Lloyds of London sinks to £697m loss triggered by disasters September 21, 2011 The Lloyd’s of London insurance market crashed to a first-half loss of £697m, weighed down by record claims from natural catastrophes including the March 11 Japanese earthquake and tsunami. The loss compares with a profit of £628m a year earlier, and reflects a total of £6.7bn in claims absorbed during the first half, making it [...]
Disaster losses top $70bn in first half September 9, 2011 Devastating earthquakes in New Zealand and Japan mean 2011 is already the most expensive year in history for earthquake-insured losses, according to Swiss Re’s preliminary estimates. Losses of $30bn (£18.8bn) were incurred due to the disaster in Japan in March, while losses from February’s quake in Christchurch, New Zealand will total $9 to 12bn. Swiss [...]
Record claims plague Lloyd’s of London September 21, 2011 THE Lloyd’s of London group of insurers was hit by unprecedented losses in the first half of 2011, after a string of disasters meant customer claims were up by 24 per cent. Lloyd’s reported a pre-tax loss of £697m in the six months to June, compared to a profit of £628m in the same period [...]
RUGBY UNION COMMENT September 7, 2011 ENGLAND have had some difficult moments in the build-up to this World Cup but I think they should be fairly happy as they prepare to get their tournament underway tomorrow in Dunedin. There have been injuries, but not too many, and results in warm-up matches – those games that matter but not really – are [...]
England must refocus after Care setback, warns Cohen August 17, 2011 WORLD CUP winner Ben Cohen has warned England they cannot afford to dwell on setbacks in the run up to next month’s tournament, after scrum-half Danny Care was ruled out with a toe injury. Care, who was tipped by some to be first-choice No9 in New Zealand, faces a six-week lay-off after surgery today on [...]
England must refocus after Care setback, warns Cohen August 17, 2011 WORLD CUP winner Ben Cohen has warned England they cannot afford to dwell on setbacks in the run up to next month’s tournament, after scrum-half Danny Care was ruled out with a toe injury. Care, who was tipped by some to be first-choice No9 in New Zealand, faces a six-week lay-off after surgery today on [...]
Harsh glare of spotlight fortifies us, insists Cueto September 22, 2011 ENGLAND vs ROMANIA ENGLAND wing Mark Cueto insists the negative publicity surrounding their World Cup campaign has only made them more determined to repeat the heroics of 2003 and return with the Webb Ellis Trophy. The team’s preparations for tomorrow’s Pool B clash with Romania have been surrounded by controversy over the off-field behaviour of [...]
Brisbane: still surfing, sun, and lots of fun October 2, 2011 NOT so long ago, Brisbane was little more than the country cousin to Sydney and Melbourne, and the gateway to Surfers Paradise and Noosa. However, this city, the third largest in Australia, and the capital of Queensland, is transforming into a fast-paced modern metropolis. Brisvegas, as it is affectionately known, is making a name for [...]
Bach, Goethe…and you: a weekend in Leipzig December 18, 2011 YES, Germany is well-known for its conference facilities and, yes, for weekenders, we British love the down and dirty vibe of the new Berlin and the madness of Munich’s Oktoberfest, but much of the country has lain forgotten by visitors in recent years, yet it’s only a 90-minute flight away. In the east, the fall [...]
Third bidder circles loss-making Omega August 31, 2011 TROUBLED Lloyd’s insurer Omega Insurance yesterday said it hoped to secure a buyer soon, as it posted a $49.1m (£30m) loss for the first half of the year. The third bidder for Omega emerged yesterday as Mark Byrne, the founder of Bermuda-based insurer Flagstone Re and son of insurance scion Jack Byrne, who managed GE’s [...]