Global insured losses from natural catastrophes hit US$137 billion in 2024, following the 5%-7% annual growth rate that has been the norm in recent years, according to Swiss Re analysis. If this trend continues, global insured losses will approach US$145 …
A Thai-Chinese company denied Monday allegations its steel rods did not pass safety standard tests after nationwide criticism prompted an investigation into the collapse of a high-rise building under construction after an earthquake last month in Bangkok. Authorities are probing …
Global natural catastrophes had an insured price tag of more than $53 billion during the first quarter of 2025 – claims driven by California’s wildfires of approximately $38 billion, or 71% of total insured losses across the globe, according to …
A bond market designed around natural catastrophes is proving remarkably resilient to a man-made market meltdown. While most markets have seen deep selloffs since Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariff announcement, investors in catastrophe bonds have sailed through with hardly a …
Severe storms battered islands in Greece for a second day on Tuesday [April 1], with Crete experiencing the heaviest rainfall. Authorities on Paros and Mykonos, meanwhile, worked to clear overturned cars and debris following hailstorms and torrential downpours. On Monday, …
A long-feared megaquake off Japan’s southern coast could result in almost 300,000 deaths, according to a new model released by the government. In the worst-case scenario, a megaquake in the Nankai Trough would destroy 2.34 million buildings and kill 298,000 …
Australia’s remote outback in western Queensland has been swamped by flooding after being lashed with a year’s worth of rainfall in a week, sweeping away tens of thousands of livestock. Up to 500 millimeters (19.7 inches) of rain has flooded …
The contractors of an under-construction tower that crashed in Bangkok during last week’s earthquake apparently used substandard steel bars made by a factory that had been shuttered by authorities. Samples of two different sizes of steel bars collected from the …
The death toll from Myanmar’s biggest earthquake in a century is set to climb from more than 1,700 following the end of a critical 72-hour rescue window, with aid efforts hampered by the ongoing civil war and sweltering heat. About …
The collapse of a skyscraper under construction in Bangkok — the lone building to crash during the massive earthquake last week — has become the center of Thai investigations as questions swirl around the construction and quality of the materials …
