Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
The Bank of England meets. The UK’s central bank is expected to leave interest rates at 0.5%, a surprise move from two weeks back (paywall) when markets put the probability of a 0.75% increase at almost 90%.
US economic data is released. The US consumer price index is expected to show a slight uptick, rising 0.3% in April after a March downturn caused by a drop in gasoline prices (paywall).
Bangladesh launches its first communications satellite. Bangabandhu-1 will be launched on a Falcon-9 rocket from SpaceX, transforming the nation into a worthy communications competitor for its neighbor, India.
While you were sleeping
Malaysia’s opposition party won a shocking victory. The nation’s 92-year-old former leader, Mahathir Mohamad, has so far won 115 seats in Kuala Lumpur’s 222-seat parliament, a surprise general election win that ends the governing Barisan Nasional coalition’s 60-year grip on power.
North Korea released three US prisoners. The men, who will return to the US with secretary of state Mike Pompeo on Thursday (paywall), were allegedly detained for “hostile acts” towards Pyongyang. The move is a diplomatic sweetener ahead of North Korea’s meeting with Donald Trump next month.
Tidal allegedly fudged streaming numbers. The Jay-Z-and-artist-owned music platform was accused by a Danish newspaper of faking Kanye West and Beyoncé’s streaming numbers, possibly to make Tidal appear more profitable or increase royalty payments to the artists. The company has denied the claim and says the report is part of a “smear campaign.”
Gina Haspel faced a tough Senate hearing. Trump’s CIA nominee answered questions about her controversial role in the agency’s interrogation program and the destruction of tapes. She needs votes from both parties to be confirmed, but her promise to “never, ever take CIA back to an interrogation program” may have swayed members on both sides of the aisle.
Google restricted ads related to Ireland’s abortion vote. Two weeks ahead of the nation’s historic vote, Google said it would suspend all ads related to the abortion referendum. Up until now, anti-choice groups have been trying to manipulate people online to sway decisions.
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Matters of debate
New language policies show how far Taiwan has come since Chinese rule. Making indigenous Taiwanese a national language honors a pluralistic society.
The market is clinging to LIBOR. The unsecured rate that banks charge each other is supposed to be dying out, but customers and investors might be smart to keep using it (paywall).
Rooftop solar panels aren’t all they’re cracked up to be. Instead of requiring solar on residential construction, municipalities should invest in large-scale solar or wind installations.
Surprising discoveries
The UK exports more legal weed than any other country. The country won’t allow medical cannabis use within its borders, but it supplies nearly 45% of the world’s total.
Bears can’t just go out for ice cream. A Canada zoo is being fined for taking a bear to Dairy Queen, and then posting it to social media.
Dr. Dre lost a trademark battle with a gynecologist. The rap legend argued that Dr. Drai would cause confusion among fans, but the judge ruled in favor of the actual doctor.
The oldest virus ever found is an STI. Researchers stumbled across fragments of DNA from hepatitis B dating back nearly 4,500 years.
Cocaine gets delivered faster than pizza. In some major cities, 30% of those surveyed said they could have the drug in 30 minutes—only 16% said the same about a fresh pie.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, ice cream, and speedy deliveries to hi@qz.com. You can follow us on Twitter for updates throughout the day or download our apps for iPhone and Android. Today’s Daily Brief was written and edited by Sangeeta Singh-Kurtz and Susan Howson.