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International News

WHO chief scientist sees no herd immunity to Covid-19 yet

As there are waves of this infection going through countries, people are going to develop antibodies and those people will hopefully be immune for sometime so they will also act as barriers and brakes to the spread.” Other experts have estimated that as much as 70% to 80% of the population need to have antibodies before there is any herd immunity effect.

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Swiss Re books $476 million of Covid-19 losses in March quarter

A range of factors relating to the pandemic,including future infection and mortality rates;the duration and effects of mitigation measures, including on business activity; the timing of an effective vaccine and/or alternative treatment solutions; legislative or regulatory efforts and the outcome of court and arbitration cases on coverage issues; the impact of government stimulus packages;and the severity and duration of recessionary impacts,may impact claims development in the coming quarters, either positively or negatively,relative to Swiss Re’s projections.

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Global cat losses at $75 bn in 1H 2020,India’s Amphan was the costliest:Aon Report

Natural disasters were responsible for approximately 2,200 fatalities during the first half of 2020, significantly below the long-term (1980-2019) average of 39,800 and the median of 7,700. Flooding was the deadliest natural peril during the period, having been responsible for 60 percent of the death toll.

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Above-average hurricane season possible in the second half of the year:Munich Re

Munich Re has said up to the end of June,natural disasters produced overall losses of around $68bn,a slightly lower figure than the 30-year average (US$ 74bn after adjustment for inflation).

Insured losses, at around US$ 27bn, were higher than usual (US$ 20bn) due to the large proportion of weather disaster losses in North America.

North America accounted for 47% of overall losses and for 82% of insured losses, significantly more than the respective long-term averages (35% and 60%). In contrast, natural disasters in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region produced lower losses.

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Chile’s Congress passes pensions bill,president agrees to sign it

Chile’s lower chamber erupted in cheers and clapping after the bill was passed on Thursday, with some chanting “no more AFP” – a reference to the long-running campaign to tear up Chile’s much-mimicked defined contribution Pension Funds Administrators (AFP) system that was introduced during the Augusto Pinochet dictatorship.

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Plastic pollution flowing into oceans to triple by 2040:study

If no action is taken, however, the amount of plastic going into the sea every year will rise from 11 million tonnes to 29 million tonnes, leaving a cumulative 600 million tonnes swilling in the ocean by 2040, the equivalent weight of 3 million blue whales, according to the study published in the journal Science.

“Plastic pollution is something that affects everyone. It isn’t a ‘your problem and not my problem’. It’s not one country’s problem. It’s everyone’s problem,” said Winnie Lau, senior manager at Pew and co-author of the study.

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