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Steve Sutcliffe
Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre is where BBC Sport journalists are based.
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Mark Williams, a three-time champion, fought back to earn a 13-12 victory over John Higgins in the World Championship’s semi-finals.
As winner Williams rallied from each of the first four frames with three half-centuries before the game resumed at 8-8 on Wednesday, Higgins was initially left to rue costly misses in each of the subsequent frames.
Williams, 50, who was 5-1 up at the 20th frame as Higgins, a four-time champion, delivered a stirring response from 12-8 down, was largely confined to his chair after that.
The 49-year-old, who appeared to be struggling, found his rhythm and recorded breaks of 94, 114, and 67 to prepare for a dramatic conclusion.
Both players had chances to win a tight final frame, but when Higgins slammed the corner of the blue, the Welshman made it 2-0 before 52-year-old Ray Reardon in 1985.
“Unbelievable game, unbelievable finish. One of my best shots for many years probably was the blue I played, Williams said to BBC Sport.
What are those blue steel balls. A difficult shot was made. I had the option to leave. It could have been cut too far. I simply pursued it full-blooded.
There were no nerves at all, perhaps just a few times throughout my entire career.
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Williams, the reigning world number six, has generally prevailed over his fellow “Class of 92” rival in Sheffield, winning five of their six meetings, but it was Higgins’ first defeat in a decider since 1996.
After the first four frames of the morning, it appeared unlikely that it would live up to the thriller they provided in the 2018 final, which the Welshman ultimately won 18-16.
Higgins appeared out of tune and out of rhythm until the mid-session interval, which was similar to Williams’ claim that he had inspired him to perform “Delilah” by Tom Jones before arriving. He only showed signs of resemblance to the player who recently won the World Open and Tour Championship.
The Scot said, “It was poor for the first four frames, but after the break, I had nothing to lose and played perhaps the best four-frame burst of the event.”
I had a chance, I thought. You are under a lot of pressure, but the blue might be impossible if I pot the brown and roll through.
Zhao moves into the final four.
With a 13-13 victory over Chris Wakelin, Zhao Xintong placed third in the group.
His reward for making his debut appearance at the single table will be a meeting with Ronnie O’Sullivan, who defeated his Chinese compatriot Si Jiahui on Wednesday night 13-9.
The 28-year-old amateur won six straight frames on Tuesday to take the lead 12-4, and he did so comfortably.
After being one of the top 10 players from China sanctioned in a match-fixing scandal, Zhao, a former UK Championship champion, has now won 45 of his 47 matches.
He accepted the accusations of being a party to another player who had already fixed two matches and had himself bet on matches without actually playing a match.
Ruben Amorim, manager of Manchester United, claims that winning the Europa League “could potentially change a lot of things in our club.”
The Old Trafford outfit travel to Athletic Club on Thursday for the first leg of their semi-final after a disappointing domestic campaign.
Even though United are 14th in the Premier League and have only 39 points from 34 games, they could still qualify for the Champions League if they win the Europa League.
Everyone is aware of how crucial it is to our season, Amorim said. Nothing can possibly save our season, but this could be very significant.
In the second leg of their last-eight tie, United won 7-6 on aggregate with a remarkable comeback when they scored two goals in the final minute of extra-time to beat Lyon 5-4 in the second leg.
Even if they win the trophy, Amorim, who replaced Erik ten Hag in November last year, is aware of how much of the Premier League’s struggles are in stark contrast to their European form.
The United manager added, “Europa League will not change anything about our problems; it will help us have Champions League next year, more money to spend, but the problems are still there,” added the manager.
We must “change the minds of our fans with consistency, sound judgment, sound hiring, and a strong academy.” To restore this club’s leadership, we must alter something about it.
“This is more of a shortcut than a game in Europe,” he said. Nothing more.
After returning from injury, Amad Diallo and Matthijs de Ligt, both of whom are injured, are out for the Spanish team.
Dutchman De Ligt missed a month with a similar issue while Diallo, 22, has been out since February with an ankle injury.
In the other semi-final, Tottenham will face Bodo/Glimt from Norway, and the match will take place on May 21 in Bilbao.
