The state's Insurance Compensation Fund could be forced to pay the outstanding claims of the Irish holders of policies from the collapsed Danish insurer, Qudos Insurance. It has emerged that a change in the law in Denmark last May could mean the Danish Insurance Guarantee Scheme will not be liable to meet Irish claims if Qudos is declared bankrupt after 1 January next. Qudos had been providing home, as well as private and commercial motor cover to 50,000 Irish customers through brokers and agents. | The British pound is languishing near 20-month lows against the dollar this morning after British Prime Minister Theresa May postponed a crucial vote on her Brexit deal, raising the risk of a chaotic exit from the European Union. Mrs May yesterday postponed a parliamentary vote on her Brexit deal to seek more concessions. The move stoked more uncertainty as Britain now faces Brexit without a deal, a last-minute agreement or another EU referendum. The euro was trading at £0.9043 shortly before 8am, up slightly against sterling on the day.The French government is seeking candidates to replace Renault's embattled boss Carlos Ghosn, according to newsagency Reuters, quoting sources. Board members have begun to voice doubts about keeping him in office following his indictment in Japan for suspected misconduct. At a meeting yesterday, Renault directors were briefed on an investigation by alliance partner Nissan that led to Ghosn's arrest last month. He was charged this week over the company's failure to declare $43 million in deferred income he had arranged to receive. | Food and ingredients business Kerry Group has announced two acquisitions in North America, worth a combined €325 million. The company is to buy the North American business of Japan's Ariake, which specialises in savory stocks and bases. It also plans to acquire Southeastern Mills - which produces seasonings and coatings. Kerry Group said the acquisitions will be financed by existing lines of credit. | The dollar has firmed against most major counterparts, as investor focus shifts to an expected US interest rate hike next week. Gains are likely to be capped on greater uncertainty about next year's policy outlook. The greenback found broad support as the euro and pound came under pressure after downbeat comments from the European Central Bank president about the outlook for the euro zone and renewed concerns about a hard Brexit. | French luxury giant LVMH said it had reached agreement to buy hotel group Belmond, whose properties include the Copocabana Palace in Rio de Janeiro and Cipriani in Venice, in a transaction worth $3.2 billion (€2.8bn). LVMH said it would acquire Belmond for $25.00 per class A share in cash. That represents a premium of 42% over their closing value of $17.65 on the NY Stock Exchange yesterday. | The number of mobile connections rose again during the third quarter, according to the Communications Regulator, while data usage continued to skyrocket. Meanwhile broadband penetration rose slightly, hitting 68.3% at the end of September compared to 67.8% a year ago. The latest Quarterly Key Data Report from ComReg shows the number of fixed broadband subscriptions in the country rose 2% in the year to 1.42 million.   |||