Shaun Murphy has accused snooker promoters Matchroom of “despicable” treatment over the timing of his match at the Champion of Champions tournament.
World number nine Murphy lost 4-1 to Lei Peifan of China in the 16-player invitational knockout at Leicester’s Mattioli Arena.
The 43-year-old Englishman felt aggrieved that he had to play the opening game of the non-ranking event, having only just returned from the International Championship in China, where he reached the quarter-finals.
“For me to be thrown out first is nothing short of despicable, and I think they have covered themselves in a huge embarrassment by treating me with such disrespect,” Murphy told ITV.
“I always pride myself on conducting myself as professionally as I can, try to treat the game with an incredible amount of respect.
“There are three other players in this tournament who weren’t even in China last week. The way I have been treated by Matchroom in this tournament is nothing short of despicable.”
In response, Matchroom said it spoke to Murphy afterwards and “share his frustrations”.
A statement read: “Our priorities are the players, we take pride in the fact they consider this event prestigious and want to prepare for it.
“For transparency and fairness, the groups [for the draw] are based on seeding. Scheduling is always a challenge every year, but we take on board the points and always strive to improve for next year and the future.”
Lei, ranked 31st in the world, opened up a two-frame lead before Murphy reduced the deficit.
However, Lei responded with a break of 61 to take the fourth frame with Murphy unable to respond in the fifth.
Meanwhile, England’s Judd Trump booked his place in the quarter-finals with a 4-1 win over Bai Yulu of China.
Reigning women’s world champion Bai, 22, won the opening frame of the first meeting between the players.
Shaun Murphy has accused snooker promoters Matchroom of “despicable” treatment over the timing of his match at the Champion of Champions tournament.
World number nine Murphy lost 4-1 to Lei Peifan of China in the 16-player invitational knockout at Leicester’s Mattioli Arena.
The 43-year-old Englishman felt aggrieved that he had to play the opening game of the non-ranking event, having only just returned from the International Championship in China, where he reached the quarter-finals.
“For me to be thrown out first is nothing short of despicable, and I think they have covered themselves in a huge embarrassment by treating me with such disrespect,” Murphy told ITV.
“I always pride myself on conducting myself as professionally as I can, try to treat the game with an incredible amount of respect.
“There are three other players in this tournament who weren’t even in China last week. The way I have been treated by Matchroom in this tournament is nothing short of despicable.”
In response, Matchroom said it spoke to Murphy afterwards and “share his frustrations”.
A statement read: “Our priorities are the players, we take pride in the fact they consider this event prestigious and want to prepare for it.
“For transparency and fairness, the groups [for the draw] are based on seeding. Scheduling is always a challenge every year, but we take on board the points and always strive to improve for next year and the future.”
Lei, ranked 31st in the world, opened up a two-frame lead before Murphy reduced the deficit.
However, Lei responded with a break of 61 to take the fourth frame with Murphy unable to respond in the fifth.
Meanwhile, England’s Judd Trump booked his place in the quarter-finals with a 4-1 win over Bai Yulu of China.
Reigning women’s world champion Bai, 22, won the opening frame of the first meeting between the players.
Shaun Murphy has accused snooker promoters Matchroom of “despicable” treatment over the timing of his match at the Champion of Champions tournament.
World number nine Murphy lost 4-1 to Lei Peifan of China in the 16-player invitational knockout at Leicester’s Mattioli Arena.
The 43-year-old Englishman felt aggrieved that he had to play the opening game of the non-ranking event, having only just returned from the International Championship in China, where he reached the quarter-finals.
“For me to be thrown out first is nothing short of despicable, and I think they have covered themselves in a huge embarrassment by treating me with such disrespect,” Murphy told ITV.
“I always pride myself on conducting myself as professionally as I can, try to treat the game with an incredible amount of respect.
“There are three other players in this tournament who weren’t even in China last week. The way I have been treated by Matchroom in this tournament is nothing short of despicable.”
In response, Matchroom said it spoke to Murphy afterwards and “share his frustrations”.
A statement read: “Our priorities are the players, we take pride in the fact they consider this event prestigious and want to prepare for it.
“For transparency and fairness, the groups [for the draw] are based on seeding. Scheduling is always a challenge every year, but we take on board the points and always strive to improve for next year and the future.”
Lei, ranked 31st in the world, opened up a two-frame lead before Murphy reduced the deficit.
However, Lei responded with a break of 61 to take the fourth frame with Murphy unable to respond in the fifth.
Meanwhile, England’s Judd Trump booked his place in the quarter-finals with a 4-1 win over Bai Yulu of China.
Reigning women’s world champion Bai, 22, won the opening frame of the first meeting between the players.
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has issued a public alert over the circulation of a suspected substandard and falsified antibiotic, BETACLOX (Ampicillin 250mg and Cloxacillin 250mg), discovered within Nigeria’s drug supply chain.
According to a statement released by the agency, the product contains fraudulent registration details and originates from an unverified source, posing a serious threat to public health.
