Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Theresa May faces a no-confidence vote. After the historic defeat of her Brexit proposal, opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn has put forward a no-confidence motion that will be debated today, with a vote due around 7pm local time. A two-thirds majority is required to remove her, which would result in a general election.
The UN Security Council votes on sending ceasefire monitors to Yemen. A UK-drafted resolution aims to send 75 observers to the port city of Hodeidah to monitor if the Houthi group and Yemeni government abide to the terms of the ceasefire.
Australia’s damage control in the South Pacific. Prime minister Scott Morrison will visit Vanuatu and Fiji in an attempt to repair bitter differences over climate change. Australia’s refusal to curb coal production has opened the door for China to strengthen trade and military ties in the strategic islands.
The Fed releases its beige book. The report, a snapshot of business conditions in the Federal Reserve’s 12 regional districts, is used by central-bank officials to determine interest-rate policy. The most recent beige book noted companies’ concerns about tariffs and rising interest rates.
A fresh look at oil. New US stockpile data will shed light on the shifting crude-oil market (paywall), with analysts expecting stockpiles to fall for the sixth time in seven weeks. Prices rose yesterday on signs that China would introduce new stimulus measures.
While you were sleeping
The UK parliament soundly rejected Theresa May’s proposed Brexit agreement. The 432-to-202 vote—the biggest House of Commons defeat of a sitting government in history—was the culmination of two years of political chaos following the Brexit referendum. The UK is now headed for a general election, a second referendum, or a no-deal Brexit—the default option, unless legislators take action ahead of a March 29 deadline.
The death toll in a Nairobi terror attack rose to 15. A suicide bomber and gunmen from the Somali Islamist group al-Shabaab stormed an upscale hotel complex in the Kenyan capital, wounding at least 25 people. The dead include an American and Briton. The event harked back to another attack by al-Shabaab in 2013, when extremists killed 67 in a luxury shopping center.
An El Chapo associate testified that Mexico’s former president took a $100 million bribe. Colombian drug lord Alex Cifuentes Villa, a close associate of Mexico’s Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán Loera, told a New York jury that Guzmán’s cartel paid the bribe (paywall) to then-Mexican president Enrique Peña Nieto through an intermediary.
A former Polish intelligence official was charged with spying for China. Piotr Durbajlo, who was arrested last week in Poland along with a now-fired Huawei employee, is currently employed by French telecom company Orange, but is suspected of espionage (paywall) while working for the Polish government. Yesterday, Huawei’s CEO Ren Zhengfei made a rare public appearance to say the company doesn’t spy for China.
Snap’s chief financial officer is leaving. Tim Stone, who joined the company eight months ago from Amazon, will stay to help search for his replacement. His departure adds to an exodus of executives over the past year, including its chief strategy officer, human-resources chief, vice president of product, and vice president of marketing. Snap’s shares plunged 7% in after-hours trading.
Quartz obsession interlude
The Trump administration is taking aim at rubber bands in its trade war with China. A report alleges the Chinese government has been subsidizing elastic makers, allowing them to dump their wares in the US below market value prices. Read all about the rise and fall of the US firm that lodged the complaint—the Harley-Davidson of rubber bands—in today’s Quartz Obsession.
Quartz Membership
Alibaba is poised to reinvent retail. The Chinese e-commerce giant is supporting a push for what it calls “new retail” by digitizing and merging traditional department stores with online platforms. But there’s a catch: You can only pay with Alibaba’s payment app Alipay or cold, hard, increasingly unpopular cash. Sign up for a free 30-day Quartz membership trial and learn more about the company that could be taking over the digital world.
Matters of debate
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It doesn’t get easier with a second child. In reality, parents experience an exponential increase in stress as they have more kids.
Big brands can change cultural norms. Gillette’s bombshell ad attacks toxic masculinity in a way that could make a true difference.
Dating apps are addictive to validation seekers. The search for the perfect match isn’t helped by lightning-fast technological tools.
Surprising discoveries
McDonald’s no longer has the trademark for “Big Mac” in the EU. A court ruled in favor of fast-food chain Supermac’s, allowing other companies to use the name.
Germany has produced the world’s ugliest coin. The commemorative item celebrates 70 years of currywurst with an image that’s difficult to unsee.
A massive alien-looking ice disk formed in a Maine river. Some residents are comparing the 300-foot-wide formation to a frozen crop circle that seems to be growing.
K-pop stars were too cool for school. South Korea’s education ministry revoked the college diplomas for seven singers who cut deals with their universities to skip class.
A rapper topped the charts with only 823 album sales. The artist A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie made up for it with 83 million digital streams of his album.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, Big Macs, and invalid diplomas to hi@qz.com. Join the next chapter of Quartz by downloading our app and becoming a member. Today’s Daily Brief was written by Alice Truong and edited by Isabella Steger.