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Uber defends contractors ahead of EU law on gig workers’ rights

The company has been criticized for classifying its drivers as independent contractors rather than employees entitled to rights, such as a minimum wage, paid holidays and rest breaks.Uber has a mixed record in defending its business model. It scored a victory in California in November last year when voters passed a proposition allowing it to treat its drivers as contractors. One of its biggest tests so far will be on Feb. 19 when the UK Supreme Court will rule on workers’ rights.

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France to boost cyberdefence after hospital malware attacks

The hospital in Villefranche-sur-Saone, located north of the city of Lyon, said its phone system went down during a cyberattack on Monday that forced a preemptive shutoff of the internet service and other networks to keep the ransomware from spreading.

The hospital also had to postpone surgeries planned for the following day. but said patient safety was preserved. The Dax hospital in southwestern France reported a similar attack last week. Without phones and computers working, health care workers had to use pen and paper for record keeping. The French cybersecurity agency is helping to investigate the attacks.

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UN: 130 countries haven’t received single Covid-19 vaccine dose

He urged the leading economic members of G20 to establish an emergency task force to bring together “the pharmaceutical companies and key industry and logistics actors”.

“To better understand this pandemic and prepare for the next one, all countries must make available all data from the earliest days of any outbreak. And going forward, all countries should participate in a transparent and robust process for preventing and responding to health emergencies, so the world learns as much as possible as soon as possible.”

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Africa Specialty Risks Group partners with GIC Re & Peak Re to launch new capacity for African region

ASR has secured additional multi-year binder capacity of up to $25 million per risk through a partnership with India’s GIC Re  and annual capacity from Hong Kong based Peak Re.
Mikir Shah, CEO,ASR, said “ Securing additional capacity could not come at a more meaningful time for ASR. Following our launch mid-Pandemic in September 2020, we have seen a reduction in available capacity as traditional underwriters withdraw from emerging markets to focus on their more developed domestic markets”

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Investors vie for windfall from rejected covid insurance claims

Distressed-investing funds and litigation-finance boutiques are likely to be spoiled for choice after a landmark U.K. court ruling last month rejected pleas from insurers looking to dodge pandemic payouts. They’re looking to finance or buy denied Covid-19 insurance claims for policyholders without the means or stomach for taking their insurers to court.

“This is going to be huge,” said Steve Cooklin, chief executive officer of London-based litigation funder Manolete Partners Plc, whose biggest shareholder is veteran distressed investor Jon Moulton.

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