Lebanon News

Ethiopian Airlines Plane Crashes in Sea off Beirut, Bodies Found

An Ethiopian Airlines plane with 90 people on board crashed into the sea shortly after taking off from Beirut in bad weather early on Monday. Four bodies were recovered as a search for survivors began. The Boeing 737-800, heading for …

Allianz Names Bauer to Head Europe, Middle East ‘Growth Region’

Allianz annonced that, effective January 1, 2010, Manuel Bauer will be CEO of the new growth region – ‘Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and North Africa’ (CEEMA). He succeeds Klaus Junker, former CEO of the New Europe region, who …

Ratings Recap: Cattolica, Ghana Re, Al Ittihad, Grafton, RCHL

A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating of ‘A’ (Excellent) and the issuer credit rating of “a” of Italy’s Societa Cattolica di Assicurazione – Societa Cooperativa. Both ratings gave negative outlooks. Best said the ratings reflect its “expectation …

States and Cell Phone Driving Laws

A jurisdiction-wide ban on driving while talking on a hand-held cell phone is in place in 7 states (California, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Utah, and Washington) and the District of Columbia. Utah has named the offense careless driving. …

Pressure Builds for More States to Ban Cell Phone Use While Driving

The Obama administration reported that nearly 6,000 people were killed and a half-million injured last year in vehicle crashes connected to driver distraction, a striking indication of the dangers of using mobile devices behind the wheel. The Transportation Department recently …

Ratings Recap: Grupo Nacional, BEST RE, Triple-S, Arab Re, Int’l. Energy, Asian Re

A. M. Best Co. has revised the outlook to negative from stable and affirmed the financial strength rating of ‘A’ (Excellent) and issuer credit rating of “a” of Mexico’s Grupo Nacional Provincial, S. A.(GNP). Best said the “ratings reflect GNP’s …

Court: Family Can Sue in Vermont Trooper’s Death

The family of Vermont State Police Sgt. Michael Johnson can sue the state’s insurance company for as much as $11 million in connection with Johnson’s death during a 2003 car chase. That’s the upshot of a ruling from the Vermont …

Farmers Insurance Ranks Most Secure Places to Live; Northwest Tops List

Those seeking a place to live, work or raise a family in a safe and secure environment should consider the Pacific Northwest, according to the fifth annual Most Secure U.S. Places to Live rankings from Farmers Insurance Group of Companies. …

Ratings Rounup: Arab Re, Century (Guam) & (Saipan)

A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating of ‘B+’ (Good) and the issuer credit rating (ICR) of “bbb-” of Lebanon’s Arab Reinsurance Company S.A.L., both with stable outlooks. “The ratings reflect Arab Re’s strong current and prospective risk-adjusted …

Golf Cart Popularity Collides with Ind. Law

Golf carts are becoming a more common sight on Indiana’s streets and roads, but state police say they fail to meet the safety and equipment standards for motor vehicles to be driven on public streets. Several communities across the state …