EU deals with US beef over imports, KFC takes a bite out of the meat-free market, and more top news

The news professionals in Europe are talking about now, curated by LinkedIn’s editors. Join the conversation on today's stories in the comments.

The EU has reached a deal to give the US a larger share of Europe’s beef market, reports Reuters. The agreement means the US will now secure a guaranteed 18,500 tonnes of the 45,000-tonne quota for hormone-free beef, with that number rising to 35,000 tonnes after seven years. The move will reduce the amount of the quota other suppliers like Australia, Uruguay and Argentina can compete for, but could help defuse trade tensions between the US and Europe. ? Here’s what people are saying.

KFC is set to tap into the meat-free market by testing out a vegan version of its classic chicken burger. The “Imposter Burger”, which is already available in the US, will be trialled in certains outlets in the UK. The move comes as a new report by global consultancy AT Kearney forecasts that by 2040, 60% of the meat people eat will be grown in vats or replaced by plant-based products that taste like meat, rather than slaughtered animals. ? Here’s what people are saying.

Santander will cut 3,223 jobs in Spain after reaching an agreement with unions. That’s 13% fewer cuts than originally proposed, with the lender agreeing to lower the retirement age from 58 to 55 in order to pass the deal. The job losses are part of a plan to reduce annual costs by €1.2 billion, with further plans to close 140 branches in the UK and to slash 1,400 jobs in Poland. The move comes as banks in Europe struggle against historically low interest rates. ? Here’s what people are saying.

Vodafone has suffered a major global outage. Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy and the UK were among the countries that were affected by the mobile and internet issues, with the telecommunications giant ruling out a cyber attack. Meanwhile, Instagram had its own issues, with users around the world reporting they were unable to access the app or website. It’s the photo-sharing site’s third major outage since the beginning of the month. ? Here’s what people are saying.

Hiring managers are drawn to liars. When it comes to filling positions that call for high level sales skills — like banking, advertising and, well, sales — we are prone to hiring deceptive candidates over honest ones, according to researchers. That’s because we are inclined to perceive lying as an asset in such professions, despite the fact that such behaviour can inflict major financial and reputational damage on companies. Leaders should shift job requirements so they focus less on sales tactics and more on forging good relationships. ? Here’s what people are saying.

Idea of the Day: Line up the external experience to the internal one, says Beyond Philosophy CEO Colin Shaw.

"If you have happy employees, chances are you're going to have satisfied customers.”

— Capucine Yeomans