Will Greenwood: Joe Marler “gypsy boy” affair should have been dealt with in a weekend by World Rugby and Six Nations March 31, 2016 World Cup winner Will Greenwood has called for rugby’s governing bodies to reassess their disciplinary procedures to avoid a repeat of England prop Joe Marler’s “gypsy boy” saga. Former England centre Greenwood believes World Rugby and Six Nations organisers should have delivered a coherent message over Marler’s contentious comment towards Wales prop Samson Lee earlier [...]
Too few people understand the new state pension, MPs warn March 27, 2016 While the new state pension will ultimately be welcome as it provides simplification, too few people understand the changes, MPs have warned In particular the government has not made it clear that most people retiring on the new state pension will not receive the £155.65 weekly rate, the work and pensions committee said. Under the [...]
Met police commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe sparks backlash over cybercrime comments made to The Times March 24, 2016 Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, the Metropolitan police commissioner, sparked an immediate backlash after he suggested banks should consider no longer refunding online fraud victims. While discussing how banks could improve security awareness, Britain's most senior police officer told The Times that the system of refunds "rewards" customers. "The system is not incentivising you to protect yourself. If [...]
Urban planner Sir Terry Farrell slams plans for transport hub at Old Oak Common as “London’s worst cock-up in 50 years” March 3, 2016 One of the capital's largest-ever regeneration schemes could end up being its "worst cock-up in years", one of London's best-known urban planners has warned. In an interview with the Evening Standard, Sir Terry Farrell said the £10bn Old Oak Common scheme has been the victim of in-fighting by politicians. The 100-acre site in North West London is set to become a [...]
Accountants at PwC and EY set aside their differences to play on a giant bouncy castle next to their office buildings March 2, 2016 It's well known in the City that the big four audit firms are notoriously competitive. When PwC moved to its current premises at More London by Tower Hill, the firm installed automatic shutters in its windows to prevent neighbours at EY's headquarters from spying. But accountants and analysts took it to another level last night [...]
EU referendum: Over 50s now more likely to vote for a Brexit than to stay in the EU, with men more likely to be saying no to the union than women February 25, 2016 Over 50s are not that keen on David Cameron's latest EU deal, a survey released by Saga today would suggest. The poll discovered that 43 per cent of those aged over 50 would vote to leave the EU if the referendum was held tomorrow, compared with only 40 per cent who would vote to stay. However, Paul Green, director of communications [...]
HSBC’s decision to keep its HQ in London is a ringing endorsement of the whole UK February 22, 2016 HSBC has not been far from the headlines in the past few days, and we can expect more news from the global banking giant today as it publishes its Annual Results. The issue that has kept so many City figures interested in the company for the past few months has been its decision over where [...]
Oil prices: Is the age of oil coming to a close? Some say Saudi Arabia’s pumping out black gold because it knows its days are numbered February 18, 2016 It's the conspiracy theories around why Saudi Arabia is keeping oil prices low that make the saga so intriguing. Data shows the Saudis have raised their monthly production levels throughout this spell of cheap oil. The desert kingdom has been blessed with abundant, easy to access reserves of black gold, which are believed to cost around [...]
The best restaurants in Reykjavik, Iceland reviewed February 3, 2016 Egill Skallagrímsson, one of Iceland’s most beloved folk heroes, wrote his first poem aged three, was an alcoholic by six and a murderer at seven. He’s famed for his acerbic wit, vicious temper and handiness with an axe, which he was more than willing to drive through the skull of friend or foe alike. His [...]
Volkswagen emissions scandal: Why VW may not be last carmaker to rock the auto industry January 20, 2016 The week the latest twist in the ongoing Volkswagen saga emerged. Apparently none too happy with its behaviour, some UK investors will be taking action against the firm over lost earnings in the wake of the emissions fixing scandal. But VW and Renault are not the first major car firms to run into difficulties, and [...]