Quartz Daily Brief—Hutchison’s O2 buy, Japan’s hostage deadline, Uber’s India concession, socially camouflaged squids

Daily Brief sponsored by

Good morning, Quartz readers! What to watch for today Japan tries to convince ISIL not to kill two hostages. The Islamist militant group says it will kill the men if it doesn’t receive a $200 million ransom payment—the same amount that Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe pledged to an anti-ISIL coalition. Japan is trying to contact the group, which posted an online warning that the “countdown has begun.” McDonald’s caps off an awful year. The fast food chain announces its fourth-quarter earnings, ending a year in which the companysuffered food safety scandals in Asia, rising competition from “fast casual” restaurants in the US, and saw half of its Russian outlets closed by the government. Davos, day three. Keynote speakers at the World Economic Forum’s final full day include French president François Hollande, King Abdullah of Jordan, Iraqi prime minister Haïdar al Abadi, and US secretary of state John Kerry. Geopolitics will dominate today’s discussions, which also address European finance, the Arab world’s ongoing transformation, and the outlook for the US and southeast Asia. Over the weekend: Greece takes to the polls. Alexis Tsipras, leader of the leftist Syriza party, is hoping for an overwhelming national election victory on Jan. 25, to give his party a mandate to reverse years of harsh austerity measures. “On Monday, national humiliation will be over,” Tsipras told crowds. “We will finish with orders from abroad.” While you were sleeping Hutchison Whampoa agreed to buy Britain’s O2. The Li Ka-shing-owned conglomerate said it would pay an initial £9.25 billion ($13.88 billion) in cash for Telefonica’s O2 unit, which will be combined with Hutchison’s Three network to become the UK’s largest mobile network. The deal is only the latest move by Asia’s richest man to invest in European infrastructure companies. Uber agreed to play by Delhi’s rules. The on-demand car start-up, sidelined in India’s capital since a driver allegedly raped a passenger, said it would comply with the government’s demands that it adhere to all taxi industry rules—which include a requirement that it paint its cars white. Uber said that despite applying for a radio taxi license, it “will remain a technology company and aggregator.” Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah died. His 10-year reign was marked by bouts of ill health, and his 79-year-old brother Salman now takes over as king, though he is reportedly suffering from dementia. None of this clears up the Kingdom’s quandary as it nears the end of the second generation of male offspring of the country’s founder, Abdul Aziz. Thailand’s ousted prime minister was hit with a double whammy. Yingluck Shinawatra was impeached for a botched rice-buying scheme by the military-appointed legislature, which will probably result in a five-year ban from politics. She was also hit with related criminal charges that carry up to a 10-year prison sentence, which could raise tensions in a country that is deeply divided after last year’s military coup. Manufacturing nudged upwards in the euro zone… Markit’s flash purchasing managers’ index (PMI) rose to 51 in January, from 50.8 in December, and  just above the 50 level that separates contraction from expansion. Factory activity in Germany expanded, and activity in France contracted. …And was mixed in Asia. In China the HSBC/Markit flash PMI, which surveys small- and medium-sized companies, was 49.8 in January, up from 49.6 in December. In Japan the Markit/JMMA’s flash PMI rose to 52.1 in January, from December’s 52 mark. Manufacturers in Japan reported rising payroll numbers and strong growth in new orders, suggesting Abenomics is starting to take effect. SPONSOR CONTENT BY BANK OF AMERICA Infographic: How nations are borrowing and lending. The World Bank's current account balance measurement tells a fascinating story about a country's credit or debt position. This infographic visualizes the account balances of countries over the past ten years. Quartz obsession interlude Cassie Werber on discussing menstruation in sports. “In the UK, the press is agog after a British tennis player mentioned menstruation, confronting the world of sport with a topic that until now has remained strictly unmentionable. Heather Watson, the UK player who crashed out of the Australian Open, said ‘girl things’ were part of the problem, and became one of the first athletes to raise the issue.” Read more here. Matters of debate Thailand is fighting the wrong battles. Only infrastructure, not impeachments, can get the country moving again. Money makes you less sad, not more happy. Our emotions are not a zero-sum game. Climate change denial should disqualify politicians from holding office. There is simply no reason to trust them with power. Gentrification isn’t always a bad thing. It doesn’t actually hurt long-term residents when rents rise. Germany isn’t turning back to xenophobia. Anti-foreigner sentiment is at historic lows (paywall). Surprising discoveries A German court upheld the right to pee standing up. It ruled in favor of a tenant accused of damaging the floor around his toilet. Squids use their camouflage to socialize. The giant humboldt squid quickly changes color to communicate with fellow cephalopods. A US fashion designer broke new ground on the runway. His revealing menswear earned Rick Owens the hashtag #dickowens. Chinese towns are creating walls of shame. If you fail to pay your fines in Changsha, your face will be displayed on a huge public screen. Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, socialized squids, and banknote-based antidepressants tohi@qz.com. You can follow us on Twitter here for updates throughout the day.