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Catastrophic cyber event leading to claims of more than $10 billion has increased since the Pandemic:Willis Re

Mark Synnott, Global Cyber Practice Leader, Willis Re, said: “This year’s survey shows quite clearly that risk professionals around the world believe that the pandemic has increased cyber risk, in some cases dramatically. They expect the insurance industry to respond, but unfortunately not in the way we might hope. While three quarters of the people we surveyed think demand for cyber cover will increase post-COVID-19, only 45% think supply will increase, which perhaps explains why three-quarters think the cost of cover will rise. The insurance industry has some work to do to ensure these expectations are not met!”

Microsoft develops ‘virtual commute’ for remote workers amid Covid-19

Pandemic-related burnout and difficulty separating work and personal life has become a surprisingly common concern among Microsoft’s corporate customers, according to Chief Marketing Officer Chris Capossela. “The thing we didn’t predict that we’ve learned is now at the top of customers’ mind is really the well-being of their employees,” he said.

Companies initially worried about employees having the right technology to work from home. “Now it’s getting to be much more about ‘hey how do I know if an employee is burned out, how do I know how they are doing — if they are working too hard?’ All of the things around the emotional well-being or the mental health of employees has risen to the top faster in a way that we didn’t really predict,” he added.

ONGC douses fire; gas supplies to industries hit

Indian gas transporter GAIL (India) Ltd has cut supplies by about 40% to customers, mainly power and fertiliser companies, after a pipeline rupture led to a fire in an ONGC plant, a company source said.
“Our capacity utilisation fell to 50% in the morning due to gas supply disruption,” a person at the KRIBHCO said.

NTPC has shut its 656 megawatt gas-based power plant at Kawas near Hazira and a 657 megawatt Jhanor-Gandhar plant due to gas supply disruption, a person at the company said.

Gas supplies to customers have temporarily closed due to safety reasons, an ONGC spokesman said.

Shift towards digital banking is going to be permanent: SBI Chairman

“Progressively, we are seeing that there has been a shift away from branches and even from ATMs. The number of transactions on ATMs have come down from 55 to 29 per 100. On the other hand, the digital transactions, which are on mobile and internet banking, have gone to 55 out of 100 transactions,” said State Bank of India Chairman Rajnish Kumar

Munich Re issues first-ever green bond

Munich Re will use the raised capital to finance or refinance sustainable projects in accordance with the company’s Green Bond Framework. Projects include investments of equity and debt in renewable energy, energy efficiency, clean transportation, green buildings, sustainable water and wastewater management, the eco-efficient and/or circular economy, and the environmentally sustainable management of living natural resources and land.

Climate risk need to be baked into company financial accounts:UN climate envoy

Specifically, the investor groups, which include the United Nations-backed Principles for Responsible Investment, said companies needed to explain the key assumptions made with regard to climate risk and make sure they are compatible with the goals of the Paris climate agreement

Insurers’ hedge fund investments may face chop after dismal pandemic performance

Those regulations have partly driven recent falls in hedge fund allocations, according to Andries Hoekema, global insurance sector head at HSBC Global Asset Management, but he noted holdings were down also in Asia, which hadn’t tightened rules.

“In Asia, we have some evidence of insurers replacing hedge fund exposure with private equity,” Hoekema said.

This was “driven partly by the more attractive returns of private equity and partly by the disappointing diversification properties of some hedge fund strategies in recent years,” he added.

 MENA reinsurers strive to adapt to testing conditions:AM Best

AM Best notes that in general, the region’s reinsurers have demonstrated resilience in a difficult operating environment. The strategies adopted by MENA reinsurers vary considerably. Certain reinsurers benefit from long-standing legal cessions in their domestic markets, while others focus on providing proportional capacity. Strategic shifts are ongoing, with some looking to increase nonproportional and facultative business, as well as improve regional and international diversification.

AXA XL appoints Jonathan Salter as Head of Risk Consulting

Nancy Bewlay, Global Chief Underwriting Officer at AXA XL, said: “As the COVID-19 crisis continues to challenge the way companies operate, loss prevention has never been more important. Jonathan’s extensive experience, innovative approach and proven track record position him ideally to lead AXA XL Risk Consulting, which has, since March, been offering remote services, including site analysis. Our remote, tech-enabled capabilities have been extremely well received by clients and now form a key part of our product suite.”    

Businesses cheer, unions fear contentious Indian labour reforms

Under the Industrial Relations Code, one of the three new laws, companies employing up to 300 workers will not require government permission to lay off workers or close plants – an increase from the previous cap of 100 and a major demand from industry over the years.

The code also puts restrictions on the recognition of trade unions – making it mandatory for them to represent at least 10% of workers in a given sector – and prohibit them from striking without prior notice and during conciliation proceedings.

U.N. aviation agency ICAO advises Pakistan to suspend issuance of new pilot licenses

“Pakistan should improve and strengthen its licensing system to ensure that it takes into account all necessary processes and procedures and prevents inconsistencies and malpractices before new licenses are issued and privileges of suspended licenses are re-established,” said ICAO, in a previously unreported letter to the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) last week.