How the Qatari chaos has unfolded June 1, 2014 THE BIDDING PROCESS BEGINS March 2009: Fifa open the bidding process to host the World Cup in 2022. Qatar are among five potential host nations BLATTER BACKS QATAR CAUSE April 2010: Sepp Blatter says: “The Arabic world deserves a World Cup. They have 22 countries and have not had any opportunity to organise the tournament.” [...]
Three lions on a plane June 1, 2014 CAPTAIN Steven Gerrard flew with his England team-mates from Luton to Miami yesterday for a warm-weather training camp, plus friendlies against Honduras and Ecuador. The next stop will be Brazil for their World Cup opening match against Italy in Manaus on 14 June. Manager Roy Hodgson must confirm his 23-man squad today.
Spinner Panesar dropped by Essex June 1, 2014 CRICKET: England’s maverick spinner Monty Panesar was dropped for Essex’s County Championship game against Glamorgan yesterday for “breaching team rules for timekeeping”. He was replaced by Tom Craddock, who took one wicket as Glamorgan ended their first innings on 244 all out. Panesar has played 50 Tests for England, yet left Sussex last year after [...]
England fall at the first hurdle June 1, 2014 HOCKEY: England’s women began their World Cup campaign with a 2-1 defeat to the USA yesterday. England, who are ranked third in the world, went 2-0 down before Kate Richardson-Walsh pulled one back, yet could not find an equaliser. The men’s side, who drew 1-1 against Spain on Saturday, play India at 3pm today.
GB rowers claim two golds at Euros June 1, 2014 ROWING: Great Britain topped the medal table at the European Championships in Belgrade, finishing with two golds on the final day yesterday. Andrew Triggs Hodge, George Nash, Mohamed Sbihi and Alex Gregory set a European best time of five minutes and 46.86 seconds in the men’s four, while Helen Glover and Polly Swann comfortably beat [...]
Pele’s son given 33-year jail term June 1, 2014 FOOTBALL: The son of Brazilian legend Pele has been sentenced to 33 years in jail for laundering money raised from drug trafficking. Edinho, who was a goalkeeper for Santos, has previously served a sentence for drug trafficking.
Matsuyama wins Memorial trophy June 1, 2014 GOLF: Hideki Matsuyama beat American Kevin Na in a playoff late last night to become only the fourth Japanese player to win on a PGA Tour. Finishing par on the first extra hole was enough to claim the tournament, after both players ended 13 under par in Dublin, Ohio. Bubba Watson was third, on 12 [...]
Seth MacFarlane: wanted dead or alive for making dreadful Western spoof May 29, 2014 FILM A MILLION WAYS TO DIE IN THE WEST Cert 15 | One Star THERE are a million ways to die in Hollywood, but being one of the worst ever hosts of the Academy Awards apparently isn’t one of them. Seth MacFarlane survived his Oscars nightmare with enough star quality intact to attract a number [...]
Theatre review: A Human Being Died that Night May 29, 2014 Among the secret service personnel working for the apartheid government, no one used the word “kill”. Instead people were “dealt with” or “taken for a drive”. Such linguistic sleights of hand are steadfastly avoided in A Human Being Died That Night, a taut, brilliantly acted play that looks with a scientific eye at the politics [...]
Should have stayed in bed: Sleeping Beauty update is luke-warm May 29, 2014 FILM MALEFICENT Cert PG | Two Stars DISNEY’S live action remake of Sleeping Beauty is an inversion of the fairytale told from the perspective of Maleficent. The cackling horned villain, who spends most of the animated version glowing green and plotting with a raven, is reimagined as a vengeful fairy who curses princess Aurora to [...]