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Equitable chiefs face fresh probe

Four former senior executives at Equitable Life are to face disciplinary proceedings over the mutual insurer’s near-collapse four years ago.

The four are former managing directors Roy Ranson and Alan Nash, ex-chief executive Chris Headdon, and actuary Barry Sherlock.

The Institute of Actuaries has referred allegations of misconduct against the four to a tribunal

AIB to pay up for exchange flaws

Allied Irish Bank (AIB) has confirmed it will repay foreign exchange customers it accidentally overcharged during an eight year period.

AIB has set aside 35m euros (£23m; $43m ) to reimburse them, more than double the original estimate of 14m euros.

The bank has been facing a number of problems since it emerged in May that it had levied a higher transaction margin than was agreed with regulators

Halliburton Iran deals under fire

Halliburton, in trouble over alleged over-charging for Iraq contracts, is being probed for its deals in Iran.

A US grand jury has demanded documents relating to contracts in Iran – subject to US sanctions – by a Halliburton subsidiary based in the Cayman Islands.

The firm, which used to be run by US Vice-President Dick Cheney, said it was certain the deals were legal

Oil giant Yukos faces dismantling

Russian oil giant Yukos faced being torn apart after bailiffs said they would sell off its main operating arm to settle a $3.4bn bill for back taxes.

Analysts said it was the worst-case scenario for the firm, which has been trying to agree a deal with the authorities over payment of the bill

Powergen fined over unfair policy

One of UK’s leading gas and electricity suppliers, Powergen, has been fined £700,000 ($1.3m USD) for preventing more than 20,000 domestic energy customers from switching to new gas or electricity suppliers.

The penalty comes after a 10-month investigation by energy regulator Ofgem which consumer watchdog Energywatch has said was the biggest such fine

Five months in jail for Stewart

Celebrity lifestyle guru Martha Stewart has been sentenced to five months in jail by a New York courtroom over charges of conspiracy and obstruction.

The US trendsetter was convicted in March for lying about a stock sale during a government investigation.

She was given two years supervised release, during which time she will have to wear a monitoring bracelet

De Beers diamond price-fixing guilty plea

De Beers has agreed to plead guilty in a decade-long price-fixing case in a move that could allow the world’s biggest diamond producer to return to the U.S. market after a nearly 50-year absence, a news report said Saturday

Adelphia Communications : Adelphia founder guilty of fraud

US cable TV millionaire John Rigas and his son Timothy have been found guilty of 18 counts of fraud and conspiracy.

The elder Mr Rigas co-founded Adelphia Communications in 1952 and grew it into the fifth biggest US cable TV operator.

Adelphia went bust in 2002 with debts of $7bn (£3

Philip Morris pays $1.25bn to settle case

The European Union on Friday dropped money-laundering and smuggling claims against Philip Morris International in a $1.25bn settlement it claimed could herald similar deals with other tobacco companies.

The EU legal team, which is pursuing RJ Reynolds and Japan Tobacco in the US courts, believes the deal with the makers of Marlboro cigarettes is a benchmark for future settlements

Adelphia founder guilty of fraud

US cable TV millionaire John Rigas and his son Timothy have been found guilty of 18 counts of fraud and conspiracy.

The elder Mr Rigas co-founded Adelphia Communications in 1952 and grew it into the fifth biggest US cable TV operator.

Adelphia went bust in 2002 with debts of $7bn (£3