Trump at ASEAN, Iran-Iraq quake, the problem with Apu

[Quartz - qz.com]() Quartz Daily Brief sponsored by Good morning, Quartz readers! What to watch for today Donald Trump meets ASEAN in the Philippines. The president will hold a day of meetings with leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Countries. Trump boasted that he had a “great relationship” with Philippines [president Rodrigo Duterte]( after their meeting—this followed a dinner where [Duterte serenaded Trump]( with a love song. A $150 million World Cup corruption scandal heads to court in the US. More than 40 people have already pleaded guilty to participating in a [24-year scheme]( linked to the award of broadcasting and hosting rights for the FIFA World Cup and other tournaments. The EU signs a new defense pact. France, Germany, and 20 other EU governments believe [closer European military]( integration will cement the bloc’s unity and lessen its reliance on the US. The UK, worried about the creation of an EU army, had always been against the idea; it may now be able to join the new pact if it contributes funds. Sponsor content by AT&T Business IoT can help save nearly 15% of the world’s bananas from ending up in the trash. About 5% of the world’s global food supply is lost or damaged during transit. Elements like light and temperature can play a role in how foods fare in the supply chain. [IoT monitoring devices](204305220;k? are poised to alleviate those losses. [Advertisement] Over the weekend A massive earthquake hit the Iran-Iraq border. At least 300 people have died, and more than 5,000 were injured in Iran after a [magnitude 7.3 quake]( hit on Sunday night local time; most of the deaths happened in Iran’s western Kermanshah province. An Iranian aid agency said 70,000 people needed shelter. Theresa May’s troubles multiplied. The Sunday Times reported that 40 members of parliament from the Conservative Party have agreed to [sign a letter of no-confidence]( (paywall) in the British prime minister following her handling of Brexit talks. The letter is short of eight signatures that would be needed to trigger a party leadership contest. SoftBank almost completed its investment in Uber. The Japanese tech giant agreed[to invest $10 billion for 14% of Uber shares](, at a near-$70 billion valuation. Uber said the money would fund its tech investment and expansion. It will also help the firm turn a new leaf after a tumultuous year that saw co-founder Travis Kalanick ousted. Saad Hariri denied being held captive in Saudi Arabia. The Lebanese prime minister said [he would return home]( soon to formally submit his resignation and warned Hezbollah not to meddle in regional conflicts, in his first televised appearance in over a week. Hariri spoke from Riyadh, where some Lebanese officials believe he is being [held captive]( by his Saudi allies. Alibaba snagged $25 billion in Singles Day sales. That’s a [record amount]( for the Chinese online retailer, which has been pushing to make the sales day a global event. China’s State Post Bureau estimates that over 1 billion packages will be delivered across China between Nov. 11-16. White nationalists called for ethnic purity in Poland. In an Independence Day march of about [60,000 people]( in Warsaw, radical nationalist groups chanted anti-gay, anti-Muslim, and anti-Semitic rhetoric. The chanters were not immediately condemned by senior government officials. Quartz obsession interlude Dave Gershgorn on the complexities of creating human-like artificial intelligence. “Our best AI today can do very specific tasks. AI can identify what’s in an image with astounding accuracy and speed. AI can transcribe our speech into words, or translate snippets of text from one language to another. It can analyze stock performance and try to predict outcomes. But these are all separate algorithms, each specifically configured by humans to excel at their single task.” [Read more here](. Matters of debate The richest women in the US are the ones having the most kids. When [inequality grows](, people who have higher incomes can more easily afford to hire people with lower incomes as help. Hip-hop is old. The people who grew up with it are now adults at a [perfect point of wistful regard]( for the genre. Apu’s character on The Simpsons is problematic. South Asian Americans say the [portrayal of the Kwik-E-Mart owner]( (paywall) perpetuates a charged stereotype of Indians in Hollywood. Quartz announcement We’re giving away a trip to New Orleans. [Enter here]( to win a ticket to Collision, America’s fastest-growing tech conference (which is conveniently timed in between the two weekends of [Jazz Fest]()), on April 30-May 3, 2018. Surprising discoveries NASA launched 7,400 pounds of groceries into space. The agency also [sent up some E. coli]( to test the bacteria’s reaction to low gravity. Elon Musk caused a stir in Turkey. The Tesla CEO [posted a photo]( of himself at the grave of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, whose values conflict with those of current leader Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Spotify is letting employees choose their holidays. The idea that staff [must take off work only]( on holidays sanctioned by Hallmark, Christianity, or the government is outdated. United Airlines stopped flights to New Delhi. The [temporary halt in flights]( from Newark airport is because of poor air quality in the Indian capital. An Indonesian museum has removed its Hitler waxwork. There was outrage after the museum encouraged visitors to [take selfies with “Hitler”]( in front of an image of Auschwitz. Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, space E. coli, and hip-hop classics to hi@qz.com. You can follow us [on Twitter]( for updates throughout the day or download [our apps for iPhone]( and [Android](. Enjoying the Daily Brief? Forward it to a friend! They can [click here to sign up.]( Want to receive the Daily Brief at a different time? [Click here]( to change your edition. To unsubscribe entirely, [click here](. Quartz | 675 Avenue of the Americas, 4th Fl | New York, NY 10011 | United States