All your news in a single email. We scour 100+ sources so you don't have to. Culture, science, sports, politics, business, and more - all packaged in a 5-minute read below.
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Arson Possible in Greek Fires.
Officials said they have found "serious indications" that this week's Greek fires that killed over 80 people were started by arson. While declining to provide more details, Public Order Minister Nikos Toskas said ground inspections and satellite images pointed to criminal activity - meaning that they were set intentionally, not accidentally or from natural causes. The blazes were the world's deadliest wildfire event since the 2009 Australian Black Saturday bushfires that killed over 170. See drone footage of the devastation in Greece here.
In the US, large parts of Yosemite National Park have been evacuated as wildfires burned through 40,000 acres.
Amazon Cruises to Record Profit.
Amazon turned in a dominant second-quarter earnings report yesterday, more than doubling Wall Street's profit expectations. The company generated $2.5B in profit on $52.9B in total revenue during the quarter - the highest quarterly profit in its history - with earnings of $5.07 per share compared to analysts' target of $2.49. Although known primarily for e-commerce, Amazon's core profit center is actually Amazon Web Services (AWS), which provides cloud computing capabilities - revenue from AWS rose from $4.1B to $6.1B over the same period last year. Advertising, a new source of revenue for the company, rose 132% to $2.2B. Amazon's stock rose 4% in after-hours trading and its total value, or market capitalization (see definition), landed close to $910B. Amazon and Apple, which is worth around $950B and announces earnings on Tuesday, are in a race to become the world's first trillion-dollar company.
From Cricket Star to Prime Minister.
After a painfully slow vote counting process, former cricket star Imran Khan claimed victory in Pakistan's race for prime minister yesterday. Khan was backed by the country's military - which has exerted a strong hand in civilian politics in the past - and critics say the election was rigged. The campaign was marred by violence, including an election-day bombing claimed by ISIS that killed 32 outside a polling station near the Afghanistan border. Pakistan has been a fickle but necessary partner in the fight against extremism in Afghanistan, but Khan's party - the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) - generally opposes US policy in the region and was accused of funding a school where members of the notorious Haqqani Network trained. The PTI will not hold a majority in parliament, so Khan's first step will be forming a coalition government.
Khan led the country's national cricket team to the World Cup in 1992.
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Sports, Entertainment & Culture.
> Previously unpublished text, manuscripts from The Autobiography of Malcolm X sold at auction to NY Public Library ( More, paywall)
> Mixed martial artist Conor McGregor pleads guilty to charges of disorderly conduct stemming from April incident where McGregor broke a tour bus window ( More)
> Elizabeth Banks, Kristen Stewart sign on to star in Charlie's Angels reboot set for September 2019 release date ( More)
Science & Technology.
> A fast-moving star provided the first successful test of Einstein's theory of general relativity near a supermassive black hole ( More) | How objects can bend space and time ( More)
> New Alzheimer's drug slows mental decline in trials, with patients performing 30% better on cognitive tests after 18 months ( More)
> Internal documents show IBM's Watson supercomputer recommended "unsafe and incorrect" cancer treatments in clinical use ( More)
Business & Markets.
> China blocks Qualcomm's proposed $44B acquisition of Dutch chipmaker NXP ( More)
> Earnings Season: Chipotle up 7% after beating quarterly expectations under guidance of new CEO ( More) | Intel, the world's second-largest chipmaker, down 5% on lower revenues ( More)
> Facebook & Twitter executives to testify at Senate Intelligence Community hearing in September on election meddling ( More)
Politics & World Affairs.
> Freedom Caucus founder Rep. Jim Jordan (R, OH-4) announces he will run for House Speaker as Paul Ryan steps down after term ends ( More)
> President Trump says US will impose sanctions on NATO ally Turkey unless American pastor detained on terror and espionage charges is released ( More) | North Korea returns remains of Americans killed in Korean War ( More)
> Officials miss deadline to reunite families separated at border, with around 700 children out of 2500 still separated; officials cite difficulty in parental verification (More)
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Canada Is Using Ancestry DNA Websites To Help Deport People.
Vice | Tamara Khandaker. In an effort to prove the identity of individuals who are under suspicion of being illegal immigrants, Canada has begun to use the data from popular sites like Ancestry.com and Familytreedna.com to assist in their deportation process. (Read)
This Is What It’s Like To Be Kidnapped By Pirates.
GQ | Michael Scott Moore. While reporting in Somalia, Michael Scott Moore was taken captive by pirates off the shore of Hobyo. He was held captive for 32 months - here is the story of the day he tried to escape. (Read)
Political Bubbles And Hidden Diversity.
The New York Times | Staff. Do you live in a political bubble? Lose yourself exploring the most detailed map of the 2016 election available, breaking down voting records by individual precinct. (Read, paywall)
How Tech’s Richest Plan To Save Themselves After The Apocalypse.
The Guardian | Douglas Rushkoff. The world's exorbitantly wealthy tech entrepreneurs apparently have nagging fears about the dangers of global pandemics, climate change, resource depletion, and more. Here's how they plan to save themselves from (what they think is) the coming apocalypse. (Read)
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Etcetera - Best of July 2018
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Editor's Note:
Today we're bringing you a roundup of our most clicked stories over the past month. Enjoy!
(7/19) The most popular Netflix show in every country around the world.
(7/25) How being 30-years-old has changed over the last 40 years.
(7/3) The best strange-but-true facts about the US.
(7/17) Model walks down runway while breastfeeding, gets wild applause.
(7/26) Doctors confirm that soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is not human.
(7/24) Here are the most difficult languages for native English speakers to learn.
(7/10) After a 10-year hunt, 1,300-pound crocodile finally caught in Australia.
(7/18) The 16 most Instagrammable spots across the US.
(7/9) Jaw-dropping winners from the 2018 underwater photography competition.
(7/16) Here's the average age that individuals become millionaires.
(7/23) The winner of the 2018 dog photographer of the year awards are here.
Historybook: US Department of State is established (1789); HBD figure skating legend Peggy Fleming (1948); House brings impeachment charges against President Nixon (1974); NBA player Reggie Lewis collapses and dies at practice (1993); RIP Bob Hope (2003).
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"If you haven't got any charity in your heart, you have the worst kind of heart trouble."
- Bob Hope
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