Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Pakistan picks a new prime minister. Current frontrunner and former cricketer Imran Khan ran against Nawaz Sharif, the country’s former prime minister and a member of the Pakistan Muslim League. After polls closed Tuesday, the latter declared that he rejects the election’s results on grounds of voting irregularities.
The European Central Bank meets in Frankfurt. The bank’s governing council will convene to discuss monetary policies, including raising interest rates, reinvesting funds from maturing bonds, navigating an escalating trade war, economically stabilizing the eurozone, and supporting Greece.
More NAFTA negotiations are underway. After hosting his Canadian counterparts yesterday, Mexican economy minister Ildefonso Guajardo will meet with US trade representative Robert Lighthizer in Washington. They hope to build towards a trilateral agreement (paywall) on car production, an automatic expatriation clause, and US president Trump’s threats of tariffs on foreign vehicles.
While you were sleeping
Jean-Claude Juncker eased trade-war tensions. The European Commission president had a productive visit to the White House, where he lobbied for both sides to work out a plan to reduce tariffs. Trump reported that he felt “something very positive” would come of the meeting.
Xi Jinping addressed BRICS. In his opening speech, China’s president stressed the importance of a global economy and urged the attending countries to reject protectionism. Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—the nations who make up BRICS—will continue talks throughout the week in Johannesburg.
Michael Cohen released a secret tape. Donald Trump’s longtime lawyer aired an audio recording of him and the US president discussing a hush payment to a Playboy model. Trump lambasted Cohen for covertly recording their conversations, while his current lawyer commented that the clip did not implicate the president in any illegal activity.
Trump postponed his second Putin meeting… US national security advisor John Bolton stated that the delay was due to the investigation into election meddling, and indicated the two presidents would meet sometime in 2019, “after the Russia witch hunt is over.”
…While Mike Pompeo criticized Russia’s occupation of Crimea. The US secretary of state called for Putin to restore Ukraine’s “territorial integrity” to the peninsula, which was annexed in 2004. Following the declaration, Pompeo testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on topics including the Trump-Putin summit in Helsinki last week.
Quartz Obsession interlude
Mike Murphy on why domestic robots are still a fantasy. “Kuri ended up falling victim to the same problems every new US hardware startup struggles with: Building new things is costly and time-consuming, and it’s really difficult to turn dreams into realities, regardless of how many robot-loving writers you’ve managed to convince of your vision.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Don’t confuse Pride parades with LGBTQ equality. Awareness might be on the rise, but there are still significant hurdles to overcome in the workplace.
The way the media covers celebrity mental health is bad for everyone. Treating serious issues as gossip and making presumptions is harmful to others.
Moving inland is the most eco-friendly option. Some communities have already retreated from the coasts, and 200 million people worldwide will face the decision by 2050.
Surprising discoveries
Middle-aged weight gain isn’t due to a slower metabolism. The extra pounds have more to do with a lack of activity.
Hundreds of pints of Czech beer were lost in Poland. A truck overturned at a roundabout, and spilled the poorly fastened load.
A golden retriever festival set an adorable record. 361 dogs gathered at an estate in Scotland to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the breed.
Scientists have detected a huge underground lake on Mars. The discovery requires more analysis, but, if true, increases the likelihood of life on the planet.
“Karaoke” is the world’s most mispronounced word. It derives from the Japanese words for “empty” and “orchestra,” and people can’t seem to get it right.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, recovered beer, and tiny goldens 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 Aisha Hassan and David Wexner, and edited by Susan Howson.