Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Donald Trump addresses the UN General Assembly. The president will likely call for tougher action against North Korea when he addresses the 193-member body for the first time. Last night, he called for “truly bold reforms” of the UN during an event promoting changes to the organization’s governance.
FedEx delivers its quarterly results. The shipping giant warned that the impact from a cyberattack in late June on its TNT subsidiary would be “material.”
The Fed kicks off its two-day meeting. Investors are watching to see whether the Federal Reserve will announce plans to reduce its $4.5 trillion portfolio of government securities, or start reversing its quantitative-easing policy. Caution marked European and Asian markets Tuesday, as traders wait to see what happens.
While you were sleeping
Aung San Suu Kyi spoke about the Rohingya crisis. Myanmar’s de facto leader delivered a televised speech, saying, “there have been allegations and counter-allegations. We have to listen to all of them.” The Nobel Peace Prize winner has been widely criticized for failing to stop the military’s ethnic cleansing of the repressed Muslim ethnic group.
Hurricane Maria devastated Dominica. Maria, now a category 5 storm, ripped through the Caribbean island early Tuesday. It’s now expected to hit Guadeloupe on its way towards Puerto Rico, and on to the British and US Virgin Islands. Maria is following pretty much the same path as Hurricane Irma, which recently left a trail of destruction.
A massive transatlantic chemicals merger is in jeopardy. US activist investors threatened to vote against the merger between Switzerland’s Clariant (paywall) and US-based Huntsman. The White Tale fund said the merger—which would create a company worth $14 billion—was not in the best interests of Clariant shareholders.
South Africa agreed to an appeal against Oscar Pistorius. The Supreme Court said it will hear the state’s appeal against the six-year murder sentence of Paralympic gold medallist Oscar Pistorius, who shot and killed his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in 2013. The state maintains that the sentence is too lenient; rights groups have protested that Pistorius got preferential treatment for being a white male and a celebrity.
Total made a move towards renewables. The French oil giant secured a 23% stake in renewable-energy firm Eren for €237 million ($284 million) with the option to take it over completely. It also bought Greenflex, a French energy-efficiency company, as part of its expansion into solar and wind power.
Quartz obsession interlude
Annalisa Merelli and Max de Haldevang on the key issues at the 2017 United Nations Global Assembly. “With hundreds—possibly thousands!—of other official meetings, side conferences, panels, presentations, receptions, galas, and cocktail hours, and more organizations than you ever knew existed vying for a slice of attention from the world’s highest powers, it can be hard to know how to even begin.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Has Facebook become a tool for ethnic cleansing? Posts documenting violence against Myanmar’s Rohingya minority are mysteriously disappearing.
Drones and self-driving cars won’t automate delivery any time soon. Instead, night delivery, consolidation centers, lockers, and electric vehicles will ease e-commerce congestion.
India will replace China as the world’s growth engine. India’s young, female-driven workforce gives it the edge.
Surprising discoveries
Boom! Norway’s oil fund topped $1 trillion. The world’s largest sovereign wealth fund (paywall) breached the trillion-dollar barrier for the first time.
Climate change is making food less nutritious. Warmer temperatures are replacing important minerals with carbohydrates and sugars.
A trash island in the sea is now the size of France. A foundation is petitioning the UN to recognize “The Trash Isles,” and Al Gore has signed up to be its first citizen.
“Grave-casual” is trending for burial outfits. Baby boomers are choosing comfort and self-expression with their last outfits.
The future of air-conditioning throws heat into space. High-tech mirrors could save up to 70% of the energy used by a standard air conditioner.
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