- Rhetorical question of the day: Twisted Geniuses or Bumbling Ex-Academics? (WSJ)
- Markets Steady on Quarter’s Last Day (WSJ)
- Their fortunes enmeshed, Trump and Putin to hold first meeting next week (Reuters)
- Oil Is Set for Longest Rally of 2017 (BBG)
- Brightening economy sets euro up for strongest quarter since debt crisis (Reuters)
- Eurozone Inflation Falls Again in Setback for ECB (WSJ)
- Trump’s Travel Ban Takes Effect, Setting Strict Entry Limits (WSJ)
- China says HK joint declaration no longer has meaning (Reuters)
- U.S. likely to bar Japan investigators from interviewing warship crew, official says (Reuters)
- Chinese Regulators Play Whac-A-Mole With Banks (WSJ)
- Trump says he is sending federal help to fight Chicago crime (Reuters)
- Iraq’s Dilemma: Who Will Lead the Next Big Fight Against ISIS? (WSJ)
- Shkreli’s Hedge Fund Went From Success to Bust in 31 Minutes (BBG)
- Ron Dennis to Sell Stakes in McLaren, Step Down as Chairman (BBG)
- Twitter is looking for ways to let users flag fake news, offensive content (WaPo)
- Europe’s Car-Leasing Boom Sets Off Alarm Bells (BBG)
- Google’s Main Strategy Is Under Threat From EU (WSJ)
- German lawmakers approve same-sex marriage in landmark vote (Reuters)
- Electric Cars Are Coming Faster Than You Think (BBG)
- China 'outraged' by $1.42 billion planned U.S. arms sales to Taiwan (Reuters)
- Traders Who Left Banks for Hedge Funds Now Heading Back to Banks (BBG)
- Heathrow Express Braces for Crossrail to End Airport Monopoly (BBG)
Overnight Media Digest
WSJ
- Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc and Rite Aid Corp scrapped their $9.4 billion merger agreement, the latest in a series of high-profile deals to be derailed by antitrust enforcers. on.wsj.com/2sXN7wk
- Sycamore Partners intends to split Staples Inc into three to help fund its $6.9 billion purchase of the office-supply seller, in another sign of the challenges facing the retail industry. on.wsj.com/2sXDY6Q
- Swedish fashion retailer H&M reported quarterly operating margin that was higher than a year earlier, despite the continuing decline in same-store sales. on.wsj.com/2sXEemk
- Nike Inc's chief executive said the company is starting a pilot program to sell sneakers through Amazon.com Inc ending a long stalemate between the sportswear giant and the online retailer. on.wsj.com/2sXQG5t
FT
* British Prime Minister Theresa May won backing for her policy programme with a slender parliamentary majority on Thursday in the first test of her authority after an election setback and growing pressure on her Brexit and austerity agenda.
* Britain intends to subject Rupert Murdoch's takeover of European pay-TV group Sky to a lengthy in-depth investigation after finding the $15 billion deal risks giving the media mogul too much power over the news agenda.
* President Donald Trump on Thursday promoted a "golden era" of the U.S. energy business by seeking to assert power abroad through a boost in natural gas, coal and petroleum exports.
NYT
- The British authorities asked regulators to further examine 21st Century Fox's $15 billion deal for the European satellite giant Sky Plc. nyti.ms/2sssyog
- U.S. President Donald Trump lashed out Thursday at the appearance and intellect of Mika Brzezinski, a co-host of MSNBC's "Morning Joe," drawing condemnation from his fellow Republicans and reigniting the controversy over his attitudes toward women that nearly derailed his candidacy last year. nyti.ms/2ssYf0y
- The Trump administration has imposed sanctions on a Chinese bank, a Chinese company and two Chinese citizens in an effort to crack down on North Korea's financing and development of weapons of mass destruction. nyti.ms/2ssOOOJ
- Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc and Rite Aid Corp said they had called off their long-planned merger after antitrust authorities indicated they were not likely to approve the combination of two of the nation's biggest drugstore chains. nyti.ms/2ssPweB
- Greta Van Susteren confirmed her departure from MSNBC, five and a half months into the job, with a post on Twitter that read "I am out at MSNBC." nyti.ms/2ssHhzm
- Shares of Blue Apron Holdings Corp had a bland market debut on Thursday, as investors proved wary of the meal-kit provider and its initial public offering. nyti.ms/2ssBWIx
Britain
The Times
- Twenty-First Century Fox Inc's 11.7 billion pounds ($15.22 billion) bid to take control of Sky Plc faces more regulatory hurdles after the UK government said it was minded to ask Britain's competition watchdog to examine the deal. bit.ly/2sWM9Ah
- Gatwick will make a fresh pitch for a second runway as the airport says that for the first time it had carried more than 44 million passengers in a year. bit.ly/2sWWe0d
The Guardian
- UK's Financial Conduct Authority is scrutinising the fast-growing car finance sector and has held discussions with U.S. authorities about the market. bit.ly/2sXczSx
- Banks should disclose lending to companies with carbon-related risks, according to recommendations in a new report by the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures. bit.ly/2sWMnHz
The Telegraph
- Virgin Media plans to make about 200 redundancies following a management shake-up at the cable operator. The planned cuts follow the operator's failure earlier this year to hit network expansion targets. bit.ly/2sX7SZ2
- The Turkish exile owner of the British luxury smartphone brand Vertu Corp Ltd plans to put its manufacturing arm into administration to wipe out heavy debts. bit.ly/2sX6KV4
Sky News
- Ron Dennis, the former boss of the McLaren automotive group, is to sever his decades-long ties with the company with the sale of his shareholding in a 275 million pounds deal. bit.ly/2sWSFXR
- Australian DIY chain Bunnings says it will create over 1,000 new jobs in UK after its parent firm bought the Homebase brand last year. bit.ly/2sWGytU
The Independent
- The widows of four men executed by Nigeria's military regime in 1995 are suing oil giant Royal Dutch Shell Plc for allegedly aiding the army crackdown which led to their husbands' deaths. ind.pn/2sWORWA