EU: Insurers and EU institutions discuss options for pandemic coverage

The European Commission, insurance regulator EIOPA, and the industry have started discussing options to better ensure the protection of businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, as the withdrawal of state support measures is expected to reveal the real damage caused by the crisis in the private sector.

Read more at: Insurers and EU institutions discuss options for pandemic coverage – EURACTIV.com

Coronavirus Vaccines: Political leaders must ensure Covid vaccines aren’t the preserve of the rich-byJeremy Farrar

In the last few days, major powers have responded to the horrific crisis unfolding in India. The US government’s decision to share 10m vaccine doses within weeks, and up to 50m more over the summer, is welcome and urgently needed. New Zealand, Norway and France have also responded to the demand for vaccines to be shared fairly around the world. But frankly, no country is acting on the scale that is necessary.

This pandemic is a long way from over. The scenes in India, where Covid-19 continues to overwhelm health systems and sink the economy, are harrowing. In many countries, hospitals are flooded with patients and face shortages of vital medical supplies.

Read more at: Political leaders must ensure Covid vaccines aren’t the preserve of the rich | Jeremy Farrar | The Guardian

USA: Biden to the nation and world: 'America is rising anew'

President Joe Biden declared Wednesday night in his first address to a joint session of Congress that “America is rising anew,” and pointed optimistically to the nation’s emergence from the pandemic as a vital moment to rebuild the U.S. economy and fundamentally transform government roles in American life.

Biden marked his first 100 days in office as the nation pushes out of a menacing mix of crises, making his case before a pared-down gathering of mask-wearing legislators because of pandemic restrictions.

Speaking in highly personal terms while demanding massive structural changes, the president urged a $1.8 trillion investment in children, families and education to help rebuild an economy devastated by the virus and compete with rising global competitors.

He speech took place in a setting unlike any other presidential address in the familiar venue, with the U.S. Capitol still surrounded by fencing after the building was stormed in January by insurrectionists protesting his election. The nationally televised ritual of a president standing before Congress for the first time was one of the most watched moments of Biden’s presidency so far, a chance to sell his plans to voters of both parties, even if Republican lawmakers prove resistant.

“America is ready for takeoff. We are working again. Dreaming again. Discovering again. Leading the world again. We have shown each other and the world: There is no quit in America,” Biden said.

Read more at: Biden to the nation and world: 'America is rising anew'

Robots: More robots are entering Canadian workplaces — but they're not all coming for our jobs

More robots and more humans isn't an experience unique to Ultra Shine. Workplace figures from Statistics Canada show that between one and five years after robots are adopted in a workplace, firms that bring on the machines see about 20 per cent more employees than they had before adding the robots.

"On average, firms that have adopted robots have in fact expanded their workforce in aggregate," said Jay Dixon, a researcher with the federal statistics agency. Dixon's analysis looked at data collected from 1996 to 2017, tracking what happened to workers when companies in Canada invested in robots.

Read more at: More robots are entering Canadian workplaces — but they're not all coming for our jobs | CBC Radio

China - EU Relations: EU slams China’s ‘authoritarian shift’ and broken economic promises

The European Union's stance on China is hardening, and that should go down well in Washington.

Only four months after Beijing and Brussels concluded the principles of a landmark investment agreement, a high-level internal report seen by POLITICO shows the EU is now increasingly pessimistic about keeping business interests separate from political concerns over what it calls President Xi Jinping's "authoritarian shift." This tougher language reflects a new approach in the EU's official communications on China.

The EU's "progress report" on China also slams Beijing for "little progress" on economic promises made by the Communist leadership, particularly in regard to opening up digital and agricultural markets, addressing steel overcapacity and reining in industrial subsidies. It calls for "further, robust" measures to deal with the new challenges posed by China, whose economy is recovering from the coronavirus pandemic at a blistering pace.

