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What to watch for today
India’s opposition leads a peaceful protest. The Congress party will hold a sit-in at the Mahatma Gandhi memorial in Delhi in protest of the government’s controversial citizenship moves, while another big rally is planned in Chennai. The total number of deaths from the protests stands at 24, most of them in the state of Uttar Pradesh.
Xi Jinping hosts Japan and South Korea. The Chinese leader will meet with prime minister Shinzo Abe and president Moon Jae-in for trilateral talks on trade and North Korea, amid a renewed attempt at diplomacy by the US in response to signs of growing belligerence from Pyongyang.
The US reports economic data. The Commerce Department will detail (paywall) last month’s durable-goods orders—a key measure of the manufacturing sector’s health—with a bump of 1.2% anticipated. Data on new-homes sales will also be released.
Over the weekend
Tesco suspended a Chinese supplier of Christmas cards. The move followed reports of a child in London finding a plea for help in a card, apparently written by foreign prisoner subjected to forced labor in China. Tesco said it was withdrawing the cards and investigating the matter.
France reformed its colonial African currency. The 14 countries of the monetary union in West Africa and former colonial power France agreed to rename the CFA franc to the Eco and dilute French control over it during a meeting in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. President Emmanuel Macron also said that colonialism was a “grave mistake.”
More details came to light on Donald Trump and Ukraine. Newly released emails show that US officials moved to block military aid to the country 90 minutes after the president’s phone call with his counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskiy. In that phone call in July, Trump asked Zelenskiy to do him a “favor” and investigate rival Joe Biden.
A Premier League match was marred by racism. The referee stopped play during the second half of the Tottenham Hotspur vs. Chelsea match, after a Chelsea defender complained of hearing monkey chants. The Professional Footballers’ Association called for the government to launch an inquiry into racism in the sport.
An Emirati chat app turned out to be a spy tool. According to the New York Times, ToTok, which has been downloaded millions of times, is used by the United Arab Emirates government for espionage and can be traced to an Abu Dhabi-based cyberintelligence and hacking company.
Influencers and celebrities promoted a Saudi music festival. Those who attended Riyadh’s MDL Beast electronic music festival, such as actors Armie Hammer and Ed Westwick, were criticized for white-washing the country’s terrible human rights record.
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Matters of debate
Your email problem isn’t your fault. Email wasn’t designed to be a good communication system, or designed to be a system at all.
The UK Tories are the world’s most successful party. Boris Johnson is the latest leader of a party that has always been efficiently ruthless in pursuing power.
Hollywood is woefully poor at LGBTQ representation. It remains conservative about sexuality even as it’s put more women and racial minorities on screen.
Surprising discoveries
Seasteading is moving onto land. Tired of the pirate life, investors are now aiming to set up semi-autonomous cities in developing countries.
Nearly 80% of internet porn is now viewed on mobile. The trend is particularly noticeable in India thanks to the relative cheapness of phones and data.
The longest walkable route on Earth takes about three years to complete. The distance from L’Agulhas in South Africa to Magadan in Russia is about 14,000 miles (22,500 km).
Only two swimming pools in Kabul allow women. Though more pools are opening in the Afghan capital, women’s recreational rights remain restricted.
Impeachment reignited the “irregardless” debate. Merriam-Webster stepped into the breach to confirm that yes, it is a word, and no, you shouldn’t use it.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, ethical Christmas cards, and ambitious walks 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 Isabella Steger and edited by Tripti Lahiri.