Marc Guehi had been almost immaculate in his City career. Until that point. But Donnarumma made a major error against Arsenal and it did not cost City. Guehi must hope that he, too, is spared by a winner.
(Getty)
Richard Jolly, at the Hill Dickinson Stadium4 May 2026 21:31
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GOAL! Everton 1-1 Man City (BARRY 69′
HANG ON! THE GOAL STANDS! BARRY PUNISHES GUEHI’S BACK-PASS!
Wow! Drama. So, we need a rules expert to explain this. Barry was offside originally. But Guehi played on and made a deliberate attempt to pass back, which started a new phase of play. Barry is therefore onside again, and beats Donnarumma to equalise!
A huge moment in the title race.
Jamie Braidwood4 May 2026 21:28
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NO GOAL! Everton 0-1 Man City
69 mins: Everton have the ball in the net! But Guehi’s blushes are spared as Barry was offside!
Jamie Braidwood4 May 2026 21:28
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Everton 0-1 Man City
65 mins: SAVE! Huge stop from Donnarumma! It’s a mess at the back from City, with Nunes and Khusanov getting in each other’s way. It’s breaks to Ndiaye but Donnarumma makes himself big and the Everton forward hits it straight at him!
Jamie Braidwood4 May 2026 21:24
Everton 0-1 Man City
64 mins: CHANGE! A game where Barry comes on for Beto. As opposed to the games when Beto comes on for Barry.
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(Reuters)
Richard Jolly4 May 2026 21:23
Everton 0-1 Man City
63 mins: This feels… in the balance. Everton have encouragement and Man City have not exactly looked like they are able to put them away.
Jamie Braidwood4 May 2026 21:22
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Everton 0-1 Man City
60 mins: SAVE! Lovely play from Ndiaye as he leads a counter-attack, and a good advantage from referee Oliver as there was a pull. The forward forces a low stop from Donnarumma before Bernardo clears, with no one in blue there to follow in.
Jamie Braidwood4 May 2026 21:20
Everton 0-1 Man City
58 mins: Haaland leads a City break and manages to stay on his feet following contact from Garner from behind. Everton manage to stop the counter.
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Jamie Braidwood4 May 2026 21:17
Everton 0-1 Man City
53 mins: Tarkowski catches Haaland from behind after the striker was slipped in and picks up a yellow card. The Everton captain disagrees with the decision.
Jamie Braidwood4 May 2026 21:12
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Everton 0-1 Man City
51 mins: City’s physios were looking at Semenyo’s neck after that landing but the forward is back on and able to continue. A sloppy touch from Cherki leads to a sight of goal for Dewsbury-Hall but he fires over.
The popular Channel 5 documentary is back on Tuesday, May 5, following Reuben Owen’s work and life in the Yorkshire Dales.
Owen, son of Our Yorkshire Farm’s Amanda Owen, stars in the show alongside close friends Tommy and Sarah as they grow his heavy plant machinery business in the countryside.
Reuben Owen: Life in the Dales (Image: CHANNEL 5)
Taking to Instagram this week, he said: “So excited for the start of the new series. Here are a few shots of what to expect. It’s going to be fantastic. Tune in next Tuesday at 8pm on Channel 5.”
The programme offers a behind-the-scenes look at the farmer’s efforts to expand his business, Reuben Owen Ltd, which handles a variety of rural construction projects, including drainage, muck shifting, and landscaping.
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Season three opens with a job to build a sheep pen for a local farmer.
But when a gate post proves difficult to secure, the team is left scratching their heads and looking for a solution.
The episode also features a more personal moment, as they gather to celebrate Owen’s father Clive’s 70th birthday at the village pub.
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Now in his early twenties, Owen has quickly established himself as a young entrepreneur, running his own “five-star business”.
Recent updates on the company’s Facebook page show the variety of work undertaken by his team, including installing 900 metres of water pipe in just one day across difficult, boggy ground.
The social media post drew praise from followers.
Reuben Owen: Life in the Dales (Image: Reuben Owen: Life in the Dales/INSTAGRAM)
Away from the cameras, Owen’s personal life has also attracted attention.
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He is in a relationship with Jessica Ellwood, whom he met at a Young Farmers’ convention in 2024.
Ellwood, who works on her family’s farm at Brough Castle, regularly appears in his social media posts.
The couple went public in November 2024.
Before his relationship with Ellwood, Owen was dating Sarah Dow, a long-time friend.
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Speaking to Lorraine Kelly, Owen confirmed the pair remain close despite no longer being together.
