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International News

UAE eases limits on foreign ownership to attract investors

The presidential decree changing the corporate law helps the UAE “strengthen its leading position regionally and globally as an attractive destination for projects and companies,” state-run WAM news agency reported.

The reforms allow foreign entrepreneurs and investors to set up their own companies without involving local shareholders, the agency said.

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Biden names Kerry as U.S. climate envoy, emphasizing diplomacy’s role in the issue

Biden has pledged to reverse course on climate from President Donald Trump, who doubts mainstream climate science. Trump pulled the United States out of the 2015 Paris agreement on climate, and dismantled Obama-era climate and environmental regulations to boost drilling, mining and manufacturing.

While secretary of state under former President Barack Obama, Kerry, 76, called climate change “the world’s most fearsome weapon of mass destruction.” In travels from glaciers in Greenland to the Solomon Islands, Kerry has emphasized cooperation on tackling climate change.

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$22 billion tech giant dream of China’s Ping An Insurance face headwinds

China’s tightening grip on fintech firms and an antitrust crackdown complicate Ping An’s bid to lift its valuation closer to those garnered by tech giants like Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and Tencent Holdings Ltd. The Shenzhen-based finance firm, which gets three-quarters of its revenue from insurance, trades at about 10 times 2019 earnings; Alibaba’s ratio is six times higher.

Ping An has pledged to plow more than $22 billion into research from big data to blockchain to make it more “tech” than “fin,” while carving out some of its units through public listings to maximize value.

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Insurer Inigo raises $800 million from investors including QIA, CDPQ

In a statement, Inigo said that current conditions are ideal to launch a new insurance business, at a time when demand across a number of classes of insurance and reinsurance is high.

Inigo has chosen London as its principal base since it regards the overall insurance ecosystem offered by Lloyd’s as exceptionally attractive and believes it will best support the growth and development of the new syndicate.

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India to Brazil, Astra-Oxford vaccine is key to many nations’ Covid plan

he Astra vaccine costs a fraction of the price set by Pfizer and will be manufactured in multiple countries, from India to Brazil. It should be easier to deploy far and wide than other shots that need to be stored at ultra-cold temperatures. But if the U.K. partners can’t match the lofty efficacy levels Pfizer and Moderna delivered or roll out their inoculation quickly, the pandemic might continue spreading death and disease in countries relying on it.

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Europe to lift Boeing 737 MAX grounding in January, follows US action

“We wanted to carry out a totally independent analysis of the safety of this aircraft, so we performed our own checks and flight tests,” Executive Director Patrick Ky told the Paris Air Forum, an online aviation conference hosted by La Tribune.

“All these studies tell us that the 737 MAX can return to service. We have started to put in place all the measures,” he said. “It is likely that in our case we will adopt the decisions, allowing it to return to service, some time in January.”

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Sputnik V priced lower than Pfizer and Moderna vaccines: Sputnik V Twitter account

“Translating pharma lingo: the announced price of Pfizer of USD 19.50 and Moderna of USD 25-USD 37 per dose actually means their price of USD 39 and USD 50-USD 74 per person. Two doses are required per person for the Pfizer, Sputnik V and Moderna vaccines. The price of Sputnik V will be much lower,” the official account said.

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