RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd. has completed its acquisition of Validus Re, the treaty reinsurance business of American International Group, Inc. A spokesperson said, “RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd. today announced that it has concluded its acquisition of Validus Re, the treaty reinsurance business of American International Group, Inc which includes Validus Reinsurance Ltd. and its consolidated subsidiaries, AlphaCat […]

The Association of Bermuda Insurers and Reinsurers [ABIR] said they “welcomed the news that RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd. has successfully closed its acquisition of Validus Re and its subsidiaries from American International Group [AIG].” A spokesperson said, “ABIR member RenaissanceRe becomes the fifth-largest property and casualty reinsurer in the world after the acquisition of Validus, which […]

Fleming Insurance Holdings, a provider of capital solutions to P&C insurers globally, has entered into an agreement to acquire JRG Reinsurance Company Ltd. from James River Group Holdings, Ltd. A spokesperson said, “This is a transformational transaction contributing to Fleming’s growth plan with the addition of complementary infrastructure, a strong balance sheet and capital base, […]

Arch U.S. MI Holdings, a wholly owned subsidiary of Arch Capital Group Ltd., has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire RMIC Companies, Inc. [RMIC] and its subsidiaries that together comprise the run-off mortgage insurance business of Old Republic International Corporation. A spokesperson said, “Once the transaction is closed, RMIC’s $1 billion risk in force […]

Argo Group International Holdings, Ltd. today announced the completion of Brookfield Reinsurance’s acquisition of Argo in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $1.1 billion. A spokesperson said, “Under the terms of the transaction, Brookfield Reinsurance acquired all issued and outstanding common shares of Argo at a price of $30 per share. Argo’s common shares have ceased […]

BroadRiver Asset Management announced that it has “completed the acquisition of the US & Bermuda businesses [“Lombard US/BDA”] of Lombard International Group.” Andrew Plevin, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of BroadRiver, said: “This transaction is an outstanding opportunity for BroadRiver and its investors and an additional step in BroadRiver’s strategic expansion into the insurance sector. We look […]

Carrick Group Limited, a Bermuda-based international non-life legacy insurance business providing reinsurance and run-off solutions, announced that it has been acquired by Northlight QIAIF plc, an Irish regulated company managed by London-based investment manager Northlight Group LLP from Zimmer Financial Services Group.” “Northlight is thrilled to acquire a run-off insurance platform with a strong team […]

Apex Group announced an “exciting” start to 2024, having completed the acquisition of Retransform from The Annet Group. A spokesperson said, “Leading international financial services business Apex Group today announces an exciting start to 2024 after closing its acquisition of Retransform from The Annet Group. “Retransform is a global real estate provider offering Proptech, Technology […]

Compre, the Bermuda-domiciled international legacy group, today announces the acquisition of two portfolios of European casualty and motor liabilities from separate undisclosed international insurance groups. A spokesperson said, “All necessary approvals have been granted by Bermudian and European regulators, allowing Compre’s class 3B Bermudian reinsurer Pallas Reinsurance Company Ltd. to reinsure approximately €200m of reserves […]

RiverStone International has completed the acquisition of Catalina Insurance Ireland, an Irish insurance company regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. The transaction received regulatory approval in January and closed on 2 February 2024. Catalina Insurance Ireland has total reserves of approximately US$350 million emanating mainly from a German med-mal portfolio and a UK and […]

Arch Insurance North America, part of Arch Capital Group Ltd, has entered into a master transaction agreement to acquire the U.S. MidCorp and Entertainment insurance businesses, including select specialty insurance programs, from Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty SE [AGCS] for a $450 million cash consideration to Allianz. A spokesperson said, “Arch estimates its capital requirement […]

Apex Group has acquired IP Management Company, a South African unit trust management firm. A spokesperson said, “Apex Group Ltd. [Apex Group or The Group], a global financial services provider, today announces its acquisition of IP Management Company [RF] [Pty] Ltd [IPMC], a South African unit trust management company [ManCo]. “This follows the recent acquisition […]

Monument Re Limited announced today that its Belgian subsidiary Monument Assurance Belgium N.V. has completed the acquisition of a branch 21 closed book classical group life insurance portfolio from Contassur – Contibel Assurances Vie – Contibel Levensverzekeringen SA/NV [Contassur], following receipt of regulatory approval from the National Bank of Belgium. Koen Depaemelaere, CEO of Monument […]

