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Here’s what you need to know
It’s the “last real major week” of Brexit talks. British foreign secretary Dominic Raab described the coming days as “very significant” for finalizing a post-Brexit trade deal with the European Union, ahead of the Dec. 31 deadline. Meanwhile, the government unveiled radical changes to England’s farming policies as EU subsidies are phased out, and appointed a minister to oversee the coronavirus vaccine rollout.
Australia demanded an apology from China. Prime minister Scott Morrison condemned an “outrageous” Twitter post from the account of Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian, which showed a violent fake image of an Australian soldier murdering a child. The tweet comes in the wake of a landmark war crimes inquiry by Australia on the murder of Afghan civilians by its soldiers.
S&P Global is nearing a deal to buy IHS Markit. The $44 billion acquisition would combine two of the largest providers of financial data to Wall Street and could be announced as soon as today, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Switzerland voted against holding businesses liable for violations abroad. A proposed law that would have made Swiss companies responsible for human rights and environmental abuses overseas won a narrow majority among voters but was rejected by a majority of the country’s cantons. A milder law put forward by the government is now expected to take effect.
Joe Biden names his economic team. The US president-elect is expected to tap former Obama administration advisor Neera Tanden as White House budget office director and Princeton economist Cecilia Rouse as chair of the Council of Economic Advisors, serving alongside treasury secretary nominee Janet Yellen. Meanwhile, the White House communications team will be all-female.
New Zealand filed charges over the White Island disaster. The country’s workplace safety regulator is prosecuting 13 parties for their roles in the deadly Whakaari eruption last December, which killed 22.
What to watch for
Monday: Oil cartel OPEC and its allies plot their next moves; British retail empire Arcadia is set to enter administration; Biden receives his first presidential intelligence briefing; and Japan orders the Tokyo Stock Exchange to improve its operations.
Tuesday: The UK parliament votes on a tiered system of Covid-19 restrictions; Eurozone finance ministers meet; US Fed chair and treasury secretary testify before the Senate; and China’s new export control law takes effect.
Wednesday: Hong Kong activists Joshua Wong, Agnes Chow, and Ivan Lam are sentenced for their roles in last year’s protests.
Thursday: South African president Cyril Ramaphosa faces a vote of no confidence.
Friday: ByteDance faces a deadline to sell off the US business of its video app TikTok.
Charting Amazon employment
In a year plagued by widespread layoffs, Amazon is bucking the trend. As of October, the company added 427,300 employees, increasing its workforce to 1.2 million, according to the New York Times. Currently listed as the world’s fifth largest employer, Amazon’s historic levels of hiring are likely to move it up to third.
Walmart, the world’s largest employer, has 2.2 million workers; at Amazon’s current pace of hiring, it would be able to take the title in two years. Of course, Walmart has also been staffing up during the pandemic.
Danke pain
See if you can recognize this company:
“[X] rents space from landlords on long-term leases. It then slices up and furnishes the units before subletting them. The company gained investor interest by positioning itself not simply as a property management firm, but as a tech company that uses big data and apps to offer a seamless user experience.”
If you guessed WeWork, you’d be right… but also wrong. In this case it’s Danke Apartments, a Chinese startup that rents out 415,000 flats in 13 cities. Just one problem: Cash-strapped Danke has stopped paying some landlords, and tenants are complaining about electricity, water, and wifi outages.
Keep calm and carry on
This year is hammering home some basic truths about management, starting with the fact that it was evolving long before the pandemic. Working remotely, integrating work and home life, thinking beyond a job description: All of these things started years ago. Except now, not noticing is not an option. Our latest field guide on leading through change provides practical advice on how to update your management handbook, including:
😎 The updated guide to modern leadership
💫 5 rules for managers ready to buck conventional wisdom
🌈 Advice for managers who are serious about inclusion
🎥 Quartz’s workshop on leading teams through tension
✦ Ready for us to hammer home another basic truth? Life is better with a Quartz membership. Find out for yourself with a seven-day free trial.
Surprising discoveries
Ukraine is enjoying a bumper crop of mushrooms. The bonanza has provided an economic lifeline for some, and a socially distanced pastime for others.
A fireball lit up Japan. A type of shooting star known as a bolide was spotted falling from the sky in a burst of light.
The mysterious monolith is gone. Less than two weeks after it was discovered in the Utah desert, a metal structure planted in the ground was removed by an unknown party.
Kenya’s best social commentary comes from puppets. This season of The XYZ Show uses puppet caricatures to tackle subjects like rising debt and gender representation in parliament.
Goldman Sachs is using drones for M&A deals. The investment bank has conducted drone-driven virtual tours of everything from shipping ports to chemical factories.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, wild mushrooms, and missing sculptures to 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 Mary Hui, Tripti Lahiri, Amanda Shendruk, and Kira Bindrim.