Good morning, Quartz readers!
We’re excited to announce a new Quartz experience. Visit our homepage or download the Quartz iOS app (Android coming soon), and take it for a spin.
What to watch for today and over the weekend
Donald Trump meets with Liu He… The US president announced he’ll be meeting with China’s vice premier on Friday at the White House for deeper trade negotiations. There had been skepticism that the principal talks yesterday had stalled, but the Dow rose 100 points on the news of further meetings.
…Japan meets with South Korea… In other trade news, representatives will get together in Geneva as part of a World Trade Organization push for the two countries to find common ground on their own dispute over Japanese export prices.
…and Xi Jinping goes to India. China’s president will attempt to undo some of the damage caused by Beijing’s criticism of New Delhi’s actions regarding Jammu and Kashmir. Xi signaled his continued support of Pakistan in comments made earlier in the week, and he’ll make a historic visit to Nepal over the weekend.
Somebody will get the Nobel Peace prize. Out of the 301 candidates, 16-year-old Swedish climate change activist Greta Thunberg is widely considered to be the favorite. Ethiopian prime minister Abiy Ahmed, who resolved a conflict with Eritrea, is second most likely to win, according to bookies.
While you were sleeping
Turkey threatened to send 3.6 million refugees to Europe. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said he would “open the gates” if the EU called his country’s attack on Kurds in Syria an occupation.
Boris Johnson and Leo Varadkar made progress. A “positive” meeting between the UK and Irish leaders hinted at a “pathway towards an agreement” on the Irish backstop, but hurdles remain.
Two Rudy Giuliani associates were arrested. The Florida businessmen, apprehended in Washington, DC, allegedly helped funnel Russian money into US president Trump’s campaign; Giuliani is Trump’s personal attorney.
Dyson scrapped its electric car. Founder James Dyson said the £2.5 billion ($3.1 billion) project was not “commercially viable.” Facilities in Singapore and the UK will close, and more than 500 employees will be reassigned.
Quartz Membership
Sign up for your free trial.
The specter of lethal autonomous weapons systems has generated worldwide debate for years, and it’s growing more intense as technologies continue to progress, virtually unencumbered by law or regulation. It might not matter which side of the debate you fall on, though. The development and use of fully autonomous weapons is already happening, and they’ll be near impossible to stop or even contain. Quartz reporter Justin Rohrlich asks whether we should fear the rise of killer robots, as part of this week’s field guide on the future of war.
Quartz Obsession
Get into getting out. Escape rooms are about being with people—their full and true selves. There’s something uniquely illuminating about working against the clock in a highly artificial race for survival. Whatever personality traits define you, the room and its series of mental and physical puzzles tend to manifest, but which kind of escape roomer are you? Unlock the truth with the Quartz Obsession.
Matters of debate
Join the conversation on the Quartz app!
It’s OK to joke about climate change. Humor makes the complexities seem more accessible and manageable.
Stop innovating smartphone design. Society has already decided how mobile devices should look.
The Nobel literature prize selection is still broken. One of the 2019 awards went to another problematic white man.
Surprising discoveries
Left at the altar. A piece of cloth from an English church might be from a dress worn by Queen Elizabeth I.
Giant spiders attack San Francisco. Officials warned about thousands of horny tarantulas roaming the streets.
Don’t buy a haunted house. Real estate platform Bungalo will inspect your potential home for ghosts.
Jeff Bezos’ fortune is cosmically huge. The average US worker would need 2.8 million years to match his net worth.
Apple rolled out accessibility emojis. Other new keyboard additions include an otter, waffle, and pinching fingers.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, Bezos-sized fortunes, and smartphone designs to hi@qz.com. Join the next chapter of Quartz by downloading our app and becoming a member. Today’s Daily Brief was brought to you by Susan Howson and Liz Webber.