Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Saudi Arabia hosts an emergency summit. The Gulf Cooperation Council and the Arab League will meet in Mecca today amid fears of military escalation involving the US and Iran. Notably Qatar will attend, in the first high-level meeting with the Saudis since diplomatic ties were severed in mid-2017.
India’s Narendra Modi is sworn in for a second term. Some 8,000 guests, including leaders of neighboring countries and movie stars, are expected to attend an evening ceremony in New Delhi to mark Modi’s second term as prime minister. National election results last week confirmed Indians united overwhelmingly behind the party’s Hindu nationalist message.
The ICC Cricket World Cup kicks off in England. The hosts of the 10-team tournament, who will be trying to win the coveted trophy for the first time ever, will play South Africa today. The final is set for July 14 at Lord’s Cricket Ground in London.
Mark Zuckerberg’s dominance comes into question. At an annual Facebook shareholder meeting, investors will vote on various proposals to rein in the CEO’s absolute power, including changing a dual-class voting structure. Problem: He can strike down any proposals.
While you were sleeping
New Zealand unveiled its “well-being” budget. Prime minister Jacinda Ardern contends economic growth alone doesn’t guarantee improvements to living standards, so today’s budget earmarked money for social issues like mental health, child poverty, and family violence. The woman on the cover of the budget, however, has apparently moved to Australia for a better life.
China missed an opportunity to explain its economy to Americans. The hyped trade-war debate between Fox Business anchor Trish Regan and CCTV’s Liu Xin was for the most part a politely dull affair, after a slightly testy start. But despite being an experienced debater, Liu appeared surprised by Regan’s most open-ended question: What is state capitalism?
Another US state passed a “heartbeat” abortion ban. Louisiana’s Democratic governor is set to sign a law that bars abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detectable—around six weeks, or before many women realize they are pregnant—with no exceptions for rape and incest. Meanwhile Disney’s chief executive Bob Iger told Reuters that a similar Georgia abortion law would make it hard for the company to keep filming in the state.
A Danube River tour boat capsized, killing seven South Koreans. A search is underway for several missing tourists, part of a South Korean tour group, following a collision in Budapest during a heavy downpour.
Israeli lawmakers opted for a second election. After prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu—who looked set for a fifth term—missed his deadline to put together a ruling coalition, parliament voted to dissolve itself. Voters will head to the polls in September.
Canada moved to ratify the North American trade deal. Ahead of US vice president Mike Pence’s first official visit to the country today, prime minister Justin Trudeau presented draft legislation to lawmakers to green-light the accord. Earlier this month the US agreed to remove tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum products, a key demand.
Membership
Influencing, a multibillion-dollar industry, is mediated by tech giants and used by the world’s biggest corporations as a powerful marketing channel. But what’s fueling it is the labor of countless workers, who serve as de facto one-person publishers or advertising agencies. As part of our week-long examination of the influencing world, reporter Hanna Kozlowska reveals how much harder the job is than it looks.
Quartz Obsession
Webtoons are digital comics that unfurl vertically to match the way we use our phones. Like K-pop and snail slime face masks, they’re a South Korean cultural export with a rapidly expanding global fanbase. With collaborators like the late Stan Lee, their imaginative storylines are on their way to supplanting Instagram as the best way to cyberloaf.
Matters of debate
Join the conversation with the new Quartz app!
We’re living too long. Our brains, bodies, and creativity are at their best before 75.
Big data isn’t necessarily better data. Expect weirder (and wronger) predictions unless we get better at understanding the stories behind the numbers.
There’s a special thrill to being purposefully late for a flight. It’s a different approach to the anxiety of air travel that others manage by being ridiculously early.
Surprising discoveries
Flat-earthers don’t believe in trees. They’re merely puny remnants of their massive, mountain-sized predecessors, say anti-globalists.
Plastic bags are killing Japan’s iconic sacred deer. Since March, six have died in Nara with plastic found in their stomachs.
The Netherlands ordered the Hells Angels biker gang to roll out. The country has become the first to ban an entire gang, not just local branches.
The last gorilla from Gorillas in the Mist is believed to be dead. Poppy, who was chronicled by Dian Fossey in her 1983 book, hasn’t been seen since last August.
Fossil fuels get a makeover. The US Department of Energy referred to domestic natural gas as “molecules of U.S. freedom” or, more simply, “freedom gas.”
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, gorilla tributes, and definitions of “state capitalism” to hi@qz.com. Join the next chapter of Quartz by downloading our app and becoming a member. Today’s Daily Brief was written by Tripti Lahiri and edited by Isabella Steger.