Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Markets are closed today in the US and UK.
Narendra Modi visits Germany, Spain, and Russia. India’s prime minister kicks off a five-day tour focusing on business, investment, energy, and infrastructure. He may sign an agreement with Russia to finalize plans for a nuclear power plant in Tamil Nadu.
BMW pauses production in China. The German carmaker is expected to suspend production in Chinese and South African plants, after an Italian supplier failed to deliver a few necessary steering parts.
Vietnam’s prime minister meets Donald Trump. Nguyen Xuan Phuc arrives in Washington, DC, on his first trip to the US since taking office. He will be the first southeast Asian leader to meet with the Trump administration.
Over the weekend
Angela Merkel said Europe could no longer rely on the US and UK. “We Europeans must really take our destiny into our own hands,” the German chancellor declared Sunday, after meeting US president Donald Trump and UK prime minister Theresa May at NATO and G7 summits last week.
China reminded Hong Kong who’s boss. The country’s third-most senior leader Zhang Dejiang gave a speech in Beijing warning that Hong Kong’s relationship to China “is that of delegation of power, not power-sharing,” and that the city should not overemphasize its “high degree of autonomy.”
Ramadan kicked off around the world. But US secretary of state Rex Tillerson has reportedly decided against hosting a celebratory reception when Ramadan ends, breaking with a 20-year bipartisan tradition of honoring the Muslim world’s holy month.
North Korea flaunted a potential new anti-aircraft system. State news agency KCNA released an undated photo of leader Kim Jong-un observing a test launch. Kim reportedly ordered the unspecified weapon’s nationwide deployment.
ISIL-linked rebels threatened the Philippines. On the sixth day of a rebel siege on the southern city of Marawi, eight more Filipino civilians were killed, raising the death toll to nearly 100. President Duterte has declared martial law on Mindanao island.
Quartz obsession interlude
Michael J. Coren on a doctor who helps Silicon Valley execs and engineers hit peak performance for a hefty price: “Her concierge medicine practice in San Francisco serves a small number of patients for anywhere from $5,000 for an initial assessment to upwards of $40,000 per year for comprehensive care.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
China’s no threat to Hollywood. Censorship keeps Chinese-made films from achieving much in the way of plot.
India couldn’t win a war with Pakistan. India might have a bigger military, but the region’s geopolitical balance is in Pakistan’s favor.
The key to happiness is indifference. You don’t need to take a position on whether the proverbial glass looks half empty or half full.
Surprising discoveries
South Koreans are losing their religion. Between work, school, and family, young adults just can’t find time for church.
The historians behind White House chief strategist Steve Bannon’s worldview also coined the term “millennial.” According to William Strauss and Neil Howe, the millennials will be a heroic generation.
In China, even beggars accept payment via QR code. The simple, scannable code is driving the country’s transition to a cashless economy.
French president Emmanuel Macron was testing US president Donald Trump last week. “That’s how one gets respected,” Macron later said of their fierce handshake.
Elvis Presley’s private jet has been gathering dust on a New Mexico runway for 35 years. The velvet-upholstered Lockheed Jetstar was auctioned off for $430,000 over the weekend.
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