Japan nuclear ban, Biden-Suga summit, buried planet

Good morning, Quartz readers!

Here’s what you need to know

The Fukushima nuclear plant operator can’t restart its only operable atomic facility. A Japanese regulator prevented Tokyo Electric Power from transporting uranium to its plant in Niigata. Meanwhile, South Korea is looking for a way to block Japan’s plans to release water from the Fukushima facility.

A Chinese Tesla rival unveiled a sedan with self-driving features. Xpeng’s P5, which uses lidar, is expected to hit the streets in the second half of 2021 and cost less than Tesla’s Model 3.

Convicted con man Bernie Madoff has died in prison at 82. The $65 billion he swindled from investors is still a Ponzi scheme record.

Coinbase closed below its debut price on the first day of trading. But it still ended the day well above its $250 reference price, with a $85.8 billion valuation.

Indian small business owners are holding a rival event to Amazon’s summit. Trade groups say the US retailer has done more harm than good; both events kick off virtually today.

Russian and Chinese vaccine makers said their jabs don’t cause blood clots. Gamaleya research institute, which developed the Sputnik V shot, and CanSino Biologics sought to reassure after reports of rare side effects from Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca.

What to watch for

Joe Biden’s first face-to-face international summit as US president this Friday will not be with Canada, Mexico, or the UK. He’ll be meeting with Japanese prime minister Yoshihide Suga, because his global outlook right now is laser-focused on China.

For Biden, Japan is an essential ally for what he has described as the “battle” between democracy and autocracy. Their post-summit joint statement will likely address points such as:

✊ Human rights: Last month, foreign and defense ministers of the two nations “shared serious concerns” (pdf) over the situations in Xinjiang and Hong Kong. Biden will bring up sanctions, which Japan so far has avoided adopting.

💔 Decoupling: Biden is reportedly asking Japan to divest from China when it comes to semiconductors, rare-earth materials, and pharmaceuticals. China is still at the top of both countries’ importer lists.

🏅 Olympics: Suga will issue a formal invite to the Tokyo games, but Biden could counter by suggesting a boycott of the 2022 Beijing Olympics.

Charting Indian fashion e-commerce

India’s top online fashion retailers recovered from the damage of last year, but 2021 won’t be easy. Walmart-owned Myntra and Mukesh Ambani’s Ajio saw a dip in reach when the nationwide lockdown started in March last year. However, the festive season in India delivered, and both players surpassed pre-Covid reach by the end of the year.

While the recovery looks good on paper, companies have had to offer huge discounts to boost sales. With India’s second wave raging, Myntra and Ajio may find it harder to keep their numbers on trend.

3 ways chief sustainability officers can be effective

Seven months into his tenure as the EY global vice chair for sustainability, Steve Varley offers up his top recommendations for other CSOs who are just starting out. Here are three of our favorites:

1️⃣ Set clear targets. And back them up with strong business cases.

2️⃣ Create your own ecosystem. That is, an ecosystem of like-minded thinkers within which you can create strong alliances.

3️⃣ See sustainability as an opportunity. It’s not just an exercise in corporate philanthropy—it can drive business growth.

✦ Read more from some of the world’s original and creative thinkers in Quartz Ideas. Here’s another original and creative idea: Try a Quartz membership for free.

Handpicked Quartz

💸 Grab’s record-breaking SPAC merger left more than $2 billion on the table

🤖 The big issue for Amazon warehouse workers isn’t money—it’s autonomy

🦠 Scientists are using natural-language algorithms to predict Covid-19 variants

💉 After months of protectionism, India finally welcomes all vaccines—but is it enough?

🇮🇳 The Indian government’s silence over Kumbh Mela crowds exposes its bias

✈️ Flying, pregnancy, or taking the pill all carry much higher blood clot risks than the J&J vaccine

💻 Resist the workcation

Surprising discoveries

Earth may contain another planet buried under the surface… It could be why our magnetic field has a growing weak spot, at least according to one researcher.

…And one less ancient Roman estate. Archaeologists say their new discovery is the first of its kind in the UK—and possibly anywhere.

An earthquake restarted a clock that had been stopped for 10 years. The timepiece had ceased working after a previous earthquake.

Genetically modified mosquitoes will soon be let loose in Florida. What could go wrong?

Vaccine scarcity is a myth. We asked experts in global public health and the pharmaceutical industry what needs to happen to ensure that vaccines and other critical medications are distributed quickly and fairly, both across borders and within countries.

Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, restarted clocks, and Roman ruins to hi@qz.com. Get the most out of Quartz by downloading our iOS app and becoming a member. Today’s Daily Brief was brought to you by Sota Toshiyoshi, Ananya Bhattacharya, Susan Howson, and Liz Webber.