10 h. ago Snooker stars call for World Championship rule change as Zhao Xintong wins title

Zhao Xintong became the first Chinese player to win the World Snooker Championship, but several top stars believe the format of the tournament needs to be changed

Politics

32 h. ago Zhao Xintong proves Ken Doherty right as snooker stars ‘furious’ after £500,000 win

Zhao Xintong made history as he became the first Asian player to win the World Snooker Championship, but his stunning victory has left fellow pros 'up in arms'

Economics

48 h. ago Zhao Xintong beats Mark Williams to become China’s first snooker world champion

Zhao wins 18-12 in dramatic final session in SheffieldZhao makes history as the first amateur to win titleZhao Xintong became the first Chinese player to be crowned snooker world champion after holding off a late rally from Mark Williams to create history at the Crucible and complete a sensational career comeback.The 28-year-old only returned to competitive snooker in September last year after being handed a 20-month suspension for his part in the match-fixing scandal which resulted in a ban for 10 Chinese players. He was forced to begin on the sport’s amateur tour and arrived in Sheffield without professional status. Continue reading...

Politics

48 h. ago Zhao Xintong beats Mark Williams to win historic World Snooker Championship title

Chinese star Zhao Xintong has made history by becoming the first Asian player to win the World Snooker Championship by beating Mark Williams 18-12 at the Crucible

Politics

52 h. ago Mark Williams makes Zhao Xintong feelings clear with claim in middle of Crucible final

Zhao Xintong won six frames in the afternoon session on Monday at the Crucible, to move just one away from becoming the first Chinese player to win the World Snooker Championship

Politics

54 h. ago Next Hearts manager: Derek McInnes 'emerges as major candidate' but Kilmarnock boss won't come cheap

Jambos continue hunt for Critchley’s successor

Politics

60 h. ago Zhao Xintong caught in middle of fresh snooker controversy after serving 20

Zhao Xintong could become the first amateur player to win the World Snooker Championship on Monday, but his triumph would spark a fresh row in the sport among players and fans

Events

60 h. ago World Snooker Championship finalist Zhao Xingtong in fresh row after 20

Zhao Xintong is on the brink of becoming the first amateur player to win the World Snooker Championship as his success at The Crucible has put him back in the spotlight

Sport

2 d. ago 'He's a machine': Cole Palmer reveals Chelsea's best player after vital Liverpool win

England star earns man-of-the-match honours after finally ending long goal drought, but he lavishes praise on ‘dream’ team-mate

Sport

3 d. ago Henry Pollock revels in ‘special win’ over Leinster in hardest game of his life

Saints beat Irish province to make Champions Cup finalPhil Dowson says his players enhanced Lions prospectsNorthampton hope their extraordinary semi-final win over Leinster will be a springboard to further personal and collective success in the coming weeks. The Saints director of rugby, Phil Dowson, also believes several of his players have “undoubtably” enhanced their British & Irish Lions selection chances before Thursday’s tour squad announcement.Henry Pollock and Fin Smith, along with hat-trick try-scorer Tommy Freeman, could not have made a better impression on a high-pressure stage and Dowson believes Pollock’s exuberance is beneficial to any team. “It’s infectious and spreads throughout the team,” said Dowson. “Leinster are one of the best sides in Europe and the world. For our players to perform on that stage and execute under that pressure speaks volumes for them.” Continue reading...

Politics

5 d. ago Slot says title win can lure players to Liverpool, Dier to leave Bayern: football – live

Premier League: 10 things to look out for this weekendFixtures | Tables | Read Football Daily | Email JohnA bit more from Eddie Howe, on Alexander Isak: “He’s not for sale from my perspective ”Dejan Kulusevski has been talking about how the Europa League has brought out Tottenham’s best amid a wretched domestic season, PA Media reports“When you do performances like [the win at Eintracht Frankfurt], you want to repeat them,” Kulusevski said. “I think in Europe, we play a little bit different. We play with less risk and we put the ball up more in the space like we did today and we got to keep doing that in Europe.“This season has been really disappointing but at least, let’s finish it in the best possible way. We have got to do everything possible every day to make it happen. It is different football (on an artificial pitch), it is a different pitch, but in life, you have to do what you have to do to find a way to win and we have got to do that.” Continue reading...

