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International News

UK watchdog sets Wednesday deadline for agreement on business insurance claims

Hundreds of thousands of mainly small British businesses are waiting to hear if their insurer will pay out imminently, or keep them waiting while they appeal.

London’s High Court ruled that some of the world’s biggest insurers were wrong to reject thousands of claims from small firms battered by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The FCA said it continues to “work closely and at speed” with the eight insurers and two intervenors that participated in the test case to reach an agreement in principle on a range of issues to avoid a “leapfrog” appeal to the Supreme Court.

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African Risk Capacity partners with insuretech Pula to Deliver Agric Index Insurance products to African Farmers

In just over 6 years of operations, 56 policies have been signed by the ARC Member States with USD 83 million paid in premiums for cumulative insurance coverage of USD 641 million and the protection of 64.1 million vulnerable population in participating countries.

From this, ARC Ltd made $60m payouts to the Governments of Senegal, Niger,Mauritania, Malawi, Cote D’Ivoire, the START Network and WFP following droughts episodes in 2014, 2015 and 2019.

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China to tighten supervision of country’s booming online insurance business

The rules will also require Internet companies to obtain insurance licenses before involving in the business, according to the draft.”The fast development in the online insurance sector has exposed certain problems,” the CBIRC said, “The rules are to effectively defuse the risks and protect the interest of consumers.”

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AXA XL launches Digital Risk Engineer, a connected solution to monitor “buildings and assets”

Available globally, Digital Risk Engineer uses Internet of Things (IoT) devices installed in the clients’ buildings to capture information from connected systems such as energy, water (including sprinklers), heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC).
Jonathan Salter, recently announced Head of Risk Consulting at AXA XL said“This fully digital offering is especially relevant today as we grapple, as a society, with the impacts of COVID-19, and the likelihood that companies will try to limit in-person site visits where possible.”

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U.S. pension funds sue Allianz after $4 bln in coronavirus losses

Market panic around the virus that resulted in billions in losses earlier this year scarred many investors, but no other top-tier asset manager is facing such a large number of lawsuits in the United States connected to the turbulence.

In March, Allianz ALVG.DE was forced to shutter two private hedge funds after severe losses, prompting the wave of litigation the company says is “legally and factually flawed”.

Together, the various suits filed in the U.S. Southern District of New York claim investors lost a total of around $4 billion.

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SCOR welcomes A.M. Best’s decision to confirm its Financial Strength Rating of ‘A+ Superior’

Denis Kessler, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of SCOR, comments: “We welcome A.M. Best’s decision to affirm SCOR’s ratings. This decision further testifies to the soundness of our strategy as a Tier 1 global reinsurer and the resilience of our business model to shocks. We are entering the renewal season with confidence. SCOR is well positioned to accelerate its growth in a supportive market environment, benefiting from positive pricing dynamics and improving terms and conditions in P&C reinsurance, while consolidating its position in the top tier of the Life reinsurance market.”

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Many life insurers need a new core system:Celent & Equisoft Report 

Celent’s APAC insurance technology expert, Max Ang said, “The insurer of tomorrow will be a technology-focused enterprise, augmenting current experiences with digital tools and automation, and with collaborations with partners for success. The next-generation insurer will serve, and customers will engage, based on the evolving needs required.”

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Poorer countries to get 120 million $5 coronavirus tests, WHO says

WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the manufacturers Abbott and SD Biosensor had agreed with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to “make 120 million of these new, highly portable and easy-to-use rapid COVID-19 diagnostic tests available over a period of six months”.

“This will enable the expansion of testing, particularly in hard-to-reach areas that do not have laboratory facilities or enough trained health workers to carry out tests,” Tedros said.

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