What to watch for today
The new World Trade Center opens. One World Trade Center opens its doors (paywall) to employees of Condé Nast, the building’s principal tenant and publisher of magazines including Vogue and the New Yorker. The muted opening takes place nine years after construction began and 13 years after the original towers were destroyed on 9/11.
A Hong Kong banker is charged with murder. Rurik Jutting, who until a week ago worked at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, is due to appear in court after police discovered the bodies of two young Indonesian women in his high-rise apartment.
Economic data with political implications. Investors take the temperature of Europe’s sagging economy with manufacturing activity from countries throughout the euro zone.
A slew of corporate earnings reports. From the UK, look to quarterly reports from low-cost airline Ryanair and bank HSBC. In the US, AIG and Sprint will announce their latest results.
Over the weekend
Argentina suspended Procter & Gamble from doing business in the country, accusing the world’s biggest consumer products company of inflating import prices to evade taxes. Argentine officials also notified their regulatory counterparts in the United States about the allegations; P&G has yet to comment.
A new military leader took control of Burkina Faso. Lt. Col. Isaac Zida emerged from a power struggle to take charge of an interim government after president Blaise Compaoré was forcibly removed after 27 years in power. Thousands of protesters gathered to denounce the coup, and the UN warned of potential sanctions.
A suicide bomber struck at the Pakistan-India border. A blast killed more than 50 people and injured 100 on the Pakistani side of the Ragah border crossing, which draws hundreds of visitors daily to watch elaborate flag-lowering ceremonies on both sides. The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility, as did another militant group.
China’s factories had a mixed month. HSBC/Markit’s final reading of its purchasing managers’ index of small- to medium-sized manufacturers reached a three-month high of 50.4 in October, from 50.2 in September. But the official PMI, which surveys larger state-owned industries, fell to a five-month low of 50.8, from 51.1 in September.
The UN set an optimistic expiration date for fossil fuels. The UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said the majority of the world’s electricity must come from low-carbon sources by 2050, and be fossil fuel-free by the end of the century. World leaders meet in Paris next year to hammer out binding emission targets, but past attempts have proven that the obstacles to an agreement are daunting.
The UK is approaching the “point of no return.” German chancellor Angela Merkel is running out of patience (paywall) with her British counterpart, David Cameron, over his plans to potentially cap the number of migrants into the UK. Der Speigel reports (in German) that Britain raising the drawbridge is “crossing a red line,” making a UK exit from the EU a genuine possibility.
Pick your poison. Spirits giant Diageo is poised to trade ownership of Bushmills whiskey to Jose Cuervo in exchange for control of their joint venture, the fast-growing Don Julio tequila brand, the Wall Street Journal reports (paywall). Diageo failed to buy the whole of family-owned Jose Cuervo two years ago.
Quartz obsession interlude
Zach Seward on the the failure of One World Trade Center. “Born of politics and compromise, the building was never going to be an architectural masterpiece. The final product is a shell of the original vision to erect a soaring complex, known as the Vertical World Gardens, that reimagined New York’s financial district as the welcoming global capital it was always meant to be. Then came the revisions, the short-lived decision to call it the Freedom Tower, more changes, and delays upon further delays.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
ADHD is not a disease. Some people just have a sluggish dopamine reward system that makes normal activities seem dull.
Don’t dismiss job candidates over a typo. People have more to offer than spotting every spelling mistake.
The “Lucky Sperm Club” is going strong. Companies controlled by their founding families are more prevalent than ever.
There’s no such thing as a healthy microbiome. The trillions of microbes in your body defy easy categorization.
Surprising discoveries
Yes, feathers drop at the same speed as bowling balls. In a vacuum at least—thanks, NASA.
Macy’s store layout could use some work. Thirty percent of customers are visibly lost (paywall).
Fanged deer make a comeback. The Kashmir musk deer hadn’t been seen for decades, but don’t worry—they’re only two feet tall.
“Wannabe” is the catchiest song of all time. Billie Jean is only 15th on the list.
Vocal patterns change as feelings of depression worsen. Which is why a smartphone app could soon diagnose you.
Click here for more surprising discoveries on Quartz.
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