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Transcript: Vladimir Putin’s Televised Address on Ukraine – Bloomberg

I will begin with what I said in my address on February 21, 2022. I spoke about our biggest concerns and worries, and about the fundamental threats which irresponsible Western politicians created for Russia consistently, rudely and unceremoniously from year to year. I am referring to the eastward expansion of NATO, which is moving its military infrastructure ever closer to the Russian border.

It is a fact that over the past 30 years we have been patiently trying to come to an agreement with the leading NATO countries regarding the principles of equal and indivisible security in Europe. In response to our proposals, we invariably faced either cynical deception and lies or attempts at pressure and blackmail, while the North Atlantic alliance continued to expand despite our protests and concerns. Its military machine is moving and, as I said, is approaching our very border.

http://archive.today/2022.02.25-012408/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-02-24/full-transcript-vladimir-putin-s-televised-address-to-russia-on-ukraine-feb-24

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Opinion

Do masks really halve the risk of Covid? A note on the evidence – The Spectator

The analysis identified 72 studies that might potentially have provided evidence on the effectiveness of masks, social distancing and hand washing. Of those, just six (not eight, 30 or 72) were sufficiently relevant — and of sufficient quality — that they could provide any useful information on mask efficacy. And how reliable were the six? Four were assessed to have a moderate risk of bias, and two to have a serious or critical risk.

http://archive.today/2021.11.29-133400/https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/do-masks-really-halve-the-risk-of-covid-a-note-on-the-evidence

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Opinion

Singapore’s Covid Response Overlooked a Major Factor: Fear – Bloomberg

Mastering data is only half the battle. A major reason hospitals were getting overwhelmed is because people were scared, and the government missed an opportunity to send the right message.

http://archive.today/2021.09.29-021044/https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2021-09-28/singapore-forgot-about-managing-fear-when-it-battled-covid-by-the-numbers

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News

Pfizer Sells $1 Billion Bond Funding Vaccine Production – Bloomberg

Proceeds from the sale are marked for research and development expenses and the manufacturing and distribution of Covid-19 vaccines. The New York-based pharmaceutical company sees the vaccine bringing in $33.5 billion of revenue this year, which would make it one of the top-selling medicines ever.

http://archive.today/2021.09.06-162254/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-08-16/pfizer-to-sell-sustainability-bond-funding-vaccine-production

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Publications

Social bonds in response to the Covid-19 crisis: when financial markets save lives

Social bonds are an attractive investment for worldwide institutional and individual investors looking for a socially responsible investment with a clear, unambiguous purpose and a portfolio diversification opportunity with attractive risk-adjusted returns. Although the social bond market has been growing fast, it has so far remained a niche sector.

…Over the last few weeks, several social Covid-19 bonds have already been issued by a number of multilateral institutions and public agencies and are already generating significant investor interest, paving the way for more issuances. The stage is now set for social bonds to move from a niche solution to a mainstream one.

http://archive.today/2021.09.06-173555/https://www.ecmi.eu/sites/default/files/when_financial_markets_save_lives_ecmi_commentary.pdf

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News

EU Approves Sale of Mealworm for Human Consumption – Bloomberg

Frog legs rolled in worm flour could be the next culinary delight for European haute cuisine after the European Union gave its blessing for the first time for an insect food.

Dried yellow mealworm can now be sold across the 27-nation bloc after a Monday decision from EU governments and a food safety assessment, the European Commission said on Tuesday.

EU officials suggest it could be used as a protein boost for cookies, pasta or baked goods, as they try to reassure fussy eaters that millions of people around the world already eat insects. It’s also a more environmentally friendly alternative to rearing cattle and other larger sources of protein. The market for edible insects is set to reach $4.6 billion by 2027, according to one report earlier this year.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-05-04/worm-cuisine-set-to-hit-europe-s-dinner-tables-as-eu-gives-nod

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News

The Cruise Ship Suicides – Bloomberg

Confined mostly to tiny cabins as the pandemic unfolded, crew members struggled to cope.

https://web.archive.org/web/20201230111350/https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2020-cruise-ship-suicides/

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News

The Tiny Data Firm at the Center of the Hydroxychloroquine Storm – Bloomberg

The World Health Organization had suspended clinical trial programs using hydroxychloroquine following the initial report, as did the U.K. and France. The Lancet’s peer-reviewed study, published on May 22, claimed to have analyzed Surgisphere data collected from almost 96,000 Covid-19 patients across the globe.

But in the days after publication, concerns over the underlying data bubbled up. Questions arose over how Surgisphere, a little-known company that claims to have 11 employees, could have reached agreements on sharing sensitive patient information with some 1,200 hospitals around the world, much less received and processed the data so quickly.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-06-05/the-tiny-data-firm-at-the-center-of-the-hydroxychloroquine-storm

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News

Covid-19 Patients Not Infectious After 11 Days: Singapore Study – Bloomberg

Covid-19 patients are no longer infectious after 11 days of getting sick even though some may still test positive, according to a new study by infectious disease experts in Singapore.

A positive test “does not equate to infectiousness or viable virus,” a joint research paper by Singapore’s National Centre for Infectious Diseases and the Academy of Medicine, Singapore said. The virus “could not be isolated or cultured after day 11 of illness.”

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-05-24/covid-19-patients-not-infectious-after-11-days-singapore-study

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News

Europe’s Bread Lines Get New Faces in Warning of Crisis to Come – Bloomberg

Food banks see higher demand from professionals, self-employed

 Higher income inequality could lead to voter backlash, unrest

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-05-22/europe-s-bread-lines-get-new-faces-in-warning-of-crisis-to-come

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News

U.K. Jobless Claims Surged in April as Lockdown Kicked In – Bloomberg

Yet a sharp drop in vacancies signals trouble ahead. Vacancies fell 170,000 in three months to April, the biggest drop since the series began in 2001. Job openings had all but collapsed entirely by the time the lockdown was announced, according to research from the Institute for Fiscal Studies, with the decline coming across the wage distribution.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-05-19/u-k-jobless-claims-surged-by-856-500-in-april-as-virus-struck

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News

Furloughed and Frustrated, Workers Are Struggling Across the U.K. – Bloomberg

Benefit claims made by unemployed and underemployed people in the U.K. rose more last month than at any time on record, with the pain spread throughout the country. Jobseeker’s Allowance and related Universal Credit claims jumped by 856,500 in April alone. For context, the worst month during the 2008-09 financial crisis saw claims increase by 143,000.

https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2020-uk-unemployment-benefits-covid-19/

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News

End Lockdown for Young to Give Economy a Chance, Research Says – Bloomberg

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-04-06/end-lockdown-for-young-to-give-economy-a-chance-research-says