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What to watch for today
The UN General Assembly begins in New York. The UN’s 71st session will include a special meeting on antibiotic-resistant superbugs, marking only the fourth time it has convened to combat a health issue. Meanwhile, Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko is expected to meet with US president Barack Obama on the sidelines of the session. The Russian president is skipping the annual event.
The Bank of England issues polymer £5 notes. The smaller, more durable plastic money, emblazoned with the image of Winston Churchill, is expected to last two-and-a-half times longer than the outgoing note. Polymer £10 and £20 notes, featuring the images of novelist Jane Austen and painter J.M.W. Turner, will follow in the coming years.
All 10 districts in Kashmir face a curfew during Eid. For the first time since unrest broke out in 1990, India is imposing a curfew during the Muslim holiday in an effort to quell violence in the disputed territory. Drones and helicopters will conduct air surveillance, and India has also restricted internet and cellphone service in the run-up to the festival. At least 76 people have been killed in violent confrontations between protesters and security forces since July.
While you were sleeping
A new study exposed the machinations of Big Sugar. Back in the 1960s, the American sugar industry paid for nutrition research in order to squelch concerns about the possible connection between sugar consumption and heart disease. For the next few decades, fat and cholesterol were dietary scapegoats. The study’s authors warn that food industry-funded studies continue to proliferate today, potentially skewing health policy.
The Clinton campaign pledged to release more health details. With Hillary Clinton’s health in the national spotlight after a bout with pneumonia, her campaign has vowed to release further medical records to lay concerns about her vitality to rest. Her opponent Donald Trump also said that he will be releasing “very, very specific” results from a recent physical.
David Cameron stepped down as an MP. The former UK prime minister said that he vacated his seat so he wouldn’t be a “distraction” to Theresa May. Some have suggested he resigned because he opposes May’s controversial plan to increase the number of grammar schools in Great Britain, but Cameron himself denies the connection.
A ceasefire in Syria was quickly broken. Shortly after the ceasefire began in the war-torn country at sundown on Monday, Aleppo residents reported that a government helicopter had dropped explosives on a rebel-held district. Elsewhere, in Dara’a, a rebel faction killed four government soldiers. An estimated 100 people died in government attacks on rebel-held areas of Syria over the past weekend.
Jeff Bezos unveiled the design of his space company’s big new rocket. The “New Glenn” rocket, named after American astronaut John Glenn, will aim to launch people and commercial satellites from Cape Canaveral in Florida. The rocket towers above its SpaceX rival, Falcon 9, playing second fiddle only to the mighty Apollo-era Saturn V.
Quartz obsession interlude
Nicole Smith Dahmen on Facebook’s dangerous censoring powers. “It is true that Facebook is a private company with a legal right to censor content. But as a global giant that claims in its mission statement ‘to give people the power to share and make the world more open and connected,’ Facebook has an ethical responsibility to facilitate the free flow of information and ideas, especially news. Instead, Facebook is giving users a dangerously manipulated view of that world and contributing to the age of truthiness.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
The internet is changing fiction. The return of omniscient narration reflects our sense that technology has given us access to unlimited knowledge.
9/11 made a presidential race between two New Yorkers possible. In the aftermath of the terrorist attack, New York stopped seeming foreign to the rest of the US and became an all-American symbol of freedom, tragedy, and resilience.
Wearable drones could help stop rape in India. In a country that has seen a 200% increase in rapes over the past decade, an eye in the sky might be able to reduce sexual assault.
Surprising discoveries
The best way to become a CEO is to take a winding path. New evidence shows that it’s better to have a range of specialties than prolonged experience in one area.
We forget things for different reasons. Memories that feel familiar tend to fade away over time, while memories that depend on recollecting information get pushed aside to make room for new ideas.
Roald Dahl’s made-up words are now official ones. “Scrumdiddlyumptious” and “Oompa Loompa” are among the six Dahl-isms added to the Oxford English dictionary to mark the centenary of the author’s birth.
Science can predict if babies will develop asthma or allergies. Babies with less bacteria and more fungi in their digestive tracts are more likely to develop these diseases.
Philosopher Blaise Pascal was ahead of his time. The 17th-century philosopher’s strategy for persuading someone to change their mind is supported by present-day psychology.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, Oompa Loompas, and prescient psychological insights to hi@qz.com. You can download our iPhone app or follow us on Twitter for updates throughout the day.