Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Apple unveils new MacBooks. Both the Pro and Air lines, long overlooked in comparison to iPhones and other products, will debut refreshed designs. That will include an OLED touch panel keyboard that supports customizable keys and fingerprint detection.
Twitter’s early-morning news. Amid talks of a takeover and staff cuts, Twitter will lay out its third-quarter earnings before the markets open. Analysts expect the company to report a slight revenue increase; it has beaten earnings predictions for the past seven quarters.
Alphabet’s quarterly results. Google’s parent company is expected to report growing revenue and profit from its core advertising business. But investors will be keen to hear updates about its struggling ventures like Google Fiber.
While you were sleeping
The UK economy grew in the three months after the Brexit vote. Britain appears to be shrugging off Brexit worries: its GDP grew 0.5% in the third quarter—analysts expected 0.3%—but it was down from 0.7% in the second quarter.
The CETA signing summit was cancelled. Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau cancelled his trip to Brussels (paywall) to sign the EU-Canada trade deal, after late-night talks failed to convince Belgium’s Wallonia region to back the agreement. Donald Tusk, the European Council president, said Canada is still ready to sign the deal—seven years in the making—when Europe is ready.
Deutsche Bank surprised investors—in a good way. The troubled German bank did better than expected in the third quarter, posting a net profit of $303 million—compared to a record $6.5 billion loss in the same period last year. The bank is currently fighting a $14 billion fine from the US Department of Justice for mis-selling mortgage products.
Samsung said sorry about the profit plunge. Co-CEO J.K. Shin apologized for the Galaxy Note 7 fiasco (paywall), which caused third-quarter profit in the mobile division to fall off a cliff, and the company’s overall operating profit to drop 30%. Still, that profit was $4.5 billion; 84% of it came from the semiconductor and display-panels units, which are in rude health.
Venezuela’s anti-government protests turned violent. Hundreds of thousands gathered for rallies across the recession-battered country, chanting, “This government is going to fall.” Dozens were arrested or injured, and a police officer was reportedly shot dead. Opposition leaders called for a national strike on Friday.
Quartz obsession interlude
Nikhil Sonnad, Alison Griswold, and Jason Karaian on Halloween costume ideas for the new global economy: ”Analyst on a conference call: Standard-issue blue dress shirt and work slacks. Enthusiastically compliment everything around you. (‘Great party, guys’ ‘Great costumes, guys’ ‘Great cocktail, guys.’) Davos Man: Suit and tie with snow boots is the go-to outfit for attendees to this elite conference. Helps if you are a white guy.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
The world should teach its young people like Germany does. More vocational training could create an economic gain of $1.1 trillion.
It’s more important to have a job that pays well than a job you love. Monetizing your passion can ruin it.
Donald Trump’s favorite movie goes against everything he stands for. He is drawing precisely the wrong lessons from Citizen Kane.
Surprising discoveries
In the future, data could be stored in diamonds. A tiny diamond can hold a hundred times more data than a DVD (paywall).
Syria has its own Banksy. A 22-year-old fighter and mural artist conjures beauty from the ruins outside of Damascus.
Gun violence affects literally almost all Americans. A new analysis found that 99.85% will eventually know a shooting victim in their lifetimes.
The world’s wild-animal population plummeted by 58% between 1970 and 2012. By 2020, we could have lost two-thirds of the wildlife.
Chinese brides are hiring professional bridesmaids. It’s hazardous work—one woman died from alcohol poisoning earlier this year.
Kobe Bryant nearly missed his last game because he was editing short stories. The basketball legend plans to spend his retirement working on books and films.
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