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In first for Fed, U.S. central bank says climate poses stability risks

“Acute hazards, such as storms, floods, or wildfires, may cause investors to update their perceptions of the value of real or financial assets suddenly,” Fed Governor Lael Brainard said in comments attached to the report, released Monday.

“Chronic hazards, such as slow increases in mean temperatures or sea levels, or a gradual change in investor sentiment about those risks, introduce the possibility of abrupt tipping points or significant swings in sentiment,” Brainard said.

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Bank of England warns insurers risk unexpected COVID losses

“Our work has highlighted that a number of firms have not been able to accurately identify and track COVID exposed policies, leading to unexpected COVID losses,” the BoE said in a letter to insurers.

“Firms should ensure that this uncertainty is reflected in the reserve estimates and that, where possible, appropriate procedures are put in place to identify and track exposed policies.”

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Vietnam braces for Typhoon Vamco, 53 dead in Philippines

Vietnam is prone to destructive storms and flooding due to its long coastline. Vamco will be the 13th storm that affects the Southeast Asian country this year, where more than 160 people have been killed in natural disasters triggered by a series of storms since early October.

“There has been no respite for more than eight million people living in central Vietnam,” said Nguyen Thi Xuan Thu, Vietnam Red Cross Society President. “Each time they start rebuilding their lives and livelihoods, they are pummelled by yet another storm.”

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Tsunami-hit reactor in northeast Japan gets final approval to restart

Onagawa was the closest among Japan’s nuclear stations to the epicentre of the magnitude-9 quake in March 2011, which triggered a tsunami that killed nearly 20,000 people as well as causing the worst atomic disaster since Chernobyl in 1986.

The station was swamped by the tsunami, but survived with its cooling system intact, saving its reactors from the threat of meltdowns similar to those that occurred at Tokyo Electric Power’s Fukushima Daiichi station to the south.

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Europe ‘must grit teeth’ on COVID-19 as vaccine euphoria fades

As the euphoria that followed Pfizer’s announcement faded, European shares slipped back from their eight-month highs, with poor economic data from Britain adding to doubts about the rebound from the brutal slump caused by the first lockdowns.Its economy lost steam in September, hardening expectations that it will shrink again as 2020 ends.

Britain passed 50,000 COVID-19 deaths this week, and the 33,470 new cases registered on Thursday were its highest daily tally to date.

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