What to watch for today
Is Tiffany keeping its sparkle? The jeweler reports first-quarter earnings. Its shares hit a 52-week high last week, but it’s been trailing competitors (paywall) and investors will be looking closely to see if sales in Asia are making up for sluggish Europe and the US.
A Russian, an American and an Italian walk into a space capsule… A Soyuz rocket blasts off from Kazakhstan with a new crew of three bound for the International Space Station. Will any of them become as famous as Canada’s Chris Hadfield?
Tim Cook talks. Apple’s CEO is interviewed live on-stage at the D11 tech conference. Apple nuts and annoyed US senators will be paying particular attention.
While you were sleeping
Can rich Chinese beach bums revive Club Med? Chinese conglomerate Fosun and France’s AXA think so: They’ve launched a €556 million ($719 million) takeover bid for the resort company, which has been going after the booming Chinese tourist trade.
Yahoo made a safe, boring and brilliant bid. After its risky, exciting and questionable buy-out of Tumblr, the internet giant is reportedly offering up to $800 million for video-streaming site Hulu, which might just be a great move.
Germany opposed EU solar tariffs against China. Hardly surprising, since Germany installs more solar panels per year than any other country. But its opposition may or may not carry weight with EU regulators, who’ve imposed tariffs that take effect on June 6.
70 killed in Baghdad. A wave of car-bombings swept the city, in one of the bloodiest days since US troops left 18 months ago. Meanwhile, it emerged that US senator John McCain surreptitiously visited Syria to meet rebel commanders and put pressure on the Obama administration into giving the rebels weapons.
Consolidation in contact lenses. Canadian pharma giant Valeant bought Bausch & Lomb, the eye-care company, for $8.7 billion, nearly half of it to pay off debt.
Quartz obsession interlude
Gwynn Guilford on how Chinese tourists are becoming an embarrassment to China’s government. “Uncouth visitors have caused particular strife in Hong Kong, where 70% of the 48 million tourists a year come from the Chinese mainland. But grievances are reported everywhere. Chinese travelers are ignoring dressing customs in Thai Buddhist temples, overrunning the campus of South Korea’s Ewha Women’s University, launching drunken singsongs in Bali and generally being loud in Singapore.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Trade is good for peace. China’s deal with India is putting border tensions to rest.
HTC’s problem: Its phones are too good. Some advice on how it could be more like Samsung.
Is Iraq heading toward civil war? Sectarian violence is returning to levels not seen since 2006.
Shut up about the “flood” of e-waste from the US. It’s not actually a crisis.
3D printing will take over manufacturing when… as well as a printer, you have a “Santa Claus machine.”
Surprising discoveries
The US’s most expensive home hits the market. Fifty acres of waterfront property, worth $190 million, has Wall Street mogul written all over it.
Superfast internet, now 400 times faster. Achieved by adapting the technology used in noise-canceling headphones.
Get bonuses for sitting still. Microsoft patents motion-sensing technology to reward television watchers who sit through advertisements.
Boy born in jail in India frees his mother, 19 years later. It took him that long to save up the $180 bail.
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