Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi will comment on the Rohingya crisis. The country’s de facto leader, who is in Singapore for four days, is giving a lecture on Myanmar’s democratic transition, and is expected to touch on the refugee crisis stemming from Rakhine state. The event will be moderated by Singapore’s deputy prime minister.
India tries to balance Japan and China. Defense minister Nirmala Sitharaman will host her Chinese counterpart a day after meeting with Japan’s defense minister. Delhi and Tokyo have long-standing strategic ties, while Indo-Chinese relations have been strained by a territorial standoff in the Himalayas last year.
Norway’s $1 trillion oil fund reports its second-quarter results. Investors will be closely watching the impact of the equities market on the fund, which took its first hit in two years last quarter due to volatility.
The Eid al-Adha holiday kicks off tonight. Muslims around the world will celebrate the “festival of sacrifice,” which traditionally lasts four days. Millions of Muslims are also making the pilgrimage to Mecca.
While you were sleeping
Donald Trump said he’d “most likely” meet Kim Jong Un again. Hailing the June summit with North Korea as a success, he told Reuters he believed the regime had taken steps toward denuclearization, despite new evidence it continues to build missiles, and complained China wasn’t doing enough because of the ongoing trade war with the US.
Flash floods in Italy killed at least 10 hikers. Eighteen people were rescued from a gorge in Pollino National Park in the country’s south, and six of them were taken to a hospital for their injuries. It’s unclear how many people remain missing.
Taiwan broke up with El Salvador. Taipei decided to end ties after learning the Central American country was planning to defect to Beijing. Taiwan now has formal relations with 17 countries. In May, Burkina Faso and the Dominican Republic broke ties with Taiwan to resume or establish relations with China.
The Taliban accepted an offer for Russia-hosted peace talks. Officials representing the Afghan insurgents will meet in Moscow (paywall) on Sept. 4, along with representatives from China, India, Iran, and Pakistan. The US is not expected to attend.
The LA county sheriff’s office sought information on the sexual-assault allegations against Asia Argento. The department says it hasn’t found a police report related to the incident, but is reaching out to Argento’s accuser, actor Jimmy Bennett, to document potential criminal allegations. Argento had paid Bennett $380,000 (paywall) last year to settle a 2013 sexual-assault case.
Quartz Obsession interlude
Johnny Simon on Hajj’s massive scale as seen from the air. “One of the largest migration events in the world—more than 2 million are expected to make the journey—its sheer size is appreciated best from above. Aerial photos show the seemingly unending parade of pilgrims and the infrastructure necessary to accommodate them, from seas of tents and buses to the massive Grand Mosque itself.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Asia Argento hasn’t wrecked the #MeToo movement. It is all too possible for someone to be both a victim and a perpetrator.
Whales and krill offer us a lesson in humility. Human decisions are ultimately insignificant, and that’s liberating.
It’s diverse portfolios that make rich investors richer. They actually see lower returns from the stock market than smaller account holders.
Surprising discoveries
Ants are efficient because they know when to take a break. The insects exit a worksite when it gets too crowded, leaving 30% of the colony to do 70% of the work (paywall).
Emergency rooms are packed with scooter injuries. Rookie riders are getting hurt as startups flood cities with the electric vehicles.
A pregnant New Zealand politician biked to give birth. Women’s minister Julie Anne Genter traveled “mostly downhill” to the hospital to get induced.
Mormon and LDS are no longer acceptable terms. Only the full 11-syllable name—the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—will do, says its top leader.
The word “mmhmm” has a controversial past. Experts think it came to the US via the slave trade.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, ER bills, and lazy 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 Alice Truong and edited by Tripti Lahiri.