Good morning, Quartz readers! The Lebanese government is facing severe criticism. Angry citizens are accusing authorities of corruption, neglect, and mismanagement as they begin three days of mourning, following a huge blast in Beirut on Tuesday that
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Hereâs what you need to know
The Lebanese government is facing severe criticism. Angry citizens are accusing authorities of [corruption, neglect, and mismanagement]( as they begin three days of mourning, following a huge blast in Beirut on Tuesday that killed at least 135 people and injured thousands.
The US is building its own great firewall. [The state department announced]( that it will expand [its âClean Networkâ initiative]( first rolled out in April, to root out major Chinese tech products from the US system. The department said it is protecting against âaggressive intrusions by malign actors.â
A court in China sentenced a Canadian national to death. [Xu Weihong was convicted in Guangzhou]( of manufacturing ketamine. Relations between China and Canada have been fragile since a Huawei executive, Meng Wangzhou, was arrested in Vancouver two years ago.
Covid-19 infections are rising again across Europe. France recorded 1,695 new cases, its [highest number in more than two months](. Spain, Belgium, and Greece are also seeing spikesâwith new travel restrictions as one consequenceâas are [parts of the UK](.
The US PGA golf tournament begins. The best golfers in the world tee off in San Francisco for the first major this year. There are no fans at the course, but [the four-day event is a boost for TV companies and sponsors](. Meanwhile, US investors are buying[one of Italyâs biggest soccer teams]( AS Roma.
Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube took down Trump posts. The US president and his campaign team had once again put out [false information about Covid-19](.
Disney will make a stan out of you
[disney mulan]
Disney
Mulan tells the story of a 15th-century Chinese warrior who wants to get down to business and defeat the Huns before anyone figures out sheâs a female in disguise. It may not portray its hero as quite [the empowered woman she is in Chinese folklore]( but Disney is betting viewers will [pay a hefty premium to stream the highly anticipated live-action remake]( of its 1998 film on top of their Disney+ monthly subscription fees.
In countries where theaters are open and Disney+ is not available, like China, Mulan will still be shown on the big screen. The move surprised most observers, who assumed the movie, which reportedly cost Disney $200 million to produce (and untold millions more to advertise), was too big to move to streaming in lieu of a global theatrical release. But a marquee feature like Mulan also leads to more Disney+ signups, and right now, streaming is where the money is for the Mouse.
Charting Indiaâs trade surplus
India became a net exporter in June for the first time in 18 years, with exports of goods and services outweighing imports by $800 million. However, the surplus has been generated not by surging exports, but by [weak domestic consumption]( and assisted by the low global price of oil.
[A chart showing India's trade balance from June 2019 ($15.3 billion deficit) to June 2020 ($800 million surplus).]
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Weâre obsessed with hairdressers
Salons may be closed, but our hair still grows, causing people around the world to realize just how essential they actually consider hairdressers to be. But the services they provide go beyond cuts and colors. Many play the role of part-time therapist to their clients, while the salons and barbershops in which they operate have a rich history as important community spaces and vital entry points into entrepreneurship. When they close, we lose more than haircuts. [Stop fretting about your split ends for at least the time it takes to read the Quartz Weekly Obsession](.
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Surprising discoveries
Max the police dog did good on his first shift. He [kicked off his career]( by successfully locating a missing mother and her baby on the edge of a steep ravine in Wales.
An American couple replaced their Norwegian flag with a vimple. They were accused of being racists after the flag outside their inn was [mistaken for the Confederate one](.
A rare mutant honeybee is both male and female. [A beekeeper in the US noticed]( one bee had radar-dish eyes typical of males, even though its abdomen, stinger, and wings were clearly female.
Only 17% of the studies published in top economics journals are by women. Thatâs despite women making up [30% of first-year PhD students]( in the US.
Feeling stressed? Hug a llama. âCaesar the No Drama Llamaâ is offering his [therapeutic services]( at protests in Portland, Oregon.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, mutant honeybees, and inoffensive vimples to hi@qz.com. Get the most out of Quartz by[downloading our app]( on iOS and[becoming a member](. Todayâs Daily Brief was brought to you by Hasit Shah, Liz Webber, and Susan Howson.
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