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International News

Boom, bust and bewildered: Bitcoin’s year so far

Wild price swings have been a defining feature of bitcoin throughout its near 13-year life. The first half of 2021 has been no different, despite hopes that greater liquidity in markets and stronger infrastructure would dampen swings.
“What we found out in the second quarter was that actually demand for bitcoin is price sensitive,” he said. “Some institutional investors started getting out of bitcoin in April … they thought bitcoin prices were too high relative to gold.”

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Floods may be nearly as important as droughts for future carbon accounting

“These wet extremes have basically been ignored in this field and we’re showing that researchers need to rethink it when designing schemes for future carbon accounting,” said senior study author Alexandra Konings, an assistant professor of Earth system science in Stanford’s School of Earth, Energy & Environmental Sciences (Stanford Earth). “Specific regions might be much more important for flood impacts than previously thought.”

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WHO chief calls for vaccinating at least 10 per cent of population of every country by September

”Vast inequities in the access to vaccines are fuelling a two-track pandemic. While some countries have reached a high level of coverage, many others don’t have enough to vaccinate health workers, older people & other at-risk groups,” the World Health Organisation Director General said in a virtual address to India Global Forum.

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World must prepare for future crises by setting up Global Fund for Social Protection:UN expert

According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the majority of the world’s population — 55 percent, or 4 billion people — lacks any form of social protection. Another 16 percent, or 1.2 billion people, enjoy only partial protection. Only 35 percent of children, approximately one in three, benefit from child allowances that would ensure they receive childcare, nutrition and education.

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Cyber reinsurance jump 40 % in July renewals -Willis Re

The average ransom payment made by a business to restore data after a cyber attack was $220,000 in the first quarter, up 43% from the last quarter of 2020, according to cyber security firm Coveware.

In addition to the ransom payments, cyber insurance and reinsurance policies can cover the cost of restoring the network, business interruption losses and even the hiring of a PR agency to address reputational damage.

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Swiss Re’s iptiQ and ImmoScout24 launch digital loss of rent insurance

Andreas Schertzinger, CEO of iptiQ EMEA P&C, says: “With ImmoScout24, we have found the ideal partner in Germany to offer customers tailor-made household insurance products online precisely when it matters. Thanks to the seamless integration of our product into ImmoScout24’s digital ecosystem, customers can insure themselves against the risk of rent-related losses directly online and throughout the rental process.”

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EU plans new safety rules for the workplace wherever it is

In guidelines to protect almost 170 million EU workers over the 2021-2027 period, it will also seek to produce recommendations on mental health at work before the end of 2022.

Work-related accidents and illnesses cost the EU economy over 3.3% of gross domestic product per year, the Commission said. It said estimates showed that for every euro invested in occupational health and safety, the return for the employer is around twice as much as employees take less sick leave.

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