West Ham 0, Astra Giurgiu 1: Slaven Bilic rails at Hammers after they fail to reach Europa League group stage August 25, 2016 West Ham United 0, Astra Giurgiu 1 (Aggregate: 1-2) West Ham manager Slaven Bilic blasted his players after they fell at the final Europa League play-off hurdle to Romanian side Astra Giurgiu for the second year running. Portuguese former West Brom midfielder Filipe Teixeira scored the only goal to deny the Hammers a place in [...]
Simon Yates darts to stage win as Chris Froome stays in the hunt for a Vuelta-Tour de France double August 25, 2016 Britain's Simon Yates savoured an opportunistic victory after he won his first grand tour stage yesterday at the Vuelta a Espana. Compatriot Chris Froome remains third in the overall standings, 32 seconds behind Colombian leader Darwin Atapuma, after he finished safely in the peloton. Yates, who rides for the Orica-BikeExchange team alongside twin brother Adam, attacked [...]
Liberty Media could zoom into pole position on Formula One deal with £6.4bn bid August 25, 2016 Liberty Media has become the latest company to throw its hat into the ring for the controlling stake of Formula One (F1) with a $8.5bn (£6.4bn) bid. The controlling stake in F1's parent company is currently owned by CVC Capital Partners, which has a 35 per cent stake and has held its position since 2006. According to Sky News, [...]
Olympic cycling stars talk of hard work, motivation and the opposition sneaking a peek August 25, 2016 Britain’s track cycling stars have revealed the extraordinary lengths to which envious rivals went in order to try to stifle their supremacy at the Rio Olympics. Team GB exceeded all expectations in the velodrome by winning six golds, with every rider on the team coming home with a medal of some colour, but that success [...]
Manchester City welcome being drawn with Barcelona in Champions League as fate smiles on debutants Leicester August 25, 2016 Manchester City director of football Txiki Begiristain has welcomed a blockbusting Champions League draw that paired the club with his and new manager Pep Guardiola’s former team, Barcelona. Borussia Moenchengladbach and Celtic join City and Barca in a fiercely competitive group, but it is the return of Guardiola – and to a lesser extend Begiristain and [...]
Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping review: Lonely Island’s mockumentary skewers self-absorbed stardom August 25, 2016 Musical comedy troupe Lonely Island’s mockumentary skewers modern pop culture, with Brooklyn Nine-Nine star Andy Samberg playing a self-absorbed, Bieber-esque solo artist ready to unleash his second album on an unsuspecting public. Taking aim at spoilt young mega stars and their ridiculous indulgences, the familiar plot is lifted by the energy of the cast and [...]
Gary Numan: Android in La La Land is a surprisingly touching rockumentary about one of music’s true geniuses August 25, 2016 You don’t expect subjects such as Asperger’s Syndrome, depression and parental bonds to be explored in a music documentary, but then electronic music pioneer Gary Numan has never been one to meet expectations. The disarmingly frank star discusses his career and difficulties with the limelight, and embarks on a daunting transatlantic move with his colourful [...]
Cell film review: Dull dialogue kills this film that’s co-written by Stephen King about smartphone zombies August 25, 2016 Cell hopes to do for smart phones what Jaws did for beaches, but it’s unlikely anyone will be wary of their devices after seeing this messy adaptation of the Stephen King novel. John Cusack competes with Samuel L Jackson for the most bored looking star, playing two men desperate to survive a zombie holocaust instigated [...]
Julieta review – Pedro Almodóvar’s story of love, loss and grief is compelling and beautiful August 25, 2016 After the high-camp of I’m So Excited and the queasy body-horror of The Skin I Live In, Pedro Almodóvar returns to his roots with a story that shines a light into the dark recesses of grief. It initially appears to be a modern noir, a detective story complete with moody jazz soundtrack, albeit one drenched [...]
The Purge: Election Year review – this take-down of Donald Trump’s politics is a joyous satirical juggernaut August 25, 2016 The Purge franchise, now on its third iteration, takes a simple, silly premise – that for one night every year all crime is legal – and holds onto it like a rottweiler on a toddler’s arm. The first instalment, starring Ethan Hawke, was a straight-forward home invasion thriller, Panic Room by way of The Strangers, [...]