Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today and over the weekend
Protests rage on in northeast India. The regions of Assam and Tripura have been rocked by demonstrations over a bill that grants a path to citizenship to migrants from neighboring countries, unless they are Muslim. Delhi has deployed troops to the areas.
South Korea and Turkey take their relationship to the next level. Officials from the two countries will meet in Seoul to review their six-year-old free trade agreement, which helped bilateral commerce grow 40% between 2012 and 2018, and tackle remaining trade barriers.
The future of UK leadership is announced. The results of the nation’s general election—one rife with misinformation—could change the nature of Brexit, or even prevent it from happening.
While you were sleeping
US and Chinese negotiators agree on a trade war truce. Mere days ahead of a scheduled escalation of tariffs, the two sides have settled on terms for a “phase one” trade deal that would see US tariffs rolled back and Chinese agricultural purchases resume. President Trump has approved the deal, but it still requires final legal language.
Some Algerians protested, others voted. Thousands took to the streets calling the presidential election a sham. Five military-approved contenders are looking to take over after Abdelaziz Bouteflika was ousted amid pro-democracy protests in April.
Europe kept interest rates flat. Like the US Federal Reserve earlier this week, the European Central Bank decided against a further cut, with interest rates already at a historic low of -0.5%. It’s the latest sign that bankers see positive signs for global growth.
New Zealand launched a volcano rescue mission. The high-stakes operation will attempt to recover remains of the eight people who were killed after an eruption on White Island on Dec. 9. The volcano remains “highly volatile,” and experts warn it could erupt again shortly.
The US carried out another missile test in the Pacific. The ground-launched ballistic was fired from California, in an action that would have been prohibited under a 1987 nuclear treaty signed with the then-Soviet Union. The Trump administration withdrew from the accord this year.
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India’s Paytm is trying something new as it battles to stay ahead. The country’s largest homegrown digital payments company is dealing with the competition posed by international giants such as Walmart and Google. Paytm’s story shows how the fintech landscape has changed in India in the nine years since it was founded. There’s a lot to play for, Ananya Bhattacharya writes in our field guide—the sector is expected to reach $1 trillion in 2023.
Quartz obsession
Espionage, but make it adorable. Whether they admit it or not, intelligence agencies around the world use animals to snoop on each other. Yes—even in an age of microscopic cameras, satellites, and drones—dogs, dolphins, pigeons, and the occasional spy squirrel still have abilities that we have yet to improve upon, like echolocation and highly developed senses of smell. The Quartz Obsession goes deep undercover into the world of animal spies.
Matters of debate
Handbags are for everyone. 1999 wasn’t ready for Friends’ Joey Tribbiani’s boundary-pushing fashion choice, but 2019 has finally caught up.
Self-awareness spoils modesty. It’s something that you can’t really brag about.
There’s no reason to fear intelligent machines. They won’t be conscious to the nature of human experience for a long time to come.
Surprising discoveries
The oldest story ever told is on a cave wall in Indonesia. It shows people hunting animals 44,000 years ago.
Stonehenge is a 150-year-old family photo paradise. After English Heritage asked people to send in snaps of the monument, one champagne-drinking family could be seen picnicking there in 1875.
Brits got to the bottom of when parakeets arrived. Reported sightings of the invasive species date back to at least the 1860s, squashing rumors Jimi Hendrix was to blame.
Mars has water an inch below its surface. A newly released ice map could steer future missions to get humans on the red planet.
Being kind to your liver goes a long way. This holiday season, avoid Tylenol, stay moderate, and consider a partially dry January (you don’t really need the whole month).
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, vindicated music icons, and earthly water to hi@qz.com. Get the most out of Quartz by downloading our app on iOS or Android, and becoming a member. Today’s Daily Brief was brought to you by Adam Rasmi and Susan Howson.