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The UK’s archbishops chastised the government over Brexit. In a rare move, Britain’s five Anglican church leaders publicly warned of the “moral, as well as political and legal, consequences” of the government’s willingness to break international law by passing a bill that would override parts of the existing UK-EU withdrawal agreement. The House of Lords will debate the internal markets bill today.
China’s economic recovery picked up pace. Its third-quarter GDP grew by 4.9% from a year earlier, according to official statistics, slightly lower than analysts’ median forecast of 5.2%. Separately, International Monetary Fund managing director Kristalina Georgieva warned yesterday that low- and middle-income countries could send global debt levels above 100% of global GDP next year.
Japan will export military equipment to Vietnam. On his first foreign trip since taking office, Japanese prime minister Yoshihide Suga is advancing Tokyo’s Free and Open Indo-Pacific policy to counter China’s influence in the region. The two countries reached an agreement on transfers of defense equipment and technology.
Jacinda Ardern won in a landslide. The New Zealand prime minister, credited with one of the world’s best responses to the Covid-19 pandemic, clinched the Labour party’s biggest victory in 50 years. Elsewhere, Bolivians waited for results in the first election since left-wing president Evo Morales resigned and fled to exile last year after seeking a fourth term, and Guineans cast votes to determine whether Alpha Condé will seize a controversial third term.
Northern Cyprus has a new right-wing nationalist leader. Ersin Tatar, who is pro-Turkey and wants the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus to be a separate state, defeated the incumbent Mustafa Akinci in a run-off that critics say saw unprecedented meddling from Ankara.
What to watch for this week
Monday: US Fed chairman Jerome Powell gives a speech on digital currencies.
Tuesday: Israel and the United Arab Emirates sign a commercial aviation deal.
Wednesday: France holds a national tribute for Samuel Paty, the teacher who was beheaded in a terrorist attack last week; the European Parliament votes on legislation regulating how plant-based products are marketed; and the US Senate votes on a $500 billion stimulus bill.
Thursday: The final US presidential debate takes place in Tennessee.
Friday: Purchasing Managers’ Index reports are released for the euro zone, Japan, UK, and the US.
Saturday: Egypt holds its parliamentary elections.
Sunday: Ukraine holds nation-wide local elections, and Chile holds a constitutional referendum.
Charting lung transplants over the pandemic
Lung transplants have saved the lives of dozens of Covid-19 patients. But lengthy hospital stays and fears of re-infecting new lungs—which are always in short supply—raised fears in the medical community during the early days of the pandemic.
Lung transplants plummeted in those first months, but now that doctors better understand the disease’s progression, and how to keep Covid-19 patients sufficiently isolated, they’re on the rise again. Read more about how lung transplants can save some patients from severe Covid-19.
The Podcasting Business
More than 100 million people have listened to podcasts in the US this year. But podcasters are still unable to fully cash in because there’s still no good way to collect data on listeners for targeted advertisements. Now a slew of companies are deploying new solutions to bring these metrics up to speed and bring in big-brand ad dollars with them.
This transition is as old as the internet, where a freewheeling, do-it-yourself space evolved into the data-obsessed, tech-giant dominated sector we know today. But some podcast veterans say the same idiosyncratic, independent nature that has made some shows so successful gives the industry a better chance of avoiding that fate. Read more in this week’s field guide to the podcasting industry.
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Obsession interlude: The Climate Economy
There is a lot at stake in the upcoming US election. The results will have worldwide implications and voters need to think like global citizens when they cast their ballots. This dynamic is nowhere more clear than on the issue of climate change. Not just every voter, but every industry can be part of the solution—or part of the ongoing problem.
Here are some of the top reads from our updated Climate Economy obsession:
- 🔧 The story behind Biden’s plan to create climate jobs that pay “good union wages”.
- 🛢 Global fuel standards are pushing the dirtiest oil out of the market.
- 🇮🇳 Many Delhi residents suffer respiratory troubles as air quality drops 400%.
- 🇰🇪 Scientists are worried about the impact of Kenya’s Rift Valley lakes flooding.
Surprising discoveries
“No pain, no gain” is wrong. Ultra-endurance athletes may have a lower sensitivity to pain than other elite athletes.
Atari is back. The old-school video game company is launching its first console in over 20 years—and this one allows users to trade cryptocurrency.
“Flyover country” farmers depend on planes flying overhead. Less commercial airline traffic means less data, making it harder for meteorologists to forecast the optimal time to harvest sugar beets.
Scotland teed up Donald Trump. Despite a negative environmental review and falling revenues at his existing properties, Aberdeenshire council planners approved a new Trump golf course.
Planners tried to pull off a 10,000-person wedding in Brooklyn. Organizers defended the now-canceled festivities by saying that all guests would maintain physical distance outside the synagogue.
Correction: In Saturday’s Quartz Daily Brief, a reference to the article “The Science of Wisdom” by Igor Grossman attributed its authorship to its editor, Pam Weintraub. We regret the error.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, tightly targeted podcast ads, and overripe sugar beets to hi@qz.com. Get the most out of Quartz by downloading our iOS app and becoming a member. Today’s Daily Brief was brought to you by Mary Hui, Tripti Lahiri, Jackie Bischof, and Max Lockie.