Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Myanmar and Bangladesh ink a deal to return Rohingya refugees. The accord should enable the 600,000 Rohingya Muslims, who fled to the neighboring country to escape military persecution, to come home. Yesterday, the US accused Myanmar of ethnic cleansing, a designation that clears the way for US sanctions.
The EU meets to discuss emissions testing. Two years after the Volkswagen “dieselgate” scandal, the European Commission, the European Parliament, and national governments still disagree over car-emissions legislation. The three sides meet in Brussels to find a compromise.
Happy Thanksgiving! US financial markets will be closed, millions of turkeys will be consumed, and families will inevitably get into awkward political debates—check out the Quartz guide to constructive holiday conversations.
While you were sleeping
Tesla installed a giant battery in Australia. The 100-megawatt beast—the world’s biggest lithium-ion battery—will be switched on soon to boost South Australia’s overburdened state grid. Tesla CEO Elon Musk made good on his promise that the battery would be free if it wasn’t ready within 100 days of the contract-signing.
Germany had a rip-roaring quarter… Berlin is in the grip of political crisis that could lead to early elections, but the economy is as strong as ever. German GDP expanded by 0.8% in the third quarter from the previous three months, teeing up for its best performance in six years. The Markit Purchasing Managers Index showed production at German factories chugging along at their fastest pace in nearly seven years, too.
…and France is brimming with confidence. Executives across all sectors haven’t felt this positive in 10 years, according to the business climate survey (paywall) by the National Institute of Statistics. The Markit PMI rose to 60.1 in November from 57.4 in October. It’s largely down to Emmanuel Macron’s big push to revamp the economy, as well as tax cuts put in place by the last government.
The maker of Angry Birds failed to fly. Shares in Rovio dropped nearly 19% (paywall) after it posted a loss in its first quarterly results since the IPO, caused by major spending to try and attract new users. Still, it wasn’t all bad: thanks to the success of the Angry Birds movie, profits in the first nine months of the year were up 64 % from the same time a year ago.
Papua New Guinea police stormed the former Manus refugee camp. Local authorities ordered the hundreds of remaining asylum seekers in Australia’s offshore detention center on Manus Island to leave, destroying their belongings and causing injuries in the process. Many refugees don’t want to move to the new facility.
Quartz obsession interlude
Heather Timmons on Ajit Pai, the “Trump soldier” who wants to end net neutrality in America. “Consumer groups that have fought long and hard for Americans to have equal access to the internet say the personable Pai, who joined the FCC in 2012, is taking Trump’s anti-regulatory push to a surprising extreme. It’s a remarkably unpopular stance for a Republican many think hopes to become senator or governor of his home state of Kansas some day.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
The MBA is dying in the US. Students are increasingly wondering whether sky-high tuition fees and, in the case of international applicants, Trump’s politics, make the program worth it.
The UK needs to have a museum about empire. Despite its profound role in the construction of modern British identity, there is no museum dedicated to the crimes of the British empire.
Learning to code will eventually be as useful as learning Ancient Greek. The more computers understand our language, the more useless programming will become.
Surprising discoveries
Tailor your alcohol to your preferred experience. A survey found that hard liquor makes us feel energized and red wine relaxes us.
A 1960s housewife’s “promiscuity handbook” is still banned in the US. Thanks to the Supreme Court, Lillian Maxine Serett’s groundbreaking memoir only exists in digital format.
The doctor treating the North Korean soldier who defected is a superstar. South Korea’s own McDreamy (paywall) has inspired two soap-opera characters.
A photo found at a flea market may be a rare image of Billy the Kid. Experts say the tintype photo of the Wild West outlaw and the man who shot him could be worth millions.
British utility companies still use divining rods to find water. The centuries-old technique lacks scientific backing, but inevitably stumbles upon pipes and leaks some of the time.
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