Quartz Daily Brief—Autumnal equinox, climate change, big phones, honeybees
Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
The United Nations confab continues in New York. Several high-level meetings are scheduled including a conference focusing on indigenous peoples. US representatives have said several nations have already expressed support for its plan to take military action to counter the Islamic State.
Fight over schools in Ebola-fearing Nigeria. The government has mandated today for the re-opening of schools in the country. But the Nigeria Union of Teachers has asked its members to shun the deadline and delay until the middle of October. Eight people have died of Ebola in Nigeria so far though Lagos has declared itself Ebola-free.
On the US economy. In terms of data, the latest monthly existing home sales are revealed. And two members of the Federal Reserve’s board speak in New York and Michigan as investors look for more direction on interest rates now that QE is ending.
The autumnal equinox is here. The official change from summer to autumn in the northern hemisphere occurs at 10:29 p.m. EDT, according to the Weather Channel. What that means is that day and night are balanced to nearly 12 hours each all over the world.
Over the weekend
Afghanistan finalized a power-sharing deal. Following a stalemate since disputed elections earlier this year, the two presidential candidates have resolved their differences. Ashraf Ghani, the certified winner, becomes president and his defeated rival, Abdullah Abdullah, gets to nominate a chief executive with powers similar to those of a prime minister.
G-20 finance chiefs talked of plans to boost investment. Finance ministers from the world’s 20 most-industrialized economies acknowledged that they’ve fallen somewhat short of previous plans to boost global growth. But their official statement (pdf) said the group would focus on infrastructure investment in an effort to meet goals.
New Zealand re-elected prime minister for a third term. Prime Minister John Key is expected to begin his third consecutive term after his National Party won 48% of the vote on Saturday. Key has led the country to record levels of prosperity but in the coming years growth is projected to fall as export prices drop and monetary conditions tighten.
ISIL returned hostages to Turkey. The Islamic State released 49 hostages that were seized from the Turkish consulate in June, in what President Erdogan referred to as a “pre-planned operation.” Turkey has yet to join the military coalition against ISIL for fear that it would jeopardize the lives of its captives.
Global protests against climate change. The People’s Climate March—with more than 2,000 marches taking place in cities across the world—wants action to cut carbon emissions ahead of the UN climate summit in New York this week. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is to join the march in New York.
Quartz obsession interlude
Kabir Chibber on why Apple fans are suddenly converting to the joys of bigger phones. “Demand for phablets is the fastest growing segment of mobile devices. So much so that Dan Frakes, the former senior editor of Macworld, decided to get the biggest iPhone ever made. ‘I think that in the past, we truly believed that the idea of a huge phone was silly,’ Frakes wrote. ‘But many of us, for a lack of better phrasing, have evolved—and so has the hardware.'” Read more here.
Matters of debate
China needs to cut its carbon pollution. If it doesn’t, nothing anyone else matters.
And Desmond Tutu opposes climate change, too. He equates it with fighting apartheid.
“Lost” changed the way the world watches TV. And the ending doesn’t matter.
It’s time to raise interest rates. And stop “spoon-feeding” the banking system.
Surprising discoveries
Paris is getting rid of padlocks on its bridges. Your undying love vs. the laws of physics.
Dogs can be pessimists or optimists. Risk-averse dogs serve as better guide dogs.
The title that MI6 insiders call their boss is “C.” Cue the James Bond theme.
Japanese honeybees can kill much bigger hornets. They form a tight ball around each one.
Click here for more surprising discoveries on Quartz.
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