Europa League: Villas-Boas tips goal-shy Soldado to rediscover his shooting boots November 28, 2013 TROMSO 0 vs TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 2 TOTTENHAM boss Andre Villas-Boas has backed out-of-form striker Roberto Soldado to soon justify his £26m price tag. The 28-year-old endured a goalless 90 minutes in the Arctic Circle last night, but Spurs cemented top spot in Group K thanks to an own goal and a first strike of the [...]
Car review: Volkswagen’s new Passat 2.0 TDI SE is beaking into the family car elite November 24, 2014 Volkswagen’s new Passat challenges its premium rivals in a bid to become the vehicle of choice for families. It’s tough to break into the “elite” family car market. Audi, Mercedes Benz, BMW and Lexus have got it pretty well sewn up. In fact, nobody else really comes close. But I drove a [...]
Review: the new Jaguar XFR-S Sportbrake July 15, 2014 According to the Jaguar ads, half the country is queuing up to test drive the new F-Type. It probably won’t disappoint either, given how attractive it is and what a delight it is to drive. But there’s a deal-breaker: practicality. The F-Type only has two seats and it has a tiny boot, making it great [...]
Chelsea can continue sparkling start at Etihad September 18, 2014 BEN CLEMINSON PREVIEWS MAN CITY V CHELSEA AND BILL ESDAILE WITH HIS BEST RACING TIPS REIGNING Premier League champions Manchester City have endured a frustrating start to the new season, emphasised by a late winner for Bayern Munich from their former defender Jerome Boateng on Wednesday night that inflicted more European misery on the club. [...]
Threat of Islamic State to the UK is enough to require ground troops, says think tank September 26, 2014 Today's parliamentary debate will determine whether or not the UK joins America and its Arab allies in carrying out airstrikes against Islamic State (IS) militants in Iraq. It follows on from Prime Minister David Cameron's declaration earlier this week that the UK is “ready to play its part” in the campaign against the extremist [...]
Men’s fashion: travel in style May 28, 2014 Billionaire Couture suit, £2,135 and shirt, £350, both at billionairecouture.com; Berluti shoes, £2,700, 43 Conduit Street W1S2YJ; Carven jacket, £775, 85 Pelham Street, SW7 2NJ; Tumi bag, £695, 211 Regent Street, W1 Dolce and Gabbana jacket, €1,852, waistcoat, €416 and trousers, €343, all available at dolcegabbana.com; Oliver Brown shirt, £65, oliverbrown.org.uk; Hermès bag, [...]
The West’s eyes are on Syria – but Islamic State is still winning in Iraq October 26, 2014 There is little doubt that Islamic State’s (IS) siege of Kobani in Syria is a gripping story. Echoing similar narratives to the Alamo and the Boxer Rebellion, a small band of brave and determined “good guys” (in this case the Syrian Kurds) miraculously seem to be holding off hordes of fanatical “bad guys” (IS). Indeed, [...]
Women beat Canada to lift the World Cup August 17, 2014 EUPHORIC captain Katy McLean paid tribute to past players who had narrowly missed out on lifting the trophy after England finally landed the Women’s Rugby World Cup with an efficient 21-9 win over Canada in Paris yesterday. England had lost three successive finals but were leading by five points inside the final 10 minutes as [...]
Pub operators left hungry after World Cup cuts demand for food July 24, 2014 The World Cup put the boot into pub food sales over May and June as consumers, rather than eating out at their local Mitchells & Butler’s or Marston’s pubs, stayed at home to watch the action in Brazil. Harvester and All Bar One owner M&B posted disappointing third quarter results yesterday due to the World [...]
Can the Islamic State be defeated without the West ramping up military intervention? August 18, 2014 Professor Michael Kerr, director of the Middle East & Mediterranean studies programme at King’s College London, says Yes. Islamic State (IS) can be contained without Western ground troops playing a central role in the present crisis. Following the West’s withdrawal from Iraq, Arab uprisings, and the outbreak of civil war in Syria and Iraq, a [...]