London Archives

Sumo wrestlers bring 1,500 years of tradition to London as the sport has an international moment

LONDON (AP) — London’s Royal Albert Hall is preparing to host a different kind of spectacle: Sumo wrestling. Wrestlers put on an exhibition of heavyweight grappling to promote a tournament scheduled for next October. It marks only the second time an elite five-day tournament will be held outside Japan. The first was held in 1991 at the same venue. Organizers are hoping to whip up the kind of excitement that was generated three decades ago, when the deeply ritualistic sport attracted sell-out crowds and a national television audience.… Continue Reading

Directioners mourning singer Liam Payne leave tributes in London and other cities

LONDON (AP) — Hundreds have gathered in London’s Kensington Gardens to mourn Liam Payne as fans around the world grieved for the One Direction singer who died this past week. Directioners, as supporters of the wildly successful boy band are known, left tributes Sunday in London, Glasgow, Paris, Sydney and New York as they celebrated the life of the 31-year-old who died Wednesday after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires. In London, they clapped and sang near a statue of Peter Pan, the fictional boy who never grew up. In Paris, about 400 people — many of them crying and carrying flowers — gathered in the Tuileries Gardens. They brought letters and artwork, sang songs and consoled each other.… Continue Reading

4 artists’ works shortlisted for the prestigious Turner Prize go on display at a London museum

LONDON (AP) — A large concrete sculpture of a bracelet referencing the excesses of former Philippine first lady Imelda Marcos and a collection of portraits focusing on Black men and women are among the eclectic artwork shortlisted for the prestigious Turner Prize.

Four artists — Pio Abad, Claudette Johnson, Jasleen Kaur and Delaine Le Bas — were shortlisted for the 25,000-pound ($33,000) visual arts prize, which was established in 1984 and is awarded annually to a British contemporary artist. The prize is named for 19th-century landscape painter J.M.W. Turner.… Continue Reading