Planet Business

Getting to know: Harriet Green:Harriet Green is the recently appointed chief executive of travel company Thomas Cook, which is struggling, though Green herself is not. Despite announcing massive losses on Wednesday, investors seemed happy that Green was stripping Thomas Cook of costs, and shares hit a nine-month high.

But never mind all that, what's most interesting about Green, a medieval history graduate who rose to the top in the electronics sector, is what she told a book called Secrets of the CEOs about downtime (which in her case included yoga and - gasp - reading novels): "I genuinely think, if you can't do something for yourself for one hour a day, you have become a slave."

It's something to remember if you're further down the pecking order - even successful chief executives get me-time.

Top of the pop-ups

Pop-up stores are a retail phenomenon with a mixed message about the health of the sector. On the one hand, their emergence at this time of year anticipates the massive gift-fuelled bonanza that will shortly be lining retailers' pockets.

Superficially, it's a great sign - all those customers simply won't fit into the big chains' usual quantity of physical stores, plus there's always a chance for someone to make a quick buck selling reindeer jumpers on a short-term lease.

On the other hand, temporary shops can only "pop up" in the first place if there are vacant units knocking about . . . and why is that again? The HMV pop-up store in London is one of about 15 opening in the UK this holiday season, but remember kids: HMV is for life, not just for Christmas.

The lexicon: Official sector involvement

"Official sector involvement" sounds generic but, in European Union jargon, it means something quite specific - debt reduction measures for Greece that would include a "haircut" on the sum it has to repay. The International Monetary Fund argues that this is necessary to bring Greece's debts down to a "sustainable" level, but euro zone leaders are less keen, and the circular arguments have been going on for so long now that euro zone types now refer to "official sector involvement" by its acronym, OSI.

In numbers:Insurance storms

$168 billion

The size of a global insurance "deficit" that leaves at least 17 countries exposed to the costs of natural disasters, according to Lloyd's of London, the world's largest insurance marketplace.

$71 billion

Updated estimated cost of damage in New York and New Jersey from Superstorm Sandy, up from an earlier estimate of $50 billion. But this year looks set to be less expensive for insurers than 2011.

$5.8 trillion

The cost of damage caused by a run of natural disasters in 2011, including those in Japan and Thailand. Insurers paid out $107 billion, meaning most losses were uninsured.