Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today and over the weekend
World leaders converge in Sicily for the annual G7 summit. Climate change and international trade policy are on the agenda for the two-day event. US president Donald Trump is skeptical of both issues.
AlphaGo goes for the sweep. The suspense during Saturday’s match between Google’s Go-playing AI and world number one Ke Jie will be minimal, after AlphaGo swept the first two games. Today, the AI will compete against a team of top humans working together.
India’s longest bridge opens near the disputed border with China. It runs from Assam across a Brahmaputra River tributary to Arunachal Pradesh, which China has claimed as South Tibet. Stretching 9.2 km (5.7 miles), the tank-ready bridge will make it easier for India to send troops, weapons, and equipment to the northeast state—and keep an eye on its neighbor.
While you were sleeping
A US appeals court declined to reinstate Trump’s travel ban. Judges confirmed a lower court ruling that the ban discriminates on the basis of religion. Trump has vowed to fight the ruling, and the case will likely make its way to the Supreme Court.
The FBI turned its attention to Jared Kushner. It believes Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser has significant information related to its probe into Russia meddling in the 2016 US presidential election and related matters. While Kushner hasn’t been accused of wrongdoing, the FBI’s interest in him brings the investigation closer to not just the White House, but also the Trump family circle.
Nissan could fetch $1 billion for its stake in a rechargeable-battery unit. The carmaker owns 51% of Automotive Energy Supply, a venture with NEC that makes lithium-ion batteries for electric cars, including the Nissan Leaf. It’s nearing a deal to sell the stake to a Chinese private-equity firm, according to Bloomberg. Beijing wants China to produce more such batteries.
Greg Gianforte won the Montana race for US Congress despite body-slamming a journalist. The Republican millionaire was charged on Wednesday after assaulting Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs, whose questions were apparently annoying. Montana’s three largest newspaper rescinded their endorsements for Gianforte afterwards, but he won anyway.
Quartz obsession interlude
Akshat Rathi on the Chinese company training US coal miners to become wind farmers: “If you want to truly understand what’s happening in the energy industry, the best thing to do is to travel deep into the heart of American coal country, to Carbon County, Wyoming (yes, that’s a real place).” Read more here.
Markets haiku
Mallrats can rejoice / Best Buy shows retail’s not dead / Sears? Um, not so much.
Matters of debate
The $11 million budget for Star Wars was the best film investment ever made. The film, released 40 years ago, pulled in almost $2 billion and spawned a money-making empire.
NAFTA is good for America—and Canada and Mexico can explain why. The countries’ foreign ministers are debunking Trump’s myths about trade.
Saudi Arabia is OPEC’s weakest link. The looming IPO of Saudi Aramco will make it impossible to support the cartel’s attempts to cut production.
Surprising discoveries
The World Bank’s chief economist was demoted for his crusade against “and.” Paul Romer pushed staff to write more clearly and avoid “Bankspeak.”
Scientists have discovered the first snakes that hunt in packs. They hang from the mouths of caves in Cuba to catch bats.
Texas has approved the hunting of feral pigs from hot air balloons. They’re a lot more stealthy than helicopters.
A Swiss watchmaker is trolling Apple with a faux-smartwatch. The analog timepiece from H. Moser & Cie “cultivates this ambiguity in irreverent fashion.”
Kuwaiti officials caught a drug-smuggling pigeon wearing a backpack. It was carrying nearly 200 pills over the border from Iraq.
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