BT ditches Huawei as security fears grow, Ryanair heads to court over compensation, and more top news

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Britain’s largest wireless carrier, BT, will remove Huawei’s equipment from its network core, depriving the Chinese company of one of its biggest and oldest Western customers. The decision comes as the U.S. presses allies to shun the telecommunications-equipment maker — deeming it a security threat because of its connection to the Chinese government — with carriers in New Zealand and Australia limiting their access to its new 5G networks.

The Civil Aviation Authority has started legal proceedings against Ryanair over unpaid passenger compensation claims. The low-cost airline is refusing to compensate passengers for flight disruptions earlier this year, when its staff staged eight days of strikes over pay and working conditions. Under EU rules, airlines must compensate for delays that are within their control and can only avoid payments for “extraordinary circumstances” like bad weather. Ryanair could face a bill of more than ￡29 million, analysts suggest.

November saw Britain’s services sector grow at its lowest level since the 2016 Brexit vote. The purchasing managers index (PMI) fell from 52.2 October to 50.4, raising fears of stagnation in a sector that accounts for about 80% of the UK economy. Chris Williamson, chief business economist at IHS Markit, says the "survey results suggest that the pace of economic growth has stalled”. The index has not been so low since the aftermath of the Brexit vote in June 2016.

A controversial festive advert by Iceland that featured the destruction of an orangutan’s rainforest home by palm oil farmers should have been allowed to air on TV, according to the chief executive of ITV, Carolyn McCall. She said it was “ludicrous” that the advert — which has been viewed more than 65 million times on social media — could run online but not on TV. McCall argued that the decision, by ad-vetting body Clearcast, demonstrates the lack of a level-playing field between online and traditional television.

Southern Western Railway has backtracked on its decision to not allow passengers to use reusable cups. The company faced backlash after it emerged that passengers wanting to fill their own reusable cups with hot drinks bought on board were being denied. A spokesperson for the rail operator has confirmed the change in policy, which they say reflects their “ongoing commitment to manage our environmental impact”. The Guardian notes that around 2.5 billion disposable cups are used in the UK each year, creating around 250,000 tonnes of waste.

Idea of the Day: Conversation is key to making a person feel included, says Naqi Rizvi, who was born visually impaired and works at Barclays Bank. The United Nations holds the International Day of Persons with Disabilities this week.

“It’s the environment that disables a person, rather than their physical limitations.”

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— Orlando Crowcroft