DINNER PARTY INTEL...

The topics you have to be able to discuss this week

1. Sanctions tit-for-tat

Russia has unanimously approved a first reading of a bill that will make it a criminal offence to observe sanctions imposed by the US or other countries, as part of countersanction measures against Washington. If enacted, the law will make it a crime — punishable by jail time or a fine — to refuse to supply services to or do business with a Russian citizen by citing US or other sanctions, Reuters says.

The US last month imposed sanctions on some Russian companies and business people to punish Moscow for its alleged meddling in the 2016 US presidential election.

2. Data about-face

Facebook has suspended 200 apps in its review of apps with access to large quantities of its users’ data. The move is in response to the scandal that engulfed the social media network after Cambridge Analytica misused user data, costing Facebook billions in lost market value. The apps have been suspended pending an investigation into how they use consumers’ data.

3. Ebola vaccine for DRC

An experimental Ebola vaccine will be sent to the Democratic Republic of Congo to prevent the spread of the virus, which killed thousands of people in West Africa a few years ago. The World Health Organisation says 39 new cases of Ebola have been confirmed in the town of Bikoro, including 19 deaths in the past month.

The vaccine was first administered to people in Guinea during a trial in 2015. But transporting the vaccine to the area is expected to be challenging; Bikoro is 15 hours from the closest town by motorbike and lacks infrastructure.