Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today and over the weekend
Protesters take up residence at Hong Kong’s airport… Three days of demonstrations are planned at the arrivals hall of the Hong Kong International Airport starting this afternoon, and four other marches are scheduled for the weekend. As of yesterday, 22 countries including the US have issued travel warnings for Hong Kong.
…and more protests are planned in Russia. The opposition is pressing ahead with more demonstrations in Moscow and 40 other cities against authorities’ disqualification of a number of Kremlin critics from standing in local elections.
India’s Congress party considers Kashmir. The Indian National Congress’s top brass will convene today to discuss parliament’s decision on Article 370, which many of its leaders have come out against, with a few notable exceptions.
The leaders of Cyprus and Northern Cyprus meet. Cypriot president Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci will try to break a two-year impasse in peace talks. Turkey and Cyprus have long argued over fossil fuels in the eastern Mediterranean, with Ankara saying Turkish Cypriots are entitled to a share.
More than 2 million Muslims begin the hajj pilgrimage. The annual five-day-long religious gathering is one of the five pillars of Islam. It consists of a series of rituals carried out around the holy city of Mecca, culminating in pilgrims walking seven times around the Kaaba, a cube structure located in the Grand Mosque.
While you were sleeping
The US called China a “thuggish regime.” The remark comes after a pro-China, Communist Party-owned newspaper disclosed photographs and personal details of a US diplomat who met with prominent Hong Kong democracy activists, including Joshua Wong.
Jeremy Corbyn accused Boris Johnson of plotting an abuse of power. Writing to the top civil servant and cabinet secretary Mark Sedwill, the Labour leader called on him to rule that the prime minister cannot force a no-deal Brexit during an election campaign.
Italy’s deputy prime minister called for a snap election. Matteo Salvini, leader of Italy’s far-right League party, said the coalition government with its partner, the anti-establishment Five Star Movement, was pointless given all the quarreling.
Uber reported a record loss of $5.2 billion. The world’s biggest ride-hailing company also reported its slowest-ever revenue growth in its earnings report, and its stock suffered in after-hours trading. Meanwhile, Wall Street indices rose over positive US and China economic data, after a rocky start to the week.
Facebook lost a facial recognition appeal. A US court gave the green light for a class action lawsuit claiming that the tech company illegally collected and stored biometric data for millions of users without their consent. The decision potentially exposes Facebook to billions of dollars in damages.
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We continue our week-long deep dive on whether technology can make us better parents by taking a look at what early childcare is like in countries that prioritize it. High-quality early childhood education and care has been shown to have benefits that extend way beyond building babies’ brains (as if those aren’t important enough).
Quartz Obsession
Barneys is on the brink, again. The New York luxury retailer (don’t call it a department store!) just filed for bankruptcy, and while it’s gotten an emergency capital infusion, it has until Oct. 24 to find a buyer. Fashion companies’ trend towards direct sales has challenged its legendary status as a curator of cool, making it harder to deal with a massive rent increase on its flagship store. To get back to where it was, it’s going to have to get ahead of where fashion is now. Do some browsing at the Quartz Obsession.
Matters of debate
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People should be paid for their data. Machine learning needs tons of the stuff, and a blockchain-backed solution may address privacy concerns.
We should treat the internet like a utility. The digital divide only hinders social mobility.
China still needs Hong Kong. The more autocratic the mainland gets, the more it needs Hong Kong commercially (paywall).
Surprising discoveries
Even pets are getting teargassed in Hong Kong. No longer effective at dispersing protesters, the unprecedented barrage is affecting the health of residents, children and the elderly.
Milk’s about to be a lot less sour. A shelf-life-quadrupling technique could be a gamechanger for areas hit by natural disaster.
Vodka made from Chernobyl-based grain isn’t radioactive. “Atomik” sales could capitalize on recent interest and help revitalize the region.
Rickshaws are going electric. India’s iconic street transporters are steering a green revolution.
The Beatles created a traffic nuisance. The iconic album cover made a hot mess of the crosswalk.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, questionable spirits, and everlasting milk to hi@qz.com. Join the next chapter of Quartz by downloading our app and becoming a member. Today’s Daily Brief was written by Mary Hui and edited by Isabella Steger.