Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
SABMiller’s $100 billion merger with Anheuser-Busch InBev faces its last hurdle. The deal, which would create an unprecedented giant in the global brewing industry, has taken nearly a year to win regulatory approval. On Wednesday, shareholders from both companies will weigh in on the proposed arrangement, with some key InBev investors expected to vote against it.
Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte visits Vietnam. During the two-day trip he’ll meet with his counterpart Tran Dai Quang, and is expected to discuss Vietnam’s role in the South China Sea dispute. The visit marks the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the countries.
Janet Yellen faces the House Financial Services Committee. The plan is for the US Federal Reserve chairwoman to testify on the regulation of big banks. But the hearing is not expected to stay on topic, and Yellen, who was attacked by Donald Trump during the presidential debate (paywall) for keeping interest rates low, might address the central bank’s outlook on the issue.
While you were sleeping
Former Israeli leader Shimon Peres died. A few weeks ago he had suffered a stroke and been rushed to a hospital near Tel Aviv, where his condition quickly deteriorated. Peres served once as president and twice as prime minister, and he won the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in the Oslo peace accords. He was 93 years old.
Elon Musk revealed SpaceX’s plans to take humans to Mars. He compared the idea to building the first railroad to California: It seemed absurd at first, but eventually became a key factor in the US’s growth. SpaceX will need fully recyclable rockets, ships that refuel while in orbit, and a way to produce fuel on Mars.
Barack Obama nominated Jeffrey DeLaurentis to be the US ambassador to Cuba. It’s been over 50 years since anyone filled that role. Senator Marco Rubio and others oppose a nomination until Cuba enacts political and human rights reforms. DeLaurentis currently serves as the chief of mission at the US embassy in Havana.
Cisco plans to spend as much as $4 billion expanding production in Mexico. The US maker of networking gear will upgrade its factories and create 270 new jobs in the nation, even as it cuts its global workforce by 7%.
Quartz obsession interlude
Abdi Latif Dahir on the tourists visiting Somalia to see the ruins of a two-decade civil war: “Yusuf visited Berbera, a port city where old Ottoman architectural influences are still visible. She also went to Sheikh town, where her mother grew up, traveling through the winding road with panoramic views of the Sheikh Mountain, built by the Chinese in the 1980s. Startling gazelles and camels along the way, Yusuf said, ‘My sister and I joked that it felt like we were on a safari that we didn’t remember paying for.’” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Donald Trump isn’t a master businessman, he’s just a greedy man. The Republican candidate’s pride in not paying taxes and exploiting bankruptcy laws is repellant not only to average US taxpayers, but also to other tycoons: Not one Fortune 100 CEO has donated to his campaign.
Fashion bloggers are “heralding the death of style.” So says Vogue’s editorial team, which may just feel threatened by bloggers encroaching on their turf.
The tool most commonly used to measure China’s economy doesn’t work. Trusting state GDP growth figures leaves investors open to considerable risks, while growth there doesn’t necessarily mean more consumer spending.
Surprising discoveries
Fish can be smarter than primates. It all depends on what you value as intelligence. The tiny frillfin goby, for example, escapes predators by memorizing the exact topography of the area around it.
Street talk can help your brain in the same way as being bilingual. Children who speak more than one dialect score almost as well on executive function tests as bilingual kids—and much better than monolinguals.
There’s great news if you like omelettes… The price of eggs dropped 52% in the US this year, with some places selling a dozen for as low as $0.99.
…but bad news if you like anchovies. Invasive jellyfish have been swarming over to the Italian coast on the Adriatic Sea and wreaking havoc on the tasty little fish.
Google is out to prove it really knows languages. The tech giant says its forthcoming translation software has cut down on 80% of errors, and is basically as good as human translators.
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