And with Spurs currently 16th and two points adrift of United in the Premier League, Amorim also refuted claims that the matchup between teams was fair because they were able to qualify for the Champions League despite having such subpar domestic campaigns.
Bodo/Glimt are third in the Norwegian top flight, while Athletic Club is fourth in La Liga.
Amorim remarked, “It’s the rules.” The best teams in the Champions League should be included, so perhaps you could say that’s unfair.
Made in Chelsea star Louise Thompson openly about the leak of her stoma bag in central London and admitted to being “too overwhelmed to speak” as she was left crying.
Louise Thompson candidly opened up on her stoma bag leak that left her in tears(Image: Instagram/louise.thompson)
Louise Thompson has revealed she was left “too overwhelmed to speak” as she broke down following a stoma bag leak while in central London. The Made in Chelsea star, 30, said she found the incident “horrendously debilitating”.
She has been open about her multiple health battles, having almost died while giving birth to her son in 2021. Louise revealed last year that she had been fitted with a stoma after years of ulcerative colitis. According to the NHS, it is a long-term condition where the colon and rectum become inflamed. A stoma is a surgically-created opening made in the abdomen that helps to divert the flow of body waste into a medical device.
Louise candidly detailed her experience (Image: Instagram/louise.thompson)
In honor of Winnie The Pooh, Louise proudly displayed her stoma bag, which she affectionately dubbed “Winnie.” Louise revealed she was left in tears this week after a leak despite frequently maintaining her upbeat status on her Instagram account.
She and her fiance Ryan Libbey were traveling to Marylebone on his motorcycle for a coffee and an appointment. After their “excellent” start to the day, Louise and I went to record a podcast.
Louise was taken to the hospital where she later realized that her Stoma bag had leaked. Louise opened up about the incident by saying, “I found myself in a really depressing situation yesterday.
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I had a fantastic day off. At @avenues, I had a medical appointment. life with Ryan in the morning: we biked there to avoid the traffic for 20 minutes.
Then, off to record a podcast with two of my best friends, which has been a long time coming. following a week of c**p health, I had a lot of excited energy in my belly.
Because we were a little early, Louise continued, “We were riding out of Marylebone blissfully happy and then I felt a little wet in my pocket before we headed to @watchhouse for some delicious coffee and cookies pre-recording.”
I looked down and discovered the most gruesomely incapacitating stoma leak. As Ryan intervened, the reality TV star admitted she was too overwhelmed to explain the circumstance.
Her fiance Ryan supported her throughout the incident(Image: Instagram/louise.thompson)
As hospital staff attempted to locate a new stoma bag, she had to wait in the bathroom for an hour. I had to hobble to the nearest hospital, which was a private one, so it was a little awkward, Louise said.
“Thankfully Ryan, who I was with, handled it for me because I was actually too overwhelmed to speak when we got to reception.” Then, as they searched around to see if any of their inpatients had any stoma bags, I literally waited locked in a bathroom for an hour while sitting on the floor covered in mess.
Louise described how painfully she had to remove her old bag and remove the new one from the photo. While Louise struggled to keep it all together, her assistant made her a new pair of pants.
She wrote, “I tried to pull myself together.” I put on some new, clean, but really long trousers after cleaning up in the sink, and then had to ask for scissors to cut this to the right size (while my small intestine was free and active and hanging out of a gaping hole in my stomach).
She fitted the new stoma bag herself(Image: Instagram/louise.thompson)
I was so determined to continue listening to the podcast recording because I’m so used to this crazy s**t happening to me at this point.
Louise, however, gave in to what she had just experienced. She had to give her mental health a priority in addition to her work obligations.
She openly said, “But then as I was leaving, I caught myself in the mirror and I just felt so sorry for myself that I burst into tears.”
I called Ryan and told him to come in, but I was just told I couldn’t bloody do it. I had hoped it would make a good story, but I was unable to.
“Sometimes, on a rare occasion, I experience a human reaction and realize that I’m not that strong, so I need to be kind to myself, call it a day, look after myself, and look after my mental health.” Although work frequently comes first, this one was too much of a push. I canceled everything.
Biggs Chris and Rebecca Gormley, who both currently dated on Love Island, are included in Amanda Holden’s new Netflix series Cheat: Unfinished Business.
