Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
An update on UK inflation. New data will show whether prices are still approaching the Bank of England’s 2% target; they were up 1.8% in January. The BoE said last week that higher prices might lead to a “reduction in policy support.”
Shinzo Abe visits Brussels. Japan’s prime minister will meet with EU leaders to discuss a trade deal in the wake of the aborted Trans-Pacific Partnership pact. Japan and the EU appear eager to promote free trade as the Trump administration embraces protectionism.
China’s Mobike goes global. The fast-growing startup is launching in Singapore, opening a new front in China’s heated bike-sharing war.
While you were sleeping
The FBI is investigating whether the Trump campaign cooperated with Russia. Director James Comey told Congress that the probe, which began in July, is looking at Moscow’s efforts to interfere in the 2016 presidential election. That includes “the nature of any links” between Trump staffers and the Russian government.
A poultry scandal rocked Brazil. China blocked poultry exports and South Korea is tightening inspections after police accused BRF, the world’s biggest poultry producer, and several other companies of bribing inspectors to hide unsafe practices. The unsavory details include processing rotten meat and shipping poultry tainted with salmonella.
Softbank backed out of a big investment in an Apple rival. CEO Masayoshi Son reversed course on a promised $100 million investment in Essential Products Inc., a startup founded by Android creator Andy Rubin. Softbank and Son recently partnered with Apple in a $100 billion tech investment fund.
The Pope asked for forgiveness for the Rwandan genocide. He cited the “sins and failings of the church” during the 1994 genocide, in which priests and other Roman Catholics helped facilitate the murder of some 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus. President Paul Kagame, who was visiting the Vatican, suggested the church is still harboring perpetrators.
Theresa May set a date for starting the clock on Brexit. Formal negotiations for Britain’s departure from the EU will begin when the UK government sends a letter triggering “Article 50” on Mar. 29. After that date, the UK and EU have two years to negotiate a settlement.
Quartz obsession interlude
Tim Fernholz on space tourism companies who write their own safety rules. “Beyond ensuring that rockets won’t go totally awry, the FAA doesn’t tell space companies how to protect their passengers until they’ve already put them in danger… In the meantime, space tourists must opt in after receiving a written warning of the risks they face.” Read more here.
Markets haiku
The first day of spring
But for Deutsche Bank execs:
Winter is coming.
Matters of debate
Startups should aspire to be zebras, not unicorns. Profits are just a starting point—the goal should be solving real, meaningful problems.
China cannot be the flag-bearer of economic globalization. The country’s domestic perils and lack of geopolitical dominance keep it from drawing up a coherent global strategy.
Donald Trump is immune to ridicule. His advisors, on the other hand, provide plenty of material for satire.
Surprising discoveries
The US civil war produced a Bombay boom. Embargos and blockades on the Confederate cotton crop turned India into a major exporter.
Nearly half of Canadians want to deport asylum seekers. Prime minister Justin Trudeau’s welcoming immigration policies are not universally beloved.
Pop music makes for a great CPR playlist. The life-saving procedure can be timed to songs by Hanson, Missy Elliot, and Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Japan is letting the elderly trade in their driver’s license for perks… Funeral home discounts and cut-price noodles are on offer.
…and Beijing is catching seniors who steal toilet paper. The city’s busiest public bathroom is using face scanners to identify miscreants.
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