Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Trade talks between China and the US resume. Negotiators will meet in Beijing to start a new round after concluding the previous one in Washington last month. The countries are trying to reach a deal before a March 1 deadline, after which the US will increase tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese goods.
Thailand’s election commission discusses an unusual candidacy. Princess Ubolratana shocked the nation last week by announcing her bid to become prime minister, a move her younger brother, King Maha Vajiralongkorn, quickly denounced as “inappropriate.” The commission must decide by Friday if her campaign can continue.
The EU’s chief Brexit negotiator meets his UK counterpart. Michel Barnier said ahead of meeting Steven Barclay that he’s willing to reconsider the language in the political declaration that accompanies the UK’s exit from the European Union, but that the withdrawal agreement isn’t open to revision. GDP data from the UK today is expected to show Brexit anxiety weighing on the economy.
The European Central Bank gets a new chief economist. Central Bank of Ireland governor Philip Lane is seen as a shoe-in, since no other candidates have been proposed.
Over the weekend
Donald Trump said his second meeting with Kim Jong Un will be in Hanoi. The US president tweeted more details about the summit Friday, after confirming he would hold talks with the North Korean leader on February 27 and 28 during his State of the Union address earlier in the week.
South Korea agreed to pay more for US troops. The 8.2% increase will bring the total bill this year to $890 million, up from $870 million last year. The money covers the pay of South Korean workers at US military bases, as well as construction and logistical support. About 28,000 US troops are stationed in the country.
Amy Klobuchar joined the US presidential race. The Minnesota senator announced on Sunday that she is a candidate for the Democratic Party’s nomination in the 2020 election. Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren officially announced her candidacy on Saturday.
Turkey urged China to close its detention camps in the Xinjiang region. On Saturday the country’s foreign ministry called China’s treatment of its Muslim ethnic Uyghur people “a great shame for humanity.” It followed reports that a famed musician had died at one of the camps—though Chinese state media later released a video of Abdurehim Heyit to dispute his death.
Poisonous liquor killed more than 77 people in India. The cheap illegal booze was improperly distilled and contained methanol. Dozens were hospitalized, and authorities have warned the death toll may increase.
Saudi Arabia denied any role in the AMI-Jeff Bezos dispute. The Amazon CEO and owner of the Washington Post accused American Media Inc., the publisher of the National Enquirer, of trying to blackmail him. In his allegation, he had hinted at a link to Saudi Arabia’s displeasure at the Post’s coverage of the murder of its columnist, Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Quartz obsession interlude
“The cloud” powers the modern world but the concept of sharing computer power predates the internet. Cloud services like Amazon Web Services basically just rent out computer power—like server space—by the hour. The first time-shared computer was theorized in 1955, and demonstrated six years later, long before the internet was even a concept. Check the forecast on data storage in the Quartz Obsession.
Matters of debate
Join the conversation with the new Quartz app!
Teacher merit pay is a bad idea. Success in education is harder to define than in business.
Free money doesn’t help unemployed people find jobs. It does, however, help their well-being, suggests a basic-income trial in Finland.
Medical chatbots won’t replace doctors. At most they’ll help them do their jobs better.
Surprising discoveries
Welsh sea snails are a South Korean aphrodisiac. Most of the 10,000 metric tons of whelks caught in the Bristol Channel are shipped to Asia.
Oregon has more legal cannabis than the state can consume in six years. The finding suggests the weed is not leaking out into the black market—yet.
Hungarian women having four kids or more will never have to pay income tax again. Prime minister Viktor Orbán announced the incentive Sunday.
California police found a gang’s underground shooting range. A manhole cover served as the entrance to the cave.
Barbie is a billion-dollar brand, again. Global sales of the fashion-doll line reached more than $1 billion last year, a 14% rise from 2017.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, Hanoi travel tips, and helpful chatbots to hi@qz.com. Join the next chapter of Quartz by downloading our app and becoming a member. Today’s Daily Brief was written and edited by Yenni Kwok and Tripti Lahiri.