England recall for Middlesex’s Nick Compton ahead of South Africa Test series could be an open goal November 5, 2015 England's series defeat to Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates has thrown up a number of questions which need answering before their four-Test winter tour of South Africa, principally who should partner Alastair Cook at the top of the batting order. Opening with all-rounder Moeen Ali was a punt and a way of getting two [...]
The atmosphere on Mars is being blown away by solar wind, reveals NASA in the latest update of its MAVEN project November 5, 2015 If you’ve ever been annoyed by a gust of wind blowing away your copy of City A.M., be thankful you’re not Mars. The red planet is having its atmosphere blown away by solar wind. In an update today of its Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution – also known as MAVEN – mission, the National Aeronautics [...]
HMRC wins “big tax” case against Rangers November 4, 2015 HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has won a judgement ruling that Rangers broke tax rules with its use of Employee Benefit Trusts (EBTs) between 2001 and 2010. Three judges at the Court of Session in Edinburgh upheld HMRC's second appeal and ruled that under former owner Sir David Murray Rangers used now-outlawed EBTs to pay [...]
NHS junior doctor salary rise 2015 UK: How does pay compare to other professions? And will health secretary Jeremy Hunt’s offer make much difference? November 4, 2015 Earlier today, health secretary Jeremy Hunt offered an 11 per cent salary increase to junior doctors across the country. If the change is introduced, it will take the starting salaries of 50,000 NHS doctors up from £22,636 to £25,500. But the rise isn't just a random act of generosity towards the medical profession – Hunt [...]
Hoppers, Gymkhana’s casual sibling, lives up to the family name November 4, 2015 Sometimes I want to sit down in a restaurant, eat and be gone. Sometimes I want to move in, stay for a while, invite friends, meet the restaurant’s parents, marry the place and have a baby. If I were to marry a restaurant, though, a more sensible betrothal would be to one of Hoppers’ siblings [...]
Kyran Bracken: RFU review into England Rugby World Cup shambles an embarrassing whitewash – but whole northern hemisphere needs to do some soul searching November 4, 2015 Northern hemisphere rugby has a lot to worry about because on the basis of this World Cup the Six Nations appears to be a long way off the Rugby Championship. The brilliant final between Australia and New Zealand wasn’t just settled by penalties or drop goals but also included five tries from two of [...]
To get pupils ready for the real world the education system need to drop the dogma on test results November 4, 2015 The education secretary Nicky Morgan has announced plans to strengthen testing for primary school pupils in England. The government wants to re-introduce national tests for seven-year-olds as part of measures aimed at improving standards in schools with low exam results. The biggest set of policy interventions by the education secretary since taking up the role [...]
Why the misguided war on alcohol is bad news for London November 3, 2015 We are at a crossroads. With the Night Tube held up in negotiations, a new report from the Institute of Alcohol Studies (IAS) – which claims that alcohol is placing an unnecessary strain on emergency services – is now being exploited by those who want to see a reduction in pub, bar and club licensing [...]
Standard Chartered results: Investors are backing Bill Winters while analysts raise red flags November 3, 2015 Standard Chartered may have posted another “disappointing” set of results, but the Asia-focused bank’s biggest investors are enthusiastically backing new chief executive Bill Winters. Winters announced earlier today that he planned to axe 15,000 jobs and raise $5.1bn (£3.3bn) in capital, as the bank posted an operating loss of $139m in the third quarter. Revenue had [...]
How the All Blacks win: New Zealand Rugby chief Steve Tew on how the World Cup champions sustain a winning culture and what other businesses can learn from their success November 3, 2015 By now you’ll have heard all the accolades and statistics: The first team to successfully defend a Rugby World Cup, the first nation to win the tournament three times and a historical win ratio over 75 per cent. Not only are New Zealand’s All Blacks one of sport’s most successful dynasties – there are very few [...]