World Cup farce as Brazil v Argentina qualifier abandoned as health officials enter pitch to demand deportation of Argentina players September 6, 2021 A Brazil v Argentina World Cup qualifier was abandoned after Brazilian health officials demanded the deportation of three England-based Argentinian players for failing to quarantine. Officials walked onto the pitch just six minutes into the game in Sao Paulo last night to insist that the trio of Premier League players – Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano [...]
Alex Yee interview: Triathlon sensation on being inspired by London 2012 and preparing to race in his home city as Olympic champion for the first time September 4, 2021 Alex Yee burned brightly at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics this summer but the flame was lit nine years earlier back home in London. The Lewisham triathlete, who won silver in the men’s race and then anchored Team GB to gold in the mixed relay in July, attended the London 2012 Games as a wide-eyed 14-year-old. [...]
Tearful Naomi Osaka to take another break from tennis after shock US Open defeat September 4, 2021 A tearful Naomi Osaka plans to take another break from tennis after her shock US Open exit. The defending champion lost 5-7 7-6 (2) 6-4 to 18-year-old Leylah Fernandez on Arthur Ashe Stadium having served for the match in the second set. It was a surprise ending to her first grand slam back after withdrawing [...]
Kristen Stewart playing Princess Diana in ‘Spencer’ gets warm reception at Venice film festival September 4, 2021 U.S. actress Kristen Stewart’s interpretation of Princess Diana in “Spencer” got a warm reception at the Venice film festival, where it premieres on last night, with some critics already tipping her as a likely Oscar contender. Watch the full report.
Banksy’s shredded artwork is back under the hammer – for up to six times the price September 3, 2021 Banksy’s “Love is in the Bin”, formerly Girl With Balloon before it partially self-destructed at the moment of sale in 2018, is back up for auction at Sotheby’s in October – and it could be worth up to six times more in its semi-shredded state. The painting of a young girl holding a red heart-shaped [...]
Sotheby’s Jamie Ritchie on the future of wine auctions September 3, 2021 If Jamie Ritchie were on Desert Island Discs, which is not beyond the realms of possibility, his luxury item would be his gavel. “In 1994, as part of Sotheby’s 250th anniversary celebrations, I was given a wooden gavel. It has been the only gavel I have ever used. It has required some occasional re-gluing as [...]
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was worth the wait September 3, 2021 A new hero emerges in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with opponents both on the screen and in real life. Shang-Chi has endured pushback from China, a large market and a country understandably sceptical about a comic book with a history of disrespectful depictions of Asian people being adapted. While work has been done to modernise [...]
Rockets and Blue Lights at National Theatre review September 3, 2021 First performed in March 2020 at the Royal Exchange in Manchester, Rockets and Blue Lights ran for just three weeks before the pandemic yanked down the curtain. Now this strange, urgent, flawed, exasperating and occasionally brilliant play finally opens in London on the National Theatre’s Dorfman stage. Winsome Pinnock’s play focuses on the legacy of [...]
Cinderella review – Amazon’s enthusiastic but forgettable fairytale September 3, 2021 An unspoken rule of Hollywood is that a new version of Cinderella has to be attempted at least once a decade. Brandy (97’s Cinderella) and Drew Barrymore (Ever After) gave it a go in the 90s; while Anne Hathaway (Ella Enchanted) and Hilary Duff (A Cinderella Story) gave the tale a modern spin in the [...]
Wildfire film review – an understated family affair September 3, 2021 Generating some buzz through last year’s festival circuit, Wildfire comes to cinemas followed by sadness both on and off screen. Just as the sisters in the story live with loss in their lives, a dedication at the end alludes to the passing of star Danika McGuigan shortly after the film’s completion, aged just 33. There’s [...]