FirstFT: Today’s top stories | Financial Times

The World Health Organization has recommended the Oxford/AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine for use worldwide by all adults, including the elderly, in a boost for the jab after a series of setbacks.

The WHO’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (Sage) said the vaccine could be used by all people over the age of 18 in all countries, including places such as South Africa where the circulation of new variants had raised some concerns over its efficacy.

Some countries, such as France and Sweden, have restricted use of the shot to younger adults, citing a lack of sufficient trial data for the elderly, but WHO officials stressed on Wednesday that not all nations had a choice of which vaccine to use.

“Immune responses induced by the vaccine in older persons are well documented and similar to those in other age groups,” the WHO recommendations said. “This suggests it is likely that the vaccine will be found to be efficacious in older persons.” (FT)

Coronavirus digest

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has endorsed “double masking” for increased protection against coronavirus. Follow the latest Covid-19 news on our live blog.

In the news

Trump impeachment trial day 2 Democrats put the blame for the deadly January 6 siege on the US Capitol squarely on Donald Trump, describing him as the “inciter-in-chief” and accusing him of the “worst violation of the presidential oath” in American history, as they showed previously unseen footage from the attack. Trump’s legal team started the day on the back foot after a debut performance that was widely panned by Republican senators. (FT, AP)

Biden to sanction Myanmar’s military leaders Joe Biden’s administration will impose sanctions on the military leaders of the coup in Myanmar and freeze $1bn in government assets held in the US, as it urged others to join the push for an “immediate return to democracy” in the country. (FT)

Amsterdam ousts London as Europe’s top share trading hub The Netherlands has scooped up business lost by the UK since Brexit. An average €9.2bn shares a day were traded on Euronext Amsterdam and the Dutch arms of CBOE Europe and Turquoise in January, a more than fourfold increase from December. (FT)

China increases activity in the South China Sea Chinese military activity in the South China Sea has risen “steadily” in recent months, according to the commander of the USS Nimitz. Meanwhile, Joe Biden on Wednesday announced a Pentagon task force to help craft a comprehensive China policy. (FT)

KPMG’s UK boss steps aside KPMG UK chairman Bill Michael is stepping aside while the Big Four accountancy firm investigates “alleged comments” he made during an online meeting with staff, a spokesperson said on Wednesday. The FT reported comments made by Michael where he told staff to “stop moaning” and to stop “playing the victim card”. (FT)

Twitter blocks accounts after Indian government demands The US social media company said it had taken action on more than 500 accounts that had been flagged by India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, as it seeks to defuse days of mounting tension with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government. (FT)

Pressure grows on Tokyo Olympics chief to resign Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike has refused to join a meeting with Yoshiro Mori, president of the city’s Olympic organising committee, as pressure grows on the former prime minister to resign after making sexist remarks. (FT)

FT returns to indices business The Financial Times is returning to the index business by partnering with Wilshire, an investment advisory group, to develop indices with a focus on environmental, social and governance investment products. The Wilshire 5000 index series will be relaunched as the FT Wilshire 5000 US Series. (FT)

The day ahead

Lunar new year Celebrations begin on Thursday to mark the year of the Ox, with many Covid-19 restrictions in place. China’s transport ministry forecasts a total of 1.15bn trips this year, compared with 3bn in 2019 and Chinese bosses are pushing staff to work through new year festivities. (FT)

What else we’re reading

Nouriel Roubini: bitcoin is not a hedge against tail risk Elon Musk may be buying it, but that doesn’t mean everyone else should follow suit, writes the professor of economics at NYU’s Stern School of Business. Roubini predicts the current bubble will eventually end in another bust. (FT)

Pay attention to Russia and China’s vaccine diplomacy Beijing and Moscow are using jabs to court poorer nations — but the US and EU are barely noticing, writes Anne-Sylvaine Chassany. China’s strategy is “more successful than is recognised in Europe,” said Moritz Rudolf of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs. (FT)

How tech went big on green energy Tech companies are big consumers of electricity because of their data centres; the combined power usage of Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Facebook and Apple is more than 45 terawatt-hours a year, about as much as New Zealand. To meet climate pledges, those companies have become the dominant buyers of clean power. (FT)

Young people deserve more support from employers It is time to retire trite accusations of young people being “snowflakes” and face the reality that, if we leave mental health problems and workplace misery unaddressed, we will be sleepwalking into a post-pandemic culture of absenteeism, high staff turnover and lowered productivity, says Elizabeth Uviebinene. (FT)

Delta’s big bet on blocking the middle seat Even as rival airlines ditch the Covid-era policy, Delta has pledged to continue blocking out the middle seat at least through April. The airline has made a bet on making goodwill with passengers wary of flying, but they seem to care more about cheap fares. (WSJ)

Silicon Valley should give every child a laptop This past year of Covid-19 has exposed not only the cruelty of economic and social divides but also the vicious inequity of digital divides, writes Gillian Tett. Big Tech companies could step in to help fund laptops: they are swimming in cash and badly need to win public support. (FT)

Video of the day

Do we need a Netflix for antibiotics? More countries must provide the right incentives to develop drugs to combat antibiotic resistance, says the FT’s Andrew Jack. (FT)