LONDON— The world is a significantly riskier place this year than it was last year and both business and governments are guilty of complacent risk management, according to the World Economic Forum.

The Global Risk Network of the forum published a report in London today called Global Risks 2007 that it will use as platform for discussion at the annual meeting of business and political leaders in Davos, Switzerland, January 24 to 28.

SACRAMENTO, Calif.—All California residents would be required to have health insurance, while all but very small employers that do not offer coverage to their employees would have to pay a new tax and the state would subsidize premiums for the low-income insured under a universal health reform plan unveiled Monday by California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Gov. Schwarzenegger described the plan as a model that could be used by the rest of the nation.

WASHINGTON (Reuters)—President Bush on Saturday proposed tax breaks to make health insurance more affordable to the nearly 47 million Americans who lack it, while removing some tax benefits for the most expensive employer-provided health care plans.

Health care is emerging in opinion polls as a top concern among many Americans as private health insurance costs soar, putting a burden on workers and companies.

NEW YORK—Last year’s reduced U.S. storm activity could signal softening insurance market conditions for peak catastrophe zones sometime this year, said Moody’s Investors Service Inc. in a special report released Wednesday.

Key findings in its 2006 U.S. catastrophe survey include insurers and reinsurers paying greater attention to "managing difficult-to-model risk factors by monitoring zonal aggregations, exiting certain lines of business or adhering to more conservative contract terms and conditions," Moody’s said.

A high backup success rate doesn't mean a risk-free environment

January 30, 2007 -- In previous columns, I've emphasized the need for backup reporting and metrics to ensure that data is protected appropriately. However, even with the benefit of regular, successful backup reports, the fact remains that the devil is in the details. It is important to go beyond a raw statistic, like the percent success or failure, to properly analyze and interpret the actual meaning. To that end, here are three fundamental guidelines to apply when attempting to determine backup health.