Tuesday Morning Briefing: Malware broker behind U.S. hacks is now teaching computer skills in China

Top Stories

A malware hacker convicted in the U.S. in February and sent back to China after serving his sentence has been found at his old workplace in Shanghai teaching high-school computer courses, including one on internet security.

Beleaguered Boeing is putting its future in the hands of an industrial veteran who has led several companies in crisis. Newly appointed Chief Executive David Calhoun began his career at engine maker General Electric and has already spent a decade on the board of the world’s largest planemaker. Calhoun replaces Dennis Muilenberg to steer Boeing through a crisis after two deadly crashes led to the grounding of its best-selling 737 MAX jetliner. Here are some key facts about Calhoun’s career.

Christianity Today, the magazine founded by the late Reverend Billy Graham, renewed its criticism of President Donald Trump in a new editorial that cited his “misuses of power” and asked fellow Christians to examine their loyalty to him, days after a controversial editorial that called for his impeachment.

While the North American Aerospace Defense Command stays alert for any signs of a North Korea missile launch – what officials in Pyongyang have described as a “Christmas gift” – it is also tracking the legendary figure who delivers presents to children across the world, the command said. “As NORAD conducts its primary mission of defending North America from threats, we’re proud to continue our tradition of tracking Santa’s journey around the world,” NORAD said in a statement.

World

The biggest news events of the past decade have been chronicled from space. The last 10 years have seen a boom in the use of satellite imagery for reporting, led by a growth in commercial satellites that has slashed the cost of such images, and advances in technology that have made high-resolution images from many parts of the world accessible, almost instantly, even on a phone.

Hong Kong anti-government protesters plan to stage gatherings in prime shopping malls and a ‘silent night’ rally in a popular tourist precinct on Christmas Eve, despite police warnings they would move in if trouble flares. Police said they would not close roads to traffic in the Tsim Sha Tsui district, where large numbers of people traditionally gather on Christmas Eve to view the Christmas lights along a promenade bordering the city’s iconic Victoria Harbour.

Queen Elizabeth will stress the value of harmony and reconciliation in her Christmas message this year, Buckingham Palace said, after a “quite bumpy” year for her own family and for Britain as it struggled with Brexit.

Turkey will follow the case of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s killing “regardless how it goes”, the country’s Communications Director Fahrettin Altun said, slamming Riyadh’s verdict in the “sham trial” as an insult to the intelligence of observers.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe asked South Korea’s president to take steps to resolve a bitter dispute at their first bilateral talks in 15 months, a sign that while the mood is improving, knotty problems between the U.S. allies remain.

Business

How risky ETFs won the decade - and why they might not repeat that performance

Exchange-traded funds that use leverage to offer double or triple the daily return of benchmark U.S. stock indexes rank among the 10 top-performing funds of the decade, with returns that in some cases neared 2,000%, despite warnings that they are not suitable for most investors.

4 min read

Beauty brands tap TikTok influencers for holiday campaigns

In a TikTok video with the hashtag #awesomekiss, viral teen star Charli D’Amelio uses an eos Products lipbalm before kissing the screen and transforming into a dancing, costumed Santa in an ad for her 12 million followers.

5 min read

U.S. activist investors post strong gains as needling companies pays off

Activist investors who are shaking up Corporate America with calls for operational fixes, refreshed boards and even sales of a company are delivering their best returns in six years with double-digit gains for 2019 after big losses in 2018.

4 min read

Top Stories on Reuters TV

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