Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today and over the weekend
Puerto Rico’s biggest default yet. The island says it can’t make a scheduled payment of $1.9 billion due today, despite the US Congress passing legislation this week that will allow the country to restructure some of its debts.
An anti-Brexit march in London. Thousands are expected to protest Britain leaving the EU in London on Saturday, with organizers calling on parliament to refuse to accept the referendum “as the final say.”
Australia’s nail-biter of an election. Prime minister Malcolm Turnbull and his right-wing Liberal Party face a tough battle with the leftist Labor Party and its leader, Bill Shorten, in Saturday’s election. Australia, which has burnt through six prime ministers in nine years, has been riled by the anti-establishment discontent (paywall) being felt across the world.
While you were sleeping
Taiwan launched a supersonic missile towards China—by mistake. A navy patrol boat was on a drill inspection when the missile was set off in the direction of mainland China, hitting a fishing boat in the waters off the Penghu islands. The captain of the fishing boat, who was Taiwanese, was killed and three others were injured.
Apple eyed Jay Z’s Tidal. The tech giant is looking at acquiring the streaming music service started by the rapper, reports the Wall Street Journal (paywall). Tidal could help bolster Apple Music, which a year after being launched is already key to the company’s future.
Oracle was ordered to pay Hewlett-Packard $3 billion in damages. A California jury ruled that Oracle broke an agreement with HP by halting software development for its Itanium servers in 2011, despite a contract to keep offering support.
Turkey arrested another 11 suspects linked to the Istanbul airport attack. Local media reported the suspects, all foreigners, were picked up in a dawn raid on the European side of the city and are believed to be part of an Islamic cell in Istanbul. That brings the total number of arrests so far to 24.
France and the UK marked the Battle of the Somme. Ceremonies were held to commemorate the centenary of the battle in northern France during World War One, which lasted five months and saw more than one million soldiers killed or wounded. (Here’s how WWI contributed to the origins of Brexit.)
Quartz obsession interlude
Ana Campoy on how US employers found a new way to make money off undocumented immigrants. “While it’s common knowledge that immigrants in the country illegally use fake papers to get a job, in some cases it’s supervisors at the employer who provide the fraudulent documents… The practice is so widespread in California farming communities that immigrants subject to it have a name: ghost workers.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Apple is stomping all over its competition. Congress is taking notice after Spotify complained about onerous terms in the App Store.
The myth of millennial entitlement was created to hide parental mistakes. The younger generation’s lifestyle isn’t a choice.
The global wave of populism can become an honest revolution. Human capital, infrastructure, and the legal system all need reforms.
Surprising discoveries
Hong Kongers think Jackie Chan is a coward. The action hero shows no support for democracy or those standing up for it.
Cannabis could help treat Alzheimer’s. THC helps reduce inflammation in the brain.
Nestle is bottling water in the desert. Its new plant is causing outrage in Phoenix, Arizona, which is in the middle of a drought.
The world’s first-known swimming centipede was discovered. The creepy creature lives in Southeast Asia, is eight inches long and has a venomous bite.
The next great fighter pilots are likely to be robots. They’re way faster and don’t need ejector seats.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, Apple-branded Tidal subscriptions, and Top Gun AIs to hi@qz.com. You can download our iPhone app or follow us on Twitter for updates throughout the day.