Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Malaysia’s prime minister visits Japan. Najib Razak will meet with his Japanese counterpart, Shinzo Abe, who may announce the transfer of two naval patrol ships to Malaysia. The southeast Asian nation is also strengthening military ties with China.
Economic report cards for Germany and the UK. Germany’s third-quarter GDP is expected to rise by only 0.3%, from 0.4% the previous quarter. Bank of England governor Mark Carney will testify in parliament, and inflation data is expected to show rising prices in October.
Justin Trudeau heads to Cuba. The Canadian PM will see a Cuba that is much transformed since his father’s historic visit to meet Fidel Castro in 1976. Trudeau is on a Latin American tour that will also take him to Argentina and Peru.
While you were sleeping
A Really Big Tobacco merger hit a roadblock. Reynolds American rejected a $47 billion buyout offer from British American Tobacco, according to Bloomberg, as its board tries to secure a higher price. The initial offer to create the world’s biggest tobacco company came with a 20% premium.
A bloodbath in the bond market. Prices plunged as investors braced for higher government spending and inflation under president-elect Donald Trump. The 10-year US Treasury yield (which rises as prices fall) hit their highest level in nearly a year.
Sweden finally interrogated Julian Assange over an alleged rape. A prosecutor grilled the Wikileaks founder at the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he has been holed up for four years. Assange claims the probe is part of an attempt to extradite him to the United States, where he faces espionage charges.
Critics assailed Trump’s selection of a far-right chief strategist… Stephen Bannon, the former Breitbart publisher who ran the president-elect’s campaign, was denounced for promoting racist and anti-Semitic views by Democrats and even some Republicans.
…As Trump spoke with Vladimir Putin. The Russian president pledged to work with president-elect Trump to fight against their “shared enemy No. 1 – international terrorism and extremism,” according to a Kremlin statement. They also plan to meet in person.
Quartz obsession interlude
Jason Karaian on the imaginary Quartz hedge fund of Trump trades: “We made all the best trades. Over the past five days, our portfolio has gained 14%, crushing the 1.2% performance of the S&P 500—which is for losers—over the same period. Annualized, that’s a 70,000% return (give or take).” Read more here.
Quartz haiku interlude
Investors embrace
the Trump Trade. Ignore that it’s
just more stimulus.
Matters of debate
Trump has no idea what he is in for. The president-elect seems overwhelmed by his long list of duties.
India’s demonetisation hurt the fight against air pollution. Delhi’s deadly smog took a backseat amidst the chaos.
The US must continue to be “a beacon of hope.” So says soon-to-be-former POTUS Barack Obama.
Surprising discoveries
Birds have musical preferences too. An artist has teamed up with computer scientists to create a birdsong recommendation machine.
How do you taste something in virtual reality? Simple: Hook up some electrodes to your face.
Dementia is now the biggest killer in England and Wales. It’s the result of an aging population and advances against heart disease.
Silent cars are deadly cars. New US rules require hybrids and electric vehicles to make some noise to prevent accidents.
Ever seen a rock that looks like a face? Japan has a museum full of them.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, Trump trades, and face rocks to hi@qz.com. You can follow us on Twitter for updates throughout the day or download our iPhone app.