RAPID RESPONSES February 19, 2012 Vive la difference [Re: Marc Sidwell’s column, Licensing the press – it’s just not very British, last Friday] The title of Sidwell’s column was apt. We only need to look across the channel to see the difference between Napoleonic prescriptive freedoms and British liberty. The French law of 29 July 1881 purports to guarantee freedom [...]
Our pitiful pensions pots February 19, 2012 THE words “pensions” and “crisis” are used together with increasing reality – yet, through a lack of either money or foresight, the people of this country have yet to respond. Ignorance is bliss – but only up to a point. And that point will come like a bolt out of the blue for some people [...]
Changes to the lifetime pension allowance February 19, 2012 IN LESS than two months the lifetime pension allowance, i.e. the maximum value that can be accumulated within all pensions before incurring an exceptional tax charge, will fall from £1.8m to £1.5m. If the total value of all an individual’s pension schemes exceeds this amount, the surplus will incur an exceptional tax charge of 55 [...]
Splitting up may divide your pension savings February 19, 2012 THE courts have three separate powers to distribute capital on divorce, the first two, namely the ability to transfer a property from one party to another, and the ability to order one party to pay the other a specific sum of money, are familiar to most couples. The third power is the power to make [...]
Desert island dream in remotest Philippines February 19, 2012 AS the plane rumbles along from Manila to Busuanga in the Palawan peninsula in the Philippines, the smiling stewardess at the front starts playing a game of “Show and Tell” to an enraptured audience, in the absence of TVs to divert us. First person to hold up a… pen, wins a thermos flask. Next person [...]
TRAVEL NOTES February 19, 2012 Graydon Carter’s Monkey Bar Heading to New York? You really mustn’t miss out on the hottest new-old restaurant in town. Manhattan’s legendary Monkey Bar, with a list of regulars that has included Dorothy Parker, Tennessee Williams and Marlon Brando, has been given an overhaul by none other than Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter, the new [...]
Police want to quiz Haye as Chisora faces charge February 19, 2012 GERMAN police were still searching for David Haye last night after releasing his British heavyweight rival Dereck Chisora without charge, following their wild and ugly brawl at a press conference in Munich late on Saturday. Police want to question Haye about the incident but were unable to find him at his hotel or at the [...]
Big guns kept apart as Spurs held by Stevenage February 19, 2012 A HIGH-PROFILE FA Cup final line-up moved a step closer yesterday when the competition’s biggest hitters were kept apart and handed home ties in the quarter-final draw. Chelsea, who were held at home by Birmingham on Saturday, will host more Championship opposition in Leicester City, who beat Norwich at the weekend, if they win their [...]
Star trio give rampant Reds the joy of six February 19, 2012 LIVERPOOL (6) vs BRIGHTON (1) LIVERPOOL manager Kenny Dalglish hailed his attacking triumvirate of Steven Gerrard, Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll after romping into the FA Cup quarter-finals. The Reds’ star trio started a match together for the very first time and the result was the club’s biggest win since September 2009. They were aided [...]
Hoy gold lifts Brits top of medal table February 19, 2012 BRITAIN’S Sir Chris Hoy underlined his status as a leading London 2012 medal hope by claiming individual sprint gold at the Track Cycling World Cup at the Olympic Velodrome yesterday. Hoy’s second gold of the weekend ensured a happy ending to the four-day competition, which doubled as a test event for this summer’s Games, and [...]
