Akara Etteh Akara Etteh had his phone stolen as he walked out of a Tube station. Early on a Saturday morning in April, Akara Etteh was checking his phone as he came out of Holborn tube station, in central London. A moment later, it was in the hand of a thief on the back of … Read more
After navigating the most important two weeks of his blossoming career with admirable ruthlessness and self-belief, Jack Draper walked onto Arthur Ashe Stadium for the biggest match of his career fully aware that the challenge required him to elevate both his game and physicality to new levels in order to contend with the No 1 men’s … Read more
There are stadium-sized blocks of ice crashing from the soaring face of the Kangerlussuup glacier in western Greenland. Fierce underwater currents of meltwater are shooting out from its base and visibility below the surface is virtually zero thanks to a torrent of suspended mud and sand. It’s little wonder scientists have never explored this maelstrom. … Read more
Perhaps the strangest part of Ben Duckett’s dismissal was how long it seemed to take, the ball falling very slowly out of the grey Oval sky. Duckett was closing in on a century and playing like a man who has just cleaned out the casino at Monte Carlo, playing like a kind of vengeful goblin-god, … Read more
Lee Carsley has never pretended otherwise. When England first came calling, he was torn. It was September 2015, he had a coaching role at Brentford and the England Under-19 manager, Aidy Boothroyd, wanted him as his assistant. “When I was asked to do it, the first thing I thought was: ‘Well, I’m Irish … how … Read more
Lee Carsley has said he will not sing England’s national anthem when he takes charge of his first match as interim head coach against the Republic of Ireland on Saturday. Carsley, who was born in Birmingham but won 40 Ireland caps having qualified through a grandmother, is set to return to Dublin after succeeding Gareth … Read more
The day after Craig Bellamy smiled and apologised to a Turkish translator for rambling his way to the end of an answer, his passion for the Wales job spilled over on to the pitch. In the buildup there was an understandable, first-day-at-school nervous energy to Bellamy and no wonder his excitement given the buzz his … Read more
Nick Hornby’s 2014 novel Funny Girl was about a woman with the mind of a comedy nerd and the looks of a pin-up model: Barbara Parker may have been crowned Miss Blackpool, but she was desperate to escape her home town and follow in the footsteps of her idol, Lucille Ball. It’s no spoiler to … Read more
The home secretary is holding a “landmark” summit on Friday aimed at smashing people-smuggling gangs all over the world. I am a Syrian refugee in the UK and I believe this will lead to more people like me becoming slaves in countries such as Libya, or losing our lives in the sea. In her announcement, … Read more
Goes out of fashion The sceptics have their way When every loving notion Is subject to commotion The cynics win the day But Bachchoo, even so The faithful will still know That white and black are merely dark Or cleaned up shades of grey”. From Sweeter Kavita, by Bachchoo This week a flimsy dingy carrying … Read more