Belgium to pump euro1.5 billion into insurer Ethias

Belgium is planning to shore up struggling insurer Ethias with a euro1.5 billion (US$2 billion) capital increase, the prime minister said Monday _ the third financial company the government has been forced to rescue.

Premier Yves Leterme said the details of the plan would be worked out later in the day but confirmed that in "principle an agreement was reached" for the Belgian federal government and two regional states _ Flanders and Wallonia _ to inject the money into Ethias.

The company went public last week about its need for cash, a week after it helped bail out Belgian-French lender Dexia along with other shareholders and the Belgian, French …