He said: “Me and Sarah were together, we’re no longer together but we’re still very good friends.
“She’s kind of gone her own way and is pursuing her own career.”
The new series is expected to build on the success of previous episodes by combining light-hearted workplace challenges with insights into daily life in rural Yorkshire.
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Viewers can expect a mix of mechanical mishaps, problem-solving, and the camaraderie that has made the show a hit.
In the midst of this there has been renewed speculation over Sir Keir’s leadership of the party, with suggestions that possible challengers to the PM, such as UK Health Secretary Wes Streeting, Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham and former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner could be preparing to move.
The fact he was flanked by his parents resonated even more as he revealed the health struggles his mother had been through and the sacrifices he had to make to achieve his lifelong dream.
Wu came out on top in the first deciding frame in a world final for 24 years, holding his nerve to make a break of 85 and beat Murphy 18-17 – becoming the second-youngest snooker world champion in history and also just the second to come from China.
“My parents are the true champions,” an emotional Wu told the BBC after his triumph. “Since I made the decision to drop out of school, my dad has been by my side. My mum has also been going through a lot over the years, they are the source of my strength, I love them so much.”
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The 22-year-old – who moved over to Sheffield as a teenager with just his father in order to focus on his snooker career – expanded on his mother’s health struggles in his post-match press conference and delivered some good news about her current status.
“My mum wasn’t in very good health condition for a long time,” he explained. “During that time we were in Sheffield, she has been in hospital a lot. She is forever a source of strength to me.
“She is feeling much better now. This is the second time she has visited me in the UK, I think in the future I will take her more to tournaments to be by my side.
“She sacrificed everything for me. At that time she told me ‘don’t come back home, I can manage everything’. It was the second year I was playing in the UK. At that time my ranking was very low so it was a crucial time for me to achieve some good results and keep my professional status. She means everything to me.”
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Wu Yize celebrated winning the world snooker title with his parents (Getty)
The team around him have helped Wu reach the pinnacle of snooker (Getty)
Wu’s rag to riches story is remarkable as he and his father sacrificed a lot to move from the Chinese city of Lanzhou to Sheffield, while speaking almost no English.
His father quit his job and moved to England so his son could practise his snooker but they were so short of money shared a “tiny windowless room, sleeping on the same bed” for the first two years in Yorkshire.
Homesickness was also a problem, with Wu initially brining in limited prize money to pay the bills and buy food.
Earlier in the tournament, Wu explained: “Especially the first year when I arrived in the UK to train and play I wasn’t mentally in a good place. But I’m really happy I overcame many difficulties to come to where I am today.
“There was definitely a lot of pressure and also there was a lot for myself to improve in terms of my game, so I was definitely feeling the pressure at the time.”
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Shaun Murphy was gracious in defeat against Wu (PA)
Winning the world final lifts Wu to No 4 in the world and the £500,000 cheque for winning at the Crucible means his money troubles are now behind him.
But after beating Murphy, he confirmed that the thought of quitting snooker never crossed his mind.
“I never had a thought to give up,” he said. “Obviously that time was a very tough moment in my life. Living in a poor condition like that, I had so much acne, maybe because of an infection from the air conditioning.
“But I think it was a strength I have built over the years. If you really love snooker it is the path you have to go through and fight through.”
Wu has risen to No 4 in the world rankings (Reuters)
Wu always had an immense work ethic, which is now paying off, and childhood coach Roger Leighton – who tutored the new world champion as an 11-year-old in Foshan, China – spotted it immediately.
“When he came to me, his highest break was 49,” Leighton told The Independent earlier this month. “After a couple of weeks, he hit an 86. I said, ‘That’s great, amazing.’ He said, ‘It’s no good, because Ronnie [O’Sullivan] would have cleared up.’ That’s his mentality. But he was a fun-loving kid. If he missed a ball he hated it, but he laughed a lot and that was his way of releasing pressure.”
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That fun-loving kid has now won snooker’s biggest tournament but not without a few hurdles along the way.
After suffering a 28-point loss to Armagh in the Ulster SFC semi-final, the Mournemen face Leitrim in the first round of the Tailteann Cup
It isn’t where Down wanted to be. They were aware of the risks. They knew the consequences.
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Two years on from winning the Tailteann Cup, they find themselves back in the second-tier competition.
Winning Division Three this season gave them a fighting chance of making the Sam Maguire, but Westmeath’s surge to the Leinster final ultimately denied them that opportunity.
