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X to wind up operations in Brazil ‘effective immediately’ due to censorship
Earlier this year, Moraes ordered X to block certain accounts, as...
Urgent need to address $4 trn financing gap to accelerate SDG progress: FM
Nirmala Sitharaman, Finance Minister Addressing the third Voice of...
Pfizer agrees to pay $345 mln to resolve EpiPen pricing lawsuit
The litigation followed a public outcry in 2016 after Mylan, which owns the rights to market and distribute the devices, raised the price of a pair of EpiPens to $600, from $100 in 2008, putting it in the center of an ongoing U.S. debate over the high cost of medicines. The lawsuit accused Mylan and Pfizer, which manufactured the EpiPen for Mylan, of engaging in anticompetitive conduct that allowed them to maintain a monopoly over the market for the devices and their profitable revenues.
Biogen Alzheimer’s drug hits roadblocks with some hospitals, insurers
Several Blue Cross Blue Shield health insurance plans, including those in Michigan, North Carolina and Pennsylvania, have said there is insufficient evidence of Aduhelm’s benefit for patients and they will not provide coverage for the drug.
Biogen said in a statement that the several Blues plans’ “characterization of Aduhelm as experimental and investigational is inaccurate and misleading.”
Welfare fraud and errors cost UK a record 8 bln pounds during pandemic
The government had to deal with an increased risk from organised crime since the start of the pandemic, the NAO said. Fraudsters hijacked people’s identities in order to make fictitious claims with payments routed into bank accounts they could access, the watchdog said.
U.S. launches online hub to help ransomware victims
The new website, www.StopRansomware.gov, is an initiative led by the Justice and Homeland Security departments.
The launch of the new website and the $10 million reward come on the heels of a ransomware attack earlier this year against the Colonial Pipeline Co. that led to widespread shortages at gas stations along the East Coast of the United States. The Justice Department was later able to help Colonial Pipeline recover some $2.3 million in cryptocurrency ransom it paid to hackers.
About $350 million in ransom was paid to cyber criminals in 2020, a more than 300% increase from the previous year, the department said.
Floods leave at least 108 dead in Europe
Joerg Asmussen, managing director of the German Insurance Association (GDV), said the prevalence of storms, floods, heavy rain and hail in Germany this year could make it one of the most damaging since 2013.
Heavy rain and hail in June caused an estimated insurance loss of 1.7 billion euros ($2 billion), he said by email.
Counting the costs: South Africa uninsured businesses wrecked by unrest
Many of South Africa’s small, medium-sized and micro enterprises (SMME) are not insured, compounding any attempts of recovery of those damaged in the unrest.
IAEA breaks ground for new facility to help countries tackle nuclear terrorism
The Centre will provide more than 2000 square meters of specialized technical infrastructure and equipment. Hands-on training will be conducted on demonstration systems and virtual reality environments. These platforms will emulate security systems used at nuclear power plants, research reactors and border crossings.
Participants will practice procedures on access and alarm controls, inspect physical protection systems, better understand computer security risks, and learn how to sweep an area for radioactive material during major public events, among other activities. Exercises at the training centre will also strengthen capabilities in radiological crime scene management and nuclear forensics.
Strong rise in political risk globally:Coface Political Risk Index
Inflationary risks have been in the news in recent months. In this context, the annual update of the Coface Political Risk Index shows a strong rise in political risk across the world, and particularly in the emerging countries. Indeed, figures show a deterioration in living standards and purchasing power, as well as a rise in inequalities observed following the COVID-19 crisis. At this stage, these conditions are not necessarily leading to popular uprisings, which remain limited by people’s capacity to mobilise.
J&J recalls Aveeno, Neutrogena sunscreens after carcinogen found in sprays
After internal testing identified low levels of benzene in some samples, J&J said it has decided to recall these products from the market.
Benzene is classified as a human carcinogen, a substance that could potentially cause cancer depending on the level and extent of exposure.
“While benzene is not an ingredient in any of our sunscreen products, it was detected in some samples of the impacted aerosol sunscreen finished products,” the company said.
Amazon sued by US product-safety agency over selling defective items
“Customer safety is a top priority and we take prompt action to protect customers when we are aware of a safety concern,” Amazon spokesperson Mary Kate McCarthy said in a statement in response to the CPSC’s complaint.