What to watch for today
Apple unveils a new, smaller phone. The rumored iPhone SE would be the same size as the four-inch iPhone 5S but with better specs. New Apple Watch bands are also expected, according to 9to5Mac. The event begins at 10am local time in California, and Quartz will be live blogging.
Barack Obama meets Raul Castro in Cuba. Obama will first meet with cuentapropistas—Cuban entrepreneurs—before a bilateral meeting with the Cuban president, during which they’ll discuss the process of normalizing relations between the two countries. They’ll cap off the day with a state dinner.
Donald Trump will address the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. Protests are expected when the Republican presidential frontrunner speaks in front of the country’s largest pro-Israel lobby.
Brazil’s controversial state oil firm reports earnings. Petrobras, which has been implicated in a wide-reaching money-laundering scandal involving several government officials, will report its 2015 finances after markets close. The company has been on a quiet period leading up to the announcement.
Over the weekend
The Chinese stock market hit a two-month high. The Shanghai Composite Index rose by over 2% on the news that the government will offer cheap, short-term loans to stock brokerages. Policy-makers at the China Development Forum at the weekend warned that corporate debt as a share of GDP is too high at 160%.
Starwood signed a deal to open hotels in Cuba. Starwood, the target of a takeover by Chinese insurance group Anbang, will be first US hotel chain to enter the country since the 1959 revolution. Airbnb, hot on Starwood’s heels, announcing it will offer 4,000 room listings in Cuba from April onwards.
A $9.3-billion US paint takeover. Sherwin-Williams is buying rival Valspar for $113 a share, compared to Valspar’s Friday close of $83.83, the companies said on Sunday. The move will allow the independent paint store to sell its products in big home-goods retailers like Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Walmart.
Brazilian mining mogul Roger Agnelli died. The 56-year-old former CEO of Vale perished in a plane crash in Sao Paolo, alongside his wife and two children. During his decade at Vale, he turned the failing state-owned iron-ore miner into the nation’s biggest exporter.
Turkey said ISIL was behind the suicide bombing in Istanbul. The interior minister said the suicide bomber, who detonated a blast in the city center on Saturday, was Memet Ozturk. The bomb killed four and injured 36.
Quartz obsession interlude
Jenni Avins on what a $280,000 watch looks like. “Every hour, the watch’s “boom” swings back across the its face. (This is the point on an actual boat when you yell “Jibe ho!” or at least politely tell everyone to watch their head.) The dial, made of teeny-tiny strips of inlaid grey oak, looks like a miniaturized boat deck.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
The next great artist could well be a robot. Machines are advancing towards true artistic mastery.
Men should be paid more than woman in tennis. They have more spectators, says world no. 1 Novak Djokovic.
Bernie Sanders faces risks by staying in the presidential race. His influence post-election depends on how much goodwill he can build.
Surprising discoveries
“The Simpsons” predicted a Donald Trump presidency 16 years ago. In a glimpse of the future where “everything went as bad as it possibly could,” Trump was president.
A $288-million research ship is on track to be named Boaty McBoatface. Blame an online poll.
Golf is now mandatory at a Chinese elementary school. Ironic, as Mao Zedong banned the sport in 1949.
A 12,400-year-old puppy has been found in Siberian permafrost. The animal’s remains are remarkably well preserved.
Not everyone gets happier the more often they see friends. Extremely intelligent people report higher life satisfaction when they see their friends less.
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