Hello and welcome to the Intelligence on Economist Radio.

I'm your host, Jason Palmer.

Every weekday, we provide a fresh perspective on the events shaping your world.

Violence has followed last month's disputed election in Ivory Coast, but it's just the

latest example of an African strongman who simply didn't want to leave office.

We take a look at a troubling, democracy-bending trend across the continent.

And India's got a case of reefer madness.

Accusations are flying that Bollywood types are corrupting the culture with their weed habits.

It's a surprising flashpoint.

India has a long, unbroken and altogether pretty chill relationship with marijuana.

But first... During a year blighted by the pandemic, through difficult days of isolation, fear, loss,

one hope has seemed forever distant, a vaccine to provide immunity from the coronavirus.

Some promising news brings that hope closer.

Yesterday, Pfizer and Beyond Tech, two pharmaceutical firms, announced that their candidate

vaccine is more than 90% effective in preventing symptomatic cases of COVID-19.

The results are based on an interim analysis of a trial on 43,000 people, a trial that's still underway.

That hint that life might soon return to something like normal, electrified the markets.

Positive news on a COVID-19 vaccine trial injected a jolt of energy into stocks,

driving the Dow up more than 800 points Monday.

Plenty of questions remain about the vaccine, about its safety, who it most helps, and for how long.

Then there are far bigger logistical questions about distributing it.

But what's clear is that this is a major milestone,

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