Enstar Group announced that it has “entered into a definitive merger agreement under which Sixth Street will acquire Enstar, with Liberty Strategic Capital, J.C. Flowers & Co. LLC, and other institutional investors participating in the transaction. ” A spokesperson said, “Enstar shareholders will receive a total of $338.00 in cash per ordinary share of Enstar […]

Arch Insurance North America, part of Arch Capital Group Ltd. announced it has closed the acquisition of the U.S. MidCorp and Entertainment insurance businesses from Allianz originally announced on April 5. A spokesperson said, “Nearly 500 former Allianz MidCorp and Entertainment employees have joined Arch and will provide continuity to clients and brokers as Arch […]

After a shocking Season Two finale cliffhanger that left audiences on the edge of their seats, the news is finally out that Harlem will return for Season Three at the top of next year on January 23, exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.

James Acaster explores his love/hate relationship with standup by relinquishing control of his set and accepting a healthy dose of audience interference - aka heckling.

Hosted and executive produced by Wahlberg, eight new episodes reveal extraordinary insight into the twisted crimes committed by some of America's most heinous individuals.

Premiering in two parts, the first four episodes will roll out weekly, beginning on Sunday, with the final four to run in April-May 2025, spanning the Holy season.

The series is set in a leafy Maryland suburb just outside of Washington, D.C., and in one the most affluent African American counties in the United States.

It's beginning to look a lot like ch-aos. Ben Stiller stars in "Nutcrackers," premiering November 29 on Hulu.

The one-hour special will premiere on November 19 on Prime Video.

This true crime docuseries examines the murder of Annie Mae Aquash - a Mi'kmaq woman from Nova Scotia, Canada, a mother of two daughters, a teacher, and a revolutionary who fought for Indigenous rights in the 1970s and whose death went unsolved for almost 30 years.

Season 2, Act I of "Arcane," the animated series based on the popular multiplayer online battle arena game League of Legends, also had a strong debut, taking second place with 6.3M views.

Chin Han, Hoa Xuande, Justin Chien, Amanda Zhou, Crystal Yu, Kelemete Misipeka, Lourdes Faberes and Rekha Sharma have joined the cast of the upcoming second season, which is currently in production in partnership with Nickelodeon.

As I said earlier today on both Twitter and Facebook, I've done just about everything I can to get this...

Honor готовится выпустить новую модель смартфона Magic7 RSR Porsche Design, которая снова будет привлекать внимание своим дизайном, напоминающим стиль автомобилей Porsche.

Apple today seeded the second public betas of upcoming iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS Sequoia 15.2 updates, allowing the public to continue testing new features ahead of when the software launches. The public betas come a day after Apple provided developers with new betas.


Public beta testers can download the updates from the Settings app on each device after opting into the beta through Apple's public beta testing website. Note that Apple has also released public betas for watchOS 11.2, tvOS 18.2, and the latest HomePod software.

iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and ‌macOS Sequoia‌ introduce the next Apple Intelligence features, including the first image generation capabilities.

The update adds Image Playground, a new app for creating images based on text descriptions. You can enter anything you want, though Apple will suggest costumes, locations, items, and more to add to an image. There are options to create characters that resemble your friends and family, and you can choose a photo for ‌Image Playground‌ to use as inspiration to create a related image. Elements added to ‌Image Playground‌ creations are previewed, and there is a preview history so you can undo a change and go back to a prior version.

While ‌Image Playground‌ is a standalone app, it is also integrated into Messages, Notes, Freeform, and more. ‌Image Playground‌ does not make photorealistic images and is instead limited to animation or illustration styles.

The update also adds Genmoji, which are customizable emoji characters that you can create based on descriptions and phrases. Like ‌Image Playground‌ creations, you can base them on your friends and family, with the data pulled from the People album in Photos. You can also make characters using basic elements, and you'll get multiple ‌Genmoji‌ suggestions to choose from. You can create ‌Genmoji‌ using the emoji keyboard.

‌Genmoji‌ are limited to iOS 18.2 and iPadOS 18.2 right now, and will be coming to ‌macOS Sequoia‌ later.

