EU: In Europe Union, vaccines from Russia and China are now under study - by Loveday Morris

As the European Union's vaccination program stumbles, Russia and China are poised to fill the gap — with Moscow opening talks to produce vaccines in the heart of Europe and both building political cachet as they supply those scrambling for shots on the bloc's fringes.

Vaccines produced in Russia and China are already on the program in parts of the Balkans and Eastern Europe outside the European Union.

Speaking to the Atlantic Council on Thursday, Macron called China’s vaccine efforts a “clear diplomatic success” which is “a little bit humiliating for us.” He and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have expressed their openness to using vaccines from Moscow and Beijing if E.U. regulatory approval is granted.

Read more at: In Europe Union, vaccines from Russia and China are now under study - The Washington Post

The Netherlands: How corrupt is the Netherlands?

Out of 180 countries, the Netherlands ranks eighth, with a score of 82 points, placing it above the likes of Germany (80 points), the UK (77), France (69), the US (67) and Spain (62). Denmark and New Zealand topped the ranking with 88 points each and the Netherlands ranked just one place lower with a score of 82 points. On the other end of the scale, Somalia and South Sudan scored the worst, with a total of 12 points each.

Read more at: How corrupt is the Netherlands?

The urgency of gender justice in the digital economy – by Anita Gurumurthy and Nandini Chami

The early years of the digital revolution came with unlimited promise for women and their world of work. A radical shift seemed close at hand: web-based entrepreneurship, lifelong skilling, access to global markets, flexible working and more. The reality today, however, is a sobering scorecard for women’s economic agency and citizenship.

In hindsight, this is no big surprise. With digital technologies becoming the handmaiden of neoliberal globalisation, the economic paradigm has witnessed a rapid deepening of inequality. Between 1980 and 2016, coinciding with the transition to the digital epoch, progress on economic inequality worldwide declined: intra-country inequality increased while inter-country inequality is not falling quickly enough.

As labour’s share of national income has steadily gone down, Big Tech firms have been able to amass wealth on an unprecedented scale, leveraging their ‘intelligence advantage’. Harnessing digital intelligence for market consolidation, platforms have upended old-world economic organisation. The shift is global and ubiquitous, with data barons making inroads in all sectors—from agriculture to retail trade, transport, logistics and services—not only displacing traditional players but also decimating small economic actors.Amid much debate about the impact of digitalisation in a globalised world, women have been largely invisible. The EU is the global actor that could change that.

Read more at: The urgency of gender justice in the digital economy – Anita Gurumurthy and Nandini Chami

The Netherlands: British' variant may account for two-thirds of new Dutch coronavirus cases: RIVM -

The number of positive coronavirus tests in the Netherlands has fallen by 20% over the past week, according to the latest seven-day update from public health institute RIVM.

In total, 28,628 people tested positive for the virus but the downturn in the number of tests meant there was little change in the positive test rate – which is now around 11.4%.

The RIVM also warned that the more infectious version of the virus first identified in Britain may now account for two-thirds of all new cases in the Netherlands. The estimate is based on computer models rather than actual lab results.

Read more at: https://www.dutchnews.nl/news/2021/02/british-variant-may-account-for-two-thirds-of-new-dutch-coronavirus-cases-rivm/

The Netherlands: Fewer and fewer people in the Netherlands see themselves as meat-eaters - by Victoria Séveno

According to a recent survey, the number of people in the Netherlands who classify themselves as meat-eaters continues to decline, with a third of all households planning to cut their meat intake in 2021.

The Vegamonitor - an annual study published by non-profit organisation Natuur & Milieu - is designed to examine the eating habits of the people in the Netherlands and whether or not perspectives on different diets change over time. The 2021 study was conducted among more than 1.000 people.

Past studies have unveiled a trend towards eating less meat, but the trend has been slow to progress. Now, however, as everyone enters 2021, Natuur & Milieu found a “significant decrease” in the number of people who classify themselves as meat-eaters: 55 percent in 2021 compared to 59 percent a year earlier. Furthermore, 34 percent of households plan on eating less meat in the new year. 31 percent said they had taken this decision in order to preserve the planet for future generations.

Read more at: Fewer and fewer people in the Netherlands see themselves as meat-eaters

AstraZeneca Covid Vaccination Age Limitation: Germany recommends AstraZeneca COVID vaccine only for people under 65

Germany will review the order of its coronavirus vaccine priority list following a recommendation from its vaccine authority not to give the AstraZeneca vaccine to individuals 65 and older.

"We will now have to review the order of vaccination [because] of the age limitations of the AstraZeneca vaccine," said health minister Jens Spahn, according to AFP.

Read more at: Germany recommends AstraZeneca COVID vaccine only for people under 65 | Euronews

The Netherlands: New Economic Theory: Could Amsterdam's New Economic Theory Replace Capitalism? - by Ciara Nugent

In April 2020, during the first wave of COVID-19, Amsterdam’s city government announced it would recover from the crisis, and avoid future ones, by embracing the theory of “doughnut economics.” Laid out by British economist Kate Raworth in a 2017 book, the theory argues that 20th century economic thinking is not equipped to deal with the 21st century reality of a planet teetering on the edge of climate breakdown. Instead of equating a growing GDP with a successful society, our goal should be to fit all of human life into what Raworth calls the “sweet spot” between the “social foundation,” where everyone has what they need to live a good life, and the “environmental ceiling.” By and large, people in rich countries are living above the environmental ceiling. Those in poorer countries often fall below the social foundation. The space in between: that’s the doughnut.

Amsterdam’s ambition is to bring all 872,000 residents inside the doughnut, ensuring everyone has access to a good quality of life, but without putting more pressure on the planet than is sustainable. Guided by Raworth’s organization, the Doughnut Economics Action Lab (DEAL), the city is introducing massive infrastructure projects, employment schemes and new policies for government contracts to that end. Meanwhile, some 400 local people and organizations have set up a network called the Amsterdam Doughnut Coalition—managed by Drouin— to run their own programs at a grassroots level.

Now, Amsterdam is grappling with what the doughnut would look like on the ground. Marieke van Doorninck, the deputy mayor for sustainability and urban planning, says the pandemic added urgency that helped the city get behind a bold new strategy. “Kate had already told us what to do. COVID showed us the way to do it,” she says. “I think in the darkest times, it’s easiest to imagine another world.”

Read more at: Could Amsterdam's New Economic Theory Replace Capitalism? | Time