Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
A long-awaited report on the UK’s role in the 2003 Iraq invasion. Sir John Chilcot has been leading an independent inquiry into the war for seven years—longer than Britain actually fought in Iraq. The report’s findings could further tarnish (paywall) the legacy of former prime minister Tony Blair.
Ban Ki-moon visits China. The UN secretary-general begins five days of meetings with Beijing officials as China conducts military drills in the South China Sea. Tensions are rising ahead of a decision next week by an international tribunal over the territorial dispute between China and the Philippines.
The US Federal Reserve releases its minutes. The central bank held rates steady in June amid worries about a sharp slowdown in hiring the previous month. The notes could shed light on how concerned it was about the domestic economy, and how much Brexit factored into its decision.
While you were sleeping
Oscar Pistorius was sentenced to six years for the murder of his girlfriend. The Paralympic athlete was initially convicted of manslaughter and given a five-year sentence, which was overturned last December. Pistorius will now serve six years for murder, much less than the prescribed 15-year minimum in South Africa.
Protesters in Louisiana demanded justice for a black man shot by police. Demonstrators gathered in Baton Rouge last night after a graphic video of the man being tackled and then shot by police officers circulated on social media. The video was shot by a bystander, and the man killed has been identified as Alton Sterling.
Donald Trump accused Hillary Clinton of bribing the US attorney general. He suggested Clinton told Loretta Lynch that she would keep her as attorney general should she win the presidency. His accusation came after the FBI recommended that no charges be pursued against Clinton for the use of a private email server while she was secretary of state, despite her many failings on how she handled classified information.
The company making Boston and Chicago’s new subway cars had huge problems. The city-state’s transportation authority said cracks have appeared in “dozens” of train cars made by CSR Sifang. One report suggested that trains were being sent back from Singapore to its factory in China for replacement.
Silvio Berlusconi sold AC Milan to a Chinese consortium. The former Italian prime minister told reporters that the buyers will pay €400 million ($442 million) over two years for the top-tier soccer club. Sources said the consortium’s offer values the club at €700-750 million, and the deal that could see the Serie A team listed on the stock exchange in China.
Quartz obsession interlude
Tim Fernholz on the real reason Elon Musk is bringing Tesla and SolarCity together. “The writing on the wall is clear: Solar City needs a new way to capture the excess power of its solar plants, or its customers will dry up. One way to capture excess power? Batteries that store the extra power within the home for use later.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Vladimir Putin’s interests align with Donald Trump’s. Russia’s attempts to back right-wing populists have found the perfect candidate.
Africa is really tired of white savior memoirs. The latest best-seller is by a Scottish actress who spent a gap year in Zambia.
US immigration policy is badly outdated. It’s focused on economic migrants from Mexico, with scant thought given to everyone else.
Surprising discoveries
Bears are right-handed. A 61-year-old Canadian man fought one off by remembering that—and using his boxing technique.
A robotic butt is helping to detect prostate cancer. The 3D-modelled rectums train doctors and provide haptic feedback.
A man beat an AI in facial recognition. Wang Yuheng, famous for his photographic memory, surpassed the AI’s 99.5% success rate.
A singularly unlucky man keeps getting killed in terrorist attacks. Or so it seems from the hoax photos that the news media keep falling for.
Russia’s notorious children’s ombudsman finally went too far. He asked the survivors of a boating accident: “So, how was the swim?“
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, robot butts, and bear vs. man street fights to hi@qz.com. You can download our iPhone app or follow us on Twitter for updates throughout the day.