Latest Asia Headlines

All the headlines from our Asia Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Lloyd’s Ribeiro Beats a Path to the World’s Insurance Door

Jan 18 2011 // As director of international markets for Lloyd’s of London, Jose Ribeiro has a lot of responsibilities. He took a brief time out, as he prepared for a trip to China, to tell the Insurance Journal a little bit about...

Australia Floods Cause ‘Catastrophic Damage’

Jan 5 2011 // Australia’s record floods are causing catastrophic damage to infrastructure in the state of Queensland and have forced 75 percent of its coal mines, which fuel Asia’s steel mills, to grind to a halt,...

U.S. Analyst: China May Be ‘Likely Bright Spot’ in Asia Climate Action

Dec 31 2010 // The outcome of U.N. climate talks in Mexico this month should boost steps in Asia to curb greenhouse gas emissions, with China a likely bright spot in 2011, a senior analyst at a leading U.S. think tank said. The talks...

Carlyle Group Sells $860 Million Stake in China Pacific -Sources

Dec 30 2010 // Carlyle Group has sold a 2.5 percent stake worth around $860 million in China Pacific Insurance (Group) Co Ltd, sources said, helping the buyout fund recoup its investment in what could be one of its best Asian deals to...

Lloyd’s Appoints Chaplin as New Head of Asia Pacific Region

Dec 17 2010 // Lloyd’s has appointed Kent Chaplin as the new head of its Asia Pacific operations based in Singapore, replacing Keith Stern who is now Lloyd’s regional manager for the UK and Ireland. From January 2011, Chaplin...

Ratings Roundup: NIPPONKOA (Asia), Aspen (Notes), Asia Capital

Dec 16 2010 // A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating of ‘A’ (Excellent) and issuer credit rating of “a” of Hong Kong-based NIPPONKOA Insurance Company (Asia) Limited, both with stable outlooks....

Reinsurance Broker UIB Asia to Use AIR Catastrophe Models

Nov 17 2010 // Boston-based AIR Worldwide announced that UIB Asia Reinsurance Brokers Pte Ltd, a subsidiary of UIB International/UIB Holdings UK Ltd, has licensed AIR’s catastrophe risk management systems. “UIB is an...

Aon Warns Re/insurers of Heightened Rating Agency Scrutiny in Asia

Nov 11 2010 // Aon Benfield announced that it is “advising re/insurers that rating agencies are likely to increase their scrutiny of catastrophe risk in Asia and that many companies will have to make substantial investments to...

Report AIG to Sell Asia Real Estate Business to Invesco

Nov 9 2010 // American International Group is expected to sell its Asian real estate business to Invesco Ltd later this month, a source said on Tuesday. The source said AIG’s gross property assets were currently worth around $5...

AIA Shares Surge 17% on Trading Debut in Hong Kong

Oct 29 2010 // AIA Group Ltd surged 17 percent in its Hong Kong debut on Friday as investors, chasing exposure to Asia’s fast-growing life insurance business, piled into the record offering in the world’s hottest IPO...

Forecast AIA Shares Set to Rise by 11% on Debut after Record IPO

Oct 27 2010 // AIA Group Ltd is expected to post a double-digit gain in its trading debut on Friday as investors scramble for a slice of one of Asia’s most recognized life insurance brands after its record Hong Kong...

AIG Raises $17.9 Billion; Prices AIA IPO at Top of Range

Oct 22 2010 // AIA, the Asian life insurance arm of AIG, raised $17.9 billion by pricing its Hong Kong IPO at the top of its range, as investors piled into a company with a wide footprint across rapidly growing Asia. The pricing of the...

Tight Market Drives Australian Companies into Deals Abroad

Oct 21 2010 // Cash rich Australian companies are being forced to search offshore for takeover targets as the small local market has become too consolidated to get deals past the competition watchdog. With the Aussie dollar at a 28-year...

Aon Sees Catastrophes, Consolidation, Regulation in Asian Re Market

Oct 19 2010 // Aon Benfield launched a market update for the key Asia Pacific reinsurance hubs of Australia/New Zealand, Japan, Singapore and China at the recently concluded East Asian Insurance Congress (EAIC) in Bali. The announcement...

Ye Joins Aon Benfield China Team

Oct 18 2010 // Aon Benfield announced that it has appointed Helen Ye as executive director and head of catastrophe reinsurance in China. She will be responsible for “developing catastrophe reinsurance business by advising clients...

Poll Shows AIA IPO Price Seen Above Mid-point; Will Raise $19.8 Bn

Oct 14 2010 // The IPO of American International Group Inc’s Asian life insurance unit is set to command a valuation above the mid-point of an indicative range as attractive valuations draw in investors to the world’s...

Floods Continue to Punish Asia, Killing Nearly 140

Oct 8 2010 // Asia’s death toll from vicious rains spiked Thursday to nearly 140 as disaster officials reached previously isolated areas in Vietnam, while the worst flooding in parts of southern China in nearly a half-century...

AIA Warns Failed Prudential UK Deal Could Impact Business

Oct 5 2010 // AIA Group Ltd, which aims to raise about $15 billion through a Hong Kong listing, flagged a series of business risks including the collapsed bid from Prudential Plc as it launched the share offering on Tuesday. AIA, the...

Ratings Recap: Tapiola, Congregational, Asian Re, Int’l. Energy, Leadway

Sep 22 2010 // A.M. Best Europe – Rating Services Limited has affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of ‘A’ (Excellent) and the issuer credit rating (ICR) of “a” of Finland’s Tapiola General...

Asia Faces Higher Losses from Disasters, Report Says

Sep 21 2010 // China, India and Indonesia are likely to face much higher losses from natural disasters in coming decades as their economies grow faster than their capacity for disaster prevention and relief, a new report has...