The alert followed a report from a retail outlet in Zaria, Kaduna State, which identified the suspicious product after purchasing it from a distributor in Kano. Investigations revealed that the NAFDAC Registration Number (A4-4724) displayed on the fake BETACLOX package actually belongs to Mebendazole 500mg, manufactured by Chi Ltd., indicating a clear case of number misappropriation.
READ ALSO: NCDC Confirms 176 Deaths From Lassa Fever Across 21 States
The fake product, allegedly imported by Freeview Pharmaceutical Ltd., lists its address as No. 128 MCC Road, Calabar, Cross River State. However, verification by NAFDAC confirmed that the genuine Freeview Pharmaceutical Ltd. is registered at No. 101 MCC Road, Calabar, further exposing inconsistencies suggesting unauthorized use of the company’s identity.
Details of the falsified product include:
Product Name: BETACLOX (Ampicillin 250mg and Cloxacillin 250mg)
Batch No.: 230701
Manufacturer: Saeny Laboratory Pvt. Ltd., Kerala, India
Manufacturing Date: 07/2023 ExpiryDate: 07/2026
Fake NAFDAC Reg. No.: A4-4724
All NAFDAC zonal directors and state coordinators have been directed to conduct surveillance and mop up the falsified product across all regions. Distributors, pharmacists, and healthcare providers are urged to remain vigilant, ensuring that medicines are obtained only from authorized suppliers and checking product packaging for authenticity.
Members of the public are advised to report suspicious products to the nearest NAFDAC office or call their toll-free number
Public Alert No. 37/2025. Alert on the Report of Substandard and Falsified (SF) BETACLOX found in Nigeria#NafdacALERTShttps://t.co/jeUBRGyVjd pic.twitter.com/ILyPb34uI4
After the first instalment grossed nearly £600million worldwide, part two of Wicked: For Good could make even more – and many hope Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo don’t stop there!
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Fans hope Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande’s friendship could see them work together again(Image: AP)
Ariana Grande left fans talking about Wicked’s future after teasing that she’ll never be ready to say goodbye to Glinda.
The superstar is all set to brave the rain in Leicester Square tonight for Wicked: For Good’s premiere as the Wizard of Oz spin-off concludes. The Thank U, Next hitmaker stars in the much-hyped film alongside Cynthia Erivo with the first movie an incredible box office success, grossing almost £600million worldwide.
Part two is expected to be even bigger and that has left many speculating that there could be more to come. Ariana said playing ditzy Glinda has helped transform her life and she is nowhere near ready to let the character go – a confession that is sure to excite fans. “I think I have got to the point where I have realised I will never be ready to say goodbye to Glinda, I am ok with that,” she said.
READ MORE: Wicked fans all notice same thing about Ariana Grande’s voice in new clipREAD MORE: Wicked 2 stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo get matching tattoos with secret meaning
“She has been so important to me, she has taught me so much. Even before I landed the role of Glinda I was trying to put boundaries in my life, but she really has helped further cement that. She is so sure of herself, and that confidence has helped me put further boundaries in place.
“We as women really should not be scared of putting boundaries in place – they really can change our lives for the better. It’s taken me a lot of work to get to this point, where I am happy with who I am. There has been a lot of self care, therapy, and putting boundaries in place. The most important thing for me is that I continue to protect myself mentally.”
Fans are hoping there could be even more around the corner and her off-screen friendship with Cynthia, who plays to-the-point Elphaba in the film, grows and grows. Ariana even conducted an interview last year holding her co-star’s nails and detailing their bond she added: “Friendships like these are incredibly important, to have a friend like Cynthia just makes the world a better place.
“She is so supportive, she is always there for me, we are both always there to talk about anything we might be feeling. She has become like a sister to me, and I hope every woman out there has a friend like Cynthia.” They have even cemented their friendship with permanent inkings.
Ariana took to her Instagram page to share a photo of her and Cynthia’s hands with the inscription ‘For Good’ written in a simple black font under their thumbs. The two friends chose to get “For Good” tattooed on them in a nod to the second instalment of the Wicked films.
Speaking about their close friendship, Cynthia said: “I think we found a little piece of ourselves in each other. I think there are little pieces of us that, when we got together to do this together, when we first started, each of us was missing a little chunk.”
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The triple Oscar nominee, who has won Grammy, Emmy and Tony awards, said of her pal Ariana: “At the very beginning when we were doing rehearsals, that’s when I sort of decided that, okay, time to write this album. Coaxed by Ariana because she wouldn’t let me get away with it!”
Ariana is clearly open to new opportunities. The multi-talented 32-year-old talked about what’s next and said: “From a career point of view I just want to carry on doing things that creatively excite me. If that is acting, music, Broadway – I want it to be something that makes me excited to get out of bed in the morning”
Iraq is heading to the polls amid deep divisions among its Shia political elite and shifting regional power dynamics. Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani is caught between Iran, the US, and the Gulf, as the powerful Sadrist movement boycotts the election, reshaping turnout and coalition-building.
