Good morning, Quartz readers!
Here’s what you need to know
Tesla had a great first quarter. The electric automaker saw a 74% rise in revenue compared to last year during the period, with a record net income of $438 million partly thanks to sales of bitcoin.
The EU discusses Britain’s role in scientific research. Germany and about a dozen other member states are pushing back against the bloc’s proposal to exclude non-member state researchers from sensitive research.
Germany presents its 2021 economic growth forecast. It’s expected to raise it up half a percentage point to 3.5% following a strong fourth quarter.
It’s a busy week for European banks’ earnings. Credit Suisse could have a board shake-up due to the Archegos collapse, and lenders including HSBC may see a pandemic-induced record quarter like their US peers.
A Hungarian law will extend state control over civil society. The parliament is expected to pass a bill to set up foundations that will take over the running of universities and cultural institutions.
The US will share 60 million AstraZeneca doses with other nations. India most likely tops the list, pending a safety check. Meanwhile, the EU sued AstraZeneca over missed delivery commitments.
China issued new anti-spying measures. The regulations require companies and entities seen as targets of foreign infiltration to take security measures, including stricter restrictions for overseas work trips.
Heavy fighting erupted on the Myanmar-Thailand border. An area largely controlled by forces of a Karen ethnic army captured a Myanmar army outpost in some of the most intense clashes since the Feb. 1 coup.
What to watch for
Brexit is still not completely done yet. We know. We can’t believe it either.
Somehow, there are still i’s to be dotted and t’s to be crossed. Today, the European Parliament finally votes to ratify the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation agreement that’s already been approved by the Brits, and has been implemented all year—it governs the flow of goods and services between the former partners.
Why does this matter? Technically, Parliament could decide to throw a very late spanner in the works. The deadline for ratification is only four days away, and there is scope for mischief and gamesmanship.
But most likely it’ll go through, and Brexit will continue to trundle along until the next dispute.
Charting sub-Saharan Africa’s biggest problem
The Covid-19 pandemic is widening the income gap between sub-Saharan Africa and the rest of the world, according to the International Monetary Fund, risking greater differences in living standards between countries. This is particularly concerning for a region where millions have already been pushed into poverty by the pandemic.
Sub-Saharan Africa’s projected growth of 3.4% this year is the slowest in the world. While this projection is an improvement on last year’s contraction of 1.9%, it’s still below the global growth projection of 6%.
This personality test may give you an identity crisis
At least, that’s what happened to us. Quartz’s Sarah Todd writes about billionaire Bridgewater founder Ray Dalio’s new project, PrinciplesYou.
What distinguishes it from other personality tests, Dalio says, is its comprehensiveness. The qualities it measures are based in part on the Big Five test (the gold standard among scientists who study personality), which assesses people on five traits: extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, open-mindedness, and neuroticism. It also draws from psychological research including Grant’s work on “givers” and “takers,” and measures qualities that Dalio discusses in Principles, like humility and toughness.
Sarah and some of her Quartz colleagues took the 40-minute test, gathered to discuss, then learned that, no matter whether the guinea pigs found the results accurate, maybe the discussion itself is the key.
✦ Personality tests—useful guide or capitalist tool? We’ve written about it all. Whatever your Myers-Briggs letters, we know you’ll put a Quartz membership to good use. Try it free for a week.
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Surprising discoveries
A man dated 35 women at once to get extra birthday gifts. He has since been arrested on suspicion of fraud.
Fans finally voted off an unwilling boy band reality show singer. The Russian contestant had originally signed on to the Chinese program as a translator.
Dolphins form teams with their friends. And they learn each other’s “names,” or signature whistles.
Kanye West’s 2008 Grammys sneakers set a record. The pair of Nike Air Yeezy 1 sold for $1.8 million.
A woman’s 20-year overdue VHS rental came back to haunt her. She was charged with felony embezzlement for never returning Sabrina the Teenage Witch.
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