In an uncertain era, the success of Venus and Serena tells a story of the greatness that already exists in the United StatesIt was to be Serena’s day. But the impact of an all-Williams final at the Australian Open cannot be overstated.Before Serena’s victory over Venus in Melbourne, the 23rd major title of her glittering career, the last time the two sisters went head-to-head in a grand slam final was at Wimbledon in 2009. Serena bested Venus in a tough two-set match. At the time, the sisters had won multiple titles in their already storied careers, which began with family practice sessions on the dilapidated courts of Compton. Related: It’s not all bad news – we’ve got Venus, Serena, Roger...
A billion-dollar deal with Alibaba is just the latest incident in which the International Olympic Committee appears to be violating its own principlesSometimes when they interrogated Xie Yang they sat him on top of a stack of plastic stools. And then, between threats to turn him into an “invalid”, they kicked, punched and head-butted him, blew cigarette smoke in his face and suggested that his wife had better take care when driving. “If you move, we can consider that you attacked a police officer, and we can take whatever steps to deal with you,” he was warned.Xie, a prominent Chinese lawyer who was among around 300 human rights activists detained in July 2015, was also hung from the ceiling and...
Trade minister Greg Hands presses the case for ‘creating a lasting, positive impact’, conveniently overlooking appalling abuses suffered by migrant workersFor obvious reasons, the small hours of last Wednesday turned out to be an excellent time to bury bad news. Even so, I was pleased to be awake for a tweet emanating from the trade minister Greg Hands, in which he announced: “In Qatar to open our #SportIsGreat conference, supporting Qatar’s 2022 World Cup & offering UK to be the partner of choice for delivery.” Related: Qatar World Cup 2022: Amnesty hits out at UK silence on human rights Related: Infantino’s jetsetting contrasts grimly with migrant worker’s Fifa case | Marina Hyde Continue reading...
Before the first Ryder Cup since the Brexit vote, the Guardian’s European correspondents assess the public mood in their countries, and how much people really care about the competitionRyder Cup competitor: Henrik Stenson Related: Ryder Cup 2016: Europe’s togetherness is more organic, claims Rory McIlroy Related: Davis Love III: If USA keep losing, people are going to quit watching the Ryder Cup Continue reading...