World Cup 2022 dates: Qatar tournament “most likely” to be held in winter according to Fifa secretary November 3, 2014 The 2022 World Cup in Qatar looks to be heading for a winter tournament after Fifa general secretary Jerome Valcke today confirmed it would most likely be held at the beginning or end of the year. Valcke said January/February 2022 or November/December 2022 are “the most likely” dates for the World Cup, however he also [...]
Survey shows dip in risk level for small firms November 3, 2014 BRITAIN’S small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are feeling more confident about the risks they face, despite the fact that financial difficulties still remain for many. The Zurich SME risk index, which measures the perceived level of business risk faced by SMEs, fell to 39.92 points in the third quarter of the year from 42.17 in [...]
What’s it like to spend $200k on lunch? Guy Spier wins bid for date with Warren Buffett October 29, 2014 What’s it like to go for lunch with Warren Buffett? Aquamarine Capital fund manager Guy Spier knows, and it cost him only $216,000. Spier and friend Mohnish Pabrai were successful in Buffett’s annual lunch bid in 2007, with all proceeds going to charity. Was it worth it? “Absolutely. It’s hard to calculate the ROI but [...]
UK’s Innovation Group wins two year contract October 27, 2014 SERVICES and software provider Innovation Group has been contracted by Zurich Insurance in Germany to provide its customers with access to vehicle repair bodyshops. Innovation Group will also provide training to Zurich claims handlers to help them allocate repairs to the network. The initial contract will last for two years, commencing 1 January 2015, with [...]
Tudor is back: Heritage-inspired watches are on the rise September 23, 2014 I’m excited: Tudor is back. Who? Well, you’d be forgiven for asking, since the brand hasn’t been in British shops since early in the last decade. But it’s a name that carries clout in the watch world, for Tudor is the sibling brand of Rolex. Hans Wilsdorf, Rolex’s founder, set up Tudor between the [...]
Zurich wants retirees to get free tax advice on their pensions September 21, 2014 GOVERNMENT advice to new pensioners should include guidance on getting the best tax deal, finance firm Zurich argued today. New rules mean retirees will be freer to choose how to spend their pension pot, rather than being compelled to buy an annuity. But that means they may face varying degrees of tax liability, depending on [...]
Rodney Cook interview: Just Retirement rides out annuity storm September 18, 2014 In February this year, crisis management experts visited Just Retirement’s Surrey head office to give senior executives a crash course in coping with the unexpected. Managers didn’t have to wait long to put that advice to use. When George Osborne announced sweeping changes to pension arrangements within the March Budget, allowing retirees to withdraw their [...]
Jeremy Hunt should scrap plain cigarette packaging August 25, 2014 After Australia passed a first-of-its-kind law in 2012 mandating that all cigarettes be sold in plain brown packaging free of branding, UK health secretary Jeremy Hunt vowed to keep a close eye on the Australian law’s progress before introducing similar legislation in the UK. Two years later, the Australian bill has failed to reduce smoking, [...]
European Championships 2014 medal table: How does Great Britain’s tally compare to previous years? August 18, 2014 After a record-breaking Commonwealth Games for England, Scotland and Wales, the athletes of Great Britain banded together to repeat the feat at last week's European Athletics Championships in Zurich. After such stand-out gold medal victories as Mo Farah's triumph in the men’s 10,000m and 5,000m, Jo Pavey in the women’s 10,000m, Adam Gemili in the men's 200m [...]
Peerless Farah leads GB gold rush at Europeans August 17, 2014 DOUBLE Olympic champion Mo Farah savoured a return to winning ways after his second gold helped Great Britain to a record tally and top spot in the medal table on a landmark final day of the European Championships. Farah added the 5,000m title to his success in the 10,000m last week as the 31-year-old became [...]