WAO ART #121

South Africa's lower house of parliament has passed a universal healthcare bill, which seeks to give all South Africans access to quality healthcare. The National Health Insurance (NHI) bill will create one public health fund for private and public healthcare providers, funded through general taxes.

Bahraini cargo airline Texel Air has launched Texel Air Australasia, its sister airline based in Auckland, New Zealand. The new cargo airline will expand its Boeing 737 fleet over the next six months and provide ACMI and charter cargo services for express, post cargo markets across Australasia.

Instant Brands, the maker of Pyrex glassware and Instant Pot multicookers, has filed for bankruptcy protection with up to $1bn in liabilities. The company blames high interest rates and weak demand for its problems, despite strong sales during the pandemic.

The US crypto industry has scored four major victories against the SEC in the last 24 hours. The Hinman documents in the Ripple Labs legal battle exposed the SEC's flimsy view and showed an agency that cares more about its own turf than protecting investors.

The EU has pledged to invest €2bn in green hydrogen in Brazil as part of itsinvestment programme, which aims to expand the bloc's influence globally by investing in infrastructure. The investments in Brazil's hydrogen industry will be part of a wider €10bn package for clean energy investments.

Experts, policymakers, civil society and business representatives have highlighted the challenges posed by generative AI technology, including risks of disinformation and bias, competition and the need for international alignment. The discussion was held ahead of the European Parliament's.

India and Pakistan have evacuated tens of thousands of people as they prepare for Cyclone Biparjoy to hit. The cyclone is expected to make landfall in Kutch, Gujarat, and affect parts of Karachi, Sindh. Gujarat government has evacuated nearly 38,000 people from its coastal districts.