Of course, Down could have controlled their own destiny. After their heroic defeat of Ulster champions Donegal in Letterkenny, another scalp against Armagh would have demoted Cavan to the Tailteann.
Back in 2024, they had the consolation of knowing they gave Armagh an almighty fright with Kieran McGeeney’s men needing a late Jason Duffy winner to edge a tight semi-final battle.
How does Conor Laverty now galvanise his men after such a harrowing loss?
“That’s the million dollar question,” stated Laverty.
“How we get ourselves back in a position and a frame of mind but I suppose it’s too early now to explain how that plans because it wasn’t in our thoughts at all.
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“We have to take a bit of time now and reflect on our performance and reflect what has gone right for us in many ways over the last number of weeks but also what didn’t work and then assess our plans.
“We’ll have to chat to the lads and see where our hunger is at. We are in the Tailteann Cup now, it wasn’t in our plans but that’s life, that’s where we are at.
“Fair play to Westmeath, they didn’t get out of Division Three but for their performances over the last couple of weeks, you have to give them credit for that as well.”
With Westmeath’s Leinster SFC semi-final against Kildare going to extra-time in Tullamore, Down would not have been aware of the result prior to throw-in against the Orchard men.
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However, with Laverty taking a seat in the Gerry Arthurs Stand, news soon filtered through that Down would need to win in order to clinch a spot in the Sam Maguire.
“We all knew, that’s the rules. So there is no point complaining about that, that’s just where it is,” added Laverty.
“We’d probably felt we had done our part in Division Three, to win it, and it was still in our own hands coming here today.
“It’s not where we wanted to be, it’s not where the group wanted to be but we’ll have to dust ourselves now, reassess things and have a long hard think about the next part of the jigsaw and how we approach this and what manner we approach the Tailteann Cup.”
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Down will have two weeks to prepare for their round one clash at home to Leitrim, managed by Mourne native Steven Poacher, on the weekend of May 16/17.
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Here’s what the stars have in store for your day (Picture: Metro.co.uk)
The Moon moves into Capricorn, linking to Mercury and the North Node, bringing insight and intuition. Ground yourself using all senses today.
Pisces, Aquarius and Capricorn, your creativity shines and you easily tune into your surroundings. Fresh perspectives are on your side.
Don’t shy away from big decisions, as the comos implores you to take action. Remain humble, but tap into the highly concentrated power at your fingertips.
Ahead, you’ll find all star signs’ horoscopes for today: Tuesday May 5, 2026.
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To order your unique personal horoscope based on your time, date and place of birth, visit patrickarundell.com.
Aries
March 21 to April 20
With the Moon moving later today into the practical Capricorn and forging a positive link to both Mercury and the North Node, an intuitive nudge could give you some guidance about a work or worldly issue, which can benefit from both sensitivity and being grounded in your approach. Your enthusiasm can remain high, but getting a tangible result will be satisfying.
Your great gift is for knowing that continuity and stability have their place and not everything needs radical change in order to keep evolving but can benefit from sensible adaptions along the way. Yet, you could find yourself really enthusiastic about a fresh approach now. And someone can be very encouraging about the pathway you want to gently embrace.
For all the excitement of Uranus’s recent arrival in your sign and the glamour of having Venus with you too, your ruler is in a sensitive connection today with the powerful if subtle Point of Destiny. So however much something seems bubbly and bright, it’s still a good thing to listen to your instincts. Some quiet research can also prove beneficial and unearth revealing facts
The Moon is going to move into your sector of relating. It’s a great place for her to be because it’s going to help you to be conscious of both others’ needs but also being aware of yours too. If something needs to be discussed around a partnership matter, the chances are you can do it with sensitivity, but also practicality, with Mercury showing up in the mix too.
Although you have a reputation of being comfortable with the limelight, not every Leo needs to be in charge of every situation. And yet, with both the Sun and also Mercury in a very visible part of your situation, you could be asked to take on some kind of leadership role or show direction to others. Fortunately, a mix of common sense and perception can assist you.
If you enjoy writing, teaching, training or publishing you can truly sparkle today, Virgo, particularly later in the day when the Moon emerges from a sheltered location and into a much more effervescent one. Your words and ideas can land just so with the people that you’re connecting to. Even if you see yourself as cautious, just be guided by your instincts.
Cosmic messages for Cosmic messages for Virgo today
Libra
September 24 to October 23
Things are being shook up just now, but in a gentle enough way for you to see what needs to evolve or be released. The Moon makes a fleeting but important connection today to Chiron, the healer, giving you an opportunity to interact with someone and share your wisdom around a relationship issue they have, but equally, they could give you some powerful input too.
