Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Boeing releases earnings. The aircraft manufacturer is expected to report lower first-quarter profit and sales, and update investors on its efforts to recover from the 737 Max crisis. Meanwhile, Microsoft, Visa, Facebook, and AT&T are projected to deliver good news, and investors wait to see what Tesla’s delivery reports and online sales models might mean for its earnings.
Kim Jong Un arrives in Vladivostok. The North Korean leader crossed into Russia by train this morning as he makes his way to the Pacific city for a summit with Russian president Vladimir Putin expected to take place tomorrow. The pair, who are meeting for the first time, will likely discuss issues such as US sanctions and Russian support for North Korea’s economy.
Top UN officials visit Bangladesh to address the Rohingya refugee crisis. The delegation will host talks with senior officials and then travel to the world’s largest refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar as they continue seeking solutions for the safe return of almost a million Rohingya Muslims to Myanmar.
Northern Ireland journalist Lyra McKee is laid to rest. Mourners will attend the funeral of the 29-year-old in Belfast, who was shot dead in Derry last week by a member of paramilitary group the New IRA. Her partner told attendees to dress up as Marvel and Harry Potter characters as a tribute to McKee’s love of the franchises.
While you were sleeping
Hong Kong’s “Umbrella 9” were sentenced to prison. Among those sentenced were legal scholar Benny Tai and retired sociology professor Chan Kin-man, who were handed two years in prison for their leadership role in the 2014 pro-democracy Umbrella Movement protests. Supporters of the nine who were convicted argue that the sentencing is excessive for what were peaceful protests.
The death toll from the Sri Lanka attacks continued to rise. Police put the latest count at 359 dead. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attacks, which makes the Easter Sunday bombings the deadliest attack linked to the Islamist group on record.
The UN passed a watered-down resolution on rape. The Security Council passed the resolution combating the use of rape as a weapon in conflict, but language relating to sexual and reproductive health was removed after the US threatened to veto it on the grounds that such language implied support for abortion.
Donald Trump met with Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey. The meeting, instigated by the president, came shortly after Trump yet again railed against the social network for being discriminatory against conservatives. A Twitter spokesperson said that they discussed the network’s “commitment to protecting the health of the public conversation” ahead of the 2020 elections, and the opioid crisis.
New Zealand launched a global push to combat online terror content. Prime minister Jacinda Ardern unveiled the “Christchurch Call,” a pledge to eliminate terrorist and violent extremist content online that she hopes world leaders and tech companies will support. She and French president Emmanuel Macron will host a summit in Paris next month to discuss the campaign.
A Brazilian court reduced former president Lula’s prison sentence. Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the leftist icon who was sentenced to 25 years behind bars in two corruption cases, had one of his jail terms trimmed and could gain partial freedom later this year. He has denied any wrongdoing, arguing the charges were politically motivated to prevent him from competing in last year’s elections.
Membership
Large direct-to-consumer genetic testing companies have huge databases of customers, but they’re hampered by their homogeneity. We dive into how smaller companies and nonprofit groups have emerged to fill the gaps. Over at Private Key, we examine what presidential hopeful Andrew Yang gets right—and wrong—about blockchain.
Quartz Obsession
White-out: Even as paper sales decline, the correction fluid market has stayed remarkably resilient. Invented by a secretary who managed to turn her secret weapon against typos into a multimillion dollar juggernaut, correction fluid’s modern appeal is anything but opaque. It would be a mistake to ignore this Quartz Obsession.
Matters of debate
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eBay should not allow dinosaur fossils. While legal, private fossil collections deprive scientists and the public of the chance to learn.
The Instagram look is so last year. A messier, less curated look is the new aesthetic of choice among influencers.
Shutting down social media can be a matter of life and death. The Sri Lankan government was right to cut access to platforms that channel outrage and fuel violence (paywall).
Surprising discoveries
Merriam-Webster is now more swole. The dictionary added 640 new words, including snowflake, buzzy, go-cup, swole, and omnicide.
Indian officials trekked through a jungle so a holy man could vote. A special polling station was set up so a lone priest could take part in the world’s biggest democratic exercise.
NASA detected a first possible “marsquake.” The American space agency’s InSight lander may have sensed its first seismic event on Mars.
The British army has a plan to slay a dragon. In honor of Saint George, it released an odd video of soldiers explaining how they’d take down the mythical beast.
Cathay Pacific has a theft problem. The Hong Kong carrier said it is taking action against the pilfering of ice cream, cutlery, and champagne from its planes.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, airplane swag, and correction fluid to hi@qz.com. Join the next chapter of Quartz by downloading our app and becoming a member. Today’s Daily Brief was written by Mary Hui and Isabella Steger and edited by Tripti Lahiri.