Biggs Chris has admitted to cheating on his ex Rebecca Gormley(Image: Tom Dymond/Netflix)
Former Love Island star Biggs Chris has said that he slept with someone else whilst in a relationship with his now ex-partner Rebecca Gormley. He confessed to cheating on her whilst filming Netflix show Cheat: Unfinished Business.
The reality TV show, which was released on the streaming platform today, sees “former cheaters reconnect with their exes”. They confront each other at a retreat with the help of relationship coach Paul C Brunson, whilst presenter Amanda Holden acts as the host of the nine-part series. It was previously announced that Biggs, 32, and Rebecca, 27 – who met on Love Island in 2020 – are among the exes on the show.
Biggs Chris (second from right) and Rebecca Gormley (right) are among the exes who feature on Netflix’s Cheat: Unfinished Business(Image: Tom Dymond/Netflix)
They began a romance after their time in the villa together five years ago. Rebecca then announced the following year that they were no longer together. A year later in 2022, in an interview on Stand Out TV, Biggs suggested that he had cheated in all of his past relationships.
In the opening scene of Cheat: Unfinished Business, Biggs was revealed as having cheated on Rebecca. He confessed in a confessional that he was just beginning to understand how much he had cheated on her. Therefore, I must come clean for us to proceed.
Then, he said to her, “Before we move forward, I need to tell you something,” while he was talking to one of the other couples. I made a mess, ” ” Before revealing that her heart was “pounding,” Rebecca posed the question, “if he wanted to go further.” Then, Biggs said in the scene, “I cheated toward the relationship’s conclusion.”
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It was a “major shock,” according to Rebecca, who added, “I never had you down as a liar.” In another scene, the reality TV star admitted, “I was so in love with him that I kind of believed what he said,” sharing that she’d heard allegations of infidelity.
After Biggs confessed in front of Rebecca and the other couples, host Amanda said, “Biggs, you’ve got a lot done for being honest and giving clarity.” Then, she interrupted his ex and said, “Rebecca, thank you for listening.”
Rebecca said in a confessional, “There were always allegations that he had cheated on us, and I just brushed them off.” When he turned around to me and said, “yes, it’s all true,” I tried to make things right when I came to this retreat. I didn’t know the boy I knew, but the boy I spent nearly two years with. Finding out something like that hurts.
In a conversation with Rebecca later in the episode, Biggs said to her, “Towards the end of the relationship I slept with someone.” He later added: “I f***ed up. Why did I do it, I don’t know.
Rebecca claimed that she “felt violently sick” after receiving the news. When, like, I just… she said to her ex, “You’re just painted out to be the nice boy. It’s just an act, in my opinion. Biggs responded: “No, it’s… no, it’s not”.
Rebecca mentioned the breakdown of their relationship in the scene where she had earlier said it was the “best thing” for them. On the program, she revealed to her ex-partner that she believed their relationship to be “perfect.”
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She stated to Biggs, “I genuinely believed that our relationship was what other people would describe it as. I was unhappy with myself, the only reason it came to an end. not because I disliked you. She continued, “So I was protecting myself and you.” Biggs once said, “I know. That is something I am aware of.
Netflix currently has Cheat: Unfinished Business available.
According to Marco Rubio, the secretary of state of the United States, President Donald Trump’s administration may disagree with a judge’s request to release information about efforts to return an El Salvadorian man who had been deported without permission.
The top diplomat was asked if he had requested Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s return from El Salvador at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday.
Rubio responded, “I’ll never tell you that,” adding. And who else would I never tell, exactly? A judge”.
He continued, noting that the court’s order does not bind him. Because the executive branch and the president of the United States are in charge of our foreign policy, not some judge.
The statements emphasized the Trump administration’s defiance of judicial controls over its authority.
US District Judge Paula Xinis had mandated that government attorneys provide updates on the steps the Trump administration had taken to bring Abrego Garcia back to the US. She made a promise to ask administration officials to provide sworn testimony regarding those efforts on April 15.
However, Xinis halted the directive at the administration’s request for a while last week.
She has set new deadlines in May for administration officials to testify ostentatiously about the retrieval of Abrego Garcia because the pause ends at 5 p.m. on Wednesday (21:00 GMT).
