insuranceNEWS.com.au - All newsGeneral insurance and financial services news from Australia and around the worldhttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/en-au‘Jewel robbery’ swindler cleared of violent crimeshttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/daily/jewel-robbery-swindler-cleared-of-violent-crimeshttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/daily/jewel-robbery-swindler-cleared-of-violent-crimes<p>Celebrity jeweller Michel Germani will be sentenced next month for staging a robbery to commit insurance fraud &ndash; but he has avoided more serious criminal convictions...</p>Tue, 21 Apr 2026 06:10:01 GMTFailing market harms children, scout leaders sayhttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/daily/failing-market-harms-children-scout-leaders-sayhttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/daily/failing-market-harms-children-scout-leaders-say<p>Scouts Australia warns systemic insurance market failure is forcing the closure of outdoor programs that build resilience, wellbeing and social skills, &ldquo;threatening an entire generation&rdquo; of children...</p>Tue, 21 Apr 2026 06:09:17 GMTQueensland bears brunt as wild weather losses surgehttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/daily/queensland-bears-brunt-as-wild-weather-losses-surgehttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/daily/queensland-bears-brunt-as-wild-weather-losses-surge<p>Extreme weather led to 294,000 claims and $4.8 billion in insured losses last year, up from $585 million in 2024, a new Insurance Council of Australia analysis shows...</p>Tue, 21 Apr 2026 06:08:48 GMTTrain passenger right to leave bag unattended, AFCA findshttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/daily/train-passenger-right-to-leave-bag-unattended-afca-findshttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/daily/train-passenger-right-to-leave-bag-unattended-afca-finds<p>HDI Global Specialty has been ordered to cover a traveller for luggage stolen during a train journey after the complaints authority found she could not be blamed for leaving the bag in a designated storage area...</p>Tue, 21 Apr 2026 06:08:25 GMT‘Phishing, smishing, vishing’: Cowbell shares claims datahttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/insurtech/phishing-smishing-vishing-cowbell-shares-claims-datahttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/insurtech/phishing-smishing-vishing-cowbell-shares-claims-data<p>Ransom payments are falling even as AI accelerates cyberattacks and claims activity rises, specialist insurer Cowbell says...</p>Mon, 20 Apr 2026 05:21:03 GMTS&P flags ‘huge growth opportunity’ in data centreshttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/insurtech/s-and-p-flags-huge-growth-opportunity-in-data-centreshttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/insurtech/s-and-p-flags-huge-growth-opportunity-in-data-centres<p>Data centres could generate $US10 billion ($15 billion) in new premium this year, S&amp;P says...</p>Mon, 20 Apr 2026 05:07:04 GMTZurich names new Asia-Pacific digital chiefhttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/insurtech/zurich-names-new-asia-pacific-digital-chiefhttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/insurtech/zurich-names-new-asia-pacific-digital-chief<p>Digbijoy Shukla has been appointed Zurich head of digital for Asia-Pacific, replacing Roopa Malhotra, who has moved to the insurer&rsquo;s Japanese division...</p>Mon, 20 Apr 2026 05:06:58 GMTInsurtech creates single ‘source of truth’ for property insurershttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/insurtech/insurtech-creates-single-source-of-truth-for-property-insurershttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/insurtech/insurtech-creates-single-source-of-truth-for-property-insurers<p>Nearmap is combining geospatial data, AI analytics and building materials information to aid property insurer decisions...</p>Mon, 20 Apr 2026 05:06:51 GMTMiddle East turmoil fuels EV quote demandhttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/local/middle-east-turmoil-fuels-ev-quote-demandhttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/local/middle-east-turmoil-fuels-ev-quote-demand<p>Insurers are receiving more requests for quotes covering electric vehicles as Middle East fuel supply issues continue...</p>Mon, 20 Apr 2026 05:06:14 GMTLeading insurers post strong revenue gains: AM Besthttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/local/leading-insurers-post-strong-revenue-gains-am-besthttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/local/leading-insurers-post-strong-revenue-gains-am-best<p>The top 10 Australian non-life insurers produced insurance services revenue of nearly $46 billion in their latest annual results, up 11.1%, an AM Best analysis shows...