Conversation doesn’t always equal comprehension but today gives you a platform to not only have a two-way discussion but also get some important insights from it. And if you’re enjoying a developing relationship, the Sun’s link to the charming Venus suggests that there’s a lot that could reassure you about the direction that it’s taking, in whatever type of bond.
Although you’re very much a free spirit, there’s lots to be gained today by tackling practical issues that may constrain your freedom a little bit now but will help you to create a framework that gives you greater liberty at a later date. You could also support a friend, relative or colleague with a thoughtful gesture that can be much appreciated and create some goodwill.
Your creativity and flair are amped up today in a really bright way and are supported by some intuitive nudges. These can grow stronger as the day goes on and the Moon arrives in Capricorn this afternoon, adding more self-belief. All this can see you enjoy some sparkling encounters and with a dash of fun, but can also see you busy, productive, and upbeat.
If you’re a maker or a home hobbyist, you’re being nudged to try some fresh approaches. But equally, there may be a small business idea that you’ve been grappling with that can start to shape up positively. You have a rare gift for blending innovation with practical tactics, and this can shine out brightly. However, later today, you may enjoy retreating into your own space.
Two complementary planetary angles are supportive to you today, Pisces, and both of these can see your mind agile, but it doesn’t mean to say that you need to sacrifice your appreciation of atmospheres and how things feel. If you want to discuss family matters or make some home improvements, today’s energies can be very helpful to these too.
Your daily Metro.co.uk horoscope is here every morning, seven days a week (yes, including weekends!). To check your forecast, head to our dedicated horoscopes page.
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The pair were taken into custody after concerns were raised surrounding their fitness to perform their duties.
Officers from Greater Manchester Police were called to an inbound flight at Gate 49 at Manchester Airport on Saturday, May 2.
It is understood that captain of the flight was requested to go to the gate after he raised concerns.
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Both cabin crew staff were arrested after initial breath tests showed readings were above the limit for aviation duties.
However, further tests in custody revealed they were within the legal limit, and both individuals were released without charge.
A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police said: “Police attended the Manchester Airport on 2 May 2026 after concerns about the fitness of two cabin crew members to perform their duties.
“Both individuals were arrested after initial breath tests indicated readings above the limit for aviation duties.
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However, subsequent tests in custody they were within the legal limit, and they were released without charge.
Manchester City managed to leave the Hill Dickinson Stadium with a draw but they were also full of regret at what had happened
22:26, 04 May 2026
As the second half progressed, Manchester City fans could be forgiven for watching through their fingers as it got more and more tense. After Pep Guardiola’s side threw away a lead and two points at Everton, it may take a while for some to remove their hands from their head.
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That will go for the players too, especially after a first half in which they could and should have had more of an advantage – in terms of goals or men – than they did. But a horrible unforced error from Marc Guehi opened the floodgates for Everton to drive a stake through the heart of City’s title hopes.
In the end, two late goals from Erling Haaland and Jeremy Doku gave City a point that could be priceless in the final reckoning. But the lack of celebration for the goals, and the desolation that greeted the final whistle, said far more about how the point and the game feels to the Blues right now.
Click here to find out the latest Manchester City news in our daily newsletter
Guardiola had said there would be more twists along the way, and he now has to hope that they concern an Arsenal side who have recovered impressively from their defeat at the Etihad last month. If City don’t get a favour in a match they cannot control, there is a chance they will not top the table again this season.
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The most galling part for City was that this was all so avoidable. They racked up nearly 90 per cent of possession in the opening 20 minutes and bossed the half but were unable to have anything to show for it until Doku curled in just before the break; the failure to send Michael Keane off for a wild lunge on the Belgian may not have made a difference but still irked the Blues.
City have not lost at Everton since 2016 and the Hill Dickinson is far less intimidating than Goodison Park to visit. The Blues had nothing to worry about and got themselves into a winning position.
Yet even before the second half, signs of a wobble had been there. Donnarumma had already come to City’s rescue once when Iliman Ndiaye raced through with the ball on the back of three separate errors from City defenders and it felt like Son Heung-min versus Stefan Ortega all again.
The Italian made the save but that still wasn’t enough to snap City out of their slump. Guehi’s awful backpass was slapped into the net and was the first of three goals scored in 14 minutes by the rampant hosts.
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Just as City looked out, Haaland pounced to get them back into the game. And with one of the last actions, Doku stepped up again to rescue a point.
