Good morning, Quartz readers!
WHAT TO WATCH FOR TODAY
Zimbabweans go to the polls. It will be the first time in 38 years that former president Robert Mugabe won’t be on the ballot. Ousted eight months ago, the 94-year-old broke his silence at his mansion yesterday to say he would not vote for his own party and his successor Emmerson Mnangagwa, instead endorsing opposition candidate Nelson Chamisa.
The EU discusses a new migrant plan in Geneva. The European Commission will discuss a proposal to give EU countries €6,000 ($7,000) for every migrant rescued from boats in the Mediterranean. The proposal is meant to encourage countries to establish processing centers by putting the financial burden on the EU. Over 600 migrants have died at sea this year trying to reach Europe via the Mediterranean.
Caterpillar results. The heavy-equipment supplier is scheduled to announce its earnings this morning, and analysts expect it to be a doozy. The US company sells more than half its dump trucks, bulldozers, and other mining and farm equipment outside the US, making it a canary in the coal mine for how Donald Trump’s trade wars are affecting the US economy.
Over the weekend
Cambodia’s ruling party won a flawed election. In an vote widely labeled by rights groups as illegitimate, Cambodia’s ruling party won by a landslide, reinstalling prime minister Hun Sen to another five-year term. The government ordered internet providers to block independent news websites just before election day, and the only opposition party with the clout to mount a real challenge was dissolved by the country’s highest court last year.
Indonesia was struck by earthquake. At least 12 people died and 160 were injured when an 6.4 magnitude earthquake struck the island of Lombok, a popular tourist destination off of Bali, on Sunday. Earthquakes are common in Indonesia, but quakes of that magnitude can be highly deadly; one of a similar size struck Indonesia in 2016, killing 100 (paywall).
An Israeli MP quits over a “racist” law. Zouheir Bahloul resigned from the Israeli parliament on Saturday in protest over a new law that declared the country the “nation-state of the Jewish people.” The law comes out of the most right-wing and religious parliament in 70 years of Israeli statehood. “The nation-state law officially, constitutionally, removes the Arab population from the path of equality in Israel,” Bahloul said.
A California wildfire has now killed five. A wildfire in northern California—one of three currently ravaging the state—has killed two young children and their great-grandmother, as well as two firefighters. More than 500 buildings have burned down and tens of thousands of people have been evacuated. The fire, now across 84,000 acres, is still uncontained.
A series of Australian special elections changed the political math. It doesn’t look like prime minister Malcolm Turnbull will have what it takes to win a third term in office after his center-right party lost several seats to opposition parties on Saturday. Turnbull is up for re-election next year.
QUARTZ OBSESSION INTERLUDE
Richard E. Feinberg and Claudia Padrón Cueto on why Cuba’s ice cream is one way to understand the country’s emerging class system. “Cuba’s rapidly expanding ice-cream market offers a window into the growing divide between poor and rich Cubans. While bland scoops of the state-made fare remain the only option for most, there’s a growing array of choices for those who can afford more, from cafeteria-bought pints to fancy gelati.” Read more here.
MATTERS OF DEBATE
Doing well in school is nothing to be proud of. You’ve just been hoodwinked by meritocracy.
By profit, Google is primarily and advertising company. But their long-term bets tell a different story about how they imagine making money in the future.
Is China losing the trade war with Trump? They’re in a battle of pain thresholds (paywall).
SURPRISING DISCOVERIES
New Zealand stripped the ivory keys out of an antique piano at customs. They are that serious about halting the illegal ivory trade.
Chinese students increasingly return home after studying abroad. In 2017, eight in 10 of those who went abroad for college returned home after graduation.
Planned sex may be better than spontaneous sex. People who conscientiously plan have more satisfying sex lives, according to a new study published in the Journal of Sex Research.
There’s an empty plot for sale for a record $1 billion in Los Angeles. The land listing in Beverly Hills is double the size of Disneyland.
Olga Danilovic became the first tennis player born in the 2000s to win a title. Feel old; the Serbian star is 17.
Wildfires can create their own lightning-filled weather systems. The rising heat and smoke have birthed several rare “fire cloud” formations in California.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, empty Los Angeles plots, and ivory-free pianos to hi@qz.com. You can follow us on Twitter for updates throughout the day or download our apps for iPhone and Android. Today’s Daily Brief was written by Zoë Schlanger and edited by Kabir Chibber.