Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
John Kerry heads to Saudi Arabia. The US secretary of state will meet with senior Saudi leaders in Jeddah, as well as his counterparts in the Gulf Cooperation Council, to discuss the conflict in Yemen. Kerry arrives from Nigeria, where he pledged to ramp up assistance in the fight against militant group Boko Haram.
Asian leaders hash out territory disputes. Foreign ministers from Japan, China, and South Korea are meeting in Tokyo to address economic cooperation, territorial tensions at sea, and a coordinated response to North Korea’s continued nuclear development.
Germany releases GDP data. Analysts expect Europe’s biggest economy to report a 1.7% growth rate for the third quarter. The data will likely impact the euro ahead of the the European Central Bank’s meeting on interest rates.
While you were sleeping
A large earthquake struck central Italy. The magnitude 6.2 quake hit at about 3:30am local time near Accumoli, causing significant damage to several towns. At least three people were killed and others were trapped under rubble.
The FBI launched an investigation into Russian media hacks. US security agencies believe hackers working for Russian intelligence are responsible for cyber-breaches that targeted media outlets, part of a larger series of attacks that included Democratic party organizations.
A North Korean submarine launched a missile toward Japan. In a demonstration of improved capabilities, the ballistic missile flew about 500 km (311 miles) and became the first from North Korea to reach into Japan’s air defense identification zone. It’s the latest in a series of such launches.
Tesla announced a major product upgrade. With an optional new battery pack the Model S becomes the first all-electric sedan with a range of more than 300 miles (483 km), and the world’s fastest production vehicle (a few limited-run supercars are faster), going from zero-to-60 miles per hour in 2.5 seconds. But Tesla is now up against the limits of its current technology.
Quartz markets haiku
Eleven million
pounds is a whole lot of cheese
Fondue futures climb
Quartz obsession interlude
Sarah Shearman on the EU’s next startup hub. “Romania’s 43 years of communism were characterized by food shortages and secret police, and it remains a painful chapter in the minds of most citizens. Yet some of the legacies from this period, including a strong telecoms infrastructure and a STEM-focused education system, have actually had positive residual effects for a generation too young to remember the oppressive regime.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
It’s time to end the war on drugs. A sitting president could send a strong message about the failure of America’s “War on Drugs” by declaring that the fight is over.
Microsoft Word no longer makes sense. Word-processors evolved alongside printers, which means many of them aren’t suited to an online world.
We don’t need no education homework. The time kids devote to it would be better spent on family dinners and a good night’s sleep.
Surprising discoveries
The 2020 Olympic medals will be made from old cell phones. Japanese authorities plan to source metal for medals from the country’s discarded smartphones and other consumer electronics.
Cave bears went extinct because they were vegan. By studying their bones, researchers discovered cave bears’ limited diets may be why they died off 25,000 years ago.
People will lie to robots to avoid hurting their feelings. A recent study found that people who form a connection with a robot are more likely to forgive it for making mistakes.
Less than 1% of Chinese women use tampons. One brand took to Weibo to tackle women’s tampon aversion by touting their usefulness during the Olympics.
HBO is dabbling in kung-fu. The TV network is hoping to broaden its appeal in Asia with two made-for-TV films in Mandarin: Master of the Drunken Fist: Beggar So and Master of the Shadowless Kick: Wong Kei-ying.
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