What to watch for today
Japan talks fintech. Participants at the Bank of Japan’s first FinTech Forum will tackle topics like biometric identification and blockchain technology. The one-day event is part of the bank’s effort to ensure sustainable growth in the Japanese economy through the development of financial services.
John Kerry travels to Kenya, Nigeria, and Saudi Arabia. The US secretary of state meets with foreign ministers on issues ranging from counterterrorism to economic stability. Meanwhile, US president Barack Obama will make his own trip to flood-damaged Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where 13 people have died and thousands have lost their homes.
Remembering victims of slavery. UNESCO’s ‘International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition’ marks a 1791 uprising of slaves in Haiti that became a turning point in the establishment of universal human rights. Researchers estimate that there are still 21 million people in slavery worldwide.
While you were sleeping
Angela Merkel began her post-Brexit tour. The German chancellor kicked off a week of intense diplomacy with core EU allies, including Italian prime minister Matteo Renzi and French president Francois Hollande. The meetings are part of her preparation for a summit of 27 EU countries in September to discussion the future of European integration. The UK isn’t invited.
Nicolas Sarkozy asked for his job back. The former French president launched a campaign for the 2017 presidential race, promising to be tough on immigration and preserve France’s secular values. The polarizing politician’s popularity has inched upward since his return to politics in late 2014 to lead the center-right party, Les Republicains.
Militants in Nigeria’s oil-rich delta declared a ceasefire. The Niger Delta Avengers committed to talks with the Nigerian government after months of sabotaging oil installations across the region. But the group threatened to revert to violence if the government continues to “arrest, intimidate, invade, and harass” suspected members.
The Philippines counted the toll of its war on drugs. President Rodrigo Duterte vowed to rid the country of drug dealers when he took office in June. Since then, more than 700 people have been killed in drug-related police operations, while 1,067 were murdered by vigilantes, the country’s top police official announced.
More fallout for Ryan Lochte. A week after Lochte was accused by Brazilian authorities of lying about an alleged robbery in Rio, Speedo announced it was cutting ties with the US swimmer, calling his behavior counter to the brand’s values. Three other companies—Ralph Lauren, Syneron-Candela, and Airweave—quickly followed suit.
Quartz markets haiku
Calm markets ease up,
Greater wealth is shared by all,
But mostly Bill Gates
Quartz obsession interlude
Anne Quito on fixing the most annoying feature of video calls. “Office workers who embrace the flexibility and productivity of working from home frequently rely on videoconferencing services to ‘call in’ to meetings—only to be distracted by their own physical flaws, bad hair days, and under-eye circles, which appear with awful clarity on screen. For the designers trying to fix it, this nagging distraction even has a name: the appearance barrier.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Destroying history should be a war crime. The trial of an Islamist fighter charged with ruining parts of the fabled city of Timbuktu acknowledges the sanctity of our cultural heritage.
Women drink to deal with sexism. Society’s unrealistic expectations and ingrained misogyny are driving women to the bottle.
TV shows are terrible at showing text exchanges. Directors need to cut the cheesy phone screen and emoji shots, and trust viewers to connect the dots.
Surprising discoveries
Hey Siri, it’s Streisand, not Streizand. Tim Cook agreed to fix the pronunciation by Apple’s personal assistant of the iconic singer’s name after Streisand called him to complain.
Japan sells the most physical music in the world. The island nation’s large aging population, averse to digital downloads, prefers to browse its 6,000 music stores.
Ramen noodles have replaced cigarettes as a prison commodity. Food cost cuts in overcrowded US prisons are making the noodles a prized currency.
Nikola Tesla dreamed up killer drones a century ago. The inventor outlined a destructive wireless drone-like device in an 1898 patent filing.
Empathy training is a vital part of Denmark’s national curriculum. Schoolchildren learn to process their emotional responses in weekly sessions.
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