| Helping out | Prime Minister Boris Johnson plans to announce the U.K. will donate surplus coronavirus vaccines to developing countries, joining a commitment by French President Emmanuel Macron. The expected statement from the G-7 call today would signal a more coordinated effort by the world's advanced economies to address the pandemic and help countries least equipped to cope. - U.S. vaccine supply is poised to double in the coming weeks and months, according to a Bloomberg analysis.
Economic fallout | As the blackouts that plunged Texas into chaos during a historic cold blast ease, the impact on the state's oil production will endure, with almost 40% of U.S. crude production offline. Governor Greg Abbott, who's restricted the flow of natural gas across state lines, yesterday slammed the electricity grid manager and called for mandatory winter-proofing of power plants. - Republican Senator Ted Cruz returned home after coming under fire for fleeing Texas to take his family to the Mexican resort of Cancun. He said he made the trip because his daughters were "cold" but that "in hindsight I wouldn't have done it."
Treading carefully | The U.S. is likely to hold off sanctioning any German entities for now over the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia as the Biden administration seeks to halt the project without antagonizing a close European ally, Nick Wadhams and Vanessa Dezem write. A key report to Congress is expected to list only a small number of Russia-linked bodies.  A truck transports a section of pipework through the yard at the Gazprom Slavyanskaya compressor station, the starting point of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, in Ust-Luga, Russia, on Jan. 28. Photographer: Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg First casualty | A 20-year-old student shot in the head in Myanmar last week has become the first known fatality in demonstrations against the Feb. 1 coup. Mya Thwe Thwe Khine's death comes as protesters swell into the hundreds of thousands. Missed target | When the Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee chose former athlete Seiko Hashimoto as its new boss, Japan's government scrambled to find another woman to take over her two cabinet positions. While it eventually named Tamayo Marukawa to replace her, Isabel Reynolds explains the episode highlights how women are underrepresented in top management posts. What to Watch -
Brazil became the third country to breach 10 million coronavirus cases, with infections picking up speed as a new variant spreads amid a shortage of vaccines. -
Italy's new prime minister, Mario Draghi, will start to tackle the nation's economic crisis and fight against the pandemic after winning cross-party support for his government's priorities in parliament. -
Australia will hold talks with Facebook Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg after the tech giant's dramatic move to block Australian news sharing escalated a broader battle against global regulation. -
Uber lost a U.K. Supreme Court ruling over the rights of its drivers, in a landmark decision that threatens the company's business model in the country and may set a legal precedent for other gig workers. -
China may ban the export of rare-earths refining technology to countries or companies it deems a threat to state security and is exploring sanctions on firms including Lockheed Martin. Pop quiz, readers (no cheating!). Which country asked Pfizer to back a study on its vaccine's ability to create herd immunity but was turned down because it did too good a job of keeping Covid-19 in check? Send your answers to balancepower@bloomberg.net. And finally ... NASA successfully landed its largest and most sophisticated science rover on Mars, as the Perseverance spacecraft touched down in an ancient river delta that may contain signs of whether the planet ever harbored microbial life. After traveling 292 million miles from Earth, the 10-foot-long vehicle — equipped with its own drone helicopter — flew autonomously in the final phase of its descent, scanning the terrain for the safest landing spot. The $2.7 billion rover is expected to operate for at least two years.  Perseverance Rover's first image from Mars on Feb. 18. Source: NASA/JPL-Caltech | 
Post a Comment