Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Italy forms a government at last. The anti-establishment Five Star Movement and far-right League parties are expected to finalize a coalition deal and name a new prime minister, after interminable discussions following March’s general election. Watch for market reaction to the composition and agenda of the new populist government.
The US opens its embassy in Jerusalem. Timed to the opening, tens of thousands of protestors in the Gaza Strip are expected to gather along the Israeli border, with the ruling Hamas group saying a border breach is possible. Israel for its part has been holding celebrations, including one attended last night by Ivanka Trump and husband Jared Kushner.
Iraq’s full election results. The outcomes in 10 of 19 provinces have been released, and it’s not looking good for prime minister Haider al-Abadi. Instead a list backed by anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has taken a surprise lead. Sadr has no direct political role but has thrown his weight behind an alliance of followers pledging to fight government corruption.
Over the weekend
Donald Trump gave ZTE a lifeline. On Twitter he pledged to help the Chinese phone manufacturer, which last week announced a suspension of operations due to recent US trade restrictions. The US hit ZTE with a trade ban last month after the company breached a 2017 settlement over its earlier violations of Iran sanctions.
Terrorists struck Indonesia’s second-largest city. Thirteen people were killed and dozens injured in coordinated suicide-bomber attacks on Christian churches in Surabaya on Sunday morning. ISIL claimed responsibility. Today the city’s police headquarters were also bombed, with the number of casualties not immediately clear.
North Korea said it will dismantle its Punggye-ri nuclear site next week. Kim Jong-un invited international journalists to observe the event, which involves destroying tunnels, removing buildings, and blocking entrances. The announcement comes one month before Kim is set to meet with Donald Trump in Singapore.
Five people were stabbed in Paris. One person was killed and four injured in the Saturday evening attack, which is being treated as a terrorist incident. The Chechnya-born suspect, who was shot dead by police in the Opera district, was previously flagged by counterterrorism agents as a security risk. ISIL claimed responsibility for the attack.
Silvio Berlusconi was cleared to run for office. An Italian court cited Berlusconi’s “good conduct” as reason to lift the ban on him seeking office until 2019. The former prime minister was convicted in 2013 for tax fraud, but he’s continued to lead the Forza Italia party and is an ally of the soon-to-be-in-government League party.
Israel’s Netta Barzilai won Eurovision 2018. The singer stole the hearts of audiences and judges with her performance of “Toy,” a song about empowerment that included her signature chicken dance. Meanwhile a man invaded the stage and grabbed the microphone from UK entrant SuRie, who declined the chance to perform again.
Quartz obsession interlude
Thu-Huong Ha on refreshing spring reads. “Somewhere between the caffeinated rabbit hole of an epic winter read and the buzzed, sandy sensation of a summer page-turner, is the spring read. It’s a book that… makes you stretch after a long nap and say, ‘That was a hell of a winter; let’s not go back there for a while.’” Read more here.
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Matters of debate
The US has always broken its promises. Trump exiting the Iran deal adds to the long history of America reneging on pacts, dating to before the country’s founding.
China has no incentive to change its trade policies. Demands from the US are simply too one-sided, and only hinder China’s global export ambitions.
Artificial intelligence won’t eliminate poverty. Humans created systemic inequality, and it’s up to us to dismantle it.
Surprising discoveries
America is running out of space for its trash. China’s recent ban on accepting foreign recyclables means US landfills might be completely full in just 13 years.
Treadmills were originally designed to punish prisoners. As many as two dozen prisoners at a time would serve punishment “grinding air” on the original machine.
The fibs told by moms are pretty universal. Moms worldwide tell similar lies to deter their kids from acting up.
Jean-Paul Sartre was the original self-help guru. The French philosopher’s work shares the self-help industry’s focus on human potential.
Finns aren’t happy about their reputation for being happy. The country’s top ranking in the World Happiness Report has been met with skepticism at home.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, spring reads, and classic mom fibs 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 Steve Mollman and edited by Alice Truong.