Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
America’s top general reassures Seoul. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, will discuss the threat of North Korea with South Korean president Moon Jae-in before visiting Japan and China. The meeting follows a war of words between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump.
Election campaigning kicks off in Germany. Angela Merkel slammed the scandalous behavior of the country’s auto bosses at the weekend and will give her first radio interview (link in German) since coming back from vacation, later today.
Trump ramps up trade pressure on China. The president is expected to order an investigation into China’s allegedly unfair trade practices, including things like forcing US firms in China to hand over intellectual property. An investigation could ultimately lead to steep tariffs.
Over the weekend
The FBI launched an investigation into violence at a white nationalist rally. A 32-year-old woman was killed after a car plowed into a crowd of counter-protesters at a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. About 35 people were injured and two police troopers also lost their lives in a helicopter accident. Trump was criticized for failing to condemn neo-Nazi violence by name.
Bitcoin hit a new high. The cryptocurrency surged to over $4,000 this weekend. As global geopolitical tensions rise, bitcoin is acting like a disaster hedge, much like gold. It’s also moving into the mainstream: Fidelity Investments announced last week that clients could use its website to view their digital-currency holdings.
Latin America condemned Trump’s military threat against Venezuela. Regional leaders denounced the president’s bellicose rhetoric, saying it actually helped Nicolás Maduro, the nation’s autocratic leader, by supporting his portrayal of the US as an aggressive imperialist. US vice president Mike Pence will tour the region this week.
Gunmen attacked diners in Burkina Faso. Suspected Islamist extremists opened fire on customers at a Turkish restaurant in the capital Ouagadougou on Sunday evening, killing 18. The restaurant is popular with foreigners, and the attack has brought back memories of a similar one in January last year.
Heartbreak at a hospital in India. The head of a government hospital was fired on Sunday, after 60 children died in five days, reportedly from a lack of oxygen. The hospital’s supply of liquid oxygen was reportedly disrupted by a vendor because of an unpaid bill.
Quartz obsession interlude
Adam Epstein on the Family Guy creator’s mission to bring back optimistic sci-fi. ”‘I miss the forward-thinking, aspirational, optimistic place in science fiction that Star Trek used to occupy,'” Seth MacFarlane told a group of TV critics. ‘I’m tired of being told that everything is going to be grim and dystopian and people are going to be murdering each other for food.'” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Kim Jong-un is acting like a CEO. The North Korean leader is implementing his vision (paywall) and treating the country like a corporation.
Arm wrestling is a legitimate sport. Dating back to ancient Egypt, it’s experiencing a renaissance for a reason.
Skyscrapers have made China more beautiful. A photographer makes his case with drone photos.
Surprising discoveries
Alcohol helps goldfish survive long winters. Higher blood-alcohol content helps them live in oxygen-free waters for months.
Harry Potter fans in Asia are endangering owls. More than 13,000 wild owls were sold as pets in Indonesia in 2016, compared with just a few hundred when the first film was released.
London’s Big Ben will go silent for the next four years. The iconic Parliament clock tower—said to be the most photographed site in the UK—needs a major renovation.
Human poop could be a sustainable cooking fuel. A Kenyan company is transforming fecal waste into charcoal-like briquettes.
The UAE banned a brand of soy sauce for its alcohol content. Some products may be about 2% alcohol due to the natural fermentation process.
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