Iran sanctions, Asian shares bump, lost Japanese island

US sanctions against Iran kick in—with waivers for some. Countries had been purchasing less oil from Iran before the new sanctions come into effect at midnight on Sunday. Washington has reportedly (paywall) agreed to let eight countries, including India, South Korea, and Japan, keep buying Iranian oil after sanctions begin. [Quartz Daily Brief]( Sponsored by Good morning, Quartz readers! What to watch for today and over the weekend US sanctions against Iran kick in—with waivers for some. Countries had been purchasing less oil from Iran before the [new sanctions]( come into effect at midnight on Sunday. Washington [has reportedly]( (paywall) agreed to let eight countries, including India, South Korea, and Japan, keep buying Iranian oil after sanctions begin. Berkshire Hathaway earnings on Saturday. Hurricane-insurance claims and [Kraft Heinz’s sales rut]( aren’t expected to drag much on Warren Buffett’s empire; analysts predict a record net income of [$19 billion in the third quarter](. Alibaba’s earnings. China’s biggest tech company will deliver its [first quarterly update]( (paywall) since Jack Ma announced his retirement plans. It’s US jobs day. Reuters expects the Labor Department’s report to show nonfarm payrolls added [190,000 jobs]( last month, and the unemployment rate holding steady at 3.7 %. Sponsor content by Bank of America Merrill Lynch The site of an old steel mill is giving Baltimore a new future. When the Sparrow’s Point plant shut down in 2012, it cost hundreds of jobs and left a hole in the local economy. But, with help from Bank of America Merrill Lynch, [Tradepoint Atlantic is building a new cargo hub]( that will bring new opportunities and prosperity to Baltimore. While you were sleeping Asian shares surged after a phone call between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping. After a rocky month, indexes in Japan, Hong Kong, and Shanghai climbed on Friday after China’s foreign ministry confirmed Trump’s announcement that the two leaders [had had a positive phone call]( on Thursday about trade. Trump has [reportedly asked]( his cabinet to draft a possible trade deal, ahead of the G20 in Argentina later this month. The hedge fund that owns Toys ‘R’ Us wants to reopen its stores. Solus Alternative Asset Management and Angelo Gordon are raising capital to relaunch the retailer, which shut down in June, as a new standalone operation. First, it plans to [create pop-ups]( inside Kroger grocery stores in the US for the holiday season. China said that a deadly bus plunge was caused by a woman fighting with the driver. Authorities today released footage from last Sunday’s crash, which shows [a passenger hitting the driver]( who then appears to lose control of the bus, before plunging over the edge of a bridge. They said both driver and passenger were responsible for the crash, in which at least 13 people died. North and South Korea agreed to bid to co-host the 2032 Olympics. Sports ministers from the two countries said they would [officially inform]( the International Olympic Committee of their intention. They will also send combined teams to international sports tournaments, starting with the world handball championships in January. Apple’s market cap dipped briefly below $1 trillion. A combination of disappointing factors in its fourth-quarter earnings report sent Apple’s [stock price plummeting]( in after-hours trading by 7% to $207, before recovering. It’s the first time the company’s market cap has fallen below the trillion-dollar-mark since August. Obsession interlude Roasting meat as it rotates on a spit is prehistoric. But a revolution started in the 1990s, when the take-out rotisserie chicken became a star of drive-thrus, infomercials, and grocery chains. Today, Americans eat 625 million a year. What keeps the rotisserie chicken in rotation? [Dig in at the Quartz Obsession.]( Matters of debate People are fine with Apple making iPhones more expensive. The company’s earnings show people aren’t phased by [$1,000 phones](. The cost of breeding more humane chickens is almost nothing. A projected [1% increase in prices]( is a small one to pay to stop animal suffering. Cities need more women on bikes. [Angry male cyclists]( make urban cycling dangerous, especially in crowded cities like London. Quartz announcement People all around the world are experiencing the same terrifying vision in their sleep. In this week’s episode of [Quartz News]( Corinne Purtill investigates why many people who experience sleep paralysis see a menacing figure dubbed “Hat Man,” and how its origins lie more in culture than the paranormal. Surprising discoveries Japan lost an island. [Esanbe Hanakita Kojima]( which was only slightly above sea level, was named just four years before the sea swallowed it up. Palau is the first country in the world to ban toxic sunscreens. Stores selling them [will be fined]( up to $1,000, and bottles will be confiscated when entering the country. AI will test truthfulness in European airports. Virtual border guards will [look more skeptical]( and use different tones of voice if they think passengers are lying. Girls are building Kyrgyzstan’s first satellite. It’s part of the country’s plan to [crowdfund its space program](. India’s top science university had caste-segregated dining halls. [Attempts to combine them]( met with protests until the 1950s. Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, lost islands, and ocean-friendly sunscreen to hi@qz.com. You can follow us [on Twitter]( for updates throughout the day or download our [apps for iPhone]( and [Android](. Today’s Daily Brief was written by Jill Petzinger and edited by Jackie Bischof. Enjoying the Daily Brief? Forward it to a friend! They can [click here to sign up.]( If you click a link to an e-commerce site and make a purchase, we may receive a small cut of the revenue, which helps support our ambitious journalism. See [here]( for more information. To unsubscribe from the Quartz Daily Brief, [click here](.