What to watch for today
An emergency EU meeting on terrorism. Ministers are expected to meet to discuss better coordination after the Brussels attack this week that killed 31. More attacks are feared—ISIL has trained hundreds of fighters to target Europe, intelligence officials tell the AP.
Vladimir Putin and John Kerry meet at the Kremlin. A State Department official said the Russian president and US secretary of state will “get down to brass tacks” on the future of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, which is the main sticking point in the ongoing Syrian peace talks.
A fight over Yahoo’s board. Activist hedge fund Starboard Value will nominate nine new members to Yahoo’s board, the Wall Street Journal reports (paywall), in an attempt to replace the existing board and continue its push for Yahoo’s core business to be sold off.
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.
Barack Obama talked and tangoed in Argentina. The US president met with Argentine president Mauricio Macri and pledged new cooperation on trade and fighting drug trafficking, before Obama danced the tango at a state dinner. The US president will honor the victims of the “dirty war” on the 40th anniversary of Argentina’s US-backed military coup today.
After all that, New Zealand voted to keep its flag. After a referendum costing NZD$26million ($17 million) and a lengthy campaign, over 56% of people in the Commonwealth country voted in favor of holding onto the current flag with its strong ties to the United Kingdom.
North Korea tested a rocket engine. South Korea put its military on high alert to “respond actively” after North Korean state media claimed the rocket-boosting engine was a success. This follows a threat from Pyongyang on Wednesday that its large-caliber rocket-launch systems are poised to strike the South’s presidential office.
Congo president Sassou Nguesso was re-elected. The Congo Republic president has now ruled the oil-rich country for 32 years. Opposition leader Guy-Brice Parfait Kolelas won 15% of the vote and retired general Jean-Marie Mokoko took 14%.
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.
A podcast we like, and think you’ll like too
Actuality—a joint production of Quartz and Marketplace—is back with Season 2, starting with a look at the robots who are selecting your music. Companies like Spotify are betting that it algorithms can accurately predict what you want to hear—but will it be at the expense of the culture at large?
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.
ISIL is actually losing its war on the West. And the Brussels attacks prove it.
Surprising discoveries
The moon may have once spun on a different axis. Scientists have discovered unusual ice patches that suggest it had different poles.
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.
Britain cancels 40% of its deportations. Because of a lack of security personnel to transport foreign criminals.
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