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International News

AM Best is the first rating agency to signs up to UN Principles for sustainable insurance

“AM Best and its major affiliates are pleased to become a signatory to the UN’s Principles for Sustainable Insurance. The principles ‘serve as a global framework for the insurance industry to address environmental, social and governance risk and opportunities,’” said Arthur Snyder III, chairman, president & CEO of AM Best Co.

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Insurer Chubb needs to pay up to bulk up with Hartford

While a potential deal would be the largest in the P&C space since Chubb was created by ACE Ltd’s $28.5 billion purchase of Chubb in January 2016, this part of insurance has seen a steady flow of smaller acquisitions.Transactions such as MetLife Inc selling its car and home insurance business to Farmers Group, part of Zurich Insurance Group AG, reflect how those with smaller operations are exiting the sector in the face of fierce competition.

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Saudi: Drones attack Riyadh oil facility, no supply disruption reported

Details about Friday’s attack remained slim, and authorities did not name the facility. Saudi Arabian Oil Co., the kingdom’s oil giant, operates a refinery just southeast of Riyadh that produces gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and other products for consumption around the capital.

Satellite images from Planet Labs Inc., analysed by The Associated Press, showed no immediately visible damage at the Riyadh refinery.

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UN World Happiness Report 2021: India ranks 139 out of 149 nations, Pakistan happier at 105

The World Happiness Report 2021, issued by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, focuses on the effects of Covid-19 and how people all over the world have fared.Finland has been ranked as the happiest country in the world. The Nordic nation is followed by Iceland, Denmark, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Sweden, Germany and Norway.

Pakistan is on 105th, Bangladesh on 101st and China on 84th, according to the report.

People in war-torn Afghanistan are the most unhappy with their lives, followed by Zimbabwe (148), Rwanda (147), Botswana (146) and Lesotho (145).

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EU countries to resume AstraZeneca vaccinations after ‘Safe, Effective’ verdict from WHO

The closely-watched announcement from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) came after the WHO and Britain’s health watchdog both said the vaccine was safe, adding that it was far riskier to not get the shot as several countries face a worrying rise in coronavirus cases.

However, Norway and Sweden said they were not ready to resume using the vaccine.

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Chubb explores acquisition of $22 billion rival Hartford

Greenberg, 66, built the business into a mammoth insurer by combining Ace Ltd., the company he ran, with Chubb Corp. in a nearly $30 billion deal in 2016. The son of former American International Group Inc. CEO Maurice “Hank” Greenberg, he has transformed Chubb into a firm with huge footholds in both personal and commercial lines. The company calls itself the world’s largest publicly traded property and casualty insurer, with operations in 54 countries and more than 30,000 employees, according to its website.

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Amazon starts offering healthcare service to other employers

The move shows how the No. 2 U.S. private employer is diving further into healthcare, the latest industry it has aimed to disrupt after retail, enterprise technology and Hollywood.
Piloted in September 2019 for staff near its Seattle headquarters, “Amazon Care” lets employees video-chat with doctors for diagnoses and referrals. It also facilitates housecalls and drug delivery in greater Seattle, a non-virtual benefit that Amazon said would be available in greater Washington, D.C., and Baltimore in the coming months.

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