Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
The UK’s latest budget. Chancellor Philip Hammond will deliver his second budget speech as Theresa May’s government struggles with political instability and complex Brexit negotiations. Hammond has little room for error (paywall) after his previous budget unravelled.
Vladimir Putin hosts Syria talks. The US has been effectively sidelined, as Russia’s president and leaders from Turkey and Iran meet in Sochi to discuss the peace process in war-torn Syria. Putin held an hour-long phone call with Donald Trump yesterday, following on from meeting with Bashar al-Assad.
Zimbabwe’s presumptive leader returns. Emmerson Mnangagwa, nicknamed “The Crocodile,” is expected to take control after Robert Mugabe’s resignation yesterday. Zimbabweans celebrated the president’s ouster, but some are concerned that the powerful Mnangagwa will be just as repressive as his predecessor. He’s expected to be sworn in Friday.
Deere wheels out its earnings. The farm-machinery maker is expected to deliver some upbeat results (paywall) on the last full trading day of the week. For the year ending Oct. 31, analysts predict a 36% jump in net profit from 2016.
While you were sleeping
A US Navy aircraft crashed off the coast of Japan. The plane was heading to the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier in the Philippine Sea with 11 crew and passengers on board when it crashed. Eight people reportedly have been found, but it’s not clear if they are alive (paywall).
The UN war crimes tribunal confirmed that Srebrenica was a genocide. The court in The Hague is in the process of delivering its final verdict in the trial of former Bosnian Serb general Mladic Radko, known as the “Butcher of Bosnia.” Among his crimes, Mladic is accused of ordering the massacre of 8,000 Muslim men and boys at Srebrenica in 1995. He pled not guilty to all charges.
The Lebanese prime minister changed his mind. Saad Hariri’s sudden resignation while in Saudi Arabia two weeks ago prompted speculation that the Saudis had forced him into it. He arrived back in Beirut today, after a trip to France, and has suspended his resignation at the request of president Michel Aoun.
The UN released a video of the North Korean defector. The footage, shot on Nov. 13, shows him jumping out of a vehicle and running across the border to the south as North Korean soldiers shoot at him. The UN says North Korea violated the armistice by shooting across the line that divides the two countries. Today, Air China indefinitely suspended all flights to Pyongyang, further isolating North Korea.
Another skeleton was found in Uber’s closet. The company admitted that it paid $100,000 to silence a team of hackers who stole the personal data of 57 million customers and drivers in October 2016. “None of this should have happened, and I will not make excuses for it,” CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, who took over after the incident occurred, told Bloomberg.
Quartz obsession interlude
John Capone on where unsellable wine goes to die. “In the wine industry, when your product outweighs your demand, there are few ways to legally dispose of it. With permission from the state, pouring it down the drain at specially equipped public facilities is one method, but when it’s already bottled and labeled, there are prohibitive labor costs and headaches involved. And somebody might see you do it.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
The end of net neutrality could benefit consumers. Competition will motivate media companies to keep prices reasonable.
Libel laws have helped safeguard the Harvey Weinsteins of Britain. Publications must have watertight proof before they can allege sexual misconduct.
The late Charles Manson can fit any narrative. The killer and cult leader has been portrayed as a lunatic born of both the left and right; he saw himself as “just a mirror.”
Surprising discoveries
AI could help spot art forgeries. Researchers trained an algorithm to detect brush strokes that don’t fit an artist’s known patterns.
The world isn’t writing as many sad songs. Since 2010, downbeat lyrics and minor chords are on the decline.
Elon Musk hates turtlenecks. The Tesla chief, who balks at being compared to Apple’s Steve Jobs, said he’d use his dying breath to rip a turtleneck off his own body.
Japan is battling a “gray crime” wave. Rising poverty (paywall) among its growing retiree population is pushing old people to commit crimes like shoplifting.
Drinking alcohol alone can strain relations, even if you’re a prairie vole. A new study found that solitary booze consumption adversely affects the monogamous rodents.
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