Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Talks on denuclearizing North Korea. Stephen Biegun, the top US diplomat on North Korea, will be in Brussels then Berlin for discussions with Lee Do-hoon, South Korea’s special representative on peace and security, and others on removing nuclear weapons from the Asian peninsula.
A new era for Greece’s New Democracy party. The last votes in Sunday’s election are still being counted, but it seems clear that the center-right party, in opposition since 2015, is set to win the most seats by far. Prime minister Alexis Tsipras already conceded defeat, making way for Kyriakos Mitsotakis to be sworn in today.
Euro-zone finance ministers talk top jobs. At a meeting in Brussels, the group will discuss the next steps in the nomination of IMF chief Christine Lagarde as the incoming president of the European Central Bank. And since the IMF presidency typically goes to a European (paywall), they may come up with names to put forward for that post, too.
Over the weekend
Turkey’s president fired the central bank governor. Recep Tayyip Erdogan abruptly dismissed the bank chief via decree, a move widely seen as part of an effort to force the institution to reduce interest rates more aggressively. It’s a high-stakes gambit, given Turkey’s inflation, weak economy, and out-of-favor currency.
Deutsche bank said it will cut 18,000 jobs. The struggling German giant unveiled a sweeping restructuring plan that will shrink its investment bank, shed assets, and refocus its activities on safer, more stable business lines. The cuts affect one in five employees, and represent “nothing less than a fundamental rebuilding of Deutsche Bank,” according to the CEO.
Unflattering cables by the UK’s ambassador in the US leaked. In missives to London, Kim Darroch called the Trump administration “uniquely dysfunctional,” among other insults. At the same time, he told colleagues there is a “credible path” to Trump’s reelection. “Do not write him off,” he said.
Iran said it breached uranium enrichment limits. The government in Tehran confirmed it was no longer complying with the nuclear deal it signed in 2015 (which the US withdrew from last year). Starting Sunday, Iran will boost enrichment levels above the 3.67% limit agreed in the deal; officials suggest it could push it to 5%, still far short of the 90% concentration needed for weapons-grade nuclear material.
The US won the Women’s World Cup. The defending champions defeated the Netherlands 2-0, taking the trophy for a fourth time and earning kudos from all corners. Off the field, the victory will help the squad in its legal battle for pay equal to their male counterparts.
The “father of Bossa Nova” passed away. Composer, singer, and guitarist João Gilberto is credited with developing a distinctive Brazilian sound that mixed samba and jazz. He died at age 88 in Rio de Janeiro.
Quartz Obsession
Checkmate: AI is not only better at humans than chess, it plays like us now. It used to be that computers could beat the best human chess players through brute mathematical force. Now they’re playing with intuition, aggression, and verve. But don’t expect them to beat us at poker anytime soon. Play a few moves ahead at the Quartz Obsession.
Matters of debate
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Is an emoji a word or a gesture? Maybe it’s both.
To-do lists increase anxiety. Helpful reminders quickly morph into time-consuming chores that restrict freedom.
The “Beijing bikini” should be banned. Men might beat the heat by rolling up their shirt to just below the nipples, but it’s uncivilized behavior.
Surprising discoveries
People in Japan are using car-sharing to go nowhere. They’re napping, working, and storing stuff, among other things, in the handy vehicles.
Jeff Bezos lost $38 billion and is still the world’s richest person. His divorce with Mackenzie Bezos did not dethrone him.
It was 90°F (32°C) in Anchorage on July 4. Yes, in Alaska. That shattered previous records.
Trump campaign and GOP officials love Uber and shun Lyft. Expenditure filings suggest an avoidance of Lyft, which has publicly opposed the US president’s policies.
France is riveted by lawsuit over a rooster. To many the case is really about the nation’s rural-urban divide, with city dwellers intolerant of the bird’s morning song.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, chill to-do lists, and low-volume roosters to hi@qz.com. Join the next chapter of Quartz by downloading our app and becoming a member. Today’s Daily Brief was written and edited by Steve Mollman, Ephrat Livni, and Jason Karaian.