That gives them something, but the looks at full-time revealed that the feeling is it could leave them with nothing to lift at the end of the Premier League season.
Geoffrey Brewer, 53, stood on the wrong side of the railings – sparking a five-hour motorway closure
22:20, 04 May 2026
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A racist shouting ‘make Britain great again’ and demanding a full English breakfast caused part of the M42 to close for more than five hours. Geoffrey Brewer climbed over the railings on a bridge near junction five, for Solihull, prompting other motorists to raise the alarm.
But when emergency services arrived he aimed vile racist abuse at them and demanded a fry-up. He did not appear intent on harming himself but paramedics and police became concerned he may fall by accident.
The 53-year-old eventually surrendered. He had undisclosed mental health issues and problems with drugs, Birmingham Crown Court heard. Don’t miss a court report by signing upto our crime newsletter here
Brewer, from Lindsey Place, Brierley Hill, admitted two counts of racially aggravated intentional harassment as well as causing danger to road users by obstructing the road.
On Tuesday, April 21 he was sentenced to nine months but told he could expect to be released imminently given he had already spent that period of time in custody on remand.
Members of the public became concerned at seeing Brewer on the wrong side of railings on the motorway bridge at around 6am on July 10 last year.
Police attended and tried to persuade him to return to the right side of the barrier but he ‘shouted racial abuse’ at a female officer and did a Nazi salute, said prosecutor Harman Kooner.
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Brewer also made a number of crude, sexual remarks and threw a drinks bottle towards her.
Mr Kooner said: “He wasn’t making comments about being suicidal but threatened to jump off the bridge if he didn’t get a full English breakfast and other food, drinks and cigarettes.
“They were concerned primarily that he would fall rather than jump.”
The prosecutor said an ambulance arrived next but Brewer ‘exploded and proceeded to go into a tirade of verbal abuse’.
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His comments towards one of the paramedics were similarly racist and vulgar.
Brewer also repeated ‘make Britain great again’ and the Nazi salute, the prosecutor said, adding that he also removed items of clothing because it was ‘extremely hot’.
He was arrested at 11.40am.
Mr Kooner confirmed that the motorway had been closed for more than five hours and ‘thousands of members of the public were impacted’.
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Brewer had previously committed 48 offences
Lizzie Banagan, defending, said: “At the time the defendant was homeless.
“He was living a somewhat chaotic lifestyle. Part of the offending was committed, in his words, as a cry for help.
“He was struggling significantly with mental health issues.”
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The barrister told the court Brewer had already had a difficult time in custody due to ‘dire’ conditions, including not having a working toilet in his cell.
He had not had any visits from his family as well as limited access to courses and facilities.
Ms Banahan confirmed Brewer had become a grandfather for the first time while in custody and said he was ‘anxious to be released and reunited with his family’.
Recorder Louise MacLynn, passing sentence, told him: “In your pre-sentence report you claim to have no memory of the incident and you refer to possibly inadvertently taking drugs.
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“You have no insight into your offending. There is a history of concerns regarding domestic abuse, significant concerns about drug-taking and a lack of clear information in respect of your mental health.”
The judge told Brewer it was ‘likely you will be released immediately’ due to the time he had already served.
She added part of his post sentence supervision would include being referred to dependence and recovery services.
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Wu Yize edged Shaun Murphy in a classic Crucible final (Picture: Getty Images)
Shaun Murphy was left ‘absolutely heartbroken’ by a deciding frame defeat in the World Snooker Championship final, but was proud of his performance in an epic battle with Wu Yize.
Both players provided immense entertainment, going for their shots relentlessly throughout and looking deadly from distance and in the balls over 35 frames.
The Magician was left with no regrets after a fabulous contest, but a fourth defeat from five trips to the World Championship final still stings.
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‘It was a great match, I thought we put on a great show,’ Murphy told a post-match press conference.
‘Wu is one of the most talented players I’ve ever seen and as I said to Hazel [Irvine] out there – I hate being right about things like this – I said after we played in China a few months ago that he would be world champion.
Are you snooker loopy?
You’re in the right place. I’m Phil Haigh, and I cover the game we all love for Metro.
In my new newsletter, The Table, I analyse the biggest talking points, pull back the curtain on the sport and crown the biggest winners and losers every week.
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The next edition will look back on what has been a great World Championship yet again, so there’s no better time to sign up.
Phil has been reporting on snooker for over a decade, since working in World Snooker’s press office in 2012
‘I’m delighted for him, I’m absolutely heartbroken for me.’
