UK News

Standard Chartered Reaches $340 Million Settlement in New York over Iran

Standard Chartered Plc agreed to pay $340 million to New York’s bank regulator over transactions linked to Iran, in a speedily arranged deal that helped push up the emerging market-focused lender’s shares. The deal with New York Superintendent of Financial …

UK Bank May Have Hidden $250 Billion in Iran Deals; May Lose U.S. License

New York’s top bank regulator threatened to strip Standard Chartered Plc of its state banking license, saying the British bank was a “rogue institution” that hid $250 billion in transactions tied to Iran, in violation of U.S. law. The New …

ING Considering Sale of UK, Canadian Online Banks

The Netherlands-based group ING, which has been forced to sell assets in return for receiving state aid during the financial crisis, said it is considering the sale of its UK and Canadian online banking units, estimated to be worth about …

RBS Confirms Firing Employees over Libor Rigging Scandal

The Royal Bank of Scotland, which is majority owned (82 percent) by the UK government, confirmed on Friday it has dismissed a number of employees for misconduct as a result of its investigations into the Libor interest rate rigging scandal …

Recession, Libor, Facebook Punish Europe’s Banks

Leading European banks reported dismal profits on Tuesday, blaming everything from the continent’s debt crisis and Spain’s property market crash to Facebook’s disastrous stock market debut. Within a space of an hour UBS of Switzerland, Deutsche Bank, BBVA of Spain …

Evidence for Climate Extremes, Costs, Gets More Local

Scientists are finding evidence that man-made climate change has raised the risks of individual weather events, such as floods or heat waves, marking a big step towards pinpointing local costs and ways to adapt to freak conditions. “We’re seeing a …

Best Affirms Lloyd’s UK, China ‘A’ Ratings; Outlook Stable

A.M. Best Europe – Rating Services Limited has affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of ‘A’ (Excellent) and issuer credit ratings (ICR) of “a+” of Lloyd’s and Lloyd’s Insurance Company (China) Limited (LICCL), as well as the ICR of “a” …

UK’s Pioneer Underwriting to Launch Professional Indemnity Team

Pioneer Underwriting, which conducts business in partnership with Liberty Syndicates, has launched a new specialty unit, Pioneer PI that will commence underwriting on August 1, 2012. The new platform will be a Lloyd’s registered consortium and will write both international …

UK Insurers Paying $26.6 Million a Day for June Floods ABI Reports

Insurers are set to pay up to £500 million [$782.3 million] or £17 million [$26.6 million] every day – to customers who have suffered flood and storm damage during the wettest June on record, according to latest estimates from the …

EXCLUSIVE – Somali Pirate Kingpins Enjoy ‘Impunity’ Say UN Experts

Somalia’s president has shielded a top pirate leader from arrest by issuing him a diplomatic passport, according to a United Nations investigation which criticizes the “climate of impunity” enjoyed by pirate kingpins in Somalia and abroad. The U.N. Monitoring Group …