Read more at: EU slams China’s ‘authoritarian shift’ and broken economic promises – POLITICO

India - Corona Crises: EU, U.S. Officials Announce Aid For India, Where New COVID-19 Cases Hit 330,000 A Day - by Ja’han Jones

Senior European Union officials announced Sunday that the bloc will send “rapid” assistance to help India combat its latest, devastating coronavirus outbreak. On Friday, India set a world record for the number of new coronavirus cases reported in a single day, with more than 330,000 new infections.

The Indian Health Ministry said Friday that there have been 189,544 coronavirus deaths in the country, but health experts around the world believe the true death count is much higher.

Read more at: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/eu-us-india-coronavirus-aid_n_6085e023e4b0ee126f683a98

EU mulls legal action against AstraZeneca over shortfalls - by Elena Sánchez Nicolás

The European Commission said on Thursday (22 April) it has not yet decided whether to take legal action against AstraZeneca for failing to meet its contractual obligations - but repeated that all options are still on the table.

"What matters is that we ensure the delivery of a sufficient number of doses, in line with the company's earlier commitments," a commission spokesperson said.

Read moreat: EU mulls legal action against AstraZeneca over shortfalls

EU economy ′on crutches,′ warns ECB chief Christine Lagarde

European Central Bank chief Christine Lagarde on Thursday said the bloc's economy was still "on crutches" and in need of support from both the central bank and government spending as the eurozone undergoes extended coronavirus lockdowns.

Lagarde said while the bank sees an eventual rebound this year, any steps to phase out its anti-pandemic emergency monetary plan would be "premature."

Read more at: EU economy ′on crutches,′ warns ECB chief Christine Lagarde | News | DW | 22.04.2021

Netherlands keeps crown as world’s best pension system - by Rachel Fixsen, Venilia Amorim

The Dutch pension system has won the highest score in the latest Global Pension Index report from Mercer, with the international consultancy using this year’s publication to sound a stern warning on the impact of the pandemic on retirement income systems around the world.

In the 2020 Mercer CFA Institute Global Pension Index report – previously called the Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index – which awards national pension systems points for adequacy, integrity and sustainability as well as giving them an overall score, the Netherlands came top with 82.6 points, followed by Denmark with 81.4 and Israel with 74.7 points.

Read more at: ​Netherlands keeps crown as world’s best pension system | News | IPE

Canada's new climate change target will exceed 40% cut in emissions

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will take advantage of Joe Biden's climate summit on Thursday to unveil Canada's new, more ambitious climate target.

Radio-Canada has learned that Trudeau will not announce a specific figure but rather a range for greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction targets.

Read moere at: Canada's new climate change target will exceed 40% cut in emissions: Radio-Canada sources | CBC News

The Netherlands: Balancing act: Dutch PM eases lockdown amid infection rise - by Mike Corder -

Dutch caretaker Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced a significant easing in his country's months-long coronavirus lockdown Tuesday, calling it a delicate balancing act as infections remain stubbornly high.

The decision to cautiously relax restrictions reflects difficult choices being made in many countries as lockdown fatigue grows even as positive cases keep rising.

Read more at: Balancing act: Dutch PM eases lockdown amid infection rise - ABC News

USA: Coronavirus vaccines: The U.S. is awash in vaccine supply. Its new concern: Will demand keep up?

On the road to mass-vaccination, the U.S. is so far ahead that it's detecting new obstacles that remain, for much of the world, an afterthought on a distant horizon.

The proportion of the population who've received at least one dose is almost twice as high as in Canada, and it's 10 times higher for the fully vaccinated.

The vaccine supply in most states has ballooned to more than one dose per adult — that's allowed half of adults and nearly 40 per cent of the total U.S. population to have received a shot

Note EU-Digest: The US should do some coronavirus diplomacy and give some of their excess vaccines to countries which don't have the means to buy the vaccines.

Note EU-Digest: Read more at: The U.S. is awash in vaccine supply. Its new concern: Will demand keep up? | CBC News

USA: Is Stagflation Coming? - by Nouriel Roubini -

There is a growing debate about whether the inflation that will arise over the next few months will be temporary, reflecting the sharp bounce-back from the COVID-19 recession, or persistent, reflecting both demand-pull and cost-push factors.

