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Here’s what you need to know
The UK accused China of human rights abuses. Dominic Raab, the UK foreign secretary, said China had carried out “gross and egregious” abuses against its Uighur ethnic minority. He said he would speak to parliament today about potential measures in China and Hong Kong.
Hong Kong is struggling to control Covid-19. The city reported 108 new infections, its highest single-day rise. Authorities vowed to carry out 10,000 tests a day and made masks mandatory in indoor public spaces.
TikTok eyes a move to London. Owned by Chinese firm ByteDance, the company is said to be looking to distance itself publicly from China and has been in talks with the UK government about moving its headquarters there. It’s so big now even Netflix sees it as competition.
Mass protests hit Russia’s Far East. Tens of thousands took to the streets of Khabarovsk to rally against the arrest of a popular local governor. The demonstration reflects growing discontent with the Kremlin in the region.
Floods are devastating India and Nepal. The monsoon rains have caused heavy flooding across northeastern India and Nepal that’s displaced nearly 4 million people since May. They’ve also damaged crops, caused mudslides, and so far killed at least 189 people.
What to watch for
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo travels to the UK and Denmark to discuss coronavirus recovery plans and a US-UK trade deal.
The US Senate is expected to debate a new coronavirus response bill. Democrats favor $3 trillion in new spending; Republican leaders have said they will not go above $1 trillion.
Central banks in China, Nigeria, Ukraine, and Turkey are likely to keep interest rates where they are when they meet this week. Analysts expect a slight rate cut from Russia and possibly also from Hungary and South Africa.
Earnings from IBM and Halliburton (Mon.); Snap, Coca-Cola, and United Airlines (Tues.); Tesla and Microsoft (Wed.); Twitter, AT&T, American Airlines and Southwest Airlines (Thurs.); Verizon and American Express (Fri.).
China opens movie theaters in “low-risk” areas though they must comply with rules designed to limit the spread of the pandemic.
Charting who’s working from home
The ability to work remotely has become a make-or-break factor for many workers during the coronavirus pandemic. Unless their jobs are deemed essential, people who can’t telework face a much higher possibility of cutbacks in hours or pay, temporary furloughs, or permanent layoffs. Younger workers are less likely to be able to work from home, according to an analysis by IMF economists, as are women and less-educated workers.
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Surprising discoveries
A Swedish island is fighting coronavirus with knights. They will patrol popular spots on horseback to remind vacationers to behave responsibly.
The US military is recruiting on Twitch. They’re using the Amazon-owned livestreaming platform to connect with young gamers.
An app can track your mental health via your phone usage. Built by researchers at Canada’s Dalhousie University, it gauges a user’s emotions by analyzing factors such as voice, keystrokes, and amount of sleep.
Mumbai could overtake Hong Kong as Asia’s financial hub. It will need to carry out some big reforms, but the potential is there.
Roboticists outfitted beetles with tiny cameras. Though darkling beetles were the first test subjects, they could also put them on spiders, moths, or any bug that can handle the load.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, or beetle livestreams to hi@qz.com. Get the most out of Quartz by downloading our app on iOS and becoming a member. Today’s Daily Brief was brought to you by Marc Bain, Walter Frick, Karen Ho, and Jackie Bischof.