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Boris Johnson is isolating. The British prime minister hoped to use this week to put the Downing Street infighting that led to the departure of key aides behind him, but has been forced to self-isolate after meeting a lawmaker who later tested positive for Covid-19.
SpaceX launched four astronauts into space. The successful liftoff marks the first operational flight of the Crew Dragon spacecraft, which is scheduled to dock with the International Space Station after a nearly 28-hour trip. The mission marks a major step towards commercializing space travel.
Donald Trump “concedes”—then takes it back. In a tweet, the US president acknowledged Joe Biden won the election, but only because it was “rigged.” A few minutes later, he backtracked. Meanwhile, thousands of Trump supporters rallied in the US capital, at times violently clashing with counter-protesters.
Asia-Pacific countries formed a historic trade pact. The deal, which took years to negotiate and is the first to include China, Japan, and South Korea together, covers nearly a third of the global economy. Economists predict it could add up to $200 billion to the world’s economic output over the next decade.
Japan’s economy emerged from recession. Thanks to a “Zoom boom,” as online meetings fueled demand for electronics, its economy grew 5% in the third quarter, after shrinking 8.2% in the previous quarter. Meanwhile, prime minister Yoshihide Suga met with the International Olympic Committee chief and agreed that the games will go ahead next summer.
Peru’s interim president lasted just five days. Manuel Merino and half his cabinet resigned following a week of protests that have left two people dead and dozens injured. Demonstrators took to the streets after congress ousted the nation’s popular leader, Martin Vizcarra, last Monday.
What to watch for this week
Monday: United Airlines debuts free transatlantic coronavirus testing.
Tuesday: The prime ministers of Australia and Japan meet in Tokyo. Later, the heads of Twitter and Facebook testify in the US Senate over restrictions placed on New York Post articles.
Wednesday: The UK reports inflation data.
Thursday: EU leaders hold a summit seen as the deadline to a draft Brexit deal.
Friday: Malaysia hosts a virtual APEC summit, and an economic delegation from Taiwan visits Washington DC.
Saturday: The virtual G20 summit begins.
Sunday: Singapore and Hong Kong begin their travel bubble.
Charting global air pollution
Just after Diwali, the air in India’s cities is full of smoke from celebratory firecrackers—contributing to already-high levels of air pollution. According to real-time measures of air quality assembled by IQAir, a Swiss air technology company, Delhi had the world’s worst air quality on Nov. 15. The city hit a record-high on the air quality index on Nov. 10.
Delhi isn’t the only place suffering: Based on a 2019 average, 14 of the 20 cities with the world’s worst air were in India. Looking for an escape? The world’s best air on Nov. 15 was in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
Traveling without moving
Covid-19 is surging in spots around the globe, including many places on the brink of holiday travel season. In the US, health departments are issuing guidance around traveling and eating together. But these extra precautions aren’t accessible to all—mostly because of the time required to isolate before and after. It’s just one more way that Covid-19 has disproportionately harmed people of color.
🚘 Would you risk traveling to see family?
Yes, I’m following all the guidance.
I would, but I’m unable to adhere to the guidance.
Yes, everyone is overreacting.
How cool companies stay cool
Very few brands manage to navigate coolness alongside an extreme rise in popularity, but two have done it more successfully than anyone else: Nike and Apple. Both maintain their credibility by preserving some of the ingredients that earned them acolytes, while constantly tinkering with new ideas to stay relevant. Read how these two titans have kept their edge for decades, and what other companies might learn from them, in our latest field guide on the new meaning of cool.
✦ You know what’s actually the coolest? A seven-day free trial of Quartz membership. (This offer does not apply to Quartz Japan memberships.)
Surprising discoveries
Amazon accidentally reunified Ireland. The tech giant sparked a Twitter storm after telling a customer in Northern Ireland that he couldn’t watch its rugby union coverage because he didn’t live in the UK.
A racing pigeon set a new world record. But not for speed: the two-year-old Belgian pigeon, named New Kim, sold for a record $1.89 million at auction.
Justice for papal blood. Italian police identified the man they believe stole a vial of blood of Pope John Paul II, who died in 2005.
Man’s best friend is memorialized in gold. Turkmenistan’s president erected a 19-foot (six meter) statue of his favorite breed, the Central Asian shepherd, in the middle of a traffic circle in the country’s capital.
Archaeologists uncovered a trove 2,500-year-old sarcophagi. The discovery in Egypt included at least 100 coffins—some with mummies inside—and 40 gilded statues.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, autocrats’ best friends, and expensive pigeons hi@qz.com. Get the most out of Quartz by downloading our iOS app and becoming a member. Today’s Daily Brief was brought to you by Tripti Lahiri, Mary Hui, Adam Epstein, and Katie Palmer.