Enter
FROM TOP: SIMON DAWSON/BLOOMBERG VIA GETTY IMAGES; SCOTT EELLS/BLOOMBERG VIA GETTY IMAGES; AFP/GETTY IMAGES
2
POINTERS
MEETING OF MINDS
The 44th annual meeting of the World
Economic Forum convened this week in
Davos, Switzerland, bringing together
more than 2,500 world leaders and at
least 40 heads of state. Ahead of the
meeting, the WEF released its “Global
Risks 2014” report, which lists issues like
high unemployment, income polarization,
water scarcity and global warming.
3
BILLION-DOLLAR BRACKET
4
HUFFINGTON
01.26.14
A winning March Madness bracket this year could
come with more than the respect of your office pool.
Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway has partnered
with online mortgage company Quicken Loans to run a
contest offering $1 billion if someone comes up with a
perfect bracket for the annual NCAA men’s basketball
tournament. The chances of winning are about 9.2
quintillion to 1, and a DePaul University bracket expert
told The New York Times he isn’t aware of a perfect
bracket ever being documented — but don’t expect that
to deter hopeful Americans. The first 10 million people to
enter will be eligible for the grand prize.
HOPE FOR SYRIA?
Negotiators came together Wednesday for
the start of a peace conference aimed at
ending the bloody Syrian civil war. The talks
began with tense exchanges — Syrian Foreign
Minister Walid al-Moallem spoke for nearly
half an hour during his allotted 10 minutes,
accusing the U.S. and its allies of supporting
terrorist groups and calling opposition fighters “traitors.” The conflict in Syria has claimed
100,000 lives since 2011, and President Bashar Assad has brutally cracked down on rebels
in the country. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and the Syrian opposition have called for a
transitional government that does not include Assad.