Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
France holds a summit on Libya. President Emmanuel Macron is hosting a UN-sponsored conference aimed at finalizing elections, as the North African country continues to be divided by warring factions.
Narendra Modi takes India’s “Act East” policy on the road. As he tries to strengthen ties with ASEAN member countries, the prime minister begins a three-day trip to Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia to discuss regional security, as well as economic and business links.
The Bank of Italy holds its annual meeting in Rome. Amid political chaos, governor Ignazio Visco will present an annual report on Italy’s economic development in the past year. The country’s persistently weak economy ushered in an uneasy coalition of populist parties that have now put the nation’s place in the euro zone in jeopardy.
Canada tries to unclog NAFTA talks. Foreign affairs minister Chrystia Freeland is heading to Washington in another effort to move forward negotiations on the continental trade agreement. Increasingly tough US demands mean efforts to fix the treaty between the US, Mexico, and Canada have stalled.
US Starbucks stores are closing for implicit bias training. Some 175,000 employees across 8,000 stores will receive the racial bias training, after a Philadelphia store manager called the police on two black men sitting in a store in April. Musician Common is helping out.
While you were sleeping
Pret a Manger could be sold. The sandwich-shop chain’s private-equity owner Bridgepoint could offload the company to JAB Holding, a privately held German investment group, for £1.5 billion ($2 billion) the FT reported (paywall). The conglomerate has been acquisitive in the consumer industry, buying Panera Bread last year for $7.5 billion.
The Golden State Warriors are going to the NBA finals. The team beat the Houston Rockets 101-92 in game 7 of the Western Conference finals. The Warriors will play the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday in game 1.
North Korea diplomacy continued apace. Delegations from the US and North met in Singapore to discuss protocol issues ahead of the planned June 12 summit between Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un there. Meanwhile, a senior North Korean official sanctioned by the US, Kim Yong Chol, is en route to Washington.
Roman Abramovich became an Israeli citizen. The Russian billionaire and owner of Chelsea Football Club, facing tighter visa restrictions in the UK, plans to move to Tel Aviv. Israel’s interior ministry said Abramovich’s request was approved according to the country’s law of return, which grants citizenship to any Jewish person wishing to move there.
Quartz Obsession interlude
Ephrat Livni on how US Supreme Court justices show it’s OK to be a sore loser. “Dissenting opinions don’t set legal precedents. But memorable dissents can change minds and pave the way for a shift in perspective, so that a minority view gains acceptance over time and even prevail. Or, as Ruth Bader Ginsburg has said, ‘I like to think most of my dissents will be the law someday.’” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Machines can be spiritual. Anything that mirrors humanity could one day find itself on a religious path.
GDPR will kill the innovation economy. Users are more keen to accept new privacy agreements from behemoths like Facebook than smaller companies, which could force more humble startups into extinction.
Trump’s Korean diplomacy is much worse than you think. Allies no longer trust the US, China’s emerged stronger, while North Korea played a duplicitous game—and came out on top.
Surprising discoveries
A Scottish rehab facility now treats crypto addiction. Those who compulsively trade bitcoin and ethereum can check themselves into Castle Craig Hospital.
Israel is hugely popular on Weibo. Users regularly go to Israeli embassy posts to share anti-Islamic sentiments, many of which remain untouched by China’s censors.
The Great Barrier Reef has faced death five times. Over the past 30,000 years, coral has migrated and thinned as sea levels rapidly rose.
Fire ants are threatening Australians’ way of life. The country has spent millions to keep its fields intact and citizens picnicking.
Sesame Street is suing an NSFW muppet movie. The Happytime Murders depicts puppets swearing, having sex, and committing crimes alongside comedian Melissa McCarthy.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, criminal muppets, and fire ants 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 Alice Truong.