US insurer United Health sells Brazil business - high burden

NEW YORK - Unitedhealth Group, the largest health insurance company in the US, is selling its Brazilian business to a private investor. The business will have a negative impact on net income of around seven billion dollars, the company announced on Friday in a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The sale is reportedly expected to be completed in the first half of 2024. The share price rose slightly in pre-market US trading.

Car association VDIK calls for further demand for e-cars

BERLIN - The Association of International Motor Vehicle Manufacturers (VDIK) has called on the German government to further promote electric cars. "With the elimination of the e-car requirement, the framework conditions for electric cars will unfortunately deteriorate in the coming year," association president Reinhard Zirpel told the German Press Agency on Friday. He therefore sees the danger that e-cars will lose ground in competition with combustion engines. "2024 will be a year of uncertainty for electromobility in Germany."

R+V boss: Climate change could make insurance unaffordable

WIESBADEN - According to the insurance industry, climate change could make building insurance unaffordable in some cases. "We are gradually heading towards the uninsurability of risks," warned R+V CEO Norbert Rollinger, who is also President of the German Insurance Association (GDV), in an interview with the VRM media group (Saturday).

Ex-VW boss Winterkorn to testify in test case over diesel scandal

BRAUNSCHWEIG - Former Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn will be heard in mid-February as a witness in the test case brought by investors in the diesel scandal against VW and its holding company Porsche SE. Winterkorn has been summoned to appear on February 14 and 15 (10:00 a.m. each day), as the Braunschweig Higher Regional Court announced on Friday.

ROUNDUP: Gas storage facilities 90.8 percent full - Network Agency: 'Well equipped'

BONN/BERLIN - Germany is entering the new year with plenty of gas in storage. The total fill level was 90.8 percent on Thursday morning, according to data released on Friday by the European Gas Storage Association GIE. Exactly one year earlier, it had been 88.8 percent. To put this into perspective: when storage facilities are full, the amount of gas stored corresponds to the consumption of two to three average cold winter months. A filling level of 100 percent was recorded on the morning of November 5.

Hapag-Lloyd continues to avoid Suez Canal

HAMBURG - Following attacks by Yemeni Huthi rebels in the Red Sea, the Suez Canal, an important artery of world trade, remains off-limits for ships operated by Hamburg-based shipping company Hapag-Lloyd. A Hapag-Lloyd spokesman told Deutsche Presse-Agentur that the crisis management team decided on Friday to continue diverting freighters on the Asia-Europe trade via the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa. "We will make the next assessment with further decisions on January 2."

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Further news

-Two German companies among the 100 most expensive in the world

-5G networks in Germany reach almost the entire population

-TenneT submits documents for last SuedLink section

-ROUNDUP: Further insolvency filing at Signa°

Customer note:

ROUNDUP: You can read a summary in the company overview. There are several reports on this topic on the dpa-AFX news service.

/stk