Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today and over the weekend
Spain goes to the polls again. Divisions over Catalonia, where many people want independence from Spain and protests continue, are likely to make it hard for the country to form a government even after it holds its fourth national elections in four years on Sunday. The far-right Vox party is expected to gain seats.
It’s 30 years since the Berlin Wall fell. The anniversary of the historic border crossings that heralded the end of the Cold War falls on Saturday. It’ll be marked by events across Germany and Europe, including a speech from US secretary of state Mike Pompeo, who is meeting with German chancellor Angela Merkel today.
Aramco offers a look at its inner workings. Potentially the world’s most valuable company, the Saudi oil giant will publish its IPO prospectus on Sunday as it prepares for what could be the biggest public offering ever.
Xi Jinping heads to Greece. The Chinese president’s visit to Athens on Sunday comes just as the China International Import Expo—where Greece was the official guest country—comes to a close. A port redevelopment that China is backing is likely to be at the top of the agenda.
While you were sleeping
Emmanuel Macron called NATO “brain dead.” The French president cited the US’s waning commitment to its defense cooperation pact with Europe, exemplified by the surprise pullout of US troops from northeastern Syria last month that allowed Turkey to unleash an offensive against the Kurds.
US stock markets hit record highs. The excitement over progress in US-China trade talks might be premature. While Beijing announced that existing tariffs could be gradually rolled back as part of a “phase one” trade deal, it’s not clear that the US is on the same page (paywall).
A Hong Kong student who fell during protests died. The college student fell from a car park during a police dispersal operation on Sunday. While the circumstances leading to the fall remain unclear, it is certain to fuel more anger against the already reviled police in upcoming protests.
Michael Bloomberg might run for president. America’s eighth-richest man, who formerly served as mayor of New York, is actively preparing to contest in the Democratic presidential primary in Alabama, the New York Times reported.
A judge ordered Donald Trump to pay $2 million to nonprofits. It’s a settlement of a civil lawsuit that alleged the US president misused his foundation to raise money for his campaign when he was a candidate.
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Is WeChat a problem for democracies? In the latest episode of Because China, we go to Australia to understand how China’s “super app” could affect international campaigns and elections. We break down how misinformation travels within the WeChat’s unique information ecosystem and the ways in which the app is a channel for Beijing to extend its censorship beyond China’s borders.
Quartz Obsession
The world is full speed ahead on 5G. The new telecommunications standard promises wireless connection speeds up to a hundred times faster than current 4G levels, but challenges still abound. Global security concerns about China’s Huawei and ZTE are further complicating an already expensive and intensive buildout, and some international standard-setting remains to be determined. Test your connection with the Quartz Obsession.
Matters of Debate
Silicon Valley should be more like the global South. Startups in the developing world are meeting users where they are to solve real problems.
The public apology is dead. Thanks to Trump, the true sign of power is not responsibility, but impunity.
Keep it in-house. Workplace debates should not be aired in public.
Surprising discoveries
Silicon Valley wants to hack your feelings. The tech set is experimenting with “dopamine fasting” to experience more pleasure down the road.
When there’s a smell, there’s a way. People lacking a region of the brain responsible for olfaction are able to detect scents just as well as anyone else.
Florida defeated an insurance company. The insurer, James River, had to sever ties with Uber due to the volume of claims originating from the state.
Some people are just getting their Valentine’s Day texts. Scores of people have reported receiving out-of-the-blue text messages over the last 24 hours.
“Ice eggs” cover a beach in Finland. Cold and windy weather created a rare event where small pieces of ice rolled into shapes as big as footballs.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, lost romantic texts, and perfect ice eggs to hi@qz.com. Get the most out of Quartz by downloading our app and becoming a member. Today’s Daily Brief was written by Tripti Lahiri and edited by Isabella Steger.