Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
The WHO holds an emergency meeting… The UN body will meet for the third time in a week to re-evaluate whether or not to declare the coronavirus outbreak a global emergency. It had previously classified the risk only as “moderate.” It’s also likely that the number of coronavirus infections worldwide, at over 7,700, will surpass the total number of SARS cases recorded today.
…and Hong Kong cuts travel with mainland China. To prevent the spread of the coronavirus, starting tonight cross-border high-speed trains and ferries will be suspended, flights will be cut in half, and mainland Chinese will no longer receive individual permits to visit the city. The UK will repatriate citizens from Wuhan today, but family members with Chinese nationality are not allowed to join.
The Bank of England’s decision. It’s possible that the central bank will cut rates for the first time since 2016 as inflation rates remain low and retail sales are sluggish. It’s the last interest rate announcement for the bank under the leadership of Mark Carney.
A Renault, Nissan, and Mitsubishi meeting in Tokyo. The automaker alliance is still trying to turn around its fortunes by making good on its cost-saving joint initiatives as it moves past the Carlos Ghosn scandal. Renault appointed former VW executive Luca de Meo as its new CEO on Tuesday.
While you were sleeping
The European Parliament gave Brexit the go-ahead. In a landslide 621–49 vote, the body’s members ratified prime minister Boris Johnson’s withdrawal agreement, and followed with a rendition of “Auld Lang Syne.” The split is due to be final tomorrow.
More airlines canceled flights to China. KLM said it would scrap some routes and reduce flights on others, while Air Canada is suspending all flights to Beijing and Shanghai until the end of February at the earliest due to coronavirus worries. Businesses such as Google and Ikea will also close their China operations indefinitely.
A Japanese billionaire ended his search for a girlfriend for his Moon trip. Yusuke Maezawa, founder of online retailer Zozotown, said he would abandon his plan to find a partner through a reality TV show. He’s paid a deposit for a trip to the Moon with SpaceX.
US tech companies reported earnings. Facebook saw gains on the back of Instagram, but investors had expected better. Microsoft enjoyed a return on its investment into cloud computing, and Tesla beat Wall Street’s projections.
A Mexican butterfly activist was found dead. The body of Homero Gómez, who fought to protect the monarch butterfly, was found in the western state of Michoacan after he had gone missing for two weeks. The state, which is home to Mexico’s largest monarch butterfly reserve, suffers from severe illegal logging.
Quartz Membership
“If you had to describe the state of the economy in an emoji, it’d be: 🤷,” writes Quartz’s Walter Frick. Uncertainty is everywhere, and heated political conflicts don’t help. From US-Iran relations to an ongoing Brexit, Quartz breaks down which global disputes could bring down global markets.
Quartz Daily Obsession
The sea-unicorn was an unlikely discovery. Narwhals, found in 1577 during an explorer’s expedition, have a long protrusion stemming from their heads—which can grow up to 10 feet long. It’s actually a tooth that can sense changes in water pressure, temperature, and salinity. Narwhals also use their tusks to hunt prey in the sea. Take a swim with the Quartz Daily Obsession.
Matters of debate
China’s quarantine measures are terrible for the global economy. Travel bans and shuttered businesses will have a much greater impact (paywall) than in the 2003 SARS outbreak.
Cashless shops should be banned. They discriminate against low-income people and undocumented migrants.
Ambitious plans to plant trees distract from the real problem. It’s no substitute for cutting greenhouse gas emissions in the fight against climate change.
Surprising discoveries
A patient received the first transplant of lab-grown heart muscles. The breakthrough could limit the need for organ donors.
Greta Thunberg filed to trademark her name. The teenage activist has also applied to register the Fridays For Future movement that she founded.
People under quarantine in China are passing the time in creative ways. These include watching live streams of hospitals being built and fishing from a fish tank at home.
Strong winds blew over part of the border wall into Mexico. The concrete had not yet set properly at a stretch of the wall in Calexico, California.
These moths mate for death. For the first time, scientists have released into the wild genetically modified male moths to spell the end of their species.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, sturdy walls, and sea unicorns to hi@qz.com. Get the most out of Quartz by downloading our app on iOS or Android, and becoming a member. Today’s Daily Brief was written by Isabella Steger and edited by Tripti Lahiri.