Several arguments point to a persistent secular increase in inflation, which has remained below most central banks’ annual 2% target for over a decade. The first holds that the United States has enacted excessive fiscal stimulus for an economy that already appears to be recovering faster than expected. The additional $1.9 trillion of spending approved in March came on top of a $3 trillion package last spring and a $900 billion stimulus in December, and a $2 trillion infrastructure bill will soon follow. The US response to the crisis is thus an order of magnitude larger than its response to the 2008 global financial crisis.The counter-argument is that

Read more at: Is Stagflation Coming? by Nouriel Roubini - Project Syndicate

USA: Florida Covid-19: Extreme policies, average statistics raise questions around the state's coronavirus data - by Deidre McPhillips

n a peer-reviewed study in the American Journal of Public Health in March, researchers analyzed excess mortality data in Florida. One reason they specifically chose to analyze Florida was because it was one of the first states to lift Covid-19 restrictions.

Their research found that "the impact of COVID-19 on mortality is significantly greater than the official COVID-19 data suggest." Nearly 5,000 excess deaths in Florida between March and September 2020 are "unexplained," according to the study.

Read more at: Florida Covid-19: Extreme policies, average statistics raise questions around the state's coronavirus data - CNN

Coronavirus: Europe surpasses 1 million COVID deaths, WHO says

More than 1 million people have died from COVID-19 in Europe, the World Health Organization announced on Thursday.

WHO Europe Director Hans Kluge warned that the situation remains "serious," with about 1.6 million new cases reported each week in the region.

Speaking on vaccine fears, Kluge said the risk of people suffering blood clots is far higher for people with COVID-19 than people who receive AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine.

Read more at: Coronavirus: Europe surpasses 1 million COVID deaths, WHO says | News | DW | 15.04.2021

EU Coronavirus - Vaccine: EU puts faith in Pfizer jab with plan for 1.8 billion doses - "Too little, too late" ??

The EU has announced plans to buy 1.8 billion doses of the BioNTech-Pfizer vaccine through 2023. The bloc is also bringing forward shorter-term Pfizer deliveries after suspending orders for the Johnson & Johnson.

On Wednesday, European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen said the EU planned to order 1.8 billion doses of the BioNTech-Pfizer vaccine by 2023.

Von der Leyen said Brussels had full confidence in the technology behind the Pfizer vaccine. The manufacturing process used for the Pfizer product — dependent on mRNA — is different then the one behind the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab, which uses a cold virus to transport a segment of the coronavirus to the recipients' cells.

Read more at: EU puts faith in Pfizer jab with plan for 1.8 billion doses | Europe| News and current affairs from around the continent | DW | 14.04.2021

US Inflation: Accelerated in March Due to Strengthening Economy, Rising Energy Prices

U.S. consumer prices rose sharply in March as the economic recovery gained momentum, marking the start of an expected monthslong pickup in inflation pressures.

Some of the price increases reflected temporary factors, but others showed how demand for many goods and services is reviving a year after the coronavirus pandemic shut down large swaths of the economy, analysts said.

Read more at: Inflation Accelerated in March Due to Strengthening Economy, Rising Energy Prices - WSJ

Austria: GPs start coronavirus vaccinations in Vienna - but there's a catch

As of Monday, April 12th, GPs are allowed to carry out coronavirus vaccinations in Vienna. However, due to restrictions imposed by delivery delays, they will be unable to do so at their GP surgeries. Instead, they will need to administer vaccinations off site.

Read more at: GPs start coronavirus vaccinations in Vienna - but there's a catch - The Local

India: Coronavirus: India bans export of remdesivir COVID-19 treatment drug

ndian authorities temporarily halted exports of the antiviral drug remdesivir on Sunday as a surge in coronavirus infections put a strain on demand for the treatment.

India reported its biggest-ever daily spike of 152,879 cases on Sunday, even as authorities launched a four-day "vaccine festival" to intensify the campaign in the country.

