Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Queen Elizabeth II calls an emergency family meeting. Prince Harry, his brother William, and their father Charles will convene at the Queen’s Sandringham estate to discuss the next steps for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, while Meghan Markle will join by phone. Separately, prime minister Boris Johnson will meet Northern Ireland’s newly formed executive, and nominations for the Labour party leadership close.
France holds a summit on jihadist violence. President Emmanuel Macron has summoned the leaders of five former French colonies in Africa’s Sahel region to discuss how to stop the rapid rise of Islamist extremists in west and central Africa.
Libyan rivals sign a ceasefire deal. The agreement between the country’s UN-recognised government and strongman Khalifa Haftar of the Libyan National Army is expected to restart the political process.
Nominations for the Oscars are announced. Will Parasite receive Korea’s first-ever best-picture nod? Will movies about, and made by, women keep getting snubbed? Will we be in for another #OscarsSoWhite? The Academy reveals its nominees ahead of presenting the awards on Feb. 9.
Over the weekend
Iran admitted it shot down a Ukrainian airliner. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard made the confession after initially denying responsibility, prompting thousands of protesters to call for the ouster of senior officials. Meanwhile, US defense secretary Mark Esper said he never saw hard evidence that Iran was plotting an attack on four US embassies, undermining president Donald Trump’s justification for killing Qassem Soleimani.
Taiwanese voters delivered a rebuke to China. Independence-leaning incumbent Tsai Ing-wen, who has prominently voiced support for Hong Kong’s protesters, beat pro-Beijing challenger Han Kuo-yu by more than 2.6 million votes and cemented the biggest-ever election victory in Taiwan.
Eruptions and earthquakes rocked the globe. Ash from a volcano in the Philippines shut down the Manila airport and forced thousands to evacuate, while a dramatic but less disruptive explosion was caught on video in Mexico. Meanwhile, the latest in a string of earthquakes hit Puerto Rico Saturday, causing millions of dollars in damage.
Sultan Qaboos bin Said of Oman passed away. The Middle East’s longest-ruling monarch, who was an important mediator between Iran and the US, died early Saturday at age 79. He is succeeded by his cousin and former culture minister Haitham bin Tariq Al Said.
Hong Kong denied entry to the head of Human Rights Watch. Kenneth Roth had planned to release the organization’s 2020 report highlighting China’s assault on human rights worldwide at a press conference in the city this week. He said authorities’ refusal to let him into Hong Kong “vividly illustrates the problem.”
China reported its first death from the mysterious pneumonia outbreak. A 61-year-old man in the central city of Wuhan died after suffering from severe pneumonia in a flare-up that has infected 41 people with the as yet unidentified pathogen. The World Health Organization said last week that the outbreak was caused by a coronavirus, a family of viruses that also caused SARS and MERS.
Quartz obsession
Clowns are people, too. Whether you love them, hate them, or love to hate them, clowns are sprinkled throughout culture like the confetti they love to fling. Are we scared of what’s behind the greasepaint, or are we really just afraid of what they say about what entertains us? Clown around with the Quartz Obsession.
Matters of debate
3D-printed bones are ethically murky. A digital repository of bones raises questions about who owns a deceased individual’s personhood.
Walk out of bad job interviews. They’re just business meetings, after all.
Data visualizations should prioritize information, not “cuteness.” There’s no need to worry about entertaining people with design if you’re succeeding in making them smarter.
Surprising discoveries
Instagram scammers are exploiting Australia’s bushfire crisis for likes. Some accounts are making empty promises to plant trees or donate money with posts like, “1 LIKE = $1 DONATION.”
A researcher discovered a 14th-century drawing of Venice. It’s the oldest illustration of the city to be found.
Scientists pinpointed the source of global humming. First reported in the 1970s, these low-frequency sounds are apparently the result of magma rising to form an undersea volcano.
The world’s sexiest tortoise is going home. Diego, the 100-year-old tortoise whose virility helped save his species, will return to the Galápagos to live among his hundreds of progeny.
A 17-year-old discovered the first planet with two stars. Wolf Cukier spotted the new planet on his third day interning at NASA.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, digital bones, and suave tortoises 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 Mary Hui and edited by Isabella Steger.