Quartz Daily Brief—East China Sea tensions, Indian GDP, Japan prices, dinosaur toilets
Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Escalating tensions in the East China Sea. After Japan and South Korea said they flew surveillance aircraft into China’s “air defense zone” on Thursday, China responded by sending its own planes to patrol the area. Japan has promised more flights, while China says it is willing to take “defensive emergency measures.”
India announces second quarter GDP growth figures. Analysts are expecting a less-than-stellar 4.6% expansion, up slightly from 4.4% in the first quarter.
Ukraine turns its back on Europe. European heads of government said there is “no hope” Ukraine will pick a trade deal with Brussels over one with Moscow, but they will try nonetheless to convince Ukrainian leaders to change their minds at a summit in Lithuania. Despite massive protests in Kiev demanding a deal with the EU, Ukraine seems certain to bow to Russian pressure.
France considers an anti-prostitution bill. Lawmakers begin discussing a measure that would hit sex workers’ clients with steep fines. The proposed legislation would be some of the toughest in Europe, and has sparked a spirited debate in the country
A US shopping extravaganza. Americans will wake up with bellies full of turkey to shops full of deals as retailers kick off the holiday shopping season. Shoppers will spend an estimated $13.6 billion on so-called “Black Friday.”
While you were sleeping
Japan’s price gauge rose. A measure of prices excluding fresh food and energy rose at the fastest pace in 15 years, increasing 0.3% in October from a year earlier. That’s a positive sign for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who wants to curtail deflation.
Thailand rallies continued. Anti-government protesters said they’ll march to Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra’s ruling party headquarters, while the opposition Democrat party said it supports the demonstrations. Yingluck has refused to step down or dissolve parliament.
Nicaragua is set to scrap presidential term limits. A parliamentary committee okayed a measure that would allow 68-year-old Daniel Ortega, who has been president since 2007, to remain in power.
Brazil opened up to fracking. Brazil put 240 blocks of land up for auction to energy companies, with some believed to contain reserves of shale gas. Demand was weak, however, with state-run Petrobras picking up most of the concessions after other firms balked at the remote nature of the territory and uncertain rules governing the drilling for shale gas.
The US spied on world leaders in Canada, according to a new trove of documents released by whistleblower Edward Snowden. This time the documents suggest that American officials coordinated the surveillance with Canadian authorities, targeting the G20 summit in Toronto in 2010.
Australia blocks an ADM deal. Ag giant ADM’s $2.6 billion takeover of grain storage and distribution company GrainCorp. was rejected on grounds of national interest, after local farmers expressed concern.
Quartz obsession interlude
Heather Timmons on how airlines must choose between patriotism and safety in Asia. “China’s controversial new ‘air defense zone,’ which overlaps with existing zones claimed by Japan and South Korea, presents commercial airlines with a knotty problem. Many countries balk at recognizing the zone as Chinese airspace, but China says that airlines flying through it must submit flight plans, stay in radio contact with Chinese authorities, and follow their instructions.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Ignore Hamid Karzai. The US should be patient and continue pushing for progress in Afghanistan, even if the country’s president is peevish and ungrateful.
It doesn’t matter if Bitcoin crashes. It’s done its by job proving there is demand for digital currencies; others will follow.
Academia is a like a drug gang. Just as the kingpins get rich while street dealers remain expendable, those at the top of the ivory tower are becoming more entrenched in their positions.
Silicon Valley is experiencing another bubble. SnapChat’s refusal to accept $3 billion for a photo sharing app may be only the beginning.
Surprising discoveries
A drone delivery to inmates. Four people in Albany, Georgia were arrested for trying to use a remote-controlled helicopter to drop a stash of tobacco into a state prison.
J.D. Salinger’s unpublished work leaked online. What appear to be reproductions of manuscripts for three of the author’s short stories have made their way from eBay to Reddit.
East England is facing a clown epidemic. Norfolk police have asked residents to ignore the red-haired, red-suited pranksters.
Dinosaurs used public toilets. A 240-million-year old site in Argentina has been identified as a communal dumping ground.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, clown sightings and unpublished Salinger stories to [email protected]. You can follow us on Twitter here for updates during the day.