Health authorities said the surge in cases had led to a "sudden spike in demand" for remdesivir and that there was a "potential of further increase in this demand in the coming days."

Read more at: Coronavirus digest: India bans export of remdesivir COVID-19 treatment drug | News | DW | 11.04.2021

Canada: Coronavirus variants are testing the limits of what we once thought was safe in Canada

The rapid spread of more contagious coronavirus variants across Canada is driving a devastating third wave in much of the country and increasing the level of risk in situations previously thought to be relatively safe from COVID-19.

Experts say the risk of exposure is higher in everyday situations and the margin of error is lower for what we can and can't do safely until more Canadians are vaccinated.

"The things that you've gotten away with previously, and that you've put into your mindset that were safe … it wasn't that they were safe, it's that you got lucky," said Erin Bromage, a biology professor and immunologist at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth who studies infectious diseases.

Read more at:Coronavirus variants are testing the limits of what we once thought was safe in Canada | CBC News

EU: Four deaths after taking Russian Sputnik V vaccine - by Andrew Rettman

Four people recently died in Russia shortly after taking the Sputnik V anti-corona jab in previously unreported cases, which are being taken "seriously" by the EU regulator, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in Amsterdam.

Six other Russians also had medical complications after taking the vaccine, according to internal case files from RosPotrebNadzor, a Russian body responsible for administering vaccinations,

Read more at: Four deaths after taking Russian Sputnik V vaccine

Britain: Brexit takes its toll on U.K. economy as trade with EU falls sharply - by Pierre Briançon

The U.K. economy shrank less than expected in January, but trade with the European Union fell sharply after the end of the Brexit transition period at the beginning of the year, numbers from the Office for National Statistics showed on Friday.

Exports of goods to the EU fell by 40.7% compared with December, and imports by 28.8%, by far the largest declines since comparable numbers began to be collected in 1997.

By comparison, exports to non-EU countries rose 1.7% and imports from the same group only fell by 17.6%. The U.K. left the EU single market and its customs union on Jan. 1. The ONS also said that gross domestic product in January shrank by 2.9%, way below an analyst consensus forecast of a 4.9% fall.

Besides shrinking trade, the GDP fall is mostly due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions to economic activity that were imposed shortly after the new year, including the closure of schools. The hit to services and manufacturing was in part compensated by a significant increase in health spending, due to the nationwide rollout of a “test and trace” system. The U.K. economy shrank less than expected in January, but trade with the European Union fell sharply after the end of the Brexit transition period at the beginning of the year, numbers from the Office for National Statistics showed on Friday. Exports of goods to the EU fell by 40.7% compared with December, and imports by 28.8%, by far the largest declines since comparable numbers began to be collected in 1997. By comparison, exports to non-EU countries rose 1.7% and imports from the same group only fell by 17.6%. The U.K. left the EU single market and its customs union on Jan. 1. The ONS also said that gross domestic product in January shrank by 2.9%, way below an analyst consensus forecast of a 4.9% fall. Besides shrinking trade, the GDP fall is mostly due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions to economic activity that were imposed shortly after the new year, including the closure of schools. The hit to services and manufacturing was in part compensated by a significant increase in health spending, due to the nationwide rollout of a “test and trace” system. The U.K. economy shrank less than expected in January, but trade with the European Union fell sharply after the end of the Brexit transition period at the beginning of the year, numbers from the Office for National Statistics showed on Friday.

Exports of goods to the EU fell by 40.7% compared with December, and imports by 28.8%, by far the largest declines since comparable numbers began to be collected in 1997. By comparison, exports to non-EU countries rose 1.7% and imports from the same group only fell by 17.6%. The U.K. left the EU single market and its customs union on Jan. 1. The ONS also said that gross domestic product in January shrank by 2.9%, way below an analyst consensus forecast of a 4.9% fall. Besides shrinking trade, the GDP fall is mostly due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions to economic activity that were imposed shortly after the new year, including the closure of schools. The hit to services and manufacturing was in part compensated by a significant increase in health spending, due to the nationwide rollout of a “test and trace” system.

