The White House is looking into an executive order that would create a vetting system for new artificial intelligence models like Anthropic PBC’s Mythos in a bid to protect business and government networks from AI-related cyber risks, a top economic adviser said Wednesday. “We’re studying, possibly an executive order to give a clear roadmap to everybody about how this is going to go and how future AIs that also potentially create vulnerabilities should go through a process so that they’re released to the wild after they’ve been proven safe, just like an FDA drug,” National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett…
Author: Awais
EU countries and European Parliament lawmakers on Thursday agreed to watered-down landmark artificial intelligence rules, including delaying their implementation, in a move which critics say shows Europe caving to Big Tech. The tentative agreement, which needs to be formally endorsed by EU governments and the European Parliament in the coming months, came after nine hours of negotiations. “Today’s agreement on the AI Act significantly supports our companies by reducing recurring administrative costs,” Marilena Raouna, Cyprus’s deputy minister for European affairs, said in a statement. Cyprus currently holds the rotating EU Council presidency. The changes to the AI Act, which entered…
Iran has laid out an updated process for ships seeking to transit Hormuz, but several shipowners said they remained cautious about sending their vessels through until there are more details about the conditions that may be imposed. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said Wednesday that “safe, stable passage” through the waterway will be possible with “new protocols in place.” That came soon after a report that the US had proposed a peace deal, which Tehran is now considering. Iranian media have reported that shipowners need to send an email to an organization called the Persian Gulf Strait Authority if they…
Canadian lifecos kicked off 2026 with robust underlying earnings and strong capital buffers amid market volatility
A CMA CGM container ship was attacked while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, injuring crew members and damaging the vessel, while another vessel run by the French group exited the Gulf, as the U.S.-Iran conflict continued to disrupt shipping traffic. The San Antonio was hit on Tuesday, with injured seafarers evacuated for medical treatment, CMA CGM, the world’s third-largest container shipping line, said on Wednesday, declining further comment. It marked the latest attack on ships since the war erupted, stranding hundreds of vessels and disrupting 20% of global oil trade. Washington launched an operation on Monday to help escort ships…
Exposure runs through marine war, kidnap and ransom, and war, terror and political violence portfolios in Hiscox London Market, with smaller lines in Hiscox Re. Claims have been concentrated in the London Market kidnap and ransom and political violence books.
A Boston man was sentenced in federal court for surreptitiously providing answers to exam questions for a person seeking a commercial learner’s permit (CLP). In Massachusetts, a permit is required before obtaining a commercial driver’s license. Frank Castro was indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2024. In January 2025, Castro was convicted of unlawful production of an identification document. He was sentenced last week to time served (approximately 23 months in prison). Prosecutors said that in October 2021, Castro told an undercover agent that he could help him obtain a permit in Massachusetts for $3,000. Castro explained that…
Fuse International, an AI-powered commercial insurance intelligence platform, has announced the global expansion of Watch, a live peril dashboard designed to streamline risk management by consolidating global catastrophe data into a single workspace.While Fuse initially launched the platform in the United States this past April, this latest expansion introduces comprehensive oversight across five macro regions and 22 sub-regions. A key advantage of the platform to highlight, is the ability for companies to sync their portfolio data for real-time insights into how unfolding catastrophes may impact their specific book of business. “Watch consolidates the world’s authoritative catastrophe data sources into one…
Ryan Specialty Underwriting Managers Appoints Anthony President of US Assure Ryan Specialty Underwriting Managers (RSUM), the underwriting management division of Ryan Specialty, appointed Amber Anthony as president of US Assure. Anthony will continue to oversee marketing, sales and distribution in her ongoing capacity as president and chief marketing officer. With her promotion, Alan Ferguson, CEO of US Assure, separates president from his title. Anthony joined US Assure in 2013 and helped shape the organization’s marketplace presence and growth agenda. During her tenure, Anthony has led efforts to establish and elevate the US Assure brand, introduced data-driven tools for customer management…
On a March afternoon, artificial intelligence detected something resembling smoke on a camera feed from Arizona’s Coconino National Forest. Human analysts verified it wasn’t a cloud or dust, then alerted the state’s forest service and largest electric utility. One of dozens of AI cameras installed for the utility Arizona Public Service had spotted early signs of what came to be known as the Diamond Fire. Firefighters raced to the scene and contained the blaze before it grew past 7 acres. Related: California Taking Action Against State Farm Over LA Wildfire Claims As record-breaking heat and an abysmal snowpack raise concerns…
The Kentucky Department of Insurance recently posted the local government premium tax schedule for 2026-2027, showing tax rates and fees for more than 400 cities, towns and counties. The tax rate varies considerably from one local jurisdiction to another, the DOI’s schedule shows. For the state capital of Frankfort, for example, fire and allied perils lines are taxed at 9%. But Lexington-Fayette County sets the rate at 5%. The bulletin can be seen here, and the schedule is here. The department also posted a local government premium tax risk location chart, available here. “Taxes are imposed on insurance risks located…
John Popovics thought he’d done everything right. Earlier this year the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign civil engineering professor was planning a trip to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to take part in a National Science Foundation workshop. Because the costs were adding up quickly, he chose cheaper, nonrefundable options for his flights and hotels — as well as the Travel Guard insurance that United Airlines Inc. offered. “I walked in thinking, ‘Travel insurance is good, and it will protect me,’” he says. Popovics scanned his policy, noting the many scenarios it covered, from lost luggage to a terrorist attack. Then the…
Federal prosecutors on Wednesday announced that 30 people, including corporate lawyers and financial professionals, have been indicted in connection with an insider trading scheme that relied on information about mergers stolen from major law firms. Nineteen people were arrested, including Nicolo Nourafchan, a corporate attorney who had worked at several large law firms and who was at the center of a vast, decade-long scheme that netted him and his co-defendants tens of millions of dollars in illicit profits, federal prosecutors in Boston said. The Yale Law School-educated attorney worked from 2013 to 2023 at Sidley Austin, Latham & Watkins and…
Automation has extended beyond document handling into submission triage, which Kussurelis described as a major area of evolution. Previously, underwriting assistants played a central role in gathering materials and organizing submissions before review. Today, systems ingest incoming emails, verify completeness, and initiate follow-ups automatically based on predefined requirements. “The system can identify whether all required attachments are present,” he said, noting that missing information triggers automatic responses to producers.