🌍 Thousands of Russian casualties

Good morning, Quartz readers!

Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Sign up here. Forward to the friend who loves tennis the most.

Here’s what you need to know

Vladimir Putin got backing from China to attend the G20 summit. The Russian president plans to attend the forum in Indonesia this year, amid a war he initiated that has cost the lives of thousands of his soldiers, NATO estimates.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on Japan to keep up sanctions against Russia. The Ukrainian leader praised Japan for being the first Asian country to sanction Russia, which comes after Russia withdrew from peace treaty talks with Japan.

Russia wants “unfriendly” countries to pay for gas in rubles. European countries depend on Russian gas and some have slashed fuel taxes to curb energy prices.

The China Eastern plane’s voice recorder was found. One of the black boxes was found in the wreckage, which may provide details on the cause of the crash.

New Zealand will remove some covid-19 mandates. As covid wanes, outdoor crowd limits and vaccine mandates for some workers will soon be scrapped.

Meme stocks are back. Shares of GameStop and AMC skyrocketed 16% and 20% Wednesday, respectively.

What to watch for

US president Joe Biden is traveling to Brussels to attend a NATO Heads of State and Government meeting, the first since Russia invaded Ukraine. Zelenskyy will address the summit, likely reiterating his call for a no-fly zone over his country, which NATO has so far declined to enforce.

During the summit, NATO is expected to:

💰Announce new sanctions against Russia

💡Work on measures to reduce the world’s reliance on Russian energy supplies

➡️ Confirm the deployment of four new battlegroups in Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia

🎖Provide increased support to Georgia and Bosnia and Herzegovina against possible Russian pressure

😰Discuss long-term strategies in case of nuclear attacks

Who wore it better?

Against the backdrop of the Russia-Ukraine war, Putin was spotted in a Loro Piana coat (worth $14,000) at a political rally last week, while Zelenskyy has been stepping out in solid army green-colored tees. His official annual salary is listed at $115,000, but Putin can be found decked out in Italian luxury fashion and Swiss watches like Patek Philippe.

While everyday Russians have seen their wealth plummet as the ruble collapses, Putin has had no qualms showing off his lavish and luxurious wardrobe.

Since the war broke out, Zelenskyy has worn humble attire while addressing Ukrainians from Kyiv on the frontlines to boost morale—but has also caught flack on social media for his appearance while addressing US Congress.

When life becomes a game

In a way, the real world operates in a largely disconnected and inefficient system. In the metaverse, though, gaming dynamics will envelop all. People will earn points by carrying out simple tasks with every errand having potential to become a mission. ✦ One day, you’ll look back in amazement that you had to learn about Life Experience Points (LXP). You’ll need to be a member to take the plunge—try it for free for a week!

Handpicked Quartz

🙃 The rise of Nazism was a side effect of the 1918 flu pandemic

0️⃣  China’s internet has coined a term to express mounting dissatisfaction with “covid zero”

🍫  Nestle is punishing Russia by taking away its chocolate bars

🎁  ApeCoin is rewarding Bored Ape insiders with billions of dollars

👋  ​​The Great Resignation is less important than the workers who don’t quit

🤰  Remote work is changing when people announce a pregnancy. Is that a good thing?

Surprising discoveries

HBD OK! Yesterday marked the anniversary of the moment “OK” entered the US vernacular.

A World Cup medal was stolen from a footballer’s home. Manchester United player Paul Pogba is understandably more concerned about his family, who was at home during the burglary.

Wildlife advocates would like designers to pay royalties to big cats. We wear their prints—shouldn’t they benefit?

None of the Best Actress movies are nominees for Best Picture. And this is a pretty common phenomenon.

One of the worst-performing movie sequels involves a dog and a baby wreaking havoc with a magical mask. Quartz media and entertainment reporter Adario Strange couldn’t guess it—can you? Listen to the latest episode of the Quartz Obsession podcast to understand why it’s so hard to make a good sequel.

🎬 Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google | Stitcher

Our best wishes for a productive day. Send any news, comments, justice for Kristen Stewart, and masked dogs 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 Annalisa Merelli, Tiffany Ap, Susan Howson, and Michelle Cheng.