Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Kenya goes to the polls. About 20 million Kenyans will pick between incumbent president Uhuru Kenyatta and veteran opposition leader Raila Odinga to run East Africa’s largest economy. Nairobi has emptied out due to mounting tensions, and there are worries that basic voting equipment could fail.
Rex Tillerson makes his way around Southeast Asia. The US secretary of state is making his inaugural visit to Malaysia, where he seeks to make good on president Donald Trump’s vow to strengthen ties. He will also stop in Thailand, where he’ll be the most senior US official to visit the country since a 2014 coup.
South Africa’s Jacob Zuma faces a no-confidence vote. South African lawmakers vote in a secret ballot on whether or not to fire the president. Zuma, who has been beset by corruption allegations, has survived seven no-confidence votes.
While you were sleeping
Asos announced a $40 million US investment. The British online fashion retailer plans to build a huge fulfillment center near Atlanta to help boost its growth in the US, particularly aimed at 20-something fashionistas. The facility should create 1,600 jobs, the company said.
Hackers demanded millions in bitcoin for stolen HBO files. The move follows a second release of the files, including Game of Thrones scripts and emails from a high-ranking executive. The hackers threatened to release (paywall) more data and information if the ransom wasn’t paid.
Germany’s trade balance hit a 10-month high. Imports fell by 4.5% in June, much more than exports, which were only down 2.8%. The country’s €21 billion ($25 billion) surplus could re-ignite criticism that the government isn’t doing enough to boost domestic investment, destabilizing the EU economy in the process.
Didi Chuxing struck another blow against Uber. The Chinese ride-hailing giant, which pushed Uber out of its home market last year, invested an undisclosed amount in Careem, Uber’s rival in the Middle East and North Africa. Didi has now invested in India’s Ola, Southeast Asia’s Grab, 99 in Brazil, and Taxify in Europe.
Google fired an engineer over a controversial memo on gender diversity. CEO Sundar Pichai sent a note to employees saying parts of the memo “cross the line by advancing harmful gender stereotypes.” The memo argues the company lacks ideological diversity and that biological differences help explain the shortage of women in tech and leadership positions.
Quartz obsession interlude
Alden Wicker on how multilevel-marketing companies like LuLaRoe force people into debt and psychological crisis. “MLMs sell themselves using self-empowerment language and sparkly beauty products. They’re #girlboss mythology repacked for Christians and Mormons; entrepreneurialism for women brought up believing men should be the breadwinners; and a peppy dream for millennials who were told they could do anything.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Typing is on the way out. “The next billion” (paywall) mobile users will rely on voice, video, and images to communicate.
“Leapfrogging” is overrated. Advanced economies didn’t take shortcuts during industrialization, and neither should developing African countries.
Pet owners aren’t as kindhearted as they think. Ethicists say ownership is a form of cruelty.
Surprising discoveries
A Welsh man turned himself in thanks to an unflattering mugshot. He complained to police after they posted the photo on Facebook.
In San Francisco, it’s cheaper to buy a street than a house. The exclusive Presidio Terrace was auctioned off after a homeowners association failed to pay property taxes.
MIT researchers developed an algorithm that can detect sarcasm on Twitter. It’s more skilled at interpreting emotional subtext than many humans.
Cindy Sherman is on Instagram. The art world’s patron saint of self-portraiture is taking selfies to the next level.
Amazon owns at least 19 secret brands. Selling everything from lingerie to trail mix, the e-commerce giant is luring customers with the illusion of options.
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