Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
The European Central Bank braces for protests. Police erected barbed wire and barricades at the ECB’s new €1.3 billion ($1.4 billion) headquarters in Frankfurt as more than 10,000 activists prepare toprotest the building’s opening ceremonies. Anti-austerity protestors blame the bank for recession and unemployment across the euro zone.
All eyes on the US Federal Reserve. The Fed will publish fresh economic forecasts and issue a policy statement that should contain some hints about when it will raise short-term interest rates.
Lufthansa pilots go on strike again. Pilots want keep their right to retire at 55 with 60% of their pay, and better working conditions for younger pilots. Short- and medium-range flights will be affected.
A ton of Alibaba stock hits the market. Eighteen percent of of the Chinese e-commerce giant’s shares are freed from the 180-day lock-up period that followed its September IPO. The market is bracing for a significant sell-off, though about a quarter of those US-listed shares are still restricted by Alibaba’s corporate guidelines.
Exxon’s CEO pays Russia a visit. Rex Tillerson is reportedly in Moscow to meet with state oil producer Rosneft and government officials to discuss the prospect of new western sanctions. Exxon’s drilling rights in Russia increased five-fold last year.
While you were sleeping
Netanyahu won Israel’s election. Prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s Likud party secured a convincing victory over the center-left Zionist Union after his last-minute vow to oppose Palestinian statehood. Likud will still need to negotiate with Israel’s many small political parties to form a coalition, including a possible unity government.
Kraft Foods recalled 6.5 million boxes of macaroni and cheese.The food giant is pulling the boxes of its signature dish from storesafter eight customers reported finding small pieces of metal in their meals. Kraft’s CEO resigned in December with the company mired in a sales slump.
Facebook Messenger added a money transfer function. US users will soon be able to link their Visa or MasterCard accounts to the app and send money to friends for free, in a new challenge to payment providers such as PayPal and Square.
China invited accounting firms to audit its state-owned enterprises. Beijing said its state-controlled companies’ overseas operations will come under external scrutiny for the first time, in a bid to crack down on what is seen as fertile ground for corruption.
China’s property prices fell at a record pace. New home prices fell by 5.7% in February from a year earlier, the largest annual drop since current records began in 2011, and the sixth consecutive month of annual falls. A credit crunch and an oversupply of homes have hurt the market, but some analysts believe new central bank stimulus measures could turn things around.
Japanese exports rose more than expected. Exports increased 2.4% in February from a year earlier, compared with an expected 0.3% rise—a rare bright spot in a struggling economy.
PARTNER MESSAGE FROM PLEDGELING
Quartz obsession interlude
Tim Fernholz on this fall’s newest sensation. “While you can always find next season’s most cutting-edge looks in Manhattan’s Garment District, the most futuristic outerwear in New York City wasn’t on the runways during the recent Fashion Week. Rather, it’s to be found in a small studio in Brooklyn, where an émigré Russian engineer and a US-born artist are making the ultimate in bespoke couture—the space suit—into a fast-fashion product, one-size-fits-all.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Toyota’s $33/month pay raise won’t save Japan. The central bank needs to force companies to pay higher wages.
Lego still doesn’t get girls. Its new girl-centric “Lego Friends” lineincludes insulting beauty tips for 7-year-olds.
Human-driven cars should be outlawed. Elon Musk says they’re too dangerous—though they will take decades to phase out.
Sex education needs to include pornography. Young people can learn that porn is not what sex is really like.
Hillary Clinton needs a Democratic challenger. He or she coulddivert some of media’s blinding gaze.
Surprising discoveries
Basketball players are being trafficked. A group of young Nigerian men were lured to the United States with false promises.
Sea levels may rise 11 feet more than expected. Antarctica’s icecould now be melting from below.
Recalling some memories can erase others. The mind actively downgrades rarely-accessed recollections.
Having a deep voice makes you attractive—if you’re a horse.Mares prefer stallions that can hit the lower octaves.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, rarely-remembered memories, and Lego minifig makeovers to hi@qz.com. You can follow us on Twitter here for updates throughout the day.
You’re getting the Europe and Africa edition of the Quartz Daily Brief. To change your region, click here. We’d also love it if you shared this email with your friends. They can sign up for free here.
Pelias' views 