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April 21, 2021

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a fan of the grand gesture.

He abolished 86% of the country's currency without warning, sending the economy into a spiral, and announced a nationwide lockdown last year with just hours' notice.

His televised speech last night was similarly vaulting, but pushed a surprising message to states overwhelmed by Covid-19 (Delhi's health minister said some hospitals had just four hours of oxygen left).

"Avoid lockdown," Modi said.

Fresh from drawing vast crowds to election rallies in West Bengal as he seeks the defeat of a powerful local leader, Modi risks tying the hands of the states by insisting they remain open for business even as India adds almost 300,000 new virus cases a day.

Like Modi, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro opposes lockdowns and has clashed with local authorities after they imposed restrictions on commerce. Both are betting that voters will support them for keeping the economy open and people in work.

That's even as their respective nations are the world's second- and third-worst hit by the number of infections.

Bolsonaro is struggling to steady his cabinet after a string of high profile departures and his popularity ratings have fallen. Still, his government has struck a deal on a budget bill that could allow it to recreate a job protection program and give financial support to small companies hammered by the pandemic.

In India, citizens are clearly frightened by the ferocity of the outbreak and angry at the government for not using a lull earlier this year to strengthen the health system. But Modi has, until now, remained consistently popular with voters.

Both countries lack a strong political opposition, so these two populists may yet survive their handling of the pandemic. — Ruth Pollard

People refill medical oxygen tanks for Covid patients in Allahabad.

Photographer: Sanjay Kanojia/AFP/Getty Images

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Global Headlines

Floyd's legacy | U.S. President Joe Biden urged lawmakers to approve a police-reform bill to honor George Floyd and called a former police officer's conviction for his murder "a giant step forward in the march toward justice in America." Floyd's death last May after Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for more than 9 minutes galvanized the Black Lives Matter movement worldwide.

Setting course | President Vladimir Putin is giving his annual state-of-the-nation address today as Russia's opposition plans nationwide protests to demand the release of Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny, who's on hunger strike. The speech comes amid heightened tensions with the U.S. and Europe over Russia's military buildup on its border with Ukraine and spying scandals in the Czech Republic and Bulgaria.

Long list | The slate of candidates vying to succeed Angela Merkel as German chancellor in September's election is now clear — and so is the unenviable pile of global problems the eventual winner will inherit. As Alan Crawford writes, with the world increasingly defined by a great power rivalry reminiscent of the 19th century, the winner will face international demands from the get-go, including over Russia and China.

The European Union's long-awaited Covid-19 vaccine surge is finally here, raising hopes the continent can bring the pandemic under control and reopen economies faster than expected.

New tool | Even as China grows in clout, it is still running into U.S. control of the global financial system. That is prompting it to seek ways to counteract sanctions, including, potentially, a digital currency. A digital yuan could also bring geopolitical leverage over companies and governments that want access to China's 1.4 billion consumers.

  • Chinese leader Xi Jinping will join Biden's virtual summit this week on climate change.

Fallen warrior | The sudden death of Chad's long-time President Idriss Deby robs West Africa's Sahel region and its western allies of a linchpin in the battle against Islamist fighters. While his son will head a military council to rule the oil-producing nation, all eyes will be on whether domestic instability could dent the well-trained army's commitment to combat the spread of Islamic State-inspired militant groups.

What to Watch

  • Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan fired his trade minister in a bid to mitigate the damage from accusations of nepotism in the government.

  • Europe's rebel soccer league crumbled just 48 hours after its launch, as members began to exit in the face of fury from the sport's authorities, politicians and fans.

  • A South Korean court dismissed a lawsuit against Japan seeking compensation for women forced to work in World War II-era brothels. It comes at a time of worsening relations between the U.S. allies.
  • Apple and Google will face close antitrust scrutiny today from U.S. lawmakers concerned about the way they run their marketplaces for apps on handheld devices.

And finally ... After a dream run that saw it win backing from the Chinese state, Tesla is getting a reality check in the world's largest, and increasingly most competitive, car market. Two government bodies criticized the company this week for its attitude toward customer service. That followed an embarrassing accusation at the Shanghai Auto Show, when the owner of a Tesla said she almost died because her car's brakes failed.

Visitors look at a Chinese-made Tesla at the Auto Shanghai 2021 show.

Photographer: Qilai Shen/Bloomberg

 
 

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