What to watch for today
Singaporeans rally ahead of next week’s general election. Eight out of nine political parties have secured permits for rallies starting at 7pm Singapore time (GMT+8) ahead of snap general elections called for Sept. 11. For the first time ever, opposition candidates are challenging the ruling People’s Action Party for all 89 parliamentary seats.
G-20 finance ministers meet in Turkey. Turkish president Tayyip Erdogan has asked global financial heads meeting in Ankara to present “investment strategies to secure robust, balanced and sustainable global growth.” No mention of China’s market turmoil or Europe’s migrant crisis, which eventually need addressing.
US policymakers eye August employment numbers. Numbers from the US Labor Department are expected to show that American employers hired about 200,000 workers in August. Weaker numbers raise the likelihood of an interest rate hike at the Federal Reserve’s September meeting.
Boeing names its first commercial space taxi. The opening of a processing facility for the Boeing space vehicle at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida will include the unveiling of its flashier name; it’s currently known as the CST-100, which stands for Crew Space Transportation-100.
While you were sleeping
Mario Draghi’s remarks sent European stocks soaring. The European Central Bank’s governing council left interest rates alone and lowered its GDP growth forecasts through 2017. But hints of a stimulus and otherwise dovish monetary policy thrilled European investors, and stocks rallied.
The US county clerk who defied the Supreme Court on gay marriage was sent to jail. Kim Davis, the Rowan County, Kentucky clerk who refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, was found in contempt of court and ordered to jail by a federal judge in Kentucky.
Vice’s two British reporters got out of jail in Turkey. Journalists Jake Hanrahan and Philip Pendlebury have been released from a Turkish prison, Vice News confirmed today. The pair were detained in August, along with two colleagues—their translator Mohammed Ismael Rasool, whose release was denied, and an already released unnamed driver.
French prosecutors confirmed a part found on Reunion belongs to MH370. An Airbus technician confirmed that the part, known as a flaperon, which was found on the French territory on the Indian Ocean, belonged to the Boeing 777 flight that disappeared in March 2014 with 239 people aboard.
The British government said it would accept more Syrian refugees. Amid mounting public pressure and gruesome viral images, prime minister David Cameron indicated his country would take in thousands more Syrian refugees. Canadian and Irish authorities also said they would re-consider their policies on admitting refugees.
Quartz obsession interlude
Matt Phillips on the economic lessons behind the superstitious evil eye. “A recent paper published in the Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization argues that belief in the ‘evil eye’ is actually a finely honed defense mechanism for property holders in societies where envy is more likely to result in destruction of assets rather than the economically productive impulse sometimes known as ‘keeping-up-with-the-Joneses’.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Edward Snowden helped Russia strangle the internet. The whistleblower’s exposés gave Vladimir Putin an excuse to expand the Kremlin’s surveillance state.
Marissa Mayer is not an exemplary working mother. But it’s not her job to be a role model.
Australia is doing a terrible (horrible, no good, very bad) job of dealing with migrants. Tony Abbott’s policy of turning away all boats is a crime against human rights.
The US recycling business is drowning in waste. Too much trash is one of several factors forcing recycling facilities to shut down.
Wedding dresses are pointless. They represent the worst of American consumerism.
Surprising discoveries
A reality show in Tanzania documents women farming and vaccinating goats. Female Food Heroes is produced by a humanitarian organization.
A trash-fueled DeLorean will hit the streets of Tokyo. Just like in “Back to the Future,” but without the banana peels.
An extensive network of 200-year-old tunnels runs under the city of Liverpool. No one knows why they exist.
The internet spawned a teenage anti-ISIS anime character with green hair. Her name is ISIS-chan, she’s peaceful, and she loves melons.
Japan is building a lettuce factory run by robots. It cuts costs and is good for the environment.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, humanitarian reality show concepts, and used wedding dresses to hi@qz.com. You can follow us on Twitter for updates throughout the day.