Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Lufthansa flights are cancelled en masse. The German airline’s cabin crew are on strike today and tomorrow demanding better pay and conditions, forcing the company to axe 1,300 of 6,000 flights scheduled.
The Bank of England meets. Analysts expect Britain’s central bank to keep interest rates unchanged, especially given the snap election next month ahead of the Jan. 31 Brexit deadline. Economists think rate cuts will come at some point next year.
China and the US announce an anti-opioid partnership. The two countries will outline their collaborative effort to crack down on a fentanyl-smuggling operation based in China, potentially paving the way for further progress in resolving their trade war.
While you were sleeping
UK Labour’s deputy leader quit.
Tom Watson is also stepping down as a lawmaker, which some interpret as a sign of the party’s
under leader Jeremy Corbyn.
Malaysia detained Cambodia’s deputy opposition leader. The detention of Mu Sochua, the exiled vice president of a banned opposition party, came ahead of her and other party leaders’ planned return to Cambodia on Saturday. On Tuesday, Malaysian authorities also detained two Cambodian opposition activists about to board a flight to Thailand.
Two former Twitter employees were charged with spying for Saudi Arabia. They and a third man were charged in US federal court with digging up private data of users critical of the kingdom’s royal family and handing it over to Saudi officials.
Dozens were killed in an attack in Burkina Faso. In the deadliest attack in nearly five years of jihadist violence in the country, 37 were killed and 60 wounded when armed assailants ambushed a convoy of a Canadian mining company.
Airbnb will finally verify its listings. Eleven years after the company’s launch, the company said it would check every single property on its platform after a nationwide scam operation made headlines.
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Plastic is our recycling crisis. Environmental expert Judith Enck has been working on plastic recycling for decades, and she calls what we’ve managed to do so far a “monumental failure.” Bad policymaking, widespread misconceptions, and a reliance on false solutions have done us dirty, but there are still actions we can take. Quartz’s Zoë Schlanger dives deep into the recycling bin as part of this week’s field guide on the plastic boom.
Quartz Obsession
On your marks, get set: It’s the Great British Bake Off. Over 10 seasons, the show has redefined reality TV with kindness, creating an atmosphere in which contestants are actually there to make friends. That sweetness is spreading; it’s licensed in 32 countries. Have a piece about it at the Quartz Obsession.
Matters of Debate
Women struggle most with ageism, not sexism, at work. Inequality plays out in a lot of different ways that go beyond gender.
The Louvre should ditch the Mona Lisa. It’s a disappointment to visitors and a security nightmare.
We should ignore political predictions. Even simple forecasts make countless assumptions about circumstances.
Surprising discoveries
Hong Kong students turned a graduation ceremony into a mass protest. Students at the Chinese University of Hong Kong donned Guy Fawkes masks and hard hats.
A millennial New Zealand lawmaker had a sharp retort for a heckler.
Chlöe Swarbrick replied “OK boomer”
to a man who interrupted her speech on the climate crisis.
Shouting “bad dog” at your misbehaving mutt can backfire. A new study shows that mild punishments like yelling and leash-jerking can stress dogs out.
Brazil’s tax code is heavier than an African elephant. At 41,266 pages, the tome weighs 7.5 tons (6.8 tonnes).
The end of Japanese strawberries? Aging farmers are deciding whether to keep going after two devastating typhoons.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, good dogs, and graduation chants to hi@qz.com. Get the most out of Quartz by downloading our app and becoming a member. Today’s Daily Brief was written by Mary Hui and edited by Isabella Steger.