Good morning, Quartz readers!
“How We’ll Win: The Next Generation” strives to answer the question: How do we raise girls that own their power? In the latest installment of our yearlong special project, we explore how young women can use their strength, take up space, and find their voice. We’ll take you from skateboarding programs in Bengaluru to a self-defense program in Brooklyn that focuses on setting emotional boundaries and speaking with confidence. Read more here.
What to watch for today and over the weekend
G7 countries convene in Quebec. Leaders from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, and the EU are expected to give Donald Trump a tense reception (paywall) on Friday after the latest tariff announcements. Trump himself would rather skip the summit entirely (paywall).
Switzerland votes on an overhaul of its banking system. The “sovereign money” referendum on Sunday will decide whether banks will be prohibited from lending more money than they have in deposits, meaning only the central bank will be allowed to “create” new money. UBS slammed the vote as “suicidal.”
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit begins. Starting Saturday, Chinese president Xi Jinping will chair the two-day meeting in Qingdao, with Russian president Vladimir Putin in attendance. The group, which is mostly made up of Central Asian nations, is expected to finalize cooperation treaties.
While you were sleeping
Argentina reached a deal with the IMF. The two sides agreed on a $50 billion bailout deal (paywall) to help stabilize the peso, which has lost more than 25% against the dollar this year. The size of the deal and the speed with which it was struck send a message to investors that the government will be able to repay the money and take appropriate steps to reduce its deficit.
Trump lashed out at Canada and France. Ahead of the G7 summit in Quebec, the president said in a tweet that the two countries charged the US “massive tariffs,” and later called Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau “indignant.” French president Emmanual Macron fired back, calling America “isolated.” The White House said Trump would leave the summit hours before it officially ends.
Ant Financial raised another $14 billion. The latest funding round (paywall) values the Chinese payments firm controlled by Alibaba founder Jack Ma at around $150 billion, making it the world’s most valuable fintech company.
Former Toronto mayor Rob Ford’s brother was voted Ontario premier. Doug Ford of the Progressive Conservatives is set to be elected to lead the province, unseating the Ontario Liberals who have been in power since 2003. His brother, who died from cancer in 2016, was famously known for his drug use, including crack cocaine.
Ghana dissolved its soccer governing body. The move came after an undercover journalist filmed Ghana Football Association president Kwesi Nyantakyi taking kickbacks from a supposed businessman seeking to sponsor the national soccer league.
Quartz Obsession interlude
Oliver Staley on how to talk about God in Silicon Valley. “There’s a strong current of belief in Silicon Valley, but it’s not in organized religion. … For men and women immersed in the old-fashioned sort of religion, Silicon Valley’s faith in itself is a challenge. How can a religion based on ancient texts hope to compete with something as new and exciting—and sacrifice-free—as technology’s promise?’” Read more here.
Matters of debate
America isn’t ready for Africa’s future. The world’s population will be 40% African by the end of the century, and the US has done nothing (paywall) to improve relationships with the continent.
The worst thing about Star Wars is its fans. The bullying of actress Kelly Marie Tran shows that many male sci-fi fans won’t accept diversity in their fantasy safe-space.
It’s not weird to walk your cat. Not every feline likes a leash, but ones that do can become healthier, more confident, and closer with their owners.
Surprising discoveries
A Dutch company is printing houses. Van Wijnen is solving a bricklayer shortage with the world’s first commercially developed 3D-printed homes.
Antarctica has a plastics problem. Greenpeace found traces of man-made fibers used to make clothes, packaging, cookware, and pizza boxes.
TEDx will take place in a refugee camp for the first time. The gathering in Kenya’s Kakuma camp will show how refugees can help the communities and countries in which they live.
Uzbeks are cheering for a soccer referee. Beloved international icon Ravshan Irmatov has presided over more World Cup games than anyone else.
Fossil trails show the oldest animal tracks ever discovered. Southern China’s Wuhe county had extremely tiny ocean-dwellers walking on land roughly 550 million years ago.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, leashes for cats, and tiny fossils 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.