Author: completebodyneeds

Record levels of reinsurance capital and strong reinsurer profits are driving increasing reinsurer risk appetites and softening prices during the midyear renewals, according to reinsurance brokers in their respective market reports. “In the traditional property market, abundant reinsurer capacity continues to drive a progressively competitive pricing environment,” said Guy Carpenter, the reinsurance brokerage business of Marsh. “Risk-adjusted decreases have deepened since January 1, 2026, with the global property catastrophe rate-on-line index down -16%.” While specialty reinsurance renewals continued a similar softening trend, Carpenter said, significant loss development from the 2024 Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore is expected to…

The greenhouse gas emissions of Amazon.com Inc. and Alphabet Inc.’s Google spiked in 2025, pointing to a growing problem for the hyperscalers: reconciling their climate goals with the massive amount of energy required to power AI, much of it still generated from fossil fuels. Amazon’s emissions rose 16% from 2024, the company said in a sustainability report released Wednesday. It emitted about 81 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent last year, roughly as much as the emissions from 19 million gas-powered cars on the road. The increase was driven by data center construction and fuel used for deliveries, the…

The Trump administration on July 1 declined to extend the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, starting a decade-long clock to wind down the trade deal as it seeks changes to try to restore manufacturing jobs and reduce U.S. trade deficits with its North American neighbors. The decision, announced after a six-year review of the North American free trade zone, keeps the agreement in place for another 10 years with annual reviews before it expires, unless the three countries agree to renew it with changes. “The United States did not agree to renew the USMCA in its current form,” U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer…

New York City and the eastern US are set to swelter through the hottest day of the year so far, as a heat wave drives up power prices and strains electric grids. About 142.7 million people from Kansas to Maine are under extreme heat warnings and 152 warm weather records may be threatened, tied or broken in the eastern half of the US, the Weather Prediction Center said. Through the Fourth of July US holiday, 411 daily records for high temperatures or warm overnight lows are likely to be challenged. New York’s Central Park is forecast to reach 100F (38C),…

Bayer said on July 2 it was consolidating its U.S. Roundup business in a new unit, less than a week after scoring a major legal victory that blocked thousands of state-court lawsuits related to the weedkiller. The creation of the unit, Ruveon, is fueling investor hopes that the German group could move closer to structural changes, including spin-offs or divestments, long sought by some shareholders. Sebastian Bray of Berenberg said the move “may prompt investor speculation of an eventual separation of some agriculture activities from Bayer.” Stefan Wulf of brokerage ODDO BHF said setting up its U.S. glyphosate business separately…

The UK’s flood insurer of last resort is unfairly favoring wealthier households and will be reformed to reduce the burden of multimillion-pound payouts, the government said Wednesday. As part of the changes, Flood Re will lower the premiums it charges insurers for contents-only coverage on lower-value properties by more than half starting next year, Emma Hardy, the minister for water and flooding, said in a statement to the House of Commons. The government also plans to introduce Flood Performance Certificates, allowing homeowners who take steps to protect their properties to qualify for cheaper insurance. Separately, Flood Re and the insurance…

Specialist Risk Group (SRG), the UK specialist insurance intermediary, announced the acquisition of London-based independent insurance broker Superian Insurance Group. The acquisition strengthens SRG’s ability to deliver specialist solutions to clients operating in increasingly complex and evolving risk environments, while expanding its presence across key international markets. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed. Founded in 2011 by Noah Jamal, Superian has built a strong reputation in the medical and healthcare sectors, with particular expertise in medical malpractice, healthcare liability and professional indemnity. Having grown from a regional broker into an internationally recognized specialty intermediary, Superian enters its next…

German federal prosecutors have charged a former Ukrainian army officer with being the co-perpetrator of a war crime over the 2022 Nord Stream gas pipeline blasts, accusing him of acting on behalf of Ukrainian state entities. Prosecutors said on Thursday they had filed charges against Serhii K. – identified under German privacy rules only by his first name and initial – before a regional court in Hamburg. They accuse him of acting as a co-perpetrator in a war crime involving an attack on civilian objects, causing an explosion, destroying infrastructure and disrupting public services. Read more: Nord Stream Blasts Due…

A popular District of Columbia restaurant and nightclub will pay $243,350 to settle charges that it harmed employees by violating wage and hours laws. D.C. accused the company of denying employees sick leave pay, misclassifying workers as independent contractors, and retaliating against some who raised questions about their pay and tips. D.C Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb announced that Park Place Inc., which owns and operates the restaurant and nightclub The Park at 14th, will pay $127,321 to 270 workers who were denied compensation and benefits and $116,029 to the District in in civil penalties. The restaurant will also provide…

Michael Platt’s BlueCrest Capital Management said the UK is “no longer a serious contender” as a place to do business after the firm lost a £200 million ($265 million) UK Supreme Court ruling over how some of its senior traders should be taxed. Wednesday’s ruling focused on how payouts for traders should be treated when they come from a Limited Liability Partnership. The panel of five judges at the UK’s highest court unanimously rejected BlueCrest’s appeal that some of its staff should be treated as members who share in the profits of the partnership and not taxed at the normal…