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International News

Covid passports seen as key to resuming international travel

A test program will begin with British Airways parent IAG SA this year before arriving on Apple Inc. devices in the first quarter of 2021 and Android from April, IATA said. Travelers will be able to share their status with border authorities or present a QR code for scanning.

“We need to have global rules and standards” on measures like rapid testing and vaccination so there can be a “step forward” for the industry, Pieter Elbers, the head of the Dutch arm of Air France-KLM, said in a Bloomberg TV interview Tuesday. The health advances “will definitely help to restore confidence in travel.”

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As more countries pledge zero emissions, coal finance evaporates

With insurance companies, banks and other financiers pulling out of coal “we are seeing a real tide of all these forces moving in capital markets,” Lachlan Shaw, head of commodities research at ANZ, said at the virtual Coaltrans Asia conference.

“What’s changed more recently is we have seen China, Japan and South Korea all commit to net-zero carbon emissions targets,” he said.

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Aviva exits Italian life insurance unit in $475-million sale

Blanc announced in August that Aviva would focus on its operations in the U.K., Ireland and Canada, signaling that underperforming units in other countries could be disposed of. The company sold control of its Singapore business in September and is also pursuing a sale of its French unit.

The deal adds to a flurry of recent insurance activity, topped by last week’s $9.6 billion takeover of RSA Insurance Group Plc in the biggest acquisition of a U.K.-listed company this year. On Friday, Zurich Insurance Group AG revealed it’s in talks to buy MetLife Inc.’s U.S. property and casualty unit.

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No-deal Brexit will do more damage to the economy than the coronavirus, Bank of England governor warns

“Well, I think the long-term effects … would be larger than the long-term effects of COVID,” Bailey said when asked by a lawmaker about the consequences for the economy if Britain and the European Union fail to strike a post-Brexit trade deal.

London and Brussels remain locked in negotiations ahead of the Dec. 31 expiry of Britain’s Brexit transition period.

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Japanese FWD Fuji Life adopts Swiss Re’s automated underwriting solution, to offer digitalised customer experience

FWD Fuji Life customers can digitally submit their information and receive initial policy offerings directly at the point of sale, substantially simplifying the customer journey without the hassle of handling paper forms. Applications are automatically checked for any incomplete information to further speed up the process. Customers get their policies on the spot, and they are better protected with the right questions asked via Magnum.

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AXA XL appoints Nicola Harris as Head of Energy, UK and Lloyd’s market

Peter Welton, Chief Underwriting Officer for Marine, Energy & Aerospace, UK & Lloyd’s market, commented: “Global economic uncertainty resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected the global energy market, which was already facing several headwinds. Having the right team in place is an integral part of our commitment to our clients, as they manage the associated risks today and in the future.

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Making Covid-19 vaccines too expensive to hit poor countries

It should not be surprising then that several developing countries, led by India and South Africa, argued last week at the World Trade Organization’s intellectual property rights council that IPR-related payments should be suspended for the duration of the pandemic for Covid-19 related vaccines, therapeutics and equipment. They worry about “intellectual property rights hindering or potentially hindering timely provisioning of affordable medical products” to their citizens.

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