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California and US West Threatened by Wildfires Over Coming Days

Article 0 Comments The fire threat across the U.S. West will rise Friday and remain dangerous through Saturday for many areas, including Northern California, as lightning strikes risk igniting dry vegetation. Critical fire weather conditions and dry lightning will prevail across the western U.S., with the “Four Corners” region where Utah, New Mexico, Colorado and Arizona come together under the greatest threat, the Storm Prediction Center said. There are red flag fire warnings across Northern California, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, Utah and Arizona, according to the National Weather Service. Related: Zurich Files Growth Plan Under California Sustainable Insurance Strategy “Abundant lightning on dry fuels will likely create new ignitions across the region,” the weather service said in an advisory issued in southern Oregon. “Any fires that develop could spread rapidly. Numerous new fire starts could overwhelm the initial attack.” Wind gusts in the western mountains are forecast to be as strong as 55 miles (89 kilometers) per hour. Related: Two California Insurance Commissioner Candidates Are Left, and Reform Is Coming The largest blaze in California is the Lost Fire in Kern County that has burned 4,324 acres and is only 5% contained, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire...

People Moves: Arch Promotes Halgan as CEO of Global Reinsurance, Schmeiser as CEO, Global Mortgage; Sompo International Markets Names MacHale as CUO, Head of Strategy 0

People Moves: Arch Promotes Halgan as CEO of Global Reinsurance, Schmeiser as CEO, Global Mortgage; Sompo International Markets Names MacHale as CUO, Head of Strategy

Article 0 Comments This edition of International People Moves details appointments at global re/insurers Arch Capital Group and Sompo. A summary of these new hires follows here. Arch Capital Group Ltd., the Bermuda-based provider of insurance, reinsurance and mortgage insurance, announced the promotions of Jerome Halgan to CEO of Arch Global Reinsurance Group and Michael Schmeiser to CEO of Arch Global Mortgage Group. Both will continue to report to Arch President Maamoun Rajeh. Jerome Halgan Halgan joined Arch in 2009. He has served as president and chief underwriting officer of Arch Reinsurance Group since 2024, and as CEO of Arch Re Bermuda since 2018. Schmeiser joined Arch in 2017 and has served as President and CEO of Arch U.S. Mortgage since 2019. Michael Schmeiser “Jerome and Michael are experienced leaders who are deeply grounded in Arch’s underwriting culture and corporate values, and they have consistently outperformed through market cycles,” Rajeh said. These appointments follow the recent expansion of Maamoun Rajeh’s role as president of Arch. Arch Insurance North America CEO Matt Shulman and Arch Insurance International CEO Hugh Sturgess will continue to report to Rajeh. *** Sompo Names MacHale as CUO and Head of Strategy, International Markets Sompo, the global...

People Moves: Arch Promotes Halgan as CEO of Global Reinsurance, Schmeiser as CEO, Global Mortgage; Sompo International Markets Names MacHale as CUO, Head of Strategy 0

People Moves: Arch Promotes Halgan as CEO of Global Reinsurance, Schmeiser as CEO, Global Mortgage; Sompo International Markets Names MacHale as CUO, Head of Strategy

Article 0 Comments This edition of International People Moves details appointments at global re/insurers Arch Capital Group and Sompo. A summary of these new hires follows here. Arch Capital Group Ltd., the Bermuda-based provider of insurance, reinsurance and mortgage insurance, announced the promotions of Jerome Halgan to CEO of Arch Global Reinsurance Group and Michael Schmeiser to CEO of Arch Global Mortgage Group. Both will continue to report to Arch President Maamoun Rajeh. Jerome Halgan Halgan joined Arch in 2009. He has served as president and chief underwriting officer of Arch Reinsurance Group since 2024, and as CEO of Arch Re Bermuda since 2018. Schmeiser joined Arch in 2017 and has served as President and CEO of Arch U.S. Mortgage since 2019. Michael Schmeiser “Jerome and Michael are experienced leaders who are deeply grounded in Arch’s underwriting culture and corporate values, and they have consistently outperformed through market cycles,” Rajeh said. These appointments follow the recent expansion of Maamoun Rajeh’s role as president of Arch. Arch Insurance North America CEO Matt Shulman and Arch Insurance International CEO Hugh Sturgess will continue to report to Rajeh. *** Sompo Names MacHale as CUO and Head of Strategy, International Markets Sompo, the global...

