Peng Shuai: Women’s Tennis Association concerned despite new interview December 20, 2021 The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) says it remains concerned about Peng Shuai after the Chinese tennis player appeared to retract claims she was sexually assaulted by a high-ranking government official. Singapore-based newspaper Lianhe Ziabao quoted Peng as saying: “I have never said or written that anyone sexually assaulted me. This point must be emphasised very [...]
Big Sport Quiz of 2021: How much do you remember? December 20, 2021 From teenagers sweeping to Grand Slam tennis titles to England reaching a major football final, an Olympic Games like no other and the introduction of a brand new cricket competition, it has been a hugely eventful year in sport. Off the field it has been just as transformative, with private equity and, increasingly, cryptocurrency and [...]
Ashes: Five things we’ve learned from Test two, day four December 19, 2021 It’s been a wild ride watching England in the second Ashes Test these last few days, but not in an exciting “we might do it” kind of way. The disappointment has been palpable, but not surprising, and on day four England began the task of chasing more than 450 runs. At the end of play, [...]
Extreme E: Hamilton has second title in a week snatched away despite win December 19, 2021 Lewis Hamilton has had a second world title snatched away from him within seven days as former Formula 1 rival Nico Rosberg’s Extreme E team won the inaugural world championship. Hamilton’s X44 Extreme E racing team won their first race in the final outing of the season but couldn’t surpass Nico Rosberg’s RXR racing team [...]
Leinster set to appeal fixture cancellation after widespread postponements December 19, 2021 Leinster Rugby are set to appeal the cancellation of their round two Champions Cup fixture after swathes of other matches were called off due to Covid-19. The Irish province had their fixture with Montpellier cancelled by governing body EPCR despite being able to field a match-day 23. The 23 completed four rounds of PCR testing [...]
Joseph Parker beats Briton Derek Chisora as he looks to win world title December 19, 2021 New Zealander Joseph Parker beat Derek Chisora on points as the heavyweight duo fought in a brilliant fight which was awarded on points. Parker controversially won on points when the two met back in May but this fight was a thrilling rematch. Parker made a brilliant start with Chisora facing a count in the fourth [...]
The Lost Daughter: Maggie Gyllenhaal shows she can direct, too December 18, 2021 Twenty years on from her breakthrough role in Secretary, star Maggie Gyllenhaal directs and writes her first feature. It seems like a natural progression for the actor, who has largely stuck with independent dramas and interesting blockbusters (The Dark Knight, World Trade Center). The Lost Daughter stars Olivia Colman as Leda, an academic in her [...]
Trouble in Mind at the National Theatre is a searing portrait of racism December 18, 2021 Racial tensions reach breaking-point in the National Theatre’s production of Trouble in Mind. It’s the mid-1950s, and race is a hot-button issue in America. Al Manners (Rory Keenan) is a white Hollywood director, suspected of communist sympathies, who is compelled to take a job on Broadway. He intends to direct Chaos in Belleville, a broad [...]
Best of Enemies at the Young Vic: A dense, ambitious political tinderbox December 17, 2021 James Graham is among the best political playwrights working today, responsible for gems including This House, innovative live-streamed election-night saga The Vote, and the screenplay for the lauded TV drama Brexit: The Uncivil War. His plays are painstakingly researched, probing the innards of political life and finding moments of joy, humour or horror amid the [...]
Spider-Man: No Way Home review – Marvel delivers pure cinematic sugar December 17, 2021 Logistics aren’t sexy, but throughout Marvel’s latest Spider-Man adventure I was struck time and again not by the antics of the heroes on the screen but the ones in an office in Los Angeles. How many scheduling clashes must have been overcome, how many legal meetings someone must have sat through, in order for this most [...]