In this issue:

The Newsroom
The latest news from across the world, and what it means for agencies

Things to learn from
Articles, advice, best practice and other things to learn for your agency and your role as a leader.

What's going on
Here's some dates in your diary for upcoming events.

What we're reading
Interesting and thought-provoking stories from elsewhere on the web — reading wider to learn more.

And finally …


Main photo by Roman Kraft on Unsplash


The Newsroom

The latest news from across the world, and what it means for agencies.

» The Global Coronavirus Response: vaccination programmes have dramatic impacts, while much of the world has no vaccines to rollout

In the developed world, the coronavirus vaccination programmes (combined with extended healthcare protection measures like mask-wearing and lockdowns) are having a dramatic impact on the pandemic, with infections, hospitalisations and deaths all falling significantly. Signs of the post-pandemic recovery are appearing.

Covid-19 vaccine tracker: the global race to vaccinate
Tracking how many people have been vaccinated against coronavirus in more than 200 countries.

View charts (Financial Times)

Western Europe’s Vaccine Records Raise Hopes Worst Is Over
Western Europe is heading toward a critical phase in its fight against the coronavirus pandemic as accelerating vaccination rates open up the prospect of easing lockdowns and reviving economies.

Read more (Bloomberg)

Coronavirus deaths are down in the US -- a sign vaccines are working, experts say
Dr. Anthony Fauci is cautioning Americans from declaring victory over Covid-19 because there there are signs that a surge “wants to increase”. He talks with CNN’s Anderson Cooper about the state of the fight against the coronavirus.

Read more (CNN)

It's important, of course, to keep maintaining health protection measures.

Here’s Why Vaccinated People Still Need to Wear a Mask | New York Times
The new vaccines will probably prevent you from getting sick with Covid. No one knows yet whether they will keep you from spreading the virus to others — but that information is coming

Read more (New York Times)

The story in the developing world is very different. India is being devastated, and the overspill into other parts of South-East Asia is worrying. Much of Africa is without any vaccines. Parts of South and Central America are reeling from the Brazilian variant.

India’s giant second wave is a disaster for it and the world
The government’s distraction and complacency have amplified the surge | Leaders

Read more (Economist)

Africa’s covid-19 vaccination drive is off to a slow start
Scant supply is the biggest problem, but not the only one | Middle East & Africa

Read more (The Economist)

What Would It Take to Vaccinate the Whole World? Let’s Take a Look. | New York Times
Big-power muscle flexing helps explain much of the world’s vaccine inequities, but there's another reason behind insufficient doses: The challenge of making them is unprecedented

Read more (New York Times)

» The signs of post-pandemic recovery is welcome, but alarmingly uneven

Whilst much of Europe, North American and other parts of the developed world are beginning to see signs of economic recovery, the impact of the coranvirus pandemic on businesses, jobs and households is becoming apparent.

Largest economies forecast to regain pre-Covid levels by end of year | Financial Times
Economists revise upwards their forecasts for economic performance in US and eurozone

Read more (Financial Times)

Shares near record peak, dollar shuffles higher
World share indexes stayed near all-time highs on Tuesday and the dollar and government bond yields tip-toed higher, as some of the biggest global economies pushed on with easing COVID-19 restrictions.

Read more (Reuters)

People & Profit - The pandemic piggy bank: How our savings can help the economy bounce back
Households have saved an extra $5.4 trillion over the past year, according to a report by Moody’s Analytics. Spending on items like travel and restaurants plummeted during the Covid-19 pandemic, while many people’s incomes were maintained by government aid. As some economies begin to lift restrictio…

Read more (France 24)