From Fragmented Data to Smarter Operations: AI’s Role in Modern Asset Management 0

From Fragmented Data to Smarter Operations: AI’s Role in Modern Asset Management

Armonk, NY (May 27, 2026) – Artificial intelligence is emerging as a powerful enabler of asset management but only when paired with trusted data, clear governance, and strong organizational change. That message resonated during a recent IBM-hosted discussion that brought together asset management leaders from public and private sector organizations to share practical experiences with AI‑enabled asset management. Participants emphasized that AI is not a quick fix, but a long‑term accelerator of established practices. Denzil Solomon, VP Emerging Technology, Thought Leader and Advisor at FAHM Technology, underscored the importance of patience and strategy: “AI is in it for the long term, just like asset management,” he noted. “You might see quick gains, but the real value builds over time.” For municipalities, early investments in enterprise asset management have already delivered measurable benefits. Jennifer Wrzala, Business Analyst and innovative thinker with the City of Cambridge, reflected on her organization’s journey: “Right away, we started seeing benefits,” she said. “We went from everyone speaking different languages about the same assets to having one common language and one system.” Reliable data surfaced as a consistent theme throughout the discussion. Participants repeatedly highlighted that technology alone cannot compensate for weak foundations. Without accurate, standardized...

CAA warns drivers of emerging auto theft tactics that prey on the goodwill of drivers 0

CAA warns drivers of emerging auto theft tactics that prey on the goodwill of drivers

Toronto, ON (June 2, 2026) – CAA South Central Ontario (CAA SCO) is warning that car theft is becoming more sophisticated and more personal, with criminals now targeting drivers directly using a mix of distraction tactics and high-tech tools. Police services across Canada have recently warned of an increase in “distraction thefts” occurring in parking lots, shopping centres, and other busy areas. At the same time, thieves are continuing to use relay attacks and key-fob signal-interception technology to unlock and steal vehicles without physical force. CAA cautions that these tactics are now being used together, creating new risks for drivers. A New Combination of Tactics This emerging method involves criminals engaging drivers in brief interactions near their vehicle while simultaneously using electronic devices to capture or amplify key fob signals. As a result, key fob-related auto theft is no longer limited to driveways or overnight incidents. Close physical proximity between drivers, their key fobs, and their vehicles can be exploited. These thefts can occur quickly and subtly, often without the driver immediately realizing anything has happened. In some cases, drivers may later notice an alert that their vehicle key is missing. This is an early sign that something is wrong....

Mental fatigue and burnout drive productivity losses equivalent to 46 working days per employee every year: Manulife Canada 0

Mental fatigue and burnout drive productivity losses equivalent to 46 working days per employee every year: Manulife Canada

New data reveals one-fifth of work time impacted by health challenges, putting pressure on employees and workplaces Toronto, ON (June 2, 2026) – Health challenges are significantly impacting both employee well-being and workplace productivity across Canada, according to The Wellness Report by Manulife Canada. Drawing on responses from nearly 4,700 employees across 159 organizations with a Manulife Group Benefits plan, the report reveals that while three per cent of total working time is lost to absences due to health issues, a much larger portion – 19 per cent – is affected by health-related productivity challenges. Combined, this represents the equivalent of 46 lost working days per employee each year under a standard five-day work week. Crucially, most of this lost productivity occurs while employees are still on the job. Health challenges, like mental fatigue, stress, and burnout are undermining focus, energy and the ability to perform at full capacity. “Losing the equivalent of 46 working days per employee isn’t just a productivity issue, it tells us people are struggling in ways we don’t always see,” said Ashesh Desai, Head of Group Benefits at Manulife Canada. “Employees are still showing up, but burnout and mental fatigue are limiting how they contribute and...

