What to watch for today
An emergency EU meeting on terrorism. Ministers from EU countries may meet as soon soon as Thursday morning to discuss better coordination after the Brussels attack this week that killed 31. More attacks are feared—the Islamic State has trained hundreds of fighters to target Europe, intelligence officials tell the AP.
Putin and Kerry discuss Syria. The Russian president and US Secretary of State will “get down to brass tacks” on the future of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, a state department official said. That is the key issue that threatens Syrian peace talks.
A fight over Yahoo’s board. Activist investor Starboard Value will nominate nine new members to Yahoo’s board, the Wall Street Journal reports (paywall), citing a letter from the hedge fund, in an attempt to replace the existing board. Starboard is pushing for Yahoo’s core business to be sold off, over CEO Marissa Mayer’s turnaround.
Earnings, earnings, earnings. Accenture and Winnebago report second-quarter earnings today, and they look good: The consulting firm is expected to benefit from increased demand in North America; the motorhome maker is racking up more sales of its cheaper models. Gamestop, on the other hand, is expected to report fourth-quarter earnings below analysts’ estimates.
While you were sleeping
MH370 debris was identified. Two pieces of a Boeing aircraft that washed up in Mozambique are “almost certainly” from the missing Malaysia Airlines flight, Australia’s Transport Minister said. Ocean currents are likely to have brought the debris across the Indian Ocean to Africa’s east coast.
Obama talked and tangoed in Argentina. After the US president met with Argentina’s Mauricio Macri, the two pledged new cooperation on trade and fighting drug trafficking, then Obama briefly danced the tango at a state dinner. He will pay tribute to the victims of the “dirty war” on the 40th anniversary of Argentina’s US-backed military coup today.
Turkey said it warned Belgium before the attack. Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his government detained el-Bakraoui at the Turkey-Syria border in June, deported him, and alerted Belgium that he was a “foreign terrorist fighter.”
One of oil’s founding families is divesting from fossil fuels. The Rockefeller Family Fund also issued a stinging rebuke to ExxonMobil, a corporate descendant of John D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil, for hiding the risks of climate change.
An Israeli company emerged as the FBI’s mystery helper. Cellebrite, a unit of Japanese pachinko maker Sun Corporation, is reportedly helping the US government access a terrorist’s iPhone without Apple’s involvement. The company would not confirm its involvement, but public records show that it has done extensive business with US law enforcement agencies.
Quartz markets haiku
There’s just too much oil
Prices fall, and still they pump
Gas is cheap, at least
Quartz obsession interlude
Josh Horwitz on Facebook’s potential concessions to China. “When authorities demand Facebook share information about the location or posts of an activist, a journalist, an outspoken scientist, or a local whistleblower, for example, Facebook will have to comply, or risk being blocked. And when that activist or journalist is punished, Facebook will be responsible.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Apple is boring now. Instead of leading the technology industry, it is churning out an endless cycle of sequels and spin-offs.
Hong Kong hates street art. Unless, of course, you can sell it for a lot of money.
Isolating Muslims will only make terrorism worse. Republican candidates are quixotically trying to make America more like Europe.
Professional tennis is a perfect microcosm of the patriarchy. Even equal pay doesn’t translate into equality.
Surprising discoveries
A Belarusian singer wants to bring live wolves on stage for Eurovision. He also plans to be naked.
The word “okay” is 177 years old. It was first used in a Boston newspaper to make fun of a rival.
The Australian prime minister’s slogan accidentally name-checked a political satire. Veep used “continuity and change” as a joke.
South Sudan disavowed an endorsement of Donald Trump. The government may be accused of war crimes, but some things are beyond the pale.
Two Syrian refugees rescued a far-right German politician from a car crash. His party has called refugees “invaders” and “lawless primates.”
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