Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
The G20 summit in Hangzhou draws to a close. Chinese president Xi Jinping told fellow world leaders that the global economy is under threat from rising protectionism and highly leveraged financial markets.
Debating Brexit all over again. Britain’s House of Commons will debate a petition with 4 million signatures calling for a second referendum on EU membership. Prime minister Theresa May has dismissed the idea, but also expressed doubts about some core promises made by pro-Brexit campaigners, such as a points-based immigration system.
Markets are closed in the US and Canada. Both countries mark their Labor Day holidays.
Over the weekend
Hong Kong’s post-Occupy activists entered government. Following record voter turnout, preliminary results suggest that several seats in the city’s legislature went to activists who challenge Beijing’s authority over Hong Kong. They’ll be the first legislators to openly reject “One country, two systems,” the premise that has defined the city’s relationship with Beijing since 1997.
Germany’s anti-immigrant party beat Angela Merkel’s party in her home state. The right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) came in second with over 21% of the vote in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. While the AfD may not get into the state’s governing coalition, its success is a sign of broader public sentiment about the chancellor’s refugee policies.
The US and Russia failed to reach a ceasefire agreement on Syria. It’s the second time in two weeks that the two countries’ foreign ministers met without reaching a deal. A ceasefire agreed in February fell apart a few weeks later. Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin met at the G20 on Monday; no-one is saying yet if they talked about Syria.
Japan warned Britain not to Brexit in haste. The Asian giant is worried about how Britain’s EU exit might affect Japanese investments in the UK, particularly in car-making and banking. Nearly half of all Japan’s EU investment in 2015 flowed into the UK.
The Catholic Church made Mother Teresa a saint. The process began five years after her death in 1997. But the decision to canonize her has not been without controversy. Some in Kolkata, the city for which her selfless work is best known, aren’t really bothered one way or another.
Quartz obsession interlude
Allison Schrager on how technology is taking jobs away from men. A great shift in job culture has upset men before, during England’s industrial revolution in the 19th century. The current trend could see a return to artisanal employment for the middle class, where good jobs combine technology and interpersonal skills to deliver specialized, high-quality services. Read more here.
Matters of debate
To cement your marriage, have a son. Data suggests (opposite-sex) couples with sons are more likely to stay together than those with only daughters.
China is still our best hope for global growth. Despite its slowdown, no developing economy comes close to China’s contribution to the world economy.
Bottled water is a sham. It’s more expensive and worse for the environment than tap water, and often comes from the same source.
Surprising discoveries
“Braconid” clinched the Scrabble world championships. It’s a type of parasitic wasp, and gave Brett Smitherham from the UK 181 points—and the title.
Your avocado toast may be killing the Monarch butterfly. In Mexico, mass deforestation to plant avocados is robbing the butterflies of their winter habitat.
The UK is weirdly terrified of immigration from Turkey. The country doesn’t even have a history of migration to the British isles.
There are ”tents of love” on Chinese college campuses. They’re where parents often stay for several days at the start of the school year to say goodbye to their only children.
One in four Americans didn’t open a book last year. And the proportion of adults who read at least one book in the last year stayed the same as the previous year.
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