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International News

Covid-19 travel insurance becoming a vacation staple

The market for all types of Covid-19 travel coverage is estimated to be between $30 billion to $40 billion a year, according to travel insurance consultant Robyn Ingle, with companies like AXA and AIG underwriting protection.

Airline bookings are on the rise in some regions, driving cautious hopes of a revival in summer traffic, but also raising fears among tourist destinations of getting hit with bills should vacationers become stranded by the virus.

More than a dozen countries from Aruba to Thailand require Covid-19 coverage for visitors, with Jordan the latest to consider such protections, organizers of an emergency services plan told Reuters.

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Saudi Arabia’s bold plan to rule the $700 billion hydrogen market

Hydrogen is morphing from a niche power source — used in zeppelins, rockets and nuclear weapons — into big business, with the European Union alone committing $500 billion to scale up its infrastructure.
As governments and industries seek less-polluting alternatives to hydrocarbons, the world’s biggest crude exporter doesn’t want to cede the burgeoning hydrogen business to China, Europe or Australia and lose a potentially massive source of income.So it’s building a $5 billion plant powered entirely by sun and wind that will be among the world’s biggest green hydrogen makers when it opens in the planned megacity of Neom in 2025.

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Australian court upholds landmark suit against Johnson & Johnson

A three-judge panel at the federal court dismissed the appeal on Friday, a decision that “confirmed that these women are entitled to be compensated for the losses and the life-altering complications that they have suffered as a result of these implants,” said Rebecca Jancasukas, a lawyer for the claimants.
Victims said the mesh — designed to support weakened muscles holding up the pelvic organs — had caused disastrous side-effects including incontinence, infections and chronic pain.

“The risks were known, not insignificant, and on the respondents’ own admission, could cause significant and serious harm,” the judge said in the initial ruling.

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Allianz to acquire Aviva Italia

Giacomo Campora, CEO Allianz S.p.A., commented: “The acquisition of Aviva Italia S.p.A. perfectly fits with our strategy of growth in the insurance market, based on a solid technological platform and on continuous investments to offer our customers and agents products and services of an outstanding quality.” 

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