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What to watch for today and over the weekend
Iraq holds a parliamentary election. Authorities will ban firearms and close border routes ahead of Saturday’s vote, which has already been delayed by widespread violence. More than 15 assassination attempts were made on election officials and candidates in the past month, and ISIL has ramped up threats against all who participate.
Donald Trump talks drug prices. The president will outline his strategy on lowering prescription drug prices in the US. He’ll target multiple parties across the industry—drug companies, lobbyists, pharmacy benefit managers—and “foreign governments free-riding off of American investment in innovation,” according to US health secretary Alex Azar.
Kenya launches its first satellite. The University of Nairobi, partnering with Japan’s space agency, will send the first sub-Saharan African nano satellite into orbit today. The million-dollar cubed device will loop the Earth every 90 minutes, providing Kenya with weather, mapping, and environmental data over its lifespan of 12 to 18 months.
While you were sleeping
A pro-Brexit campaign group was fined for breaking electoral rules. Leave.EU, bankrolled by billionaire Arron Banks, broke the legal spending limit by at least 10% and filed inaccurate financial statements. It was fined £70,000 ($95,000) and the group’s campaign chief was referred to the police.
Volvo Cars is preparing for an IPO. The Swedish automaker’s Chinese owner has appointed investment banks to explore a dual listing in Sweden and Hong Kong. It hopes to fetch a valuation of up to $30 billion.
The Philippines ousted the chief justice of its supreme court. Maria Lourdes Sereno, the country’s first female chief justice, was a critic of president Rodrigo Duterte, who urged lawmakers to remove her or “I’ll do it for you.” Her predecessor, Renato Corona, was also ousted, in 2012.
Eurovision fought back against LGBT censorship in China. The European Broadcasting Union barred China’s Mango TV from showing Saturday’s final of the singing contest, after the channel cut an act with a gay love scene in the first semi-final. Chinese authorities are increasingly restricting LGBT content.
A key opposition leader in Malaysia will be freed from jail. After being sworn in yesterday, prime minister Mahathir Mohamad announced that the country’s king has agreed to pardon and immediately release Anwar Ibrahim. Mahathir, 92, has pledged to eventually hand the premiership to Anwar, his former nemesis.
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Matters of debate
Don’t spend money on Mother’s Day. The holiday’s founder strongly disagreed with the commercialization of a day meant for children to honor their moms.
Feral cats are ruining the ecosystem. They kill environmentally crucial birds and spell trouble for ecosystems.
It’s a myth that you can’t pair seafood with cheese. The prohibition comes from Italians, who believe it muddles the flavors.
Surprising discoveries
UPS’s new electric truck is more than just adorable. Its cute design helps keep the driver aware by providing a wider field of vision.
Even plants need beauty sleep. Darwin studied the effects of regular rest on trees and houseplants, observing that their leaves droop overnight and perk back up in the morning.
An actress had the lowest rent in New York City until her death this year. Patricia O’Grady had no heat or hot water, but thanks to rent control she made it work for 63 years.
Chinese smartphone brands are huge in Europe. Apple’s and Samsung’s sales figures slid in 2017, but Huawei and Xiaomi made robust gains.
Siri and Alexa can hear commands you can’t. Researchers say they embedded commands (paywall) within music and spoken text to control virtual assistants without owners noticing.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, arboreal lullabies, and imperceptible commands 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 Akshat Rathi and edited by Jason Karaian.