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What to watch for today
Boris Johnson makes a last push for an Oct. 31 Brexit. Now that his government has published the full withdrawal agreement (pdf), the British prime minister hopes enough lawmakers will today vote in favor of it proceeding—and commit to passing it within three days. It would still need to clear the European parliament.
Turkey coordinates military strategy with Russia. As a five-day ceasefire between Turkish and Kurdish troops expires today, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will meet with Russian president Vladimir Putin in Sochi. Erdoğan cryptically said he would then “take the necessary steps” regarding operations in northeastern Syria.
Earnings season heats up. Snap spiked 8% (paywall) ahead of an expected earnings beat, kicking off a slew of tech updates this week. Investors hope McDonald’s can repeat last quarter’s magic and climb back to all-time highs. And Procter & Gamble will try to maintain the momentum that’s sent its stock up more than 50% this year.
While you were sleeping
Justin Trudeau squeaked ahead. After an extremely close race, the Liberal party gained enough seats to form a minority government, giving Trudeau a second term as prime minister. He could turn to the staunchly environmentalist New Democratic Party for the necessary support.
Japan’s emperor Naruhito proclaimed his enthronement. The 59-year-old officially succeeded his father, Akihito, in May, but today’s centuries-old ceremony marked the change in status for the world. He was accompanied by empress Masako, and royals and heads of state from more than 180 countries attended.
SoftBank prepared to take over WeWork. The Japanese firm plans to take control of the struggling shared-space startup in a deal that will value WeWork between $7 billion and $8 billion.
Benjamin Netanyahu failed to form a government. The Israeli prime minister announced that he had given up on trying to form a governing coalition among the Knesset’s divided parties and would cede the chance to lead to his centrist rival Benny Gantz.
Membership
India is shifting to renewables. India, it is rightly said, is a land of contradictions. Nowhere is that contradiction clearer than in its energy use. The country is highly vulnerable to climate change, and yet 55% of all its energy comes from burning coal. The world can learn from India trying to deal with its coal addiction.
Quartz Obsession
Black holes may be the greatest enigma in the known universe. They are not directly observable—light can’t escape their gravitational pull—so we can’t actually see them. And while we’re as sure as we can be that they actually exist, black holes are still full of secrets. Take a journey through time and space with the Quartz Obsession.
Matters of debate
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The gaming industry needs to show some restraint. Advances in AI make it too easy for video games to extract maximum cash from its players.
Don’t seek out authenticity on your travels. Giving up the fiction of “living like a local” is a more honest way to be a tourist.
You should tell your house guests who’s listening. Google’s head of hardware says he discloses his use of smart speakers to visitors.
Surprising discoveries
An Amazonian bird sings louder than a rock concert. The white bellbird, the world’s loudest avian, belts out its mating call at 113 decibels.
A Bangladeshi MP hired eight lookalikes to take her college exams. Tamanna Nusrat was expelled after a local broadcaster exposed one of her stand-ins in a viral video.
Rat-devouring monkeys are an effective pesticide. Malaysian pig-tailed macaques reduce the rat population on palm oil plantations by more than 75%.
Lebanon’s protests featured belly-dancing and “Baby Shark” singalongs. The lighter moments of the demonstration put some in mind of a Mediterranean street party.
Tiny worlds are lurking in plain sight. The winning shots from the Small World microphotography competition reveal the intricacies of alligator embryos and housefly eyes.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, smart-device disclosures, and hungry monkeys 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 Tripti Lahiri and edited by Harish C. Menon.