麻豆约拍

Looks at whether there is a risk the world might overreact to swine flu, asks if now is the time to invest in Iraq, or get divorced if you are the wealthy partner.

Every day, there is a new tally of the number of people infected by the swine flu that started in Mexico and which has spread across the globe as fast as an aeroplane will take it. Assessments are raidly being cobbled together about how economic disruption the flu might cause, and how much money should be spent trying to contain the spread of the virus. But could the authorities over-react, and cause more financial damage that the illness deserves?

Different governments make different calculations. Britain, for example, has already stock-piled enough of the relevant medicine to cover half the population. Brazil, on the other hand, has only stock-piled enough to cover five per cent. No rights and wrongs here. It's a question of how you weigh possibilities against current alternative needs, like schools.

To explain the calculation of risk, Business Weekly turned to Peter Sandman who advises US government agencies.

Investing in Iraq - has got to be some sort of risk, particularly given more than a 100 people dead in recent weeks through bombs. All the same, to be in London at the moment is to hear the mantra: "Iraq is open for business".

So what is the reality? To learn more, we talked to two people who ought to know something. Michael Wareing is the chief executive of the global accountancy company, KPMG, and also the British Prime Minister's economic envoy to Iraq. And, first, Dr Sami al-Araji is the chairman of Iraq's National Investment Commission. He makes much of Investment Law Number 13, as it's known - a new law passed to make the legal framework clear.

It seems some rich people are deciding that now is the time to risk making a big financial gamble - to get divorced, while their wealth is at its lowest ebb.

Of course there are always emotional reasons behind the end of a marriage. But some of it is about canny financial planning. England is the centre of the wealthy divorce universe, and a court case has been heard here in London this past week, which could make it even more attractive.

It's all about a German heiress who wants to enforce a 'pre-nup' - a financial agreement made before she got married, which would leave her husband with nothing. When we spoke to divorce lawyer Julian Lipson from international law firm Withers, we asked how important these pre-nuptial agreements are.