INSURANCE NEWS
‘Clear Soft Market Conditions’ for Commercial P/C Lines in Q3, Says CIAB
According to The Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers (CIAB) quarterly survey, commercial property/casualty premiums across all account sizes in the third quarter 2025 rose by 1.6%, as premium increases in all lines of business were either flat or lower …
King Risk Acquires Surles Agency in North Carolina
King Risk Partners, which said it is now the 51st largest insurance brokerage in the United States, has acquired Stuart Surles Insurance agency in Angier, North Carolina, near Raleigh. The Surles agency, founded some 30 years ago, specializes in farm …
Single Loose Wire Led to Blackout That Caused Dali Crash Into Baltimore Bridge
A plastic label on a single loose wire that blocked the wire from being fully connected caused an electrical blackout that led to the fatal collision of the 984-foot-long containership Dali into Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge in 2024. Investigators …
People Moves: Marsh UK Promotes Addington-Smith as CEO, Succeeding Lay
Marsh, the insurance brokerage business of Marsh McLennan, announced the appointment of James Addington-Smith as CEO of Marsh UK. Subject to regulatory approval, Addington-Smith will take up his new role early in 2026 and report to Flavio Piccolomini, CEO, Marsh …
US Faces Winter Blackout Risks From Data Centers’ Power Needs
Rising electricity demand from data centers is raising the risk of blackouts across a wide swath of the US during extreme conditions this winter, according to the regulatory body overseeing grid stability. Power consumption has grown 20 gigawatts from the …
Russia Attacks on EU Are State-Sponsored Terrorism, Top Diplomat Says
The European Union’s top diplomat said that Moscow’s aggression against the bloc, including an explosion that occurred in Poland over the weekend, should be considered terrorism. “These sabotage acts they are organizing on our territories in different countries are extremely, …
Oil Tanker Seized by Iran Is Released With Cargo Missing
An oil tanker that was seized by Iranian forces last week has been freed but without its cargo, the vessel’s manager said. The crew of the Talara, which was captured on Friday, are safe and in good spirits, Columbia Shipmanagement …
OAK Enterprise Gets Approval From Lloyd’s to Underwrite Retro via Syndicate 1440
OAK Global, the Lloyd’s reinsurance business, announced it has received permission from Lloyd’s to underwrite via Syndicate 1440. The new syndicate will operate as the strategic business unit OAK Enterprise, providing property and specialty retrocession capacity to clients for business …
Europe’s Banks Face ‘Unprecedentedly High’ Risk of Shocks, ECB Warns
Euro zone banks must prepare for unprecedented shocks causing severe disruptions with far-reaching consequences for financial systems, the European Central Bank said on Tuesday as it outlined its supervisory priorities for the next three years. The ECB has long argued …
Amazon, Google Named by EU Among ‘Critical’ Tech Providers for Finance Industry
European Union regulators on Tuesday designated 19 technology companies, including Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, and Microsoft, as critical third-party computing providers for the bloc’s finance industry. Under the EU’s Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA), which started being applied in …
Former Owner of Arkansas Apartment Complex Sued for Sexual Misconduct
The Justice Department announced that it has filed a lawsuit against Thomas Ray Kelso, the former owner and manager of rental properties formerly known as Briarwood Apartments in Searcy, Arkansas, for engaging in sexual harassment and retaliation in violation of …
Tulsa Approves Ordinance Allowing Fire Department to Bill Insurers for Car Accident Responses
The Tulsa City Council last week approved an ordinance allowing the city’s fire department to charge insurance companies for responses to some motor vehicle accidents. The cost recovery program will charge the at-fault driver’s insurance carrier, and the fee amount …