Abrego Garcia, a Maryland resident, has been imprisoned in El Salvador since March 15 when he was one of the immigrants who had been taken into the maximum-security facility known as the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT).
Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, who was in Abrego Garcia’s custody, claims that he has since been moved to another facility.
A judge’s 2019 deportation order for him was violated because he would face persecution from local gangs, so the deportation was unlawful.
Abrego Garcia and his family claim that he fled El Salvador when he was 16 years old when gangs pursued him for recruitment. Without any documentation, he arrived in the US.
The US government initially acknowledged that Abrego Garcia’s deportation was the result of an “administrative error” in light of the protection order’s 2019 status.
The Trump White House has since reaffirmed its claim that Abrego Garcia belongs to the MS-13 gang and will never be able to reside in the US in the wake of the public outcry the case has sparked.
Nothing can ever change the fact that Abrego Garcia will never be a Maryland father. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated earlier this month that he would never ever reside in the United States of America.
Although Abrego Garcia has not been charged with any crimes, MS-13 experts have questioned whether his tattoos support gang affiliation.
Additionally, the administration has made references to alleged gang activity against Abrego Garcia in New York, a state he has never resided in, in which an anonymous informant has previously claimed. Garcia’s attorneys contend that these claims are false.
Judge Xinis initially told the US government to “facilitate and effectuate the return of” Abrego Garcia no later than April 7th.
The US Supreme Court ruled in an appeal, but it did not specify the minimum requirements for complying with its order. However, the Trump administration was required to “facilitate” rather than “effectuate” the return.
Additionally, the high court agreed with Xinis’ claim that Abrego Garcia had been denied access to justice while he was deported.
Trump’s supporters have, however, stated on numerous occasions that their appeal had been supported by the Supreme Court. Additionally, they assert that President Nayib Bukele, the country’s leader, has the authority to appoint Abrego Garcia, a prospect that he had previously rejected.
How do I bring him back to the United States? At a sit-down earlier this month in the Oval Office, Bucele said.
Should I enter the country illegally? I’ll not do it, of course. The query is absurd. How does one enter the United States through smuggling? He cannot be returned to the United States, but I can’t.
Trump has, however, sent contradictory statements regarding the position of his government and whether he is actually able to demand Abrego Garcia’s release.
The US president was questioned about whether he could unilaterally resign Abrego Garcia in an interview with ABC News on Tuesday. Trump responded, “I could.”
Trump continued, “And I would do that if he were the gentleman you say he is.” He is not, though.
However, the president objected when asked on Wednesday during the cabinet meeting whether Abreu would request that Bukele release Abreu Garcia.
He said, “I really don’t know, but I am aware of how great a friend our country has been.”
On the new podcast Diary Of A CEO, the former first lady and Steven Bartlett discuss their lives.
Michelle Obama was at Donald Trump’s first inauguration ceremony in 2017 with husband, former President Barack Obama (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Michelle Obama is now in her 60s, but she claims that she is only just beginning to put everything together. She smiles and says, “As a woman, I think I’m finally owning my wisdom in a way that I didn’t,” I believe that women must be like, “I think I know a thing or two” until we’re about 60.
There would be few people who could argue with that. Michelle describes herself as a “box checker” someone who like ticking off lists and planning. But no list could prepare her for the life she has had. The former first lady was born in DeYoung, Illinois, on January 1964, to parents Frasier Robinson III and Marian Shields.
Michelle Obama enjoys Steven Bartlett’s interview on The Diary of a CEO.
She attended Chicago Public Schools with her older brother Craig, and she quickly excelled in elementary school. She was raised in a rented home in Chicago’s South Shore neighborhood. Michelle adds, “I knew my parents loved us, and that’s a strong tool to have in your toolkit when you go to school every day,” despite the fact that the family didn’t have a lot of money and Michelle was raised in a shared bedroom.
Planning her life out then saw her gain at law degree from the prestigious Harvard Law School. She was hired by the Chicago corporate-law firm of Sidley & Austin, where she specialised in entertainment law, and was ultimately assigned as advisor to summer associate Barack Obama in 1988.
