Good morning, Quartz readers!
WHAT TO WATCH FOR TODAY
Zimbabweans go to the polls. It will be the first time in nearly 40 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 European Commission debates a new migrant plan in Geneva. Under the proposal, EU countries would get €6,000 ($7,000) for every migrant rescued in the Mediterranean and hosted at a secure center on their soil. That would ease the pressure on Italy by encouraging other states to take in migrants, but Italian authorities call such measures inadequate.
Caterpillar results. The Illinois-based company sells more than half its dump trucks, bulldozers, and other heavy equipment outside the US, making it a canary in the coal mine for how Donald Trump’s trade wars are affecting (or will affect) the US economy. Its shares just had their worst half-year performance since 2009 (paywall).
Over the weekend
Cambodia’s ruling party won a flawed election. In a vote widely considered illegitimate, the ruling party won by a landslide, securing another five-year term for prime minister Hun Sen, who’s been in power for over three decades. The only opposition party capable of mounting a credible challenge was dissolved last November on dubious charges.
An earthquake struck Indonesia. At least 14 people died and over 160 were injured when a 6.4-magnitude quake struck Lombok, an island next to Bali, on Sunday. Efforts are underway to rescue hundreds of hikers stranded on Mount Rinjani after landslides wiped out trails.
An Israeli MP quit in protest over a new “racist” law. Zouheir Bahloul called the parliament racist and criticized the “nation-state” legislation passed earlier this month, saying it “officially, constitutionally, removes the Arab population from the path of equality in Israel.” The law declares the country the nation-state of the Jewish people.
A California wildfire killed six people. A blaze in northern California—one of three currently ravaging the state—killed two children and their great-grandmother, as well as two firefighters. More than 870 homes have burned down and tens of thousands of residents have been evacuated.
Special elections changed the political math in Australia. Prime minister Malcolm Turnbull does not have what it takes to win another term in office, judging by the losses his center-right Liberal party suffered in by-election contests in Tasmania and Queensland. Turnbull is up for re-election next year.
QUARTZ OBSESSION INTERLUDE
Richard E. Feinberg and Claudia Padrón Cueto on the significance of Cuba’s ice cream. “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.
China is losing the trade war to Trump. It’s in a battle of pain thresholds (paywall).
Planning sex is better than having it spontaneously. It increases tension and excitement.
SURPRISING DISCOVERIES
New Zealand customs officials removed an antique piano’s ivory keys. They’re serious about halting the illegal ivory trade.
Chinese students increasingly return home after studying abroad. Last year eight in 10 of those who went abroad for college returned home after graduation.
An empty plot of land in Los Angeles has a price of $1 billion. Perched atop Beverly Hills, it’s about twice the size of Disneyland (paywall).
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. In California’s blazes, the rising heat and smoke have caused “fire cloud” formations.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, state-made ice cream, 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 Steve Mollman and edited by Alice Truong.