Wu Yize becomes China’s second world champion (Picture: Getty Images)
The 43-year-old edged Fan Zhengyi 10-9 in his opening round before downing Xiao Guodong, defending champion Zhao Xintong and John Higgins on a brilliant run to the showpiece.
‘I couldn’t have tried any harder for the whole tournament,’ he said. ‘I should have lost the first match and then once I found my stride I felt like I played really, really well for the whole tournament, including the final.
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‘Some of the clearances I made to keep myself in it in the penultimate frame and others to steal. The match had everything.
‘I guess people might say I was in first in the decider with a chance, I just lost position early on. But I didn’t really do anything wrong. I played the best shots I could play from where the ball’s finished. As a snooker player that’s really all you can do.’
Wu knocked in a superb 85 in the decider to win it, with Murphy hailing the bravery at the crunch.
‘The shot that he went for, to have the courage to go for a shot like that, if he misses that shot, he loses. Of course if he gets it, he wins,’ said the Englishman.
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‘I remember what that feels like as a 22-year-old, having never won a match here and coming here and getting to the final.
Murphy stays on one world title after five finals (Picture: Getty Images)
‘But all credit to him, when he got his chance, especially having messed up in the penultimate frame, when he got his chance he took his chance.
‘I don’t feel like I lost the match, I feel like Wu Yize won the match.’
Murphy added: ‘I don’t feel like I’ve done a great deal wrong in the whole match to be honest. I thought it was 35 frames of top-flight professional snooker. Unfortunately there has to be a loser.’
It is a sore end to a good season for Murphy, who lifted the British Open title and came as close as he could to a second World Championship without managing it.
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‘Everything is looking positive,’ he said. ‘The only negative is that I’m not taking the trophy home but I got very, very close.
‘I’m back up into the top-end of the rankings from a standing start last season. I’ve had a really good season, possibly my best ever.
‘To win and to be in more finals, the semis of the UK, got to the final here and all the rest of it. The indicators are all going in the right direction. I will allow myself a little break now although I’ve got plenty of shows in the next few weeks.
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‘I won’t really go away from snooker but I’ll have a bit of a break and once I’ve mended my heart I’ll come back next season.’
Recent State Pension age changes and retirement rules mean it’s crucial to check your National Insurance contributions
Those already drawing a state pension, as well as those approaching retirement, have been urged to check how DWP regulations impact their payments, ensuring everything is in order and accurate.
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The system can be difficult to navigate, given the complexities surrounding the rules. Your state pension entitlement is accumulated through National Insurance contributions, meaning the amount you receive can differ depending on your personal circumstances.
Pensions expert and founder of the Rich Retiree, Hannah Martin, shed some light on how to make sense of the DWP system. She explained: “With so many different rules, people can be confused about what their exact state pension entitlement is, and whether they have paid in enough to qualify for the full amount.”
She highlighted that one of the key elements to get to grips with are the “different qualifying rules”. The expert explained: “In 2016, the new state pension was introduced, and with it came a new flat-rate system for people reaching state pension age on or after that date.
“To qualify for the new state pension you need at least 10 qualifying years of National Insurance (NI) contributions, and 35 years for the full rate. People who reached state pension age before 6 April 2016, are still subject to the old two-tier state pension.
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“If they had paid National Insurance contributions for at least 30 years they will get the full basic state pension.” While the 30-year requirement applies to the basic pension and 35 years to the new system, these are general benchmarks, making it crucial to confirm your personal circumstances, reports the Mirror.
The state pension forecast tool on the gov.uk website allows you to check your expected entitlement.
Currently, the full basic state pension is £184.90 per week, amounting to £9,614.80 annually, while the full new state pension pays £241.30 weekly, totalling £12,547.60 each year. If gaps exist in your National Insurance record, you may be able to buy extra contributions to increase your state pension amount.
Bear in mind, however, that voluntary contributions can only be purchased for the past six tax years. Money expert Martin Lewis recently explored on his BBC podcast when paying for additional contributions is financially sensible, and when it’s best avoided.
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The state pension age is one aspect of the system currently being reformed. Ms Martin said: “There have also been changes to when people qualify for state pension. It was increased from 60 for women and 65 for men to a uniform 66. It will rise to 67 by 2028 and 68 by the mid-2040s.
“Famously, WASPI women were given very little notice that their pension age was increasing from 60 to 65.” The state pension age is being gradually raised from 66 to 67, with the transition taking place between April 2026 and April 2028.
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