Siri in iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and ‌macOS Sequoia‌ 15.2 has ChatGPT integration. If ‌Siri‌ is unable to provide an answer to a question, ‌Siri‌ will hand the request over to ChatGPT, though ‌Siri‌ will need user permission first. ChatGPT will answer the question and relay the information back through ‌Siri‌.

ChatGPT can be used to create content from scratch, including text and images. No account is required to use ChatGPT integration, and Apple and OpenAI do not store requests.

If you have an iPhone 16, there's a Visual Intelligence feature in iOS 18.2 that provides information about what's around you. Open up the camera and point it at a restaurant to get reviews, or point it at an item to search Google for it.

Some other Visual Intelligence capabilities include reading text out loud, detecting phone numbers and addresses to add them to Contacts, copying text, and summarizing text.

Apple added Writing Tools in iOS 18.1, but in iOS 18.2, you can more freely describe the tone or content change that you want to make, such as adding more action words, or turning an email into a poem.

‌Apple Intelligence‌ now supports localized English in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, Ireland, and the UK in addition to U.S. English.

Wait List

Availability and Compatibility

Release Date

Mophie has three new Qi2 charging accessories available as of today from Apple retail stores, including a 3-in-1 Travel Charger, a Wireless Charging Vent Mount, and a Magnetic Vent Mount.


The $150 3-in-1 Travel Charger features a Qi2 MagSafe charging surface for the iPhone, which can provide up to 15W to a compatible ‌iPhone‌. It also has an Apple Watch charger that offers up to 7.5W for fast charging Apple Watch Series 7 models and later, and a 5W AirPods charging surface.

A 40W wall adapter is included for charging all three devices at once, and it comes with international plug configurations for the United States, UK, European Union, and Australia. The ‌iPhone‌ charging surface can be used while flat or while lifted up, and in the lifted mode, it is compatible with StandBy.

The charger folds up in half so that it can easily be tucked away in a backpack or a suitcase when traveling, plus Mophie includes a Travel Case that holds the charger and the power adapter that comes with it.

Mophie's $70 Wireless Car Vent Mount provides up to 15W for charging a compatible ‌iPhone‌ with Qi2. It is designed to connect to a vent using an adjustable hook, and it has a wide base that holds the ‌iPhone‌ securely in place.


The mount can tilt and swivel so that the viewing angle can be optimally adjusted, and one hand can be used to mount the ‌iPhone‌ and remove it. The vent attachment works on car vents up to 41mm deep, and Mophie includes a USB-C to USB-C cable, a 20W USB-C car adapter, and two cable management clips.

If in-car charging isn't needed, Mophie also has a $30 Car Vent Mount that holds an ‌iPhone‌ in place via ‌MagSafe‌, allowing it to be used for navigation, hands-free calls, and more. With the exception of charging capabilities, it is identical to the Wireless Mount, featuring multiple viewing angles, one-handed operation, and a strong magnetic hold.

Mophie's new products can be purchased from the Apple online store or in Apple retail locations.

Now for the first time in our history, we're witnessing a broad and powerful attack on the principle of equality. Daily, we are told that all people are not in fact created equal. Some were born with moral stain, others were not. Some Americans are guilty, some are innocent. Nothing can change this because it was all determined at birth. All we can do is respond accordingly. Continue reading →

Censorship is antithetical to the scientific method because it requires free speech and open debate and skepticism Continue reading →

Bantam Tools Acquires Evil Mad Scientist to Accelerate Development of Next Generation Art and Handwriting Machines Windell Oskay and Lenore Edman of Evil Mad Scientist named CTO and COO of Bantam Tools  PEEKSKILL, N.Y, January 16, 2024 — Bantam Tools, the desktop CNC manufacturer that builds exceptional computer controlled machines for innovators, is excited to … Continue reading Bantam Tools Acquires Evil Mad Scientist →

В ноябре в прокат выходит сиквел Ридли Скотта "Гладиатор 2" с Педро Паскалем, Полом Мескалом и Дензелом Вашингтоном. К участию в промо-кампании, которую проводит Paramount Pictures, присоединилась команда Ferrari.

Dylan Mars Greenberg crafts a homegrown fantasia of magic, action, and anti-conservative provocation.

The post #58 Enlightenment – Questioning Who We Are appeared first on Enlightenment Podcast.