Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Zimbabwe’s army continues with what it insists isn’t a coup. It’s moved soldiers and military vehicles onto the streets of the capital Harare and says it has president Robert Mugabe in its custody (paywall). Army chief Constantine Chiwenga is believed to back vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa, who was sacked last week for claims he was plotting to oust Mugabe.
Rex Tillerson visits Myanmar. The US secretary of state is under pressure to speak out against the country’s persecution of Rohingya Muslims. The White House has begun pushing back against Myanmar, but Donald Trump didn’t mention the issue during his recent trip to Asia.
Doctors in Seoul report on the North Korean soldier fired upon during a defection dash. They’ve conducted a few rounds of surgery on the soldier, who was in critical condition after being shot at by North Korean forces about 40 times as he tried to escape across the border Monday. So far his rank and identity have not been disclosed.
Tencent shares its numbers. Analysts expect the WeChat owner’s earnings rose 48% from a year ago (paywall) thanks to fast growth in online gaming, ad sales, and mobile payments. Last week two of its affiliate companies, search firm Sogou and e-book specialist China Literature, had blockbuster IPOs.
While you were sleeping
Australians said yes to same-sex marriage. More than 60% said they were in favor of it in a national postal survey that saw strong participation. Following the results, lawmakers pledged to make same-sex marriage a legal reality in the country before the end of the year.
China picked 31 more state firms for ownership reforms. Companies run by regional authorities as well as the central government were included. China wants to inject private capital and market discipline into its debt-ridden state sector, but authorities said such reforms would not lead to the privatization of state assets.
Japan’s economy grew for a seventh straight quarter. The longest expansion since 2001 was helped by strong exports and rising business investment, which helped offset weakness in consumer spending. In the third quarter GDP grew at an annualized rate of 1.4%, compared with a revised 2.6% in the previous quarter.
A rampaging shooter killed four people in Northern California. The gunman fired randomly at a series of targets, including an elementary school, before being killed in a shootout with police. At least 10 people, including two children, were wounded.
Quartz obsession interlude
Leah Fessler on how your company’s Slack is probably sexist. “I noticed that some people seemed untroubled by any such self-doubt—the ones who posted blunt statements, or dropped in links with no context. They responded to others’ statements with sharp critiques, ‘no,’ or radio silence. This behavior—standoffish at best, boorish at worst—conveyed power. Many of these people, I noticed, were men.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Driving for Uber will never be a great job in the long term. Supply and demand will always reach a low-paying equilibrium, even with higher payments from the company.
Building new homes on existing rooftops can fix London’s housing crisis. New geospatial mapping software has identified locations for 41,000 new dwellings on unused roofs.
Touching the art in museums is only natural. Museum guards may be exasperated by our inability to keep our hands to ourselves, but touching connects viewers with creators.
Surprising discoveries
Metalheads are the most loyal music fans. Spotify data show that they are up to 50% more devoted to their chosen genre than followers of hip-hop, country, and rock.
The world has up to 20% more farmland than previously thought. Assessments of previously mapped areas were inaccurate, and some places were simply unmapped, said the US Geological Survey.
People watch Netflix in unlikely places. Two-thirds of users stream video in public, 26% watch at work, and 7% watch movies in public bathrooms.
Smog-fighting helicopters in New Delhi were foiled by too much smog. The Indian capital is in the throes of life-threatening air pollution—but the copters may not have helped much anyway.
A shortage of humble saline bags is wreaking havoc in the US health-care sector. Disrupted factories in Puerto Rico and a federal investigation are causing big problems in the supply chain.
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