Culture complements commerce, so let’s celebrate the City’s thriving artistic scene February 24, 2020 As lord mayor of the City of London, my role is primarily business-focused. But I am also passionate about arts and culture, and with so much of it on our doorstep, Londoners are truly fortunate. In fact, championing culture is a key part of my mayoral theme. And to underline its importance, I am looking [...]
Arsenal 3-2 Everton: Gunners come out on top of end-to-end game between two work-in-progress Premier League sides February 23, 2020 Intrigue was never going to be in short supply in a match between two Premier League teams overhauled by high-profile new managers still harbouring faint hopes of European qualification. Still, Arsenal’s narrow victory in a five-goal contest that swung one way then the other – from Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s acrobatic first-minute goal to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s decisive [...]
England 24-12 Ireland: Johnny Sexton’s struggles help England record confidence-boosting win at Twickenham February 23, 2020 The build-up to England’s Six Nations clash against Ireland at Twickenham on Sunday was dominated by one storyline. England captain Owen Farrell coming up against his father, Ireland head coach Andy, was an understandable focus, given the importance of both figures. But before England’s 24-12 win was over it was clear that particular aspect had [...]
Coronavirus: Tokyo hits back at ‘inappropriate’ suggestions London could host 2020 Olympics February 21, 2020 Tokyo governor Yurilo Koike has labelled claims London would be ready to host the 2020 Olympics if necessary as “inappropriate”. While a number of sporting events having been cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak, Japan has been determined to get this year’s Olympic Games on. Earlier this week, the Conservative Party’s London mayoral candidate Shaun [...]
The Visit at the National Theatre review: Lesley Manville shines in this overly-long drama February 21, 2020 Dürrenmatt’s revenge tragicomedy arrives at the National’s Olivier Theatre in an adaptation by Tony Kushner, transporting the drama to post-war America. In the state of New York, in a poverty-ridden town appropriately named Slurry, the town’s residents are desperate for a break. They pin all their hopes on the return (or rather, the visit) of [...]
Greed film review: Steve Coogan sets out to prove greed is not good February 21, 2020 I’m a member of an very in-exclusive club: people whom Sir Philip Green has called a c**t. There was no real malice behind it – I was writing a story about his fashion brand and that was simply the way he spoke to the media. Still, there was something cathartic about watching Michael Winterbottom and [...]
Push film review: A challenging look at gentrification around the world February 21, 2020 Property developers, look away now. If you’ve never felt the slightest bit icky when buying a £4 cup of coffee in a formerly working-class neighbourhood, you’re probably not going to like Swedish filmmaker Frederik Gertten’s new documentary, Push. It’s all about gentrification, and whether we have the right to live affordably in a major city [...]
Home advantage will see England overcome Ireland in the Farrell family showdown at Twickenham February 20, 2020 The Six Nations returns this weekend after a break and Sunday brings a mouth-watering contest at Twickenham, where England host Ireland. As ever, it’s set to be a huge game between two of the world’s top five teams and there’s plenty at stake, too. Ireland are eyeing a Triple Crown and are still on course [...]
Call of the Wild review: A heartwarming trek through the uncanny valley February 20, 2020 Throughout his acting career, Harrison Ford has built a reputation for acting alongside large hairy things, whether they be a Wookiee copilot or Sean Connery at peak beard. Now the man stars alongside Buck, a sled dog made not of flesh and bone but a veil of polygons, generated by powerful graphics processors and wrapped [...]
Tyson Fury v Deontay Wilder 2: Heavyweight duo’s trilogy plan leaves Anthony Joshua left out in the cold February 20, 2020 They may have just one of the four heavyweight world titles between them but, 14 months after their first fight, Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury are still the main attraction in boxing’s most popular division. Following their split-decision draw of 2018, Wilder and Fury will put their undefeated records on the line in a highly-anticipated [...]