Beazley’s first-half profit plunges 53%U.K.-headquartered Beazley plc recorded a 53% year-on-year decrease in first-half profit before tax to $238 million, due to rapidly softening specialty market conditions and geopolitical events that affected its political violence and marine war books, Reinsurance News reported. The company’s insurance written premiums fell 4% to $3 billion, while its undiscounted combined ratio increased to 93% from 85% last year.