</p>Mon, 20 Apr 2026 05:06:08 GMT‘Financial lines consequences’ flagged as fuel shock rocks companieshttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/local/financial-lines-consequences-flagged-as-fuel-shock-rocks-companieshttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/local/financial-lines-consequences-flagged-as-fuel-shock-rocks-companies<p>Economic shocks caused by the Middle East war have implications for financial risk exposure, law firm Kennedys has warned...</p>Mon, 20 Apr 2026 05:05:58 GMTPsychiatric injury can’t be bolted on to back claim, judges sayhttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/local/psychiatric-injury-can-t-be-bolted-on-to-back-claim-judges-sayhttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/local/psychiatric-injury-can-t-be-bolted-on-to-back-claim-judges-say<p>A woman has lost her bid to have a mental illness treated as part of a back injury claim with WorkCover after the Queensland Appeal Court found they are two separate issues...</p>Mon, 20 Apr 2026 05:05:37 GMTWar sparks business interruption claims, Crawford sayshttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/local/war-sparks-business-interruption-claims-crawford-sayshttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/local/war-sparks-business-interruption-claims-crawford-says<p>Business interruptions linked to the Middle East War have emerged, according to claims services group Crawford &amp; Company...</p>Mon, 20 Apr 2026 05:05:06 GMTEnergy group notifies insurers after huge refinery blazehttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/local/energy-group-notifies-insurers-after-huge-refinery-blazehttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/local/energy-group-notifies-insurers-after-huge-refinery-blaze<p>Viva Energy Group has told the Australian Securities Exchange it has property and business interruption cover for last week&rsquo;s fire at its Geelong refinery...</p>Mon, 20 Apr 2026 05:04:56 GMTIAG, RAC ‘confident’ on deal as watchdog extends probehttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/corporate/iag-rac-confident-on-deal-as-watchdog-extends-probehttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/corporate/iag-rac-confident-on-deal-as-watchdog-extends-probe<p>IAG and WA motoring group RAC say they remain confident about a proposed insurance merger after the competition regulator said it would complete more detailed inquiries...</p>Mon, 20 Apr 2026 05:03:47 GMTScott Winton partners with Network Insurance Househttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/corporate/scott-winton-partners-with-network-insurance-househttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/corporate/scott-winton-partners-with-network-insurance-house<p>Melbourne-headquartered brokerage Scott Winton has announced a &ldquo;strategic partnership&rdquo; with Steadfast-owned Network Insurance House...</p>Mon, 20 Apr 2026 05:01:37 GMTBlue Zebra reveals ‘one brand, one front door’https://www.insurancenews.com.au/corporate/blue-zebra-reveals-one-brand-one-front-doorhttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/corporate/blue-zebra-reveals-one-brand-one-front-door<p>The Blue Zebra brand will be used to unite four Envest underwriting agencies under &ldquo;one stable&rdquo;...</p>Mon, 20 Apr 2026 05:01:25 GMTInsurers dominate advertising viewer pollhttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/corporate/insurers-dominate-advertising-viewer-pollhttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/corporate/insurers-dominate-advertising-viewer-poll<p>Budget Direct&rsquo;s latest Insurance Solved advert has been voted Australia&rsquo;s most loved commercial of this year, while Allianz took second place and Youi fourth...</p>Mon, 20 Apr 2026 05:00:34 GMTCanstar salutes Allianz’s ‘smart tech’ for food spoilage claimshttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/corporate/canstar-salutes-allianz-s-smart-tech-for-food-spoilage-claimshttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/corporate/canstar-salutes-allianz-s-smart-tech-for-food-spoilage-claims<p>Allianz Australia has won a Canstar Innovation Excellence Award for its agentic AI initiative to automate food spoilage claims...</p>Mon, 20 Apr 2026 05:00:22 GMTCourt hears regulator’s case against IAGhttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/regulatory-government/court-hears-regulator-s-case-against-iaghttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/regulatory-government/court-hears-regulator-s-case-against-iag<p>The Federal Court is this week hearing evidence in the Australian Securities and Investments Commission case against IAG over home insurance loyalty discounts...</p>Mon, 20 Apr 2026 04:59:33 GMT