Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Shinzo Abe meets with Vladimir Putin. The leaders of Japan and Russia will discuss the fate of four disputed islands off the northern coast of Hokkaido. Known as the Southern Kurils (Russia) or Northern Territories (Japan), the islands were claimed by the Russian army in the final days of World War II. The dispute has prevented the countries from signing a post-war peace treaty.
Germany and France seal a deal. As Brexit continues to implode, France and Germany are formalizing their place at the center of the European Union with a new treaty that promises common positions and joint statements on major issues facing the EU and NATO.
Jair Bolsonaro speaks at Davos. Brazil’s new populist president will give a “special address” at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, which kicks off to a gloomy backdrop of political crises, market volatility, and profit warnings. Sign up for Quartz’s free Davos Daily Brief to follow along with our journalists on the ground.
While you were sleeping
Theresa May offered a Brexit “Plan B.” In a statement before parliament, the UK prime minister shared a Brexit update with little new information, one week after the body firmly rejected her proposed EU withdrawal deal. May is now set to tweak that deal, which she hopes will survive a second parliamentary vote tentatively planned for February.
Kamala Harris announced a US presidential run. California’s first black senator, Harris chose Martin Luther King Jr. Day to confirm her bid for the 2020 Democratic nomination. She is the fourth female lawmaker to launch or formally explore a presidential bid, following announcements by fellow Democrats Kirsten Gillibrand, Elizabeth Warren, and Tulsi Gabbard.
Google was hit with a €50 million fine. France’s data-privacy watchdog, known as the CNIL, claims that Google was in breach of the EU’s GDPR rules, citing “lack of transparency, inadequate information, and lack of valid consent” in regards to user data and personalized ads. One of the complaints that triggered the investigation came from Austrian privacy activist Max Schrems, who has brought similar suits against Facebook.
The IMF identified the biggest risks to economic growth. On day one of Davos, the IMF pointed a finger at much of the developed world for upping the chances of a slowdown in global growth. Brexit-related uncertainty, a US-China trade war, and a German auto-production slump were among the culprits named in the organization’s new report.
The Taliban launched a deadly attack on an Afghan military base. A Humvee packed with explosives detonated inside an Afghan intelligence base in the Maidan Wardak province Monday, just hours before the Taliban announced it would resume peace talks with US officials in Qatar. Death-toll reports range from dozens to more than 100.
Quartz obsession interlude
Before it was a gathering place for the global elite, Davos, Switzerland was a haven for TB patients. The Alpine resort town first became famous in the 19th century for its restorative properties, which inspired authors like Thomas Mann, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Arthur Conan Doyle. Read more about it in the Quartz Obsession.
Matters of debate
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Criticizing Oxfam’s poverty methodology misses the point. Arguing over how the advocacy group calculates wealth distracts from the issues it raises about income inequality.
Innovation can’t happen without empathy. Creative solutions require an understanding of people’s needs, conditions, and challenges.
Sheryl Sandberg’s apology isn’t enough. The Facebook COO keeps repeating platitudes instead of making tough decisions.
Surprising discoveries
Urban frogs are more attractive. They adapt to the noise of city life with more complex mating calls, and females apparently like it.
Canadian stocks are high on marijuana. The S&P/TSX Composite Index has had its best start to a year since 1980, mainly on the strength of cannabis stocks.
A new shark species has a video game-inspired name. The prehistoric “Galagadon” is named for having teeth that resemble the spaceships in the Japanese-US game Galaga.
A hitman’s GPS watch connected him to a mob murder. Mark “Iceman” Fellows was found guilty of killing an organized-crime leader after his Garmin watch showed him planning an escape route.
Striped lizards want you to look at their tails. Even brightly colored stripes, when in motion, can deflect attacks from a lizard’s body to its detachable tail.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, presidential bids, and detachable tails to hi@qz.com. Join the next chapter of Quartz by downloading our app and becoming a member. Today’s Daily Brief was written by Jackie Bischof and Jenni Avins, and edited by Kira Bindrim.