Sport

5 d. ago English trio close on European finals, weekend team news: football – live

Premier League: 10 things to look out for this weekendFixtures | Tables | Read Football Daily | And email TomArne Slot has admitted he will rotate his squad a little for Liverpool’s four remaining league games now the Premier League trophy is safely in the bag “We are going to these four games trying to win them all and that’s what every player who wears the Liverpool shirt should aim for. My lineups will be different – we’re not going to change everyone but there will be a certain rotation in the upcoming games. I think some of the players deserved to play earlier in the season but they are good enough to play for this club. Earlier in the season I mainly chose the same people but this is a moment to see where others are but definitely also becauase they deserved to play this season.”Harvey Elliott, who has spoken of his desire to stay at Anfield, is one such. “I think it’s very important that players who are here want to stay – that’s a big compliment. Harvey is one of the players...

Sport

5 d. ago Manchester United player ratings vs Athletic Bilbao as four players get 8/10 in Europa League win

Man United beat Athletic Bilbao in their Europa League semi-final first leg and here are how the players rated at San Mames.

Sport

6 d. ago ITV viewers switch off David Tennant's new game show Genius Game after just ten minutes as they share same complaint

The first episode of Genius Game premiered on Wednesday evening and saw players test their intellectual acumen and attempt to win a cash prize.

Culture

7 d. ago Black Ops 6 Warzone Season 3 Reloaded release time – when Seth Rogan and Train Station arrive

A new blast of content is coming for Warzone and Black Ops 6 very soon, and it's hoping to win back some old players as it arrives.

Events

8 d. ago The Smashing Machine: Dwayne Johnson fights for an Oscar in first trailer

Actor makes major dramatic bid as UFC fighter Mark Kerr in biopic also starring his Jungle Cruise co-star Emily BluntDwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt aim for awards glory with the first trailer for fact-based sports drama The Smashing Machine.The wrestler-turned-actor plays the MMA fighter Mark Kerr in the film inspired by the 2002 documentary with the same name. Kerr won multiple awards and medals in his career and also struggled with substance abuse. Continue reading...

Politics

8 d. ago Jalen Hurts stays away as Eagles visit White House to celebrate Super Bowl victory

Donald Trump praises team’s win over Kansas City ChiefsNo official reason for players who chose not to attendDonald Trump feted the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles at the White House on Monday, but several players, including quarterback Jalen Hurts, decided to skip the celebration.Hurts and other players cited scheduling conflicts as the reasons for their absences, according to a White House official who spoke on condition of anonymity. Continue reading...

Events

9 d. ago Celtic quintet, Rangers hitman and Hibs hero amongst favourites to win Scottish Premiership player of the year

Here are the latest odds for the Scottish Premiership Player of the Year award, as Celtic trio lead the bookies favourite list.

Politics

1 week ago Arsenal gunning to overhaul mighty Lyon and reach Champions League final

Renée Slegers’ side have hope in key players returning but have to win on the road against the eight-times championsAt first glance, the outlook does not look too promising for Arsenal, trailing 2-1 against Lyon from the first leg of their Women’s Champions League semi-final and needing to win at a club who have reached 11 previous finals. Nonetheless, there are reasons for Renée Slegers’ team to be cheerful as well as fearful before the biggest game of their season as they try to keep their European dream alive.Losing in London was certainly not in the 2007 European champions’ script but Arsenal won more of the duels, controlled more of the possession and had more efforts at goal than Lyon, who lead thanks to the hugely talented young Haiti midfielder Melchie Dumornay’s cool late finish. The Arsenal left-back Katie McCabe was adamant regarding her side’s capability to fight back, saying on Friday: “I believe we can go and be positive and score goals. We have the quality. We have th...

Sport

1 week ago Narrow win ‘ideal’ for England’s World Cup preparations, says Mitchell

Red Roses win Six Nations after 43-42 victory over FranceCoach believes Twickenham experience will help playersJohn Mitchell said England’s one-point win over France was the “ideal” test for his side with the Rugby World Cup on the horizon.The Red Roses won their seventh consecutive Women’s Six Nations title after holding off a late French comeback at Twickenham. It was by far the closest match for England in this tournament, with their other four matches resulting in dominant wins. The lack of competition that the Red Roses face have led some to believe they needed a loss or a close game to learn from in order to know the answers if challenged at the upcoming World Cup. Continue reading...

Economics