Read more at: Brexit takes its toll on U.K. economy as trade with EU falls sharply - MarketWatch

International passenger traffic down 89% in February, no sign of recovery: IATA

Global airline industry body IATA said international passenger traffic plunged 89% in February compared to the same month last year as COVID-19 infections climbed once more, and there was no sign of an aviation recovery yet.

International passenger traffic was down almost 89% and is showing no signs of recovery in the current environment,” IATA’s new director general Willie Walsh said at a presentation on Wednesday.

Read more: International passenger traffic down 89% in February, no sign of recovery: IATA | Reuters

EU missed March vaccination target for priority groups - by Elena Sánchez Nicolás

The European Union failed to reach its target of having at least 80 percent of the elderly (aged 80 and above) and 80 percent of healthcare professionals vaccinated against Covid-19 by the end of March.

Data released by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, an EU agency, showed that vaccination rates have sped up in many members states, but figures are still far below that 80-percent goal.

Read more at https://euobserver.com/coronavirus/151449

EU wrestles for control of euro clearing after Brexit – by Hannah Brenton

The EU’s latest battle with Britain concerns interest-rate swaps — a financial transaction used by fund managers, insurers, pension funds and banks to protect themselves against unexpected changes in the cost of borrowing.

These swaps are “cleared” — that is, monitored and managed — through clearinghouses like LCH in London, by far the major player in the industry. The clearinghouse becomes the buyer to the seller, and vice versa, to guarantee a trade.

Read more at: EU wrestles for control of euro clearing after Brexit – POLITICO

EU vaccination chaos: How many vaccine doses have arrived in EU countries and how do they get there?

More than 85 million coronavirus vaccine doses have been distributed by vaccine manufacturers to EU and EEA countries and millions more are expected to arrive before the summer months.

Four vaccines are approved for use in the bloc - the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna mRNA vaccines, as well as the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine and the single dose jab from Johnson & Johnson.

But the EU has been heavily criticised for its slow vaccine rollout, with critics emphasising that they needed to incentivise companies better to scale up vaccine production before the vaccines were authorised.

Read more at:How many vaccine doses have arrived in EU countries and how do they get there? | Euronews

Coronavirus Vaccine ‘Fiasco’ Damages Europe’s Credibility - by Steven Erlanger

Alain Walravens, 63, is waiting to be invited for a first coronavirus vaccination. So are Marion Pochet, 71, a retired translator, and her husband, Jean-Marc. At least, Ms. Pochet said, they both have had Covid-19, “so we have some immunity, at least for the moment.”

All three are sharply critical of the European Union, which took control of vaccine procurement and distribution and is widely considered to have done worse than its main partners, the United States and Britain, let alone Israel, which have all gotten vaccines into a much larger percentage of their populations than Europe.

So far, only about 11 percent of the bloc’s population has received at least one vaccine shot, compared with 46 percent in Britain and 29 percent in the United States.

Read more at: Coronavirus Vaccine ‘Fiasco’ Damages Europe’s Credibility - The New York Times

EU: Experts threaten to quit over new EU 'green finance' rules - by Elena Sánchez Nicolás

Nine members of the expert group advising the European Commission on sustainable finance rules have threatened to step down if Brussels continues to uphold rules they see as "a clear contradiction to climate science".

The taxonomy classification system was designed to address so-called greenwashing in financial markets - but the experts now fear that it might end up becoming a "greenwashing tool" itse

Read more at Experts threaten to quit over new EU 'green finance' rules

USA: Coronavirus Surge: 'Right now, I'm scared,' CDC head says as she warns of potential 4th pandemic surge in U.S.

U.S. officials issued what was intended to be a sobering warning Monday that the COVID-19 pandemic could still get a whole lot worse.

Their unusually emotional message carried obvious international implications, especially given that the U.S. has already vaccinated its citizens at a rate triple Canada's. The theme of a White House briefing Monday was that this is a terrible time for the country to let down its guard and reopen as some states are doing.

Read more at: https://www.cbc.ca/news/worl