The 10 most important things in the world right now
Good morning! Here's what you need to know on Thursday.
1. Photographs and a floor plan of the Belgian prime minister's office were found on a discarded laptop that belonged to one of the suspects linked to last week's terror attacks in Brussels, The New York Times and several Belgian news outlets reported on Wednesday.
2. Conservative mayoral candidate Zac Goldsmith has given the biggest indication yet that he will raise tube and bus fares if he is elected on May 5. Speaking in Ilford in north-east London, Goldsmith attacked rival Sadiq Khan's "reckless" promise to freeze fares for four years.
3. "No specific target" has been identified for the attack foiled in France last week in which suspected jihadist Reda Kriket was arrested and an arsenal of weapons and explosives found at his home, the state prosecutor said Wednesday.
5. BlackRock, the world's largest asset manager, is planning to cut about 400 jobs, or three percent of its workforce, Bloomberg reported, citing people with knowledge of the matter. The cuts will be announced in the coming weeks
6. President Bashar al-Assad said it would not be difficult to agree a new Syrian government including opposition figures. His opponents argue that no administration would be legitimate while he remained in power.
7. Nest, the company Google bought for $3.2 billion, could be facing a talent exodus, Re/code reports. Many of Nest's employees are reportedly nearing the point when their stock vests, meaning that the so-called golden handcuffs keeping them at the company are about to be unlocked.
8. A California judge on Wednesday indefinitely postponed a sworn deposition of Bill Cosby in a sexual assault lawsuit against the comedian, citing his right to avoid self-incrimination in a separate criminal case pending in Pennsylvania.
10. Taxi app Gett has acquired rival firm Radio Taxis for an undisclosed sum to help it compete with Uber. Gett's app allows people to hail a cab in a matter of minutes but unlike Uber, Gett's service (in London) uses licensed black cab drivers.
And finally ... Step inside a Russian billionaire's son's insane £700-million wedding.