Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Obama and Modi meet in Laos. The US president and Indian prime minister will meet for the eighth time in two years, on the sidelines of the ASEAN conference. They are expected to discuss India’s bid to join the Nuclear Suppliers Group and the US government’s hope that India will ratify the climate change agreement from Paris.
Bank of Japan’s Deputy Governor speaks. Hiroshi Nakaso’s address comes at a time of uncertainty about whether Japan’s central bank will carry out further monetary easing. On Wednesday, the dollar declined against the yen on reports that officials at the Bank of Japan were divided.
ECB policymakers meet in Frankfurt. Economists expect little action from central bank president Mario Draghi at the calmest moment for European markets since the European Central Bank started quantitative easing in 2015. Bond yields hit a record low on Wednesday, with central bank stimulus encouraging companies to sell their debt.
While you were sleeping
Apple had a big unveiling. At a packed event in San Francisco, Apple announced a slew of new products including two new iPhones, an updated Apple Watch, and a new set of wireless headphones called AirPods. The new iPhone, the subject of much conjecture, looks just like its predecessors but is entirely water-resistant.
US Defense Secretary sounded a warning. In a speech at Oxford University, Ash Carter said that Russia’s “efforts to interfere” with America’s democratic process would not go unnoticed. He said that the United States was not looking to make an enemy in Russia, but that Russia’s actions in Syria were creating mistrust.
Mexico’s finance minister resigned. Luis Videgaray took the fall for the government’s widely criticized decision to invite Donald Trump to meet President Enrique Peña Nieto. Peña Nieto’s already unenviable approval ratings plunged to the lowest of his presidency after the visit, which several Mexican outlets reported was Videgaray’s idea.
Southeast Asian leaders delivered a cryptic message. A statement from the ASEAN summit “issued a mild rebuke” to China over its expansionist moves in the South China Sea, saying only that they were “seriously concerned” over the developments. China and the ASEAN countries also agreed to set up a telephone hotline to avoid further clashes in the controversial region.
France investigated a potential terror attack. French authorities launched an investigation (paywall) after a vehicle filled with cooking gas canisters was discovered near the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris. So far, the police have arrested two people, the owner of the car, who was on a national security watch list, and his partner.
Quartz markets haiku
Who cares about oil
jobs, taxes or the euro?
We want new earbuds!
Quartz obsession interlude
Cassie Werber on the English grammar rule that only non-English speakers know about. “Adjectives, writes the author, professional stickler Mark Forsyth, ‘absolutely have to be in this order: opinion-size-age-shape-colour-origin-material-purpose Noun. So you can have a lovely little old rectangular green French silver whittling knife. But if you mess with that order in the slightest you’ll sound like a maniac.’” Read more here.
Matters of debate
After-work drinks are hard on women. They don’t necessarily “want” to be home for the family or the kids, but as long as men aren’t doing their bit at home, women will slog.
The “self” is grounded in awareness. Though versions of self are shaped by experiences throughout life, a sense of identity remains persistent through time.
How to raise geniuses. Gifted kids who are identified and nurtured from a young age succeed, but only if they are motivated, curious, and able to cope with stress.
Surprising discoveries
Your smartphone works better in your right hand. Especially if it’s an iPhone.
Real-life Loch Ness Monster skeleton was found after 50 years. The fossil remains of a 13-foot long reptile that ruled the Scottish seas 170 million years ago have been found.
India is making ink out of air pollution. Researchers at Graviky Labs are revamping toxic waste from car exhaust pipes to create pens, spray paints, and more.
“Braconoid” won the World Scrabble Championships. The winning word, a parasitic wasp, scored 181 points and didn’t include 10-point letters like Q and Z.
A Russian river turned red. Residents of Norlisk, one of the most polluted cities on earth, believe it has been contaminated by a smelting plant.
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