Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Shinzo Abe heads to Mar-a-Lago. The Japanese prime minister will join US president Donald Trump to discuss trade and North Korea, at a time when both leaders are engulfed by scandals. The two will also play golf.
Emmanuel Macron addresses the European Parliament. The French president is expected to discuss EU integration in his keynote address, which comes on the heels of Paris joining the US and Britain in missile attacks on Syria, as well as France’s anti-Macron rail strikes.
Protests in Armenia continue. Thousands took to the streets over the weekend and yesterday in the capital Yerevan in protest of a move by the president to maintain his grip on power. Serzh Sarkisian’s final term as president ended last week, but parliament is expected today to elect him as prime minister.
Goldman Sachs reports earnings. The investment bank is likely to report higher revenue in its trading business in the first quarter, due to higher volatility in markets.
While you were sleeping
Sean Hannity shares a lawyer with Donald Trump. The president’s attorney, Michael Cohen, seeking to block prosecutors’ access to documents seized in a raid last week, was forced by a judge to acknowledge that he also has an attorney-client relationship with the Fox News star (paywall).
China’s economic growth beat expectations. The world’s second-largest economy posted growth (paywall) of 6.8% in the first quarter of the year, above the government’s annual target of 6.5%, defying concerns that China’s economic growth could take a hit due to trade tensions with the US. Of course, the numbers can’t always be trusted.
Two exposés of Harvey Weinstein won a Pulitzer Prize. The winners of the top US journalism prize included the New York Times’ Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey, and the New Yorker’s Ronan Farrow, for their reports that ignited the #MeToo reckoning. Kendrick Lamar became the first rapper ever to win the music prize.
South Korean police are formally investigating a Korean Air heiress. Authorities are seeking a travel ban on Cho Hyun-min, after she was accused of assaulting an advertising executive. Cho is the sister of the Korean Air executive who was indicted for her “nut rage” episode in 2014.
Quartz obsession interlude
Josh Horwitz on the AI company that’s quietly watching people in China: “If a person goes shopping at Suning, one of China’s largest electronics retailers, it’s possible that a camera in the store is tracking her behavior using SenseTime’s software. Later, if she opens Rong360, a peer-to-peer lending app, she’ll be asked to login using facial recognition—powered by SenseTime… And if she finds herself approached by police officers in the subway, it’s possible SenseTime helped identify her.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
The world’s largest advertising company is vulnerable to a breakup. Martin Sorrell was the man holding WPP together.
The biggest myth of nomadic travel is that anyone can do it. Having a powerful passport, a permanent address, and good health-care are just some of the prerequisities for roaming in Bali with a laptop.
The point of the Commonwealth is increasingly unclear. The role of the bloc, which encompasses 2.4 billion people, needs to be redefined as the reign of Queen Elizabeth II could soon be drawing to a close.
Surprising discoveries
The Belgian army wants to attract more millennials. It plans to let recruits sleep at home (paywall) on weekdays.
Chinese women are ditching push-up bras. They’re choosing comfort over conforming to unrealistic beauty standards.
The South Korean actress who was abducted by North Korea has died. Choi Eun-hee, who was held hostage by film fanatic Kim Jong-il for eight years, was 91.
The Dutch are getting less tolerant of marijuana. The Hague is the first city in the Netherlands to ban smoking cannabis in the city center.
Turkmenistan banned bikini imports. The country’s president, who calls himself “the Protector,” also banned black cars because white ones bring good fortune.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, wire-free bras, and banned bikinis to hi@qz.com. You can follow us on Twitter for updates throughout the day or download our apps for iPhone and Android. Today’s Daily Brief was written by Isabella Steger and edited by Steve Mollman.