Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Apple unveils its next iPhone(s). The iPhone 8 and 8 Plus are expected to have minor upgrades from existing models, but the real star will be a $1,000 special anniversary smartphone, called the iPhone Edition or iPhone X, featuring an edge-to-edge screen, wireless charging, no home button, and a powerful set of dual cameras. The event in California is scheduled for 10am US Pacific time (1am UK time).
Malaysia’s prime minister visits Washington. Donald Trump will host Najib Razak in the hopes of cultivating an Asian ally to help put pressure on North Korea (paywall). But it may be a tense visit: US prosecutors are investigating the alleged transfer of $1 billion from a state investment fund into Razak’s bank account.
France goes on strike. The massive CGT union announced 180 protests and 4,000 strikes across the country to protest president Emmanuel Macron’s proposed labor reforms. Macron, who has recently faced plunging approval ratings, will be on the Dutch-French island of Saint-Martin surveying the damage caused by Hurricane Irma.
The UN security council considers watered-down North Korea sanctions. The vote, expected in the evening New York time, will consider various penalties for Pyongyang’s recent nuclear test. But a ban on oil imports to the country, initially demanded by the United States, was removed due to objections from China and Russia.
While you were sleeping
Hurricane Irma weakened to a tropical storm. Relief efforts are underway, although the threat of dangerous storm surges and flash floods remains. Millions are still without power (paywall) as the remainder of the storm heads up to Georgia.
A NASA spacecraft prepared for its grand finale. NASA’s Cassini spacecraft captured its final images of Saturn’s Enceladus moon, which it has identified as a possible harbor for extraterrestrial life. Cassini will plunge into Saturn on Friday to avoid contaminating Enceladus and Titan with microbes from Earth.
Teva poached a new CEO, and markets cheered. The world’s largest generic drugmaker lured industry veteran Kare Schultz, CEO of Denmark’s Lundbeck, with a $20 million signing bonus. Teva’s stock, battered this year by huge debts after several large acquisitions, soared 16%; Lundbeck fell 13%.
The FBI investigated a Russian news agency. Investigators questioned a former correspondent for Sputnik, widely seen as an unofficial propaganda arm of the Kremlin, about whether he “ever got any direction from Moscow.” It’s unclear whether the investigation is also a part of a larger probe into the Trump campaign’s Russia ties.
Norway’s center-right government appeared to win a narrow victory. Prime minister Erna Solberg’s ruling party is on track to win 87 seats in the 169-seat parliament, according to official projections. That would make her the first Conservative Party leader to be re-elected in Norway since 1985.
Quartz obsession interlude
John Detrixhe on the banker who is taking care of America’s business, all by himself: “JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon is not happy with the way things are going in America. This summer he used the bank’s earnings conference call to complain about ‘the stupid shit we have to deal with in this country,’ and said he was going to be like a ‘broken record’ until some key issues like infrastructure investment, corporate tax reform, improved education, and litigation get fixed.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Suburbs are the new cities. Refugees from sky-high urban rents may end up creating new and improved urban centers.
Don’t break up the tech giants—regulate them. Authorities need to create a level playing field for Facebook, Google, and their older rivals.
George W. Bush was a beacon of tolerance compared to Donald Trump. His “Islam is peace” speech, delivered days after 9/11, shows a stark contrast to the current US president.
Surprising discoveries
The German far-right accidentally tweeted a photo of Switzerland. The nationalistic call to “take your country back” featured a stunning mountainscape that was actually the Matterhorn in Switzerland.
Kangaroos are breeding like crazy in Australia. The population has nearly doubled in the past seven years.
Scientists have discovered a new form of water. The theoretical gel-like ice would look like cotton candy (aka candy floss).
Britain’s NHS has 10% of the world’s remaining pagers. It could save an estimated £2.7 million a year by replacing them.
California is preemptively outlawing drone weed deliveries. Aircraft, watercraft, railroads, and human-powered vehicles are also banned.
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