Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Raqqa could flood. The Syrian city is 40 km (25 miles) downriver from a dam on the Euphrates that ISIL says is at risk of collapse because of US-led airstrikes on the region. The UN says some of the damage was due to deliberate sabotage by the militant group. ISIL ordered civilians to evacuate the city, which it considers the capital of its self-styled caliphate.
In Germany we trust? The Ifo Institute for Economic Research will release the latest update to its Business Climate Index for Germany. With the UK expected to trigger Article 50 in a few days, the report could offer clues to industry’s feelings about a Europe sans the UK.
Cyclone Debbie hits the northeast coast of Australia. It’s expected to cross the coast of north Queensland as a category 4 storm packing winds of up to 260 km per hour (161 miles per hour) at around 8am local time. Thousands have already fled, with taxis offering to evacuate locals for free.
Over the weekend
Beijing won Hong Kong’s election. Carrie Lam, viewed as Beijing’s favorite, became Hong Kong’s first female chief executive. Before the election, her opponent John Tsang had a strong lead in public polls. So how’d he lose? Only 1,194 electors of nearly 3.8 million registered voters get to cast their lot in leadership elections.
Prosecutors said they’ll seek an arrest warrant for South Korea’s former president. They worry she’ll destroy evidence if she’s not behind bars. Park Geun-hye is accused of bribery and corruption and was removed from office less than three weeks ago.
Japan sent its highest-ranking official to Taiwan since 1972. Jiro Akama, deputy minister of internal affairs, will chair a tourism fair. That could pave the way for higher-level visits. Warming ties between Tokyo and Taipei could help counter Beijing’s saber-rattling over the contested Senkaku Islands, which the US has promised to help defend as Japanese territory.
Anti-Putin rallies erupted in Russia. Thousands gathered in central Moscow to protest corruption in Vladimir Putin’s government, and smaller rallies took place around the country. Police responded by arresting hundreds—including Alexei Navalny, who had planned to run for president in 2018, but has been banned from doing so after being found guilty in a case he says was rigged.
Cracks in the US Republican party started showing. In the immediate aftermath of Friday’s decision to pull the bill to repeal and replace Obamacare in the face of certain failure, US president Donald Trump blamed Democrats. But over the weekend, he lashed out at leaders of his own Republican party. Even the factions within the party are starting to develop factions.
Uber hit the brakes on self-driving vehicles. The ride-hailing giant suspended its pilot program for autonomous cars following a crash in Arizona. Its next move will depend on the outcome of an investigation into the accident, which occurred when the driver of a second vehicle didn’t yield to the Uber vehicle while making a turn. No serious injuries were involved.
Quartz obsession interlude
Echo Huang on China’s epidemic of fake food news: “Fears about the safety of food products made in China have been deep-seated in the wake of major cases of food contamination, and constant exposés of fake food. But now, some of the exposés too are turning out to be fake, creating an ever more uncertain climate for consumers, and the manufacturers who cater to them.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Video games can be valuable teaching tools. They engage students with history in a way books alone can’t.
There’s no such thing as an offensive joke. The only real taboo in comedy is not being funny.
US shops are awful. They’re boring, expensive, and out of touch with customer preferences.
Surprising discoveries
A Dutch town put traffic lights on the pavement. They’re for pedestrians staring at their phones.
Dishonest governments produce dishonest citizens. People from corrupt countries were more likely to cheat in an experiment.
A Canadian province revoked a man’s offensive-looking license plate. Lorne Grabher registered a personalized plate with his last name 26 years ago.
Former communists are embracing capitalism. Management guru Peter Drucker has fans among ex-Khmer Rouge soldiers (paywall).
Scientists turned a spinach leaf into beating heart tissue. They grew human cells on the plant’s vascular system.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, spinach, and offensive license plates to hi@qz.com. You can follow us on Twitter for updates throughout the day or download our apps for iPhone and Android.