Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
China and Pakistan meet about infrastructure. The Joint Cooperation Committee on the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will hold a meeting in Beijing to evaluate ongoing infrastructure and energy projects. CPEC has strong critics in both countries; last week, Pakistan’s federal minister for planning, development, and reform said CPEC initiatives would alleviate the energy crisis, foster equality, and improve quality of life.
Japan releases industrial output and retail sales data. Manufacturers polled by the country’s Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry expect industrial output to have jumped by 4.5% in November, which would be its fourth consecutive increase. Meanwhile, November retail sales will follow a 0.1% year-over-year drop in October, the eighth straight month of decline.
Somalia holds presidential elections—really this time. Originally scheduled for August, the country’s presidential contest has been rescheduled three times over clan disputes, logistical problems, and lack of security. The National Leadership Forum—made up of the president, the prime minister, leaders of federal regions, and clan elders—says the vote will definitely happen on Dec. 28.
While you were sleeping
Japan’s prime minister visited Pearl Harbor. Shinzo Abe joined Barack Obama at a memorial atop the remains of the USS Arizona, seven months after Obama became the first sitting US president to visit Hiroshima. Abe’s visit had been touted as the first to Pearl Harbor by a Japanese head of state since World War II, but that’s not entirely accurate. While he is the first to visit the Arizona, at least three other Japanese PMs have paid their respects in Honolulu, including Nobusuke Kishi, prime minister from 1957 to 1960 and Abe’s grandfather.
Toshiba warned of a multibillion-dollar writedown. The Japanese company said it is considering measures to raise capital after warning that it expects a writedown of as much as several billion dollars related to its 2015 acquisition of a US nuclear power plant construction company. Toshiba is still recovering from from a $1.9 billion accounting scandal (paywall), and a 2015 writedown of more than $2 billion for its nuclear business.
China laid out a cybersecurity strategy. In a new report, the Cyberspace Administration of China outlined plans to formalize security reviews for equipment suppliers in industries ranging from finance to energy to education. In the report, Beijing emphasized plans to protect its internet sovereignty by legal, economic, or even military means.
Turkey’s first alleged coup participants went on trial. Twenty-nine police officers face sentences of up to life in prison over their involvement in the failed July 15 putsch. The charges range from attempting to overthrow the constitutional order to membership in a terrorist organization. Some 40,000 people have been arrested since the would-be coup, in which 240 people were killed.
US consumer confidence hit a 15-year high. The Conference Board said its Consumer Confidence Index rose to 113.7 for December, from 109.4 in November, reaching its highest point since August 2001. Meanwhile, home prices in 20 US cities rose 5.1% in October over the same month last year, following a 5% year-over-year increase in September. Prices are still 7.1% below their July 2006 peak.
Actress Carrie Fisher died at age 60. The actress, author, screenwriter, and script doctor—best known for playing Princess Leia Organa in the original Star Wars trilogy—died in Los Angeles, four days after suffering a heart attack. Over the course of her career, Fisher was candid about her experiences with marital discord, drug addiction, and bipolar disorder.
Quartz obsession interlude
Amy X. Wang on music’s dizzying year of change. “Something new. That’s the key word here, the one that describes all the conscious efforts of many artists, in 2016, to make their releases stand apart. Musicians—true ones, anyway—have always done their best to differentiate their work from that of others past and present. (Some would argue that’s one of the most imperative points of art.) Now they’re doing the same with the way their music comes out, too.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Respect for others should be taught in school. Educators can respond to identitarian movements by helping students identify their own biases.
Time-management is ruining our lives. The quest for personal productivity only creates more anxiety.
Humans should leave Mars alone. Making the planet habitable is theoretically possible, but also unethical.
Surprising discoveries
China is planning a “toilet revolution.” The country will construct or renovate 100,000 public toilets by 2020 in an effort to attract tourists.
Indonesian bus horns are being sampled by DJs. The brief melodies are hugely popular with kids in Java.
An Amazon Echo might have overheard a murder. Arkansas police want to know if the device picked up audio that could help in their investigation.
Governments once wanted to abolish passports. Enabling easy migration was seen as a vital international goal until World War I.
Egyptian fruit bats argue—a lot. About 60% of their disputes are over food, sleeping positions, unwanted mating advances, or personal space.
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