Good morning, Quartz readers!
We’re excited to announce the launch of Quartzy, our new weekly email newsletter about living well in the global economy. Each Friday, our global lifestyle correspondent Jenni Avins explores topics that range from pop culture and politics to parenting, food, fashion, and travel.
Please sign up here—and if you like it, pass it along to those who you think would like to join the fun.
What to watch for today
Rodrigo Duterte’s China visit. The hotheaded Philippine president has threatened to weaken his country’s military ties with the US and align more with China, which wants to expand trade ties with the Philippines. A disputed reef in the South China Sea that China seized from the Philippines in 2012 is still a big hurdle to improving relations.
Matteo Renzi goes to the White House. President Barack Obama will host the Italian prime minister—the “Justin Trudeau of Italy,” according to the Washington Post—in what will be the last formal dinner of Obama’s presidency.
Goldman Sachs reports earnings. The investment bank has beaten estimates in three of the last five quarters, and is expected to report a solid third quarter with a rise in profit and revenue.
While you were sleeping
Melania Trump defended her husband. In her first interview since the sexual-assault allegations against the Republican nominee, she told CNN that the accusations were all “lies” and that Trump had been “egged on” to make the “dirty” comments about women in the 2005 tape, which she dismissed as “boy talk.”
The battle to retake Mosul entered its second day. The Iraqi government’s joint operation with Kurdish peshmerga troops to drive ISIL out of the country’s second-largest city is “ahead of schedule,” according to the Pentagon. The UN has warned that up to 100,000 Iraqis may flee to Syria and Turkey to escape the battle and asked for $60 million to set up emergency camps for them.
EU trade ministers failed to approve CETA. The trade deal would eliminate 98% of the tariffs between Canada and the EU. But a senior diplomat said the meeting in Luxembourg on Tuesday morning failed due to objections (paywall) from a regional Belgian parliament. It will be discussed again in Brussels on Thursday.
Danone suffered in China… The world’s biggest yogurt company saw sales growth slow to 2% in the second quarter as China introduced stiff new milk regulations. Overall, the news was good, with total sales for the quarter beating estimates at €5.64 billion ($6.2 billion).
…but Remy Cointreau was boosted there. China’s appetite for cognac, briefly curtailed by Beijing’s anti-corruption drive, is on the rise, helping to drive second-quarter organic sales growth up by more than 7%. The company’s stock by almost 7% in early Paris trading.
UK annual inflation rose in September. The UK consumer price index’s 1% jump represents the highest inflation rate (paywall) since November 2014. Rising fuel, clothing prices, and more expensive hotel costs spurred the rise—partly due to the collapse in the value of the pound.
Quartz obsession interlude
Jenny Anderson on a company with 100% retention of working moms. “For 33 years Patagonia has had an on-site child care center… Parents often eat lunch with their kids, take them to the farmer’s market, or pick vegetables with them in the ‘secret’ garden. ‘It lets you be the kind of parent you want to be,’ said one manager.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Populist movements are losing momentum. Growing resistance to toxic leaders and policies suggests the global tide is shifting.
The smart money suggests that Italy will leave the EU. The country’s outflows are accelerating—up €118 billion ($130 billion) from just a year ago.
Rodrigo Duterte’s embrace of China is a risky gamble. He’s betting that pulling away from the US will scramble relations in his favor.
Surprising discoveries
Your favorite TV characters could be reborn as AIs. The digital recreations might appear in new episodes or take over for Siri on your smartphone.
The Catholic Church is running out of exorcists. Young priests find the job “too scary.”
Three-quarters of Britain’s prime ministers went to Oxford or Cambridge. But mostly Oxford.
Behold, the first evidence of murder by boomerang. An aboriginal Australian was killed (paywall) between 1260 and 1280.
The milk of Tasmanian devils could help kill deadly bacteria. But good luck collecting it.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, unsuccessful Oxford graduates, and devil milk to hi@qz.com. You can follow us on Twitter for updates throughout the day or download our iPhone app.