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What to watch for today
UN General Assembly speeches begin. First up is Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, who is likely to take aim at climate change activists after Greta Thunberg’s stern words for world leaders. Next is Donald Trump, with a long day rounded off by UK prime minister Boris Johnson.
Spain decides whether to exhume Francisco Franco. The country’s top court will decide whether the remains of the dictator, who died in 1975, can be dug up. Critics say his resting place glorifies the fascist winners of the country’s bitter 1930s civil war.
Nike swooshes up. The world’s largest shoe maker is expected to post a rise in first quarter earnings, driven by strong demand in the US and, in particular, China. Nike’s stock this year is up roughly 18%, in line with the S&P 500’s gains.
While you were sleeping
The UK Supreme Court ordered parliament to get back to work. The eleven judges unanimously ruled that Boris Johnson acted unlawfully in advising the Queen to suspend parliament. The decision is a huge defeat for the prime minister in his attempt to ensure Brexit takes place on Oct. 31.
More details emerged on Trump’s Ukraine call. The US president froze nearly $400 million in military aid to the eastern European country, before he reportedly pressed president Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate the son of 2020 Democratic candidate Joe Biden.
Google won a landmark “right to be forgotten” ruling. The European Court of Justice decided the tech giant will only have to remove sensitive data from search results in Europe and not globally, after receiving the appropriate request.
Boeing opened its $50 million 737 Max fund. Families of the 346 victims of the two crashes involving this type of plane will each receive an average of $145,000. They still retain the right to sue.
Facebook spent $1 billion on a brain science startup. The tech giant announced the purchase of CTRL-labs, a “neural interface platform.” Facebook hopes its largest acquisition in several years will boost its AR and VR projects.
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Matters of debate
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Mental health isn’t fashion. A Gucci runway model criticized the fashion house mid-strut for using straitjackets in its latest collection.
A windfall does make you happier. Past research that found lottery winners were not significantly happier later was badly designed.
Equal pay is good business. Actress Michelle Williams attributed her recent success to the financial and professional support she received from her TV studio.
Surprising discoveries
Rugby fans’ appetites are too big for Japan. World Cup organizers will let fans bring their own food into stadiums after they cleared out some vendors’ entire supply.
Hangovers are legally an “illness.” A German court ruled that you can’t make bogus claims about remedies for legitimate ailments—including hangovers.
A walrus sank a Russian navy boat. The ornery creature totalled the small vessel carrying researchers in the Arctic, but no one was hurt.
Luxury KitKats are selling for $17. Available only in the UK, the upscale candy bars include flavors like gin’n’tonic and earl grey.
A Japanese chain wants to sell curry… to India. CoCo Ichibanya has plans to serve curry rice in restaurants all over the country, starting next year.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, winning lotto numbers, and Japanese curry to hi@qz.com. Join the next chapter of Quartz by downloading our app and becoming a member. Today’s Daily Brief was brought to you by Adam Rasmi and Hasit Shah.