A trip ‘round the world

🇬🇧 Former Treasury chief Rishi Sunak will become the UK’s next prime minister today. The development comes after Sunak’s two biggest opponents, former PM Boris Johnson and former Defense Minister Penny Mordaunt, both dropped out of the race to replace outgoing PM Liz Truss as head of the Conservative Party. Sunak, 42, is Britain’s youngest PM in 200 years, as well as the country’s first non-white PM in history.

🇨🇳 The DOJ charged two Chinese intelligence officers with trying to bribe a US double-agent. The defendants were described as a pair of Chinese spies conducting foreign intelligence operations against the US on behalf of Beijing, with the goal of benefitting an unnamed Chinese telecom company. The spies were reportedly seeking info on the ongoing US criminal case against Huawei, per the WSJ. The DOJ also announced charges yesterday against 11 other Chinese nationals, in two separate cases related to unlawfully exerting influence in the US to further the CCP’s interests (ex: bribery, obstruction, attempting to recruit spies).

🇨🇦 Canada’s preemptive ban on the sale, purchase, or transfer of handguns took effect on Friday. The executive action from PM Justin Trudeau was first announced in May alongside proposed legislation that would have the same effect, which is still under debate in Canada’s Parliament. Trudeau said Friday’s move will help "keep Canadians safe" while the legislation is being considered.

+Bonus: Top US execs and international officials are flocking to Saudi Arabia’s ‘Davos in the Desert,’ a three-day economic conference in Riyadh starting today.