The Economist Latin America November 14, 2020

The European Commission agreed to buy up to 300m doses of the vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech. Russia’s claims that its homegrown “Sputnik V” vaccine is 92% effective in preventing infection, a similar success rate to Pfizer’s, were met with scepticism. The number of people in hospital with covid-19 in America reached 65,000, a new record. Europe’s death toll from the virus passed 300,000. Lebanon announced a new lockdown that will last until the end of November. Authorities in Tehran ordered restaurants and shops to close early amid rising cases. Denmark’s government admitted it could not force mink farmers to cull livestock but recommended they do so, after new strains of covid-19 jumped from the animals to people. For our latest coverage of the virus and its consequences please visit economist.com/ coronavirus or download…

Politics Donald Trump refused to concede defeat in America’s election, despite Joe Biden’s passing the required 270 electoral-college votes. The president is pursuing several legal challenges to states’ results. None is expected to succeed. Mr Biden’s transition team is considering suing to obtain federal funds and information usually granted to incoming administrations. World leaders queued up to congratulate Mr Biden. Among the strongmen who have so far demurred are Vladimir Putin of Russia, Xi Jinping of China and Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil. Mr Bolsonaro railed against Mr Biden’s proposals to punish Brazil for not protecting the Amazon rainforest, saying, “Diplomacy alone won’t work. Once the saliva runs out, you have to have gunpowder.” Joe Biden announced a covid-19 advisory board to deal with the pandemic. He said his response would be led “by…

NINE LONG years elapsed between the isolation of the measles virus in 1954 and the licensing of a vaccine. The world waited for 20 years between early trials of a polio vaccine and the first American licence in 1955. Marvel, then, at how the world’s scientists are on course to produce a working vaccine against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes covid-19, within a single year. And not just any vaccine. The early data from a final-stage trial unveiled this week by Pfizer and BioNTech, two pharma companies, suggests that vaccination cuts your chances of suffering symptoms by more than 90%. That is almost as good as for measles and better than the flu jab, with an efficacy of just 40-60% (see Briefing). Suddenly, in a dark winter, there is hope. Not surprisingly,…

Politics Donald Trump refused to concede defeat in America’s election, despite Joe Biden’s passing the required 270 electoral-college votes. The president is pursuing several legal challenges to states’ results. None is expected to succeed. Mr Biden’s transition team is considering suing to obtain federal funds and information usually granted to incoming administrations. World leaders queued up to congratulate Mr Biden. Among the strongmen who have so far demurred are Vladimir Putin of Russia, Xi Jinping of China and Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil. Mr Bolsonaro railed against Mr Biden’s proposals to punish Brazil for not protecting the Amazon rainforest, saying, “Diplomacy alone won’t work. Once the saliva runs out, you have to have gunpowder.” Joe Biden announced a covid-19 advisory board to deal with the pandemic. He said his response would…

IN MUCH OF the world, and nowhere more so than among America’s allies, Joe Biden’s victory has come as a great relief. Under his presidency there will be no more bullying and threats to leave NATO. America will stop treating the European Union as a “foe” on trade, or its own forces stationed in South Korea as a protection racket. In place of Donald Trump’s wrecking ball, Mr Biden will offer an outstretched hand, working co-operatively on global crises, from coronavirus to climate change. Under Mr Trump, America’s favourability ratings in many allied countries sank to new lows. Mr Biden promises to make America a beacon again, a champion of lofty values and a defender of human rights, leading (as he put it in his acceptance speech) “not only by…

The European Commission agreed to buy up to 300m doses of the vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech. Russia’s claims that its homegrown “Sputnik V” vaccine is 92% effective in preventing infection, a similar success rate to Pfizer’s, were met with scepticism. The number of people in hospital with covid-19 in America reached 65,000, a new record. Europe’s death toll from the virus passed 300,000. Lebanon announced a new lockdown that will last until the end of November. Authorities in Tehran ordered restaurants and shops to close early amid rising cases. Denmark’s government admitted it could not force mink farmers to cull livestock but recommended they do so, after new strains of covid-19 jumped from the animals to people. For our latest coverage of the virus and its consequences please…