Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today and over the weekend
Germany’s GDP report. Weak growth in Europe’s largest economy could indicate a slowdown in the regional economy (paywall). Investors are also watching for any effects of the US-China trade spat on business confidence.
Irish protesters say “nope to the pope.” Pope Francis will deliver Sunday mass in Dublin, but opposers of the Catholic Church who have snapped up thousands of free tickets plan to boycott the event. Organizers say this is a “silent and peaceful protest” against the church’s secrecy on issues, including sexual abuse and its past treatment of unwed mothers.
A second round of Korean family reunions. From Friday to Sunday, 83 North Koreans will meet their families on the other side of the border. Earlier this week, the first family reunions since 2015 took place when nearly 100 South Koreans traveled to the North. The meetings are part of the agreement signed between the leaders of both Koreas during their summit in April.
Eid al-Adha and Hajj come to an end. Muslims around the world will mark the end of Eid Al-Adha, the festival of sacrifice, on Saturday. Nearly 2 million Muslims who’ve made the pilgrimage to Mecca will return home when Hajj ends Friday night.
While you were sleeping
Australia got a new prime minister. Former treasurer Scott Morrison will replace Malcolm Turnbull and become Australia’s sixth prime minister in 11 years. Turnbull narrowly survived a leadership challenge this week, but lost the majority support of his Liberal Party in a second internal vote today. An avowed Christian, Morrison had voted against marriage equality in last year’s referendum.
Tabloid mogul David Pecker flipped on the US president. The longtime Trump crony and chief executive of the National Enquirer’s parent company agreed to provide information (paywall) in exchange for immunity from federal prosecutors. Pecker played a role in hush payments to adult-film star Stormy Daniels and model Karen McDougal, who both claimed to be Trump paramours.
US-China trade talks ended with no major breakthroughs. A Trump official had downplayed the chances of success, but Beijing characterized the two days of talks as “constructive” and “candid.” A fresh round of US tariffs on $16 billion of Chinese imports went into effect on Thursday, which Beijing retaliated against with its own tariffs on $16 billion of American imports.
Typhoon Cimaron slammed into Japan. The 20th typhoon of the season brought record rainfall to western Japan and is now making its way north. More than 350 flights were cancelled, and about 25,000 homes in the Kansai region experienced temporary power outages. Meanwhile, Hurricane Lane, which weakened to a Category 3 storm, lashed Hawaii, closing roads because of flash floods and landslides.
Mike Pompeo announced a return to North Korea. A special envoy, including Ford Motor executive Stephen Biegun, will accompany the US secretary of state as he tries to hold North Korea to an increasingly tenuous denuclearization deal. Next week’s visit will be the fourth for Pompeo this year, but it remains to be seen whether Kim Jong Un turns up.
Quartz Obsession interlude
Echo Huang on what China thinks of Hollywood’s Asian blockbuster. “Crazy Rich Asians doesn’t even have a scheduled release in China, but more than a thousand Chinese moviegoers who have purportedly seen the movie are already chiming in—and many of them are not impressed… One user criticized the film for its lack of authenticity, comparing it to Americanized Chinese food.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Impeaching Trump won’t crash the stock market. The markets don’t move much on news of Trump’s legal troubles anymore.
Darwin’s theory of survival of the fittest is outdated. Researchers say “sluggish” creatures with low metabolic rates are prime candidates for surviving extinction.
Spanish is a sexist language. For years, it lacked a female word for judge, engineer, or president.
Surprising discoveries
“This is not a street” is the name of a new street in Brussels. Belgians were asked to name 28 roads, squares, and walkways.
A private island has a no-boys rule. SuperShe, an island off Finland, is open only to female guests.
General Motors says texting can wait. Even CEO Mary Barra isn’t allowed to walk in the office while glued to a mobile screen.
The highest-paid actor of 2018 didn’t make a movie. George Clooney profited handsomely when he sold his tequila company.
WTF, Procter & Gamble. The company is trying to trademark internet slang acronyms LOL, WTF, NBD, and FML to market its cleaning products.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, ironic street names, and ridiculous trademarks 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 Isabella Steger.