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International News

Swiss Re net profit at $421 mn in 2018, gross premium rises 4.7 % to $36.4 bn

Swiss Re Group Chief Executive Officer, Christian Mumenthaler, said: “There was no respite from large nat cat events and man-made disasters in 2018. Our financial strength enabled us to support our clients in these tough times. It was the second challenging year in a row for the industry and us. Our P&C businesses were heavily impacted by the events. Corporate Solutions’ results were disappointing. But even in challenging conditions, I am optimistic about Swiss Re’s future. In the January renewals of our P&C Re business, we were able to grow while keeping our running costs flat. We expect further price improvements in the renewals later this year, especially in the loss-affected markets.”

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China Abandons Pledge, Returns to Very Active Hacking of U.S, Report Says

China’s hacking targets in 2018 included telecommunications systems in the U.S. and Asia, according to Crowdstrike. Groups linked to Iran and Russia also appeared to target telecommunications, a sector that yields “the most bang for your buck” for hackers due to the large number of users that can be accessed after breaching a single network, Adam Meyers, vice president of intelligence at Crowdstrike said.

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How pricing insurance for cars of future could bring Insurers, Carmakers together

On Jan. 30, Peate announced the creation of Avinew, with $5 million in seed funding led by Los Angeles’ Crosscut Ventures. Its insurance product will monitor drivers’ use of autonomous features on cars made by companies including Tesla, Nissan, Ford and Cadillac, determining discounts based on how the feature is used. Avinew has agreements with most manufacturers, and is working to tie up the rest, Peate said, allowing it to access driving data once a customer gives it permission.

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California considers insurance to help with wildfire costs

The most populous state should follow the lead of Oregon, the World Bank and the Federal Emergency Management Agency after outspending its emergency fund in seven of the last 10 years, California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara and Treasurer Fiona Ma said.California spent nearly $950 million two years ago, about $450 million more than was budgeted and by far the highest annual amount. It spent about $677 million last year, as wildfires again swept through cities, suburbs and more rural areas.

California has experienced 11 of the top 20 most destructive fires in its history since 2007.

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