What to watch for today
Jokowi arrives in Europe. Indonesian president Joko “Jokowi” Widodo is looking for closer cooperation on trade and intelligence sharing. His agenda this week includes meetings with European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker and European Parliament president Martin Schulz.
Riek Machar returns to South Sudan’s capital. The opposition leader was sacked from the vice president role by president Salva Kiir in 2013, leading to civil war. Now he’s slated to resume the role in Juba as part of a fragile peace deal that he and Kiir signed last August (paywall).
Deadline day for Yahoo bids. Marissa Mayer has made several high-profile acquisitions since becoming CEO of the beleaguered internet company. Now Yahoo itself is on the block. The sale is not expected to include Yahoo’s stakes in Alibaba or Yahoo Japan.
This is only a test. The US Defense Department is kicking off its “Hack the Pentagon” event, letting “qualified participants” analyze the department’s public webpages for potential vulnerabilities. The bug bounty program runs through May 12.
Over the weekend
Brazil’s lower house of parliament voted to impeach president Dilma Rousseff. The case now goes to the senate. Vice president Michel Temer will take over the top job if two-thirds of the senate votes to remove Rousseff, who is accused of fudging the national budget to make the deficit appear smaller.
Oil producers failed to agree to a production freeze. Iran did not show up to their meeting in Doha, and without its participation in a freeze no such agreement was possible, Saudi Arabia insisted. With the market glut looking set to continue, oil prices plummeted.
Ecuador called a national emergency after an earthquake killed more than 270. The 7.8 magnitude earthquake, the strongest to hit the country in decades, has left thousands injured and buildings in ruins.
A British Airways flight was hit by a suspected drone. The aircraft was preparing to land at Heathrow airport, in London, when an object hit the front of the plane.
An Indian outsourcer promised to appeal a $940 million jury verdict against it. Tata Consultancy Services said it did not “misuse or derive any benefit from” documents it was accused of downloading from medical software developer Epic Systems. A US jury found in favor of Epic, which alleged Tata used the materials to develop a rival software product.
Pope Francis made an emotional visit to the refugee camp in Lesbos… He told those waiting at the Moira detention center, “Do not lose hope.” He also invited 12 Syrian refugees aboard his plane so that they could accompany him back to the Vatican.
…And he saw Bernie Sanders. While the Vermont senator was effusive about their meeting, calling the religious leader a “beautiful man,” the pontiff was more restrained. “This morning when I was leaving, senator Sanders was there,” he told reporters, suggesting the greeting was “good manners,” and not a political endorsement.
Quartz obsession interlude
Marcie Bianco on how social media “thingification” is an obstacle for feminism. “By thingification, I mean the making of ourselves into ‘things’–commodities for others’ consumption. By turning our lives into a series of images, and attempting to be desired or ‘liked’ by everyone, we end up in a state of alienation–both from others and from ourselves.” Read more here.
Matters of Debate
Robots are indeed coming for our jobs. But it’s not unemployment (paywall) we have to worry about.
Turkey’s autocrat is pulling Merkel’s strings. The German chancellor’s decision to allow the prosecution of an anti-Erdogan comedian is a blow to free speech.
America needs a cartographic makeover. The 50-state model is socially and economically outdated (paywall).
Surprising discoveries
There’s a trick to making the most of an app for booking discounted luxury hotel rooms. Step one: Don’t be cheap.
The ocean floor contains remnants of exploding stars from millions of years ago. This ancient stardust contains evidence of the explosions that made the Earth’s climate livable.
Laugh, or die! Psychologists believe your sense of humor may have evolutionary origins.
Stagnant wages aren’t problematic for everyone. But America’s Generation Xers, who are in their peak earning years, are undoubtedly suffering.
Scientists seriously need you to count baby penguins. Oxford University researchers have set up cameras across the Antarctica and are asking volunteers to help count the adults, chicks, and eggs, in an effort to track the effects of climate change.
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