Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today and over the weekend
The Bank of Japan reports on inflation. The central bank’s efforts to encourage inflation have been stymied somewhat by a higher yen, and growth is expected to have stalled out at 0.6%.
Modi on the move. India’s prime minister arrives in the United Arab Emirates tonight to discuss “areas of mutual interest” with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, before becoming the first Indian leader to visit Bahrain.
The G7 summit kicks off. World leaders gather for a long weekend in Biarritz, France, though French president Emmanuel Macron said Wednesday it would most likely conclude without any sort of agreement for the first time in the group’s history.
While you were sleeping
China smeared a detained critic. State media claimed Simon Cheng was caught visiting prostitutes, a common allegation justifying the detention of those critical of Beijing. Cheng worked at the British consulate in Hong Kong and hasn’t been seen since he crossed the border to Shenzhen.
Oracle is suing its own founder for billions of dollars. In a potentially unprecedented move, three board members have approved a lawsuit on behalf of shareholders against Larry Ellison and co-CEO Safra Catz alleging that Oracle’s $9.3 billion purchase of Netsuite—a company Ellison controls—breached their fiduciary duty.
Turkey lost its Patriot missile deal. The US refused to sell the missile system after Turkey nabbed a Russian S-400 setup. The squashed $3.5 billion deal is the latest in a growing list of retaliatory measures wielded by the US against Turkey.
Mozambique and Russia signed an energy agreement. President Filipe Nyusi struck a deal with Vladimir Putin involving Russian oil producer Rosneft and some information security protection. With Mozambique’s push to become an oil and natural gas resource and Russia’s drive to have more influence on the African continent, both sides win.
The EU prepared to go up against Trump and tech. Politico reported that European officials have a 173-page plan to combat the US president’s trade actions as well as technology giants like Amazon, Google, and Facebook. The European Commission president-elect is allegedly under pressure to create a $100 billion fund to get European tech companies up to speed.
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Purdue Pharma has received heaps of criticism for the role it played in the US opioid epidemic. After a year-long investigation, Quartz found that Mundipharma—an international network of companies also owned by the Sackler family—is using similar deceptive marketing to sell opioids overseas. Members are invited to view our exclusive 40-minute documentary on what we found when we looked into how exactly legal drugs are sold.
Quartz Obsession
Time to pick a side in #JollofWars. Every West African country has its own approach to jollof rice, a hearty staple with a tomato base that’s the ancestor of jambalaya and gumbo, and whose is the best is an ongoing social media debate (hint: It’s not Jamie Oliver’s!). Now it’s hitting the menu in upscale US and UK restaurants, and KFC is hoping jollof will help it win over Nigerians. Things are getting spicy at the Quartz Obsession.
Matters of debate
Join the conversation on the Quartz app!
The US should issue a 100-year bond. America has the rare opportunity to lock-in ultra-low rates for a century, and it’s time to go long.
Tech addiction is ruining the workforce of the future. The good news is that Gen Z knows it should unplug, but it’s everyone else’s job to help them.
India’s lunar mission is bigger than patriotism. The space industry is growing and countries are investing today to win earthly rewards tomorrow.
Surprising discoveries
The Apple Card bruises easily. The company says that leather, denim, and even other credit cards can damage the piece of etched titanium.
The world’s longest flight might be too long. Qantas is doing test runs for its new 20-hour direct flights to see how the human body holds up.
Lightning megaflashes get a closer look. New weather satellites are revealing the record-breaking lightning strikes that stretch up to 418 miles (672 km) long.
Bees made 110 lbs of honeycomb in one house. An intrepid beekeeper removed an enormous honey haul from an Australian home to relocate the swarm to a “free-range hive” in his backyard.
Brands battle to own the word “the”. Marc Jacobs and Ohio State University have both filed applications to trademark the everyday word—but it won’t have much effect on English users.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, “the” trademarks, and hardy cards to hi@qz.com. Join the next chapter of Quartz by downloading our app and becoming a member. Today’s Daily Brief was brought to you by Susan Howson and Max Lockie.