Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Boris Johnson and Angela Merkel face off. In his first foreign visit as British prime minister, Johnson visits Berlin to kick off a series of talks with European leaders about Brexit. He will meet the German chancellor today as he attempts to begin negotiating a new withdrawal deal, including the removal of the Irish border backstop.
Germany and Russia try to spread peace. The foreign ministers of both countries are meeting in Moscow to talk about ending the conflicts in Syria and Ukraine, and also cooperating on arms control.
Ryanair tries to block its pilots from striking. The Dublin-based budget airline is seeking an injunction from a British court to bar UK pilots from holding a 48-hour strike over pay from tomorrow. A ruling in a parallel case in Ireland to stop a similar walkout there could also come today.
The Obamas’ first film debuts on Netflix. American Factory, which documents the aftermath of a Chinese company reopening a shuttered Ohio car plant, is the first movie released under the Obamas’ production company Higher Ground.
While you were sleeping
Cardinal George Pell lost his appeal against child sex-abuse convictions. The former Vatican treasurer is the most senior Catholic cleric to be convicted of sexual abuse, and was sentenced to six years imprisonment in March over the abuse of two choirboys in Melbourne in the 90s.
Donald Trump cancelled his Denmark visit. The US president called off the trip after Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen said that Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory that Trump had expressed interest in acquiring, would not be for sale.
Australia joined a US-led naval coalition in the Gulf. In an effort to protect tankers and cargo ships from Iranian threats in the Strait of Hormuz, Australian prime minister Scott Morrison announced today that the country would contribute limited deployments to guard vessels in the region.
Qatar withdrew its support for China. The country was one of several mostly majority-Muslim nations to sign a letter last month supporting China’s human rights record, despite its mass detention of Muslims in its Xinjiang region. It has now informed the United Nations Human Rights Council it’s rescinding its signature.
Alibaba postponed its secondary listing in Hong Kong. The Chinese e-commerce giant, which is listed in the New York Stock Exchange, has reportedly decided to put off its $15 billion Hong Kong listing originally set for later this month amid the city’s ongoing protests.
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We continue our week-long exploration of autonomous vehicles with a Q&A with an entrepreneur at WeRide—a Chinese startup that hopes to roll out robotaxis—and his views on why government regulation is the key to a thriving industry. Read our state of play on the distant, but inevitable future of driverless vehicles.
Quartz Obsession
Where did the world’s worst superhero come from? Whether he’s doing something unsavory with an alligator or calling the cops on a kitten, Florida Man makes headlines around the world. His fame, though, is born out of some of the state’s best laws and the internet’s worst instincts. The Quartz Obsession pays homage to the man, the myth, and the meme.
Matters of debate
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Courage shouldn’t be an entry-level job requirement. What companies really want, and should say instead, is “good judgment.”
Paper straws suck. The greener alternative to plastic does its job poorly, and isn’t saving the planet.
Better-paying jobs could save capitalism. Delivering more income to workers would lead to more consumers.
Surprising discoveries
A fungus could destroy the world’s favorite banana. The Cavendish may have crowded out other banana species, but that only makes it more vulnerable.
Lava lamps are randomness generators. Encryption giant CloudFlare trains cameras on the kitschy bubblers to find true random numbers.
Brazil lost 500 million bees. Deregulated agricultural pesticides are the prime suspect in this massive wave of apian deaths.
The world’s oldest webcam is being retired. The FogCam, set up in 1994 to monitor weather on the San Francisco State University campus, will go offline next Friday.
Cellphone data unreliability is shaking the Danish legal system. More than 10,000 cases are up for review after an evidence-gathering flaw was found.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, random lamps, and hardy bananas 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 Mary Hui and edited by Tripti Lahiri.