Floods, Windstorms, Droughts, Heat Waves and Wildfires There was a time in the not-so-distant past when events such as these would have been considered somewhat unusual in Europe. But these days, extreme weather events are becoming a much more common …
Heavy snow caused travel chaos across much of northern Europe on Thursday, keeping London’s Gatwick airport closed for a second day and disrupting road and rail travel in France, Germany and Switzerland. Days of sub-zero temperatures and snow in Britain, …
Global concern about the debt crisis rocking the euro zone mounted on Wednesday, with Washington sending a top U.S. Treasury envoy to Europe and G20 officials discussing the turmoil in a conference call. A day after investors pushed the risk …
According to initial estimates from Swiss Re’s sigma research team, worldwide economic losses from natural catastrophes and man-made disasters totaled $222 billion in 2010; more than triple the 2009 figure of $63 billion. The cost to the global insurance industry …
Germany and France declared on Monday that Europe had taken decisive action to save the euro by rescuing Ireland and laying the foundations of a permanent debt resolution system, but investors were not convinced. Under pressure to arrest the threat …
Negotiators for the Irish government and the European Union put the finishing touches on an €85 billion [$113 billion] bailout for the beleaguered country over the weekend. The agreement follows Ireland’s somewhat reluctant acceptance that the situation with its banks …
Swiss Re’s latest sigma study, #5/2010, – “Insurance investment in a challenging global environment” – warns that a “low yield environment coupled with tighter regulatory standards could hamper insurers’ investment returns, leading to lower profits for the industry and higher …
The UK’s Football [Soccer] Association’s insurers will pay compensation to Liverpool after midfielder Steven Gerrard sustained a hamstring injury on England duty. The FA confirmed Friday it has a comprehensive voluntary insurance scheme that covers for injuries to England players …
New U.S. health insurance spending rules aimed at ensuring more customer dollars go toward medical care were finalized on Monday, ending a source of uncertainty for investors in the sector. Although the limits are mandated in the new healthcare law, …
Federal safety officials are calling on states to require all motorcycle riders to wear helmets, citing a surge in fatalities since the late 1990s. Motorcycle deaths have increased over the last decade even as other traffic fatalities have declined, the …
