Italy's Generali shows interest in AIA: report

US insurer AIG is expected to announce Monday it is replacing the head of its Asian unit AIA, just months before its planned Hong Kong stock market listing, the Financial Times reported.Mark Tucker, a former head of British insurer Prudential, is to take over from Mark Wilson, who has been chief executive of AIA since 2006, said the paper, citing people close to the situation.It comes after a revolt from Prudential shareholders led to the collapse of the insurer's 35.5-billion-dollar (27.5-billion-euro) monster takeover bid for AIA, which Wilson had opposed.

Reader craazyman asked for mathematician and sometimes guest writer Andrew Dittmer to explain what is going on in Europe. Unfortunately, Andrew has many projects and Europe is rather large and complicated to sort out right now. Nevertheless, he did decide to help by translating some lead editorials from the Corriere della Sera to shed light on the reaction of the elite media to the recent elections.

At least four consortiums made up of private Chinese investors have approached US insurance giant AIG to acquire its Asian unit AIA, a Hong Kong newspaper reported Tuesday.The investors approached American International Group and the US Treasury Department shortly after Britain's Prudential aborted a plan to take over AIA in June when its shareholders balked at the 35.5 billion US dollar cost, the South China Morning Post reported.It sid all the mainland investors involved indicated they had strong backing of Chinese insurers or banks.

Italy's former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi is under investigation for corruption again over allegations that he bribed a leftist senator in 2006, Italian media reported on Thursday.

In yet another attempt to pressure prime minister Silvio Berlusconi into promised reforms ECB debates ending Italy bond buys.The European Central Bank often discusses the possibility ending the purchase of Italian government bonds if it concludes Italy is not adopting promised reforms, ECB Governing Council Member Yves Mersch said.

American International Assurance (AIA), the Asian unit of US insurance giant AIG, is trawling for investors so it can split from its troubled parent as soon as possible, a report said Tuesday.Mark Tucker, the former head of British insurer Prudential who was named Monday as AIA's new chief executive, has sought assurances that AIA can "pursue independence immediately," the Financial Times reported, citing unnamed sources.

Prudential chairman Harvey McGrath said in an interview Friday that no heads would roll at the British insurer after it abandoned its hugely ambitious takeover of AIG's Asian unit AIA."The board is completely behind the management team. No one has offered to resign and no one has been asked to resign," Harvey told the Financial Times.The aborted takeover was masterminded by Prudential chief executive Tidjane Thiam and commentators said his career had been badly tarnished by the deal.