Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
The Bank of England votes. A policy meeting is expected to bring about a rise in interest rates for only the second time in the past decade. The sterling fell to a one-week low in advance of the policymakers’ decision.
ASEAN foreign ministers meet. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations will hold various meetings in Singapore through Saturday. Representatives from other countries will also attend, including US secretary of state Mike Pompeo, who could meet his North Korean counterpart. Foreign ministers will likely express concern over China’s aggressive moves in the South China Sea.
Mexico and the US negotiate. Trade officials from the two NAFTA nations will meet in Washington to work toward a bilateral trade agreement, leaving Canada temporarily out of the loop. Mexican president-elect Andrés Manuel López Obrador said he was confident about reaching an agreement in the coming days.
While you were sleeping
France passed a tougher law on sexual harassment and child rape. The law allows for on-the-spot fines for harassment on the street or on public transport, and will make it easier for judges to classify intercourse with a minor under 15 as rape. “Upskirting,” or taking photos under a person’s clothes without their consent, will also be a finable offense.
Britain hired an ex-Obama official to advise it on tech regulation. Jason Furman will chair a new panel to steer the country’s approach to competition and privacy protection in the digital economy. He served as chief economist in former US president Barack Obama’s administration, and currently teaches economic policy at Harvard University.
The US sanctioned Turkey. Following the country’s refusal to release detained American pastor Andrew Brunson, the US Treasury department said it will block the property and interests of two Turkish ministers within US jurisdiction. Meanwhile, Congress moved to stop the transfer of two F-35 fighter jets to the NATO ally.
Tesla reported its earnings. The automaker’s quarterly earnings per share fell short of analysts’ predictions, but its revenue beat expectations, driving its stock price upward. Still, investors remain concerned over quality issues that accompany a quicker Model 3 production process, the company’s rapid cash burn rate, and CEO Elon Musk’s erratic behavior.
Quartz Obsession interlude
Sara Wilson on how wellness became our new religion. “At some point in recent history, we decided to use ‘because it makes me feel good’ as a key metric by which we determine truth. Truth has become, in essence, anything that makes us feel good about ourselves. That shift created the perfect conditions for the wellness industrial complex to flourish.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Meaningless jobs are draining economic productivity. A large portion of mostly corporate positions could be eliminated without affecting society (paywall).
Puns are the most elevated display of wit. The practice requires that you harbor two states of mind at once.
Jeff Bezos’s fortune is a policy fail. Economic and regulatory systems increase inequality by mainly benefiting those at the top.
Surprising discoveries
The Swedish crown jewels were stolen. In a cinematic heist, thieves sped away on a motorboat with two funeral crowns and a royal orb.
A Chinese author was inspired by his real-life murders. Popular crime writer Liu Yongbiao and an accomplice were sentenced to death this week, 23 years after killing four people.
The scutoid is geometry’s newest shape. Previously found in nature but not in math, the scutoid looks similar to a bent prism.
An app lets you pay celebrities to say stuff. From TV stars to singer Lance Bass, personalized celeb-videos could be yours (paywall) for a range of prices.
A 2,000-year-old public library was discovered in Germany. A construction project uncovered the ruins in the city of Cologne.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, witty puns, and scutoids 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 by Steve Mollman and edited by Isabella Steger.