Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
The US opens its embassy in Jerusalem. Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner are in Israel for the inauguration of the embassy. Thousands of Palestinians are gathering in Gaza to protest along the perimeter fence separating Israel from the Gaza Strip.
Italy finally forms a government. Two months after the general election, the anti-establishment Five Star Movement and far-right League parties are expected to finalize a coalition deal and name a new prime minister.
Iraq’s election results. It’s not looking good for prime minister Haider al-Abadi after a bloc backed by anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr is reported to have taken a surprise lead.
Over the weekend
Trump threw ZTE a lifeline. The Chinese smartphone maker halted production on May 9, after it was hit by a US trade ban last month. On Sunday, however, the president pledged to help ZTE get back in business at the personal request of Chinese president Xi Jinping. Trump’s U-turn was seen as a concession to Beijing ahead of the next round of trade talks this week.
Xerox nixed its merger deal with Fujifilm. It’s a victory for activist investors Carl Icahn and Darwin Deeson, who fought to block the planned $6.1 billion deal, which they said undervalued the US printer company. Xerox also agreed to replace its chief executive and overhaul its management.
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. Today, the city’s police headquarters were bombed, injuring 10 people. ISIL claimed responsibility for the church attacks.
… And ISIL claimed responsibility for an attack in Paris. One person was killed and four injured in a Saturday evening knife 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.
North Korea said it will dismantle its Punggye-ri nuclear site next week. Kim Jong-un invited international journalists to observe the event. The announcement comes one month before Kim is set to meet Trump in Singapore. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Sunday that the administration would allow the US private sector to invest in the country if Pyongyang agrees to completely de-nuke.
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.
China has no incentive to change its trade policies. The US’s demands hinder Beijing’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 were forced to “grind air” on the original machine.
The fibs told by moms are pretty universal. Mothers everywhere 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.
Landlocked Bolivia maintains a 5,000-strong navy. The country ceded its 250-mile coastline to Chile over 100 years ago, but hasn’t given up hope of getting it back.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, spring reads, and existential crises 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 Jill Petzinger and edited by Lianna Brinded.