List of All Articles with Tag 'person'

By Daniel Trotta Oklahoma's governor has signed into law a bill making it a felony to provide gender-affirming

Manchester City midfielder Laura Coombs sees the rise of Manchester United as a major force in the Women’s Super League as something to be welcomed. After being relaunched in 2018, winning the Championship and then coming fourth in the WSL for three successive years, United this term have had their best top-flight campaign to date. Marc Skinner’s side had been top of the table and are close to securing Women’s Champions League qualification for the first time. City, who United face in Sunday evening’s derby at Leigh Sports Village, are in danger of missing out on Europe. But on the topic of United’s rise, Coombs told the PA news agency: “I think every player prefers the league more competitive. “I think it now puts our league as probably the best in the world, because it’s the most competitive. So the more teams that can rise up, the better in my opinion.” With two rounds of games to go, United are second in the table, two points behind Chelsea. Arsenal, Chelsea’s opponents at Kingsmeadow on Sunday, are three points further back in third, with fourth-placed City another two points behind in the battle for the three Champions League berths. Asked about the fact that if Chelsea win, City could then end their derby rivals’ title push, Coombs said: “We want to beat United. If that result then stops them, I wouldn’t say that’s why exactly. The more teams that can rise up, the better in my opinion. Laura Coombs “We just want to go in and get the result to give us every chance to get top-three, that’s really our main motivation.” City are looking to avoid what would be a first finish outside the European places since 2014, their inaugural WSL campaign. Yet to be beaten by United in six WSL meetings, winning three of those, City take them on a week after Skinner’s side lost 1-0 to Chelsea in their debut Women’s FA Cup final appearance. Coombs – scorer of an equaliser in December’s 1-1 Manchester derby draw at the Etihad Stadium, a moment she describes as a “highlight of