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What to watch for today
The UN releases a major warning to humanity. The “Summary for Policymakers,” recapping an 1,800-page report authored by 400 scientists, focuses on the planet’s biodiversity crisis. It warns, among other things, that up to 1 million species face extinction, describing nature as in the “worst shape in human history.”
Arctic nations meet to discuss polar policies. Top diplomats from eight countries, including the US and Russia, will convene in Finland for the annual ministerial gathering of the Arctic Council. Tensions are rising as countries vie for control and access to the region amid rising global temperatures.
Ramadan starts around the world. The holiest month in the Islamic calendar begins today in most countries (though Morocco will mark the first day tomorrow). Muslims will fast from dawn to dusk until the end of Ramadan on the 29th or 30th day of the lunar month.
Michael Cohen heads to federal prison. The longtime lawyer and fixer for Donald Trump will begin serving a three-year jail term for tax evasion, lying to Congress, and campaign finance violations.
Tiger Woods receives the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The formerly disgraced golfer will be awarded the honor following his fifth Masters win last month.
Over the weekend
Trump said he’ll hike tariffs on China. The US president tweeted yesterday he plans to increase tariffs on about 6,000 Chinese goods from 10% to 25%. The abrupt announcement followed Trump’s recent claim that trade negotiations were going well. In response, China said that it was considering canceling a planned Washington trip this week by its top trade negotiator, Liu He. Markets around the world reacted poorly to the news.
Boeing didn’t tell airlines that a safety alert for the 737 Max wasn’t activated. The alert is designed to show pilots that a glitch is occurring in the sensors behind two deadly crashes. Boeing says a review determined that the absence of the alert “did not adversely impact airplane safety or operation.” The FAA, notified of the issue after the first crash, says it reached a similar conclusion.
North Korea tested rocket launchers. State media said leader Kim Jong Un oversaw a performance of “large-caliber long-range multiple rocket launchers and tactical guided weapons.” Analysts say the move is likely aimed at pressuring Washington to resume negotiations on ending sanctions.
At least 41 people died in a plane fire in Moscow. An Aeroflot plane carrying 78 passengers made an emergency landing and burst into flames. No cause has been identified for the disaster yet.
Fighting between Israel and Gaza escalated rapidly. The most intense cross-border violence since the last full-blown war in 2014 saw a barrage of rocket and missile strikes from both sides, leading to a mounting death toll. Egypt mediated a ceasefire between the countries today.
The US deployed an aircraft carrier strike group to the Middle East. The move is in response to what a Trump administration official called “potential preparations” by Iran and its proxies for possible attacks on US forces. The official, who said an attack doesn’t appear imminent, nonetheless said the military would respond to hostilities with “unrelenting force.”
Membership
Ant Financial is what you get when you rebuild consumer finance in the age of the internet and smartphones. The Chinese fintech firm, which split off from Jack Ma’s Alibaba some eight years ago, has ambitions that span the world. Find out more about the $150 billion fintech giant in our latest field guide. We also have a new episode of our members-only video series, Because China, looking at how the short-form video app TikTok (the international version of Chinese karaoke and video app Douyin) is changing the way we find, listen to, and interact with music.
Quartz Obsession
“Salvator Mundi”: For years the painting has baffled the art world. Was it created by Leonardo da Vinci or not? Lately, that question has been overshadowed by another: Where exactly is this maybe-masterpiece? Catch up on the case in our Quartz Obsession.
Matters of debate
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Older people can launch brilliant careers, too. Longer life spans mean we can now bloom and re-bloom in our professional lives.
Women pay the price for men not having friends. They play the roles of best friend, lover, and on-call therapist for their male partners.
Portion control doesn’t work. The emphasis on quantification and restriction—rather than the types of foods we consume—is classic fad-diet culture.
Surprising discoveries
Thais were confused about the new royal cat. It’s unclear whether the Siamese feline presented to the newly crowned Thai king was alive or not.
Serial-killer films are on the decline. In spite of a fresh slate of such offerings from streaming services, they’re losing popularity on the big screen.
Backpacks are replacing purses among white-collar women. Sales of women’s backpacks are up by 28% in the past year as professional women eschew handbags.
Laundromats are helping to shrink America’s literacy gap. A Clinton Foundation-sponsored project plans to install learning spaces for kids in 600 laundromats across the US.
Thieves are hijacking honeybees. “Bee-rustling” is becoming a common crime—and it can cost beekeepers their entire livelihoods.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, trendy rucksacks, and royal cat sightings to hi@qz.com. Join the next chapter of Quartz by downloading our app and becoming a member. Today’s Daily Brief was written by John Detrixhe and edited by Jason Karaian.