Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
India and Pakistan have a fateful meeting. Their respective foreign secretaries will hold a bilateral talk in Delhi—the first step toward reviving peace talks after a terrorist attack on an Indian air force base in January.
Apple reports quarterly results… Some analysts predict the first-ever dip in iPhone sales. Investors will also listen for clues about for how Apple is doing in China, where media regulators recently blocked its book and movie stores.
… And so does Twitter. Last quarter, the beleaguered social media company said user growth ground to a halt; investors will now be interested to hear if a streaming deal with the NFL could reach a new audience, and how Twitter’s live Periscope video will stack up to Facebook Live.
While you were sleeping
Volkswagen got into more trouble. In Britain the carmaker—despite its claims to the contrary—hasn’t fixed a single car affected by the emissions scandal, claimed a UK regulator. Meanwhile growing evidence suggests many automakers have been manipulating emissions tests.
Malaysia’s scandal-plagued 1MDB defaulted. The government fund has defaulted on a $1.75 billion bond—spillover from failing to pay over $1 billion in connection with a loan from an Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund. That could trigger more defaults by 1MDB, under investigation globally for embezzlement allegations.
Charter’s bid for Time Warner Cable won antitrust approval—with conditions. The US Justice Department said the cable company cannot strike deals with programmers to make it harder for streaming services like Netflix to obtain content. The $55 billion merger would create the second-largest US cable provider, after Comcast.
Islamists killed a Canadian hostage in the Philippines. Five hours after a ransom deadline, the terrorist group Abu Sayyaf left the severed head of 68-year-old John Ridsdel on the street in the southern Philippines. There are fears of even more violence from the Islamist group, which has aligned itself with ISIL.
Quartz markets haiku
Show us the money
Facebook, P&G, Exxon
This week—and Apple!
Quartz obsession interlude
Thu-Huong Ha on America’s obsession with adult coloring: “From knitting crazes to mindfulness training centers, Americans today will take anything they can get to escape the hum of their perceived hyper-connectivity and overwork. That demand has created a sort of mindfulness industrial complex.” Read more here.
Matters of Debate
Torturing terrorists doesn’t keep anyone safe. A new neuroscience study shows that torture undermines the cognitive mechanisms needed to recall information.
Feminism has become a consumer brand. When status is confused with liberation, a social movement looks more like a commodity.
America is terrible at promoting democracy. It would be better off setting an example at home.
Surprising discoveries
A Tesla is a better driver than you are. CEO Elon Musk says drivers are 50% less likely to have an accident in autopilot mode.
Mourning dead celebrities is about remembering your own life. Fans transfer their own memories onto departed superstars like Prince.
A Japanese burger chain has released a terrifying “everything” burger. The meat tower comprises four patties, six sauces, and a heaping of extras.
A new group of superheroes is based on Indian aunties in the UK. The artist created them in tribute to immigrant women, who she merged with characters like the Hulk.
People are racing drones using nothing but thoughts. The brain-to-computer interfaces are still a little slow and clunky.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, mind-controlled drones, and superhero aunts to hi@qz.com. And download our new iPhone app for news throughout the day.