Local

• Homes hit, warnings in place as supercells wreak havoc
• Cyber breach count climbs as criminals gain edge
• Watchdog fires warning as mass data breaches climb
• Judge blocks insurer’s bid for court appearance

Corporate

• ACCC begins Steadfast takeover assessment
• QBE manager to take transformation, operations role
• EML closes Guild Insurance deal
• Lyra unveils cyber specialists platform

Regulatory & Government

• Directors disqualified and fined for Youpla breaches
• Watchdog plans AI stress test as danger mounts
• ASIC opens consultation on code of practice
• Watchdog finds IAG-RAC deal benefits ‘overstated’

Life Insurance

• Court rejects exclusion to uphold disability claim
• Cancer pre-dated cover despite insured’s wait for diagnosis
• Industry wants tax relief extended to complying super entities
• PPS narrows field for advice award

The Professional

• NZ awards celebrate ‘commitment to making a difference’
• Beating burnout: webinar to explore wellbeing strategies
• Award-winning broker joins IA
• Tell us your views: last chance to complete reader survey

Insurtech

• Tech sector has ‘crossed AI threshold’
• Fewer mega-rounds but early-stage insurtech funding jumps
• Platform ‘slashes agency build costs’
• Nearmap offers SMEs ‘affordable entry point’

International

• Freezer hacks take cyber risk into physical realm
• Titanic insurance document goes under hammer
• Price competition dents Swiss Re margins
• Tiernan targets ‘unnecessary friction’ in operational shake-up

Analysis

• ICA conference weighs the ‘existential challenge’
• ‘We feel like we're drowning’: what needs to change for insurance professionals
• Cyber conundrum: the risk is rising, but coverage stays low
• Our greatest fears in a ‘world of polycrisis’