Barack Obama appeared in my life as the opposite of a box checker, but he was not the person I described in my book as the ultimate swerve, as I had met him at the same time. On the podcast Diary Of A CEO, she recalls that he was brilliant and fascinating.
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He was actually attempting to unpack life in a way that people of my generation were not attempting to, and I decided, I must do more before I give in, and I think Barack helped me find the courage to do so.
Michelle subsequently worked in nonprofit companies in the States and as the associate dean of Student Services at the University of Chicago.
And Barack showed plenty of courage himself in the political world to get to the White House, winning the presidential election which meant Michelle was in the White House with husband between 2009 and 2017.
Michelle and her husband, who wed in 1992, were trying to conceive in the Nineties while also facing political pressure.
She discusses her struggles with fertility and IVF, saying, “Imagine your life as you’re checking boxes: I’m waiting, I delayed having children, I’ve found the love of my life, and I’m going to become pregnant.”
No one can prove that there is a biological clock, so you assume it will be like a box, and it will happen in that way. That is not true.
The biological clock is ticking as we wait for our lives to be perfect, which we really tried, which turned out to be perfect for our careers, as we matured, and have everything set.
She continues, “So when it happens to you, a box checker, someone who believed life would be going to be this and you did all the right things, and you know it was going to be that way and no one told you to be so that you be prepared for it, it just was a blow. And then you walk around with the blow as though it was your fault as a woman.
Barack and Michelle Obama with daughters Malia and Sasha before they got into the White House(Image: barackobama/Instagram)
Thankfully, they were blessed to have two daughters, Malia born in 1998 and Natasha, who was born in 2001.
However, Michelle acknowledges that their time in the White House wasn’t always straightforward because of this.
Although Hillary Clinton and I were distinctly different, we were at a different time. The White House had a few small children, which wasn’t unusual. The West Wing simply didn’t consider or work to fully protect all of us as a whole in terms of accommodations and methods.
Since Barack’s time as President America has changed in many ways and the White House has a very different occupant in Donald Trump. Michelle has been vocal against him and chose not to attend his inauguration alongside Barrack, which saw her forced to deny rumours of marriage problems in April.
“You know, as a box-checker who has been doing the right thing her entire life, attempting to always set a example, always going high,” she says.
I believe I just self-proclaimed, “I think I’ve done enough of that,” and I’m never going to do it. It won’t ever suffice. So let’s get things started.
And while she may not like everything she sees right now in America or a lot of political issues, her husband still inspires hope.
Barack Obama takes the oath of office as the 44th US President with his wife, Michelle by his side in 2009(Image: AFP/Getty Images)
She says, “You are not mad at me, I’m not mad at you,” reflecting on the current state of American leadership and the divisions among some. You have been told a lot about who people of my skin color are, and you don’t really understand what the world is all about. Because of what you’re going through, you’ve been taught to fear me.
I understand why people are afraid when you put yourself in someone else’s shoes. Barack helps me remember, and I do understand it. He says, “This is still the country that elected Barack Obama twice,” you know.
Business leaders and those in power who want power and haven’t understood their “why” can lead us into some dark tunnels, no, really, right?
“But it’s the empathy for me, that perspective-giving ability that prevents them from accepting all the hate and truly see the light in people,” he said. It’s just a better way to live; it prevents embarrassment, fosters optimism, and keeps people working for them. It’s a bit necessary to get past it.
Michelle Obama and her brother Craig Robinson appear on The Diary of a CEO.
Bartlett also thanks Michelle for her life’s impact during the podcast. He said that as a young black man who was “navigating the world and looking up role models that aren’t often in close proximity to our lives,” and that Michelle was a “huge source of inspiration.”
Afterwards he told the Mirror: “Sitting down to chat with Michelle Obama was one of the most significant moments of my career to date. It was also illuminating. What began as a conversation about leadership became something deeper — an honest and intimate exploration of Michelle’s fears, her marriage, and her journey to becoming who she is today.
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For one, I’ve never heard her talk about her story in this way. It is undoubtedly one of DOAC’s most powerful episodes, and it represents a genuine moment for everyone who contributes to the program.
Michelle’s brother and co-host Craig Robinson also appear for the heartfelt and candid feature-length interview.
