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What to watch for today
Turkey repatriates ISIS fighters. Ankara said it is sending back militants captured following its recent incursion into Syria, regardless of whether their European home nations welcome them or not.
Australia’s bushfires approach Sydney. The fire service issued a rare catastrophic fire warning for the country’s commercial hub. Some 70 fires are burning in New South Wales, and about 50 in Queensland, as Australia experiences its worst drought in decades.
Mercury crosses the Sun. The fast-moving planet will appear as a tiny black dot as it transits the star for five-and-a-half hours. Mercury will cross closer to the center of the Sun’s disk this time than any other transit this century.
Over the weekend
Nikki Haley claimed she was asked to undermine president Trump. In a new book, the former US ambassador to the UN says John Kelly and Rex Tillerson tried to recruit her to help them get round Trump policies they disagreed with. She says she rejected the offer.
The UK escaped a recession. The Office for National Statistics said the country’s economy expanded at a weak rate of 0.3% in the third quarter, a relief after it contracted by 0.2% in the second quarter. Though it expanded on average, GDP actually fell in August and September.
Hong Kong police opened fire. A man shot by police during protests in the business district earlier today is in critical condition. Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam has called for calm.
India resolved a festering land dispute. The Supreme Court gave Hindu groups possession of a site in Ayodhya, northern India, where a mob demolished a mosque in 1992. Some Hindus believe the site is the birthplace of one of their most important deities.
Saudi Aramco released its IPO prospectus. The world’s largest oil company announced that its IPO will kick off on Nov. 17, and that it will offer less than 1% of its shares to individual investors.
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Big Tech has grown too big. The question is no longer whether something needs to be done to tame Google, Amazon, Facebook, and Apple, but what and how soon. Quartz reporter Alison Griswold addresses those questions in this week’s field guide.
Quartz Obsession
The world is full speed ahead on 5G. The nascent standard promises wireless connection speeds potentially a hundred times faster than 4G. But it’s not going to be a smooth upgrade: Security concerns about China’s 5G vendor Huawei are complicating an already expensive buildout. Test your connection with the Quartz Obsession.
Matters of Debate
Should Instagram influencers skip politics? The company is willing to pay production costs but only if they avoid political and social issues.
How should athletes deal with racism? A Brazilian soccer player was punished in Ukraine for responding to racist abuse.
Wondering what trolls will do in 2020? Watch the misogynists. Women are often the first target for tactics that go on to warp the broader system.
Surprising discoveries
Reducing ships’ speed limits would reduce carbon emissions. A new report says it would also limit pollution, and improve underwater conditions for animals.
A dating app in Egypt has an online chaperone option. Harmonica’s “guardian” feature allows online flirting transcripts to be sent to a friend or relative.
A snow crab fetched a record $46,000. An upscale eatery in Tokyo’s Ginza neighborhood will serve it up.
Lesotho is a cannabis hotspot. The tiny, landlocked African kingdom is loved by growers for its high altitudes and abundant water supply.
The Apple Card may be sexist. It’s being investigated by regulators after a viral tweet claimed a husband and wife were offered wildly different credit limits by Goldman Sachs.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, chaperones, and Mercury pics to hi@qz.com. Get the most out of Quartz by downloading our app and becoming a member. Today’s Daily Brief was brought to you by Luiz Romero and Hasit Shah.