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Viewpoint: Hormuz Is Reopening, but Global Shipping Won’t Return to Normal for Months

Article 0 Comments Iran and the United States are about to sign a peace deal that will reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway that carries about one-fifth of the world’s oil. Oil prices reacted quickly to the announcement of the tentative deal, dropping from highs that had pushed gasoline prices toward record levels in North America. (Editor’s note: This article was originally published on June 18 by The Conversation). The global supply chain, however, will take the better part of a year to recover, and the relief at the pumps may prove more gradual than the relief in oil markets. The strait’s closure began on Feb. 28 after the U.S. and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran. Tehran responded by effectively shutting the strait to commercial traffic, attacking ships and laying sea mines. Traffic through the passage fell from about 100 vessels per day to roughly six at the height of the blockade, and more than 1,500 vessels were left waiting to pass through at one point. That backlog has caused a months-long global energy crisis. Supply chains operate on a different timeline than politics. German shipping giant Hapag-Lloyd estimates it will take their firm at least six...

Why the cyber industry is talking about Mythos 0

Why the cyber industry is talking about Mythos

AI tools like Mythos are accelerating how quickly cyber vulnerabilities are being found and exploited. This explainer sets out what Mythos changes, what it doesn’t and how brokers can help clients stay focused on what matters most. — By Isabel Finn, CFC — Artificial intelligence has been influencing the mechanics of cyber security for years. But tools like Mythos mark a visible shift. Developed by Anthropic, the team behind Claude, Mythos is designed to discover vulnerabilities and support security testing at a fraction of the time, compressing work that once took days and weeks into hours. That acceleration is creating concern. While Mythos is intended as a force for good, those same capabilities could be exploited by threat actors to find viable targets and launch attacks at scale. So what does Mythos actually change, should businesses worry and will cyber security ever be the same again? What is Mythos, and how will it impact cyber threats? Mythos is an advanced AI security model. It’s designed to support defensive cyber security research, using large language models (LLMs) with strong coding and reasoning capabilities to analyze software, identify vulnerabilities and support security testing at unprecedented speed. Its capabilities have been reviewed by...

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Bulgarian Surveillance Firm Circles Sold Phone Spy Tools to Repressive States: Report

Article 0 Comments A Bulgaria-based company sold controversial surveillance technology to governments in countries with records of repression, enabling authorities to track mobile phones and eavesdrop on private communications, according to documents obtained by Human Rights Watch. The surveillance firm Circles offered tools capable of spying on phone calls, messages and internet activity, according to a Human Rights Watch report published Thursday. The documents — a trove of Bulgarian export records covering sales by Circles between 2018 and 2023 — show that the Bulgarian government approved Circles transactions with law enforcement and intelligence agencies in countries including Azerbaijan, Bahrain, El Salvador, Guatemala, Jordan, Malaysia, Morocco, Panama, Serbia and the United Arab Emirates. The findings raise fresh questions about how European Union export controls meant to curb the sale of powerful spy tools are being enforced. Many of Circles’ customers are in countries ranked either “not free” or “partly free” by Freedom House, the nonprofit that tracks political rights and civil liberties worldwide. Human Rights Watch said the records provide evidence that European companies are still supplying surveillance capabilities to governments that could use them against critics, journalists and political opponents despite EU regulations introduced in 2021 to rein in such...

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Asia Reports Sharp Rise in Cybercrimes and Scams, Interpol Says

Article 0 Comments Illegal cyber activities accounted for around a third of all crimes recorded in some Asian countries, with scams the most widespread and financially damaging, according to a new Interpol report. The global policing agency’s latest cyber threat cyber threat assessment cited the increasing dominance of online crimes compared to traditional illicit activity, describing the activities as “persistent, large-scale challenges affecting multiple jurisdictions” linked to the rapid adoption of digital infrastructure. Of the 18 Interpol member states in Asia and South Pacific that responded to a survey, more than half reported that cybercrime made up 30% of all crimes recorded nationally. Around a third reported more than 10,000 cases of online scams using techniques such as phishing. Interpol did not publicly list the countries that responded to their survey, which was carried out between January 2024 and March 2025. “The findings in this report highlight a rapidly evolving cyber threat landscape across Asia and the South Pacific, where cybercriminals are leveraging artificial intelligence, ransomware-as-a-service models and sophisticated social engineering techniques on an industrial scale,” Neal Jetton, who oversees the Cybercrime Directorate at Interpol in Singapore, said in a statement. The report comes as governments across Asia are grappling...