WWI armistice centennial, wildfire destroys Paradise, AI news anchor

US-China security talks. Tensions are running high ahead of today’s security dialogue in Washington, with China having already voiced displeasure (paywall) over the US’s support of Taiwan. [Quartz Daily Brief]( Sponsored by Good morning, Quartz readers! What to watch for today and over the weekend US-China security talks. Tensions are running high ahead of [today’s security dialogue]( in Washington, with China having already [voiced displeasure]( (paywall) over the US’s support of Taiwan. The US and Taliban attend a conference in Moscow. Delegates from 12 countries and representatives from the Qatar-based “political office” of the Taliban will meet today to talk about [peace in Afghanistan](. It will be the first time the US and the Taliban participate in the forum. World leaders commemorate the World War I armistice centennial. French president Emmanuel Macron will play host in Paris, and attendees including [Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin]( (paywall) will get together for a lunch on Sunday. The world’s biggest shopping holiday. Sunday will mark China’s [10th Singles’ Day]( shopping festival so big it eclipses both Black Friday and Cyber Monday in the US, bringing in $25 billion in sales last year. Sponsor content by SAP A great organization can do great things. For its shareholders, its employees, and for the world. Together with SAP, you can transform your business and help it run better. And when businesses run better, communities, the environment, and people everywhere do too. Because the best-run businesses make the world run better. Learn more at [sap.com](. While you were sleeping A wildfire destroyed Paradise, California. More than [30,000 people ran]( for their lives as the fire swept through the Butte County town, with residents of nearby Chico ordered to evacuate late last night. In [Ventura County]( brush fires prompted an evacuation near Thousand Oaks, the site of Wednesday’s mass shooting. The [National Weather Service]( has issued red-flag fire warnings in many parts of the state through Friday evening. Imelda Marcos was sentenced to prison for corruption. The [former Philippines first lady]( and famous shoe addict was found guilty on graft charges dating back to the 1970s and 80s, when she served in the government of her late husband, Ferdinand Marcos. A warrant was issued for her arrest after she failed to appear in court. A federal judge in Montana blocked the Keystone XL oil pipeline. Judge Brian Morris blocked the permit for the controversial pipeline and [banned construction work]( (paywall) until an environmental review is carried out. The pipeline would, if completed, bring 830,000 barrels of oil a day from Canada’s oil sands to Nebraska. Florida governor Rick Scott launched a lawsuit. The [Republican Senate candidate]( (paywall) is suing election supervisors in two Florida counties, saying voters “should be concerned there may be rampant fraud happening.” Democrat incumbent Bill Nelson did not concede defeat in Tuesday’s election, and votes are still coming in. Michelle Obama slammed Trump in her upcoming memoir. In Becoming, out on Tuesday, Obama denounced [Trump’s birther campaign]( and wrote about her upbringing in Chicago, her relationship with Barack Obama, and encounters with racism. Obsession interlude Nigeria’s vast diaspora is fueling the world’s hottest pop sound. Signature groovy percussion, autotune-heavy vocals, and catchy hooks are helping the Afrobeats genre find global audiences. [Go down the rabbit hole at the Quartz Obsession](. Matters of debate Sexist or racist philosophers may still warrant admiration. Avoiding their works because of their bigoted views shows a lack of understanding about how [socially conditioned]( even great minds are. Moving into weed products won’t fix the food industry. Packaged-food brands are better off [making their products healthier]( (paywall). Vacation is a poor substitute for leisure. The stoics saw rest and leisure as [active pursuits](. Quartz announcement China is turning grey on a scale the world has never seen. For this week’s episode of [Quartz News]( Isabelle Niu travels to China to explore what happens when the world’s largest group of baby boomers remains eager and able to work past retirement age, and why we need to redefine the role of aging populations in society. Surprising discoveries China presented the world’s first AI news anchor. State news agency Xinhua says its[virtual newsreaders]( will report “tirelessly.” Kids could have kept their tonsils. Research suggests [88% of tonsillectomies]( performed on UK children between 2005 and 2016 weren’t actually necessary. Eyes and tongues could replace the remote. Netflix employees used Apple’s ARKit to give users control over the streaming platform’s app by [sticking out their tongue](. About 20% of China’s civil-service jobs explicitly seek male candidates. Of nearly 10,000 postings analyzed, not a single one stated a [preference for women](. The global fertility rate has halved since 1950. A new report says that almost half the world’s countries won’t have [enough children]( to maintain their population size. Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, virtual newsreaders, and vacation days to hi@qz.com. You can follow us [on Twitter]( for updates throughout the day or download our [apps for iPhone]( and [Android](. Today’s Daily Brief was written by Jill Petzinger and edited by Jackie Bischof. Enjoying the Daily Brief? Forward it to a friend! 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