Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today and over the weekend
China may launch its Long March 5 rocket. Its ambitious space program plans to send its heavy-lift rocket to space by the end of December, and appears to be tentatively prepping it for today. The event follows a disastrous Long March 4 launch earlier this year.
China, Iran, and Russia will hold joint military drills. The four-day naval exercise by the three countries in the north Indian Ocean is the first of its kind in the trilateral relationship, marking Tehran’s latest foray into strengthening ties with Beijing and Moscow.
China may cancel extrajudicial detention for sex workers and clients. The “custody and education” practice, where prostitution participants are sentenced to labor for two years without trial, might finally face its demise by China’s legislative body this Saturday.
Japan Post Group company presidents step down over a scandal. Three leaders will reportedly resign formally today, following controversy on how the governmentally controlled postal service hurt policyholders in order to hit company targets.
While you were sleeping
The Nasdaq hit a record high. The usual tech suspects like Apple and Microsoft have done moderately well, but the index’s rise to 9,000 points was significantly helped by the growth of companies less commonly associated with such gains, like Starbucks and athleisure giant Lululemon.
Israel’s Likud party cast its votes. It’s unlikely that incumbent prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu will lose the support of his traditionally loyal party, but his internal opponent Gideon Saar has garnered enough enthusiasm to make the result less secure.
A court canceled Turkey’s Wikipedia ban. The 2017 restriction on the online encyclopedia amounted to a violation of freedom of expression, said the country’s Constitutional Court. Ankara had taken issue with content that associated the Turkish government with terrorist groups.
Iraq’s president threatened to resign. Barham Salih said he’s willing to risk his job over not designating the Asaad al-Eidani, a governor backed by a pro-Iran parliamentary bloc. Salih pointed out that protesters would balk at the appointment.
Mexico took its case to the International Court of Justice. The dispute between Mexico and Bolivia centers around the former wanting to grant asylum to nine individuals currently residing in its embassy in La Paz. Tensions have been high after former Bolivian president Evo Morales was offered asylum by Mexico—his senior aide is said to be among those at the embassy.
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Matters of debate
Little Women is woke. The latest film adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s tale has a deep generosity.
Barack Obama is a pretty good music critic. His annual geeky catalog of favorite pop songs can truly sing.
“Hinglish” has its limits in the Indian ad market. After all, millions speak various regional languages and know only a smattering of Hindi.
Surprising discoveries
Words of the year tell a global story. “Wen,” “rei,” “they,” “climate emergency,” capture the way 2019 unfolded.
Quokkas are a tourism promotion tool. A $15m Australian tourism campaign aimed at Brexit-weary Britain features Kylie Minogue and the cat-sized marsupials.
An Indian university is offering ghost studies. Doctors can learn how to treat patients claiming to see or be possessed by ghosts at Banaras Hindu University’s Bhoot Vidya course.
Venezuela’s currency is being made into crafts. The country’s inflation could reach 200,000% by the end of the year, making its bolivar worth more as art.
A pencil was blamed for subway delays in New York. The largest US city’s transit department said a single pencil kept doors from closing.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, errant pencils, and money crafts to hi@qz.com. Get the most out of Quartz by downloading our app on iOS or Android, and becoming a member. Today’s Daily Brief was written by Susan Howson and Patrick deHahn.