Insurance

Colombia declared a national disaster as wildfires spread through drought-hit forests and filled the capital, Bogota, with smoke. Environmental authorities reported 31 separate blazes on Thursday, after months of hot, dry weather caused by the El Nino weather phenomenon. Some …

AM Best announced it has downgraded the Financial Strength Rating to A- (Excellent) from A (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings to “a-” (Excellent) from “a” (Excellent) of Pharmacists Mutual Insurance Company (PMIC) and its wholly owned reinsured subsidiary, …

Ex-Tropical Cyclone Kirrily has uprooted trees and felled powerlines in Australia’s Queensland state, leaving tens of thousands without electricity or phone service as the state braces for further wild weather into the weekend. The storm has weakened to a tropical …

The Biden administration intends to announce its strategy on Friday for beefing up environmental scrutiny of applications to export natural gas, according to people familiar with the matter. President Joe Biden will order the Energy Department to halt reviews of …

Federal inspectors examining injury and illness records at a Fairfield food services warehouse found workers suffered severe injuries at nearly four times the average rate for their industry, with a high percentage of these injuries categorized as ergonomic musculoskeletal disorders. …

Several major Ukrainian state organizations on Thursday reported cyber attacks on their systems, in the latest wave that a source close to the government blamed on Russian intelligence. Ukraine’s state-run energy company Naftogaz said one of the data centers had …

Vale SA, BHP Group and their Samarco iron ore venture must pay 47.6 billion reais ($9.7 billion) in compensation for damages caused in a 2015 tailings dam disaster in Brazil, a judge ruled. The decision allows for the companies to …

For the second time in three months, Houston plaintiffs’ attorney Eric B. Dick has been ordered to reimburse an insurer more than $100,000 for filing a “frivolous, groundless” lawsuit made “solely for the purpose of harassment.” Galveston County District Court …

The National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) said President and Chief Executive Officer Bill Donnell plans to retire in February 2025 after about 10 years with the organization. “It’s been such a privilege to lead this organization and this amazing …

XPT Specialty Names Binding and Brokerage Team XPT Specialty, headquartered in New York, N.Y., hired a production and underwriting team to serve Middle Atlantic and Northeast clients. The wholesale broker’s new team is led by Gregg Guerreiro, executive vice president …