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World Fuel Doubts Quebec Rail Crash Cleanup Payment Order is Legal

U.S. fuel logistics company World Fuel Services Corp said on Tuesday it has “serious objections” to being ordered by the Quebec government to help pay for the cleanup of the devastating railway crash in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, on July 6. The …

Toronto Dominion Bank Warns of Insurance Losses from Weather Claims

Toronto-Dominion Bank, Canada’s second-largest lender, said it will take a third-quarter charge after tax of C$418 million (US$406 million) due to recent severe weather in Alberta and Ontario and to boost its reserves for auto insurance claims. The weather-related hit …

AXIS Capital Posts $72 Million Q2 Net Income; $50 Million Operating

Bermuda-based AXIS Capital Holdings Limited reported net income available to common shareholders for the second quarter of 2013 of $72 million, or $0.62 per diluted common share, compared with $168 million, or $1.35 per diluted common share, for the second …

Crop Insurance, High Crop Prices Leading to Eco-Catastrophe: Environmental Group

Sustained high prices for corn, soybeans and wheat combined with record U.S. crop-insurance payouts are encouraging farmers to plow fragile lands and put ecosystems at risk, an environmental advocacy group said. Northern Plains counties have seen the highest conversion of …

Texas Has not Surveyed Injuries from Plant Blast

More than three months after a Texas fertilizer plant exploded, killing 15 people and hurting hundreds, the state still has not started surveying blast injuries despite interest from state and federal officials. Those officials say a survey of the injuries …

Companies Bringing Safety Technology to Grain Storage

The one sure-fire way to avoid dying in a grain bin is to stay out. That’s where Scott Haugan and some high-tech wizardry come in. The Des Moines Register reports Haugan, who runs the Howgan grain storage technology firm in …

Roach Howard Smith & Barton Adds Noble as Sales Executive

Derek Noble has joined Texas-based independent insurance brokerage, Roach Howard Smith & Barton, as a sales executive in its employee benefits department. Noble began his insurance career in Phoenix, Ariz., working for a national broker as well as a leading …

Downgraded Flossie Leaving Hawaii

The remnants of what was Tropical Storm Flossie are currently northwest of Kauai and moving away from the islands at about 15 miles per hour, according to catastrophe modeling firm AIR Worldwide. The Central Pacific Hurricane Center’s 8 a.m. (PST) …

Burnham Benefits Names Thomas Vice President in California

Irvine, Calif.-based Burnham Benefits Insurance Services named Bill Thomas as its newest vice president. Thomas will focus on business development in the agricultural, winery and transportation logistics markets as well as other industries with specific service models that require uniquely …

Insurers, Customers Were Kept Safe from 2008 Financial Crisis: GAO Report

At a time when efforts are underway to require additional supervision of some large insurers, a new government report concludes that the insurance industry’s own practices and the policies of state and federal regulators successfully shielded most of the $1 …

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