The Secret Behind Brazil’s IPO Boom

Sen. Lisa Murkowski Sunday became the second Republican after Maine Sen. Susan Collins to oppose President Donald Trump’s rush to nominate a replacement for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Supreme Court before the Nov. 3 election. And if former astronaut Mark Kelly, a Democrat, beats Republican Sen. Martha McSally in a special election in Arizona, he could be seated by the end of November, reducing the GOP’s current 53-47 advantage and leaving it down to Vice President Mike Pence’s deciding vote. Will it get that close? Vote on Twitter.

2. Staying Alive

Chinese tech notched up key weekend wins, with a California judge blocking the Trump administration’s plans to ban messaging platform WeChat and the president approving a deal allowing TikTok to continue operations in America. Beijing-based ByteDance will retain TikTok’s algorithm and 80 percent ownership of the app, with Oracle and Walmart splitting the rest. TikTok twinkle toes — get those dance shoes on.

3. Thai Tester

Bangkok police Monday signaled plans to charge protesters who led a historic march on the Thai royal palace over the weekend, demanding reforms to the monarchy and the resignation of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha. The protesters aren’t backing down.

4. WHO’s Right?

The World Health Organization has approved clinical trials of traditional African remedies pitched by regional leaders as potential cures for COVID-19, while the global death toll from the pandemic nears 1 million. Meanwhile thousands of Argentines have fled to Uruguay, one of the more successful nations against the virus, since the start of the pandemic.

Start stockpiling fish scales and fungi. They contain a compound, chitin, that Singapore scientists have found could prove vital for construction on the red planet when mixed with its soil. Time to run and scavenge the garbage before others get the idea ...

1. Julia Sebutinde

She knows the terror of conflict. The 66-year-old Ugandan jurist survived three civil wars before becoming the first female African judge appointed to the world’s highest court, the International Court of Justice, in 2012. Now she’s using that platform to fight for the small guy even when hers is a dissenting voice like RBG’s was so often — whether it’s the Marshall Islands against India on nuclear weapons or Senegal against Belgium on torture.

2. Rosa Weber

The vice president of Brazil’s Federal Supreme Court doesn’t shy away from taking on the country’s most powerful — or its most entrenched beliefs. In 2018, she led unprecedented public hearings on decriminalizing abortion until 12 weeks — currently allowed only to victims of rape or if the mother’s life is in danger. And last year, she challenged President Jair Bolsonaro’s decision allowing citizens to carry loaded weapons in public.

3. Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat

AppointedMalaysia’s first female chief justice last year, Tengku Maimun has built a reputation as a dissenter. Now she’s encouraging her peers on the top court to follow her example — even though that has left her in the minority in recent cases. “The loyalty that is expected from you is allegiance to defend the principle of the separation of powers, independence of the judiciary and [to] uphold the rule of law,” she told her fellow judges last year.

Aida Rodriguez is the next need-to-know name in comedy. Today, she joins OZY's co-founder and CEO on The Carlos Watson Show to discuss why Taylor Swift making collard greens angered her, her complicated relationship with fellow comedian Tiffany Haddish, and the “Karen syndrome.” Subscribe to the OZY YouTube channel to be notified when it's live. New subscribers get a chance to win an invitation to a Zoom taping with a celebrity guest!

This Emmy winner nearly picked a date over the award ceremony the year she won. Name her. 

1. Towering Titan

Wireless tower operatorIHS Holdings is preparing to go public in the U.S. with a $7 billion valuation — the largest by any African firm in America. The company is thelargest telecommunications infrastructure provider in Africa, Europe and the Middle East by number and the world's third-largest independent multinational tower company.

2. Brazil Blast

The economy’s down, but IPOs are in fashion in Brazil, witnessing a surge unseen since 2007 as firms race to draw cash from a market unmoved by the pain of millions who’ve lost jobs. One of the biggest gainers? Fashion retailer Soma Group, which raised $348 million through its late July IPO. Fashion forward indeed.

3. GiAnt Group

That’s what the Ant Group should actually be called. Owned by Alibaba founder Jack Ma, the firm behind the wildly popular Alipay app — which has more than 1 billion users — is going public in October and could have the biggest IPO in history.

Kings wore these in what is today the Republic of Congo. The sandals were also royal heirlooms, passed down from generation to generation. But the Congolese weren’t alone. Toe knob sandals — called the paduka — have also been worn for centuries in India. Ornate padukas were part of a bride’s trousseau.

2. Pointy Boots

Wear these on the dance floor and you’ll be sure to stand out. Just make sure your partner doesn’t trip on these brilliant — and relatively new — Mexican creations. Measuring up to 5 feet long, some are so big the wearer must strap them to their belt to be able to walk. This fashion statement has now made its way into the U.S. too. Point made.

3. Dep Lop

Made from discarded rubber tires, these sandals were worn by the Viet Cong as they fought the booted American military in Vietnam. The sandals won, the boots lost. Recent years have seen a revival in interest in them.

Malva pudding is a cake made with bread, apricot jam, vinegar and a generous dose of Amarula, the South African version of Bailey’s — served with ice cream. Let all your worries melt away. Read more.

2. Ice Cream Burger

Crumbled cookies, bonbons, oodles of chocolate ice cream and much more sandwiched between hamburger buns. If you can beat this Hong Kong specialty, the treat’s on me. Read more.

3. Dinosaur Delicacy

Think of the flavors of the banana, pineapple, papaya and mango … all in one. Mark Twain called the cherimoya — with its dinosaur-like skin — the most delicious fruit known to man. It’s from the Andes but you can find it on Amazon. Read more.

What’s the weirdest dessert you’ve loved?