The Economist Continental Europe Edition February 6, 2021

Politics The army seized power in a coup in Myanmar and arrested Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of the ruling party, the National League for Democracy. It claimed that elections the NLD won by a landslide in November were fraudulent, and that it had to intervene to ensure a fair poll could be conducted. The army said it would return power to civilians within a year. The military authorities indicted Ms Suu Kyi with the bizarre charge of importing some walkie-talkies without the proper paperwork, and the president, Win Myint, also from the NLD, with violating social-distancing rules. Mori Yoshiro, a former prime minister and the head of the organising committee for the Tokyo Olympics, which are scheduled to start in July, complained about how long women talk at…

A non-peer-reviewed study suggested that the Astra-Zeneca-Oxford vaccine can reduce transmissions by two-thirds. Meanwhile, the European Medicines Agency approved the AZ jab for everyone over 18. But officials in France, Germany and Sweden are recommending that it not be offered to over 65s, and in Poland to over 60s, believing there is insufficient data to say it is effective in those age groups. Switzerland refused to license it at all. Johnson & Johnson reported that its new single-jab vaccine was 66% effective overall in preventing covid-19, and that protection increases over time. As with other vaccines, J&J’s trials showed its jab has lower efficacy in South Africa, where a particularly pernicious strain of covid-19 has been observed. A peer-reviewed analysis in the Lancet of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine showed it had an…

A non-peer-reviewed study suggested that the Astra-Zeneca-Oxford vaccine can reduce transmissions by two-thirds. Meanwhile, the European Medicines Agency approved the AZ jab for everyone over 18. But officials in France, Germany and Sweden are recommending that it not be offered to over 65s, and in Poland to over 60s, believing there is insufficient data to say it is effective in those age groups. Switzerland refused to license it at all. Johnson & Johnson reported that its new single-jab vaccine was 66% effective overall in preventing covid-19, and that protection increases over time. As with other vaccines, J&J’s trials showed its jab has lower efficacy in South Africa, where a particularly pernicious strain of covid-19 has been observed. A peer-reviewed analysis in the Lancet of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine showed it…

Politics The army seized power in a coup in Myanmar and arrested Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of the ruling party, the National League for Democracy. It claimed that elections the NLD won by a landslide in November were fraudulent, and that it had to intervene to ensure a fair poll could be conducted. The army said it would return power to civilians within a year. The military authorities indicted Ms Suu Kyi with the bizarre charge of importing some walkie-talkies without the proper paperwork, and the president, Win Myint, also from the NLD, with violating social-distancing rules. Mori Yoshiro, a former prime minister and the head of the organising committee for the Tokyo Olympics, which are scheduled to start in July, complained about how long women talk at board meetings.…

IN THE YEARS before covid-19 sub-Saharan Africans were not only the world’s youngest people, with a median age of less than 20, they were also some of the most optimistic. Just 12% of Japanese told pollsters they thought their lives would improve over the following 15 years, compared with 78% of Kenyans. Nigerians and Senegalese were even more upbeat. The pandemic has made it harder to be sunny. When covid-19 first struck, a lot of pundits thought Africans might be spared the worst, because so many are young or work on the land (and would thus be little affected by lockdowns). Yet it now looks as if the virus will leave more lasting scars in Africa than elsewhere. Whereas rich countries can hope for a rapid economic rebound as they…

IN THE YEARS before covid-19 sub-Saharan Africans were not only the world’s youngest people, with a median age of less than 20, they were also some of the most optimistic. Just 12% of Japanese told pollsters they thought their lives would improve over the following 15 years, compared with 78% of Kenyans. Nigerians and Senegalese were even more upbeat. The pandemic has made it harder to be sunny. When covid-19 first struck, a lot of pundits thought Africans might be spared the worst, because so many are young or work on the land (and would thus be little affected by lockdowns). Yet it now looks as if the virus will leave more lasting scars in Africa than elsewhere. Whereas rich countries can hope for a rapid economic rebound as they vaccinate…