscribers free coverage of the fires, has an in-depth analysis of weather conditions and the way they affect the fires.
Retaliation expected for al-Baghdadi attack
US Marine General Kenneth McKenzie has said his troops are “postured and prepared” for “some form of retribution attack” following the raid that resulted in the death of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Reuters cites the general in a report on details of the video released by the Pentagon of the commando raid in Syria.
MEP visit to Kashmir sparks controversy
A group of 27 European Parliament members from 11 countries is visiting Indian-administered Kashmir, The Washington Post reports. They are the first foreign delegation to visit the region since India stripped it of its semi-autonomous status. But the BBC says the visit has been criticised as nothing more than a PR stunt, with more than a third of the delegation from openly far-right parties such as Germany’s AfD and France’s National Rally.
Something for the (long) weekend
Friday: don’t forget that 1 November is a public holiday. But go see professional kizomba, bachata and salsa dancers at the Unified Dance Festival (through Sunday). Cinemas are also open, so you could see “The Shining” sequel “Doctor Sleep” at a Kinepolis theatre. Saturday: Kick off the day at 10am by watching the rugby world cup final with breakfast at Eirelux in Howald or at bars like The Tube or The Britannia. There’s also Austrian indie band Cari Cari at de Gudde Wëllen at 8pm. Sunday: Check out the Rotondes’ record fair, which opens at 10am. Then in the evening see one of the best Pink Floyd tribute bands around at the Rockhal.
Obama "woke" culture comments go viral
Former US president Barack Obama has received global praise for speaking out against “woke” culture. The BBC reports on the comments made at the Obama Foundation's annual summit. “If all you're doing is casting stones, you are probably not going to get that far,” Obama said.
Today’s breakfast briefing was written by Duncan Roberts