Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
The UN climate meeting begins in Madrid. Delegates from around the world begin a week of negotiation over how, exactly, they will implement their Paris Agreement goals. Particularly controversial are rules for carbon offset markets.
The European Parliament quizzes Christine Lagarde. Lawmakers will be looking for clues to how the new European Central Bank chief plans to revise the bloc’s monetary policy to address inflation measurement and goals, and consider climate change.
Russia and China deepen their links. The leaders of the two countries will launch operations of a new natural gas pipeline (paywall) in a ceremony broadcast via video link. Construction of the first land bridge between the two nations, set to open in 2020, was also just completed.
Over the weekend
Iran’s brutal crackdown killed at least 180 protesters. The protests started two weeks ago over a sharp increase in gas prices—US sanctions are causing a budget shortfall—and embraced calls for the toppling of the regime. Details are trickling out after an internet shutdown was lifted, the New York Times reported.
China’s factory activity rebounded. A gauge of manufacturing unexpectedly returned to growth territory, after signaling contraction since March, apparently responding to government measures to shore up domestic demand amid a trade war with the US.
EU antitrust regulators are looking into Google. The European Commission confirmed it’s investigating how and why the Alphabet unit collects data, according to Reuters. The EU has fined Google over €8 billion ($8.8 billion) in the last two years.
Boris Johnson blamed the Labour Party for the London Bridge attack. Despite calls from the family of one of the victims for politicians not to exploit Friday’s fatal stabbings of two people, the British prime minister said on TV that he blamed the early release of a man previously convicted in a terror plot on a Labour-era law.
Malta’s prime minister said he would resign. Joseph Muscat made the announcement amid a crisis over the 2017 murder of anti-corruption journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. A businessman who was charged on Saturday with complicity in the killing has alleged that government officials are implicated too.
Matters of Debate
AI companies should be listening to kids. Like the digital natives before them, “AI natives” use and relate to technology in unanticipated ways.
Reusable plastic shopping bags are worse for the environment. “Bags for life” all too easily become bags for a week.
The EU is now the global authority on competition regulation. It’s overtaken the US, where antitrust laws got their start.
Surprising discoveries
A Japanese retailer is reconsidering menstruation badges. It faced backlash for its plan to make staff wear the badges when on their periods.
Christmas ornaments with Auschwitz images are sold on Amazon. The Auschwitz Memorial has asked the online retailer to remove them.
Brazil’s president is blaming Leonardo DiCaprio for the Amazon fires. Jair Bolsonaro accuses nonprofits of setting fires to solicit donations from wealthy donors like DiCaprio.
Myanmar tour groups are offering $2,000 trips to The Hague. They’re a way to support the country as it prepares to defend against charges of genocide at the UN’s top court.
Russian cows are using virtual reality. A farm outside Moscow hopes VR goggles showing sunny fields will lead to tastier milk.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, actual bags for life, and VR-fortified dairy products to hi@qz.com. Get the most out of Quartz by downloading our app on iOS or Android, and becoming a member. Today’s Daily Brief was written by Tripti Lahiri and edited by Isabella Steger.