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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 today at the White House for deeper trade negotiations. There had been concern that the principal talks yesterday had stalled, but the Dow rose 100 points on the news of further meetings.
…and Japan meets with South Korea. Representatives of the US’s two fractious Asian allies will get together in Geneva as part of a World Trade Organization process initiated by Seoul over Tokyo’s restrictions on exports vital to its high-tech economy.
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.
Xi Jinping visits Narendra Modi. The two-day meeting with India’s prime minister comes at a delicate time for China-India ties—Beijing has criticized New Delhi’s clampdown in the disputed Kashmir region. The Chinese president then heads to Nepal tomorrow for a rare visit expected to include discussions of a Himalayan railway.
Poland votes. The Law and Justice party is expected to hang on to power in Sunday’s parliamentary election thanks to its focus on social welfare—but its nationalist and anti-LGBTQ views are beginning to alienate the country’s younger voters.
While you were sleeping
Boris Johnson and Leo Varadkar made progress. A “positive” meeting between the UK and Irish leaders hinted at “a pathway to a possible deal” on the Irish backstop, but hurdles remain. An EU summit in less than a week is the last chance for Britain and Europe to reach an agreement before the Oct. 31 deadline.
Tim Cook defended Apple’s removal of a Hong Kong map app. He told employees the company received “credible information” from the Hong Kong police and users that information on the app was used to target officers, but didn’t offer specifics. Critics argue he’s repeating talking points from Chinese state media.
Donald Trump held his first campaign rally since the impeachment inquiry. At the gathering in Minneapolis, the US president derided Minnesota lawmaker Ilhan Omar, and told the crowd the investigations of his conversations with foreign leaders amounted to an attempt to “erase your vote.“
US Republicans said they will seek sanctions against Turkey. Turkey’s offensive in northern Syria this week came after Trump departed from the US government’s official stance of supporting Kurds in the region who have been staunch allies in the fight against militant group ISIS.
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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
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It’s OK to joke about climate change. Humor makes the complexities seem more 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 are attacking 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 written by Tripti Lahiri and edited by Isabella Steger.