European Union rules to keep insurance companies stable will not be an excuse for regulators to ramp up capital requirements for insurers in the UK, a senior Bank of England official said yesterday.

An affiliate of Lloyds of London is offering €1m reward for information leading to a diamond collection stolen at gunpoint from a jewel show in Cannes.

Traders in London were left in limbo today after Hurricane Sandy forced Wall Street to shut down for the first time since the September 11 attacks.

The International Monetary Fund mission begins its inspection of Ireland’s debt-ridden finances today.

The Taoiseach Brian Cowen tonight told his country there was no need to be ashamed as he opened its books to the International Monetary Fund.

TEARS filled the eyes of a Mexican teacher as she fulfilled the wish of her late father, Captain Ruben Ocaña.

A reward of up to $1m (€770,000) was offered for information leading to the recovery of diamond rings, necklaces and watches stolen in an €8m robbery in Paris.

The insurer Lloyds of London is offering up to £676,726 (€777,569) for information leading to the recovery of jewellery stolen in a £73m (€83m) heist from the Harry Winston boutique in Paris last week.

The Irish branch of international banking group Investec, has today announced that it has achieved a sale price of £19m (€28.2m) on behalf of an Irish investment syndicate through the sale of 2 Seething Lane, London EC3.

Insurance group Zurich Financial Services today estimated claims following Hurricane Katrina would cost it in the region of £342m (€506m).