Why 2012 will be Groundhog Year January 2, 2012 WELL good riddance to all that. Few would disagree that 2011 was truly an annus horribilis, a year defined by feckless politicians and unruly mobs. I, for one, felt a sense of relief when the chiming bells heralded the start of a new year; at certain times over the last twelve months, it felt as [...]
Wells and Ford depart RFU December 21, 2011 RUGBY UNION: Former England coaches John Wells and Mike Ford are to leave the Rugby Football Union with immediate effect. Both men were heavily criticised by England players in the leaked reports which were compiled following November’s World Cup debacle which ended with England exiting at the quarter-final stage following a series of off-field controversies.
20 of the world’s largest donors December 21, 2011 1 BILL AND MELINDA GATES FOUNDATION US The William H Gates Foundation was created in 1994 to work to improve global health. Created with an original stock gift of $94m (£60.5m), the foundation merged with the Gates Learning Foundation in 2000 to create the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The largest philanthropic organisation in the [...]
RAPID RESPONSES December 19, 2011 US independence I greatly enjoyed Matt Ridley’s article on shale gas [In America, the shale gas revolution is creating jobs and growth. It can here too, last Thursday]. I believe it to be an important part of the USA’s strategy for becoming self sufficient in energy once more. The implications of America weaning itself off [...]
Ford brings back dividend December 8, 2011 Ford has turned the ignition on its dividend for the first time in five years, with a quarterly payout of five cents a share that the number two US automaker said it could maintain during any future downturn. The dividend, payable in March, will cost Ford about $760m (£485m) a year. The company last paid [...]
New England coach Lancaster ready to get tough December 8, 2011 Farrell and Rowntree also on board as new-look set-up aim to eradicate memories of dismal World Cup ENGLAND’S new interim head coach Stuart Lancaster intends to rule with an iron fist in an attempt to eradicate the disciplinary issues and laddish culture which undermined the Red Rose’s abysmal World Cup campaign. Lancaster, the England Saxons [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING December 6, 2011 FINANCIAL TIMES CLARKE REJECTS CALL FOR EU POWER GRAB Ken Clarke has told Conservative eurosceptics to forget about repatriation of powers from Brussels at this week’s European Union summit, while urging David Cameron to focus on “how to maintain the financial stability of the western world.” The justice secretary’s comments, in an interview with the [...]
CAR TALK November 29, 2011 FORD FOCUS IN THE SWEENEY’S SPOTLIGHT A movie remake of The Sweeney is exciting enough. But Jack Regan will be played by Ray Winstone and he’ll be driving the new 250PS Ford Focus ST. We just wanted an excuse to show it because it looks so good. The Sweeney is set in London after all, [...]
Speed’s death stuns football world November 27, 2011 Tributes pour in for Wales manager, found hanged at his home in Cheshire aged just 42 THE FOOTBALL world was numbed yesterday and united in grief after Wales manager Gary Speed was found hanged at his home in Cheshire. The body of 42-year-old Speed, who had appeared on the BBC’s magazine show Football Focus on [...]
KKR and Japanese firm Itochu link for $7bn Samson bid November 22, 2011 KKR, the global investment firm, has joined forces with Japanese trading house Itochu in a $7bn (£4.5bn) bid for US oil and gas group Samson Investment. KKR has been in exclusive talks to buy privately held Samson for weeks, two people familiar with the matter said. The involvement of Itochu is a new twist, underscoring [...]