Coe: Go for quality not quantity June 26, 2011 DURING my career, I was famously known for favouring high quality training rather than high quantity training. This approach made sense to me then and it still holds true today. However, despite the fact that it is 30 years since I went to my first Olympic Games, there still seems to be too much emphasis [...]
theatre HIGHLIGHTS THIS AUTUMN eight of the best September 1, 2011 THE TEMPEST Theatre Royal, Haymarket Ralph Fiennes, soon to be starring in his own film version of Shakespeare’s play Coriolanus, takes on the iconic role of Prospero in this must-see production (see right). It’s the first major London staging of the Bard’s mysterious final play in years, and also happens to offer the prospect of [...]
Micropayments are misguided July 27, 2011 APPLE has built its iTunes and App Store empire on micropayments, small one-off payments of between a few pence and a few pounds. Now ITV is hoping to emulate that success with its own “pay mechanism”, which will likely charge customers for accessing content online or through a TV on-demand system like Virgin Media. We [...]
BEST OF THE BROKERS June 29, 2011 CARREFOUR Nomura sees the supermarket’s full-year growth target as overly ambitious, and initiates coverage with a neutral rating and a target price of €29 including its Dia arm. Though the broker believes Carrefour will miss its targets, the prospect of potential asset disposals and M&A are limiting the stock’s downside. MAIL.RU Morgan Stanley sees the [...]
Why Google+ may save my friendships July 31, 2011 A MONTH ago I wrote a column saying Facebook shouldn’t be worried about the 6m users it lost in the US. The gist of it was that there was no chance of a serious rival emerging. Zuckerberg, I said, has the whole social network thing stitched up, and he’ll live happily ever after as king [...]
Resolute Stoke give Villas-Boas the debut Blues August 14, 2011 STOKE (0) vs CHELSEA (0) CHELSEA manager Andre Villas-Boas labelled Stoke’s roughhouse tactics “out of this world” after seeing his Premier League debut end in the disappointment of a scoreless stalemate. An unusually zesty performance from much-maligned £50m striker Fernando Torres was the biggest positive for the young Portuguese coach, who had to stomach just [...]
ALSO OUT THIS WEEK | FILM, MUSIC, GAMES June 9, 2011 FILM KABOOM Bizarre, eventually apocalyptic look at life, sex and the universe, from director Greg Araki. MOTHER’S DAY Remake of the Eighties horror flick, with Rebecca de Mornay as a psychotic mommy. POINT BLANK Not the legendary Lee Marvin film, but a run-of-the-mill French action caper. DVD 127 HOURS JAMES Franco stars in Danny Boyle’s [...]
Injury scare for Derby fave Carlton May 31, 2011 THE QUEEN’S Carlton House, the favourite for the Investec Derby, remains poised for Saturday’s Epsom classic despite an injury scare. The colt was sent for X-rays yesterday after concerns were raised following a workout on Sunday, but is still expected to take part in the world’s most famous flat race. Her Majesty’s racing manager John [...]
ALSO OUT: May 19, 2011 DVD BLACK SWAN Natalie Portman on Oscar form in Darren Aronofsky’s psychological thriller. THE WALKING DEAD SEASON 1 Surprisingly effective US TV hit with Brit Andrew Lincoln. THE NEXT THREE DAYS Formulaic thriller with Russell Crowe. GAMES L.A. NOIRE (PS3, X360) 1950s Los Angeles gangsterland is brought to scintillating life. THE WITCHER 2: ASSASSINS OF [...]
AirAsia plans boost to Airbus plane deal July 6, 2011 AIRASIA is understood to be close to buying an extra 100 A320neo jets from Airbus, in a deal that would make the budget airline one of the world’s largest carriers. Last month the Malaysian airline’s owner, Tony Fernandes, stormed into the Paris Air show ordering a record-breaking 200 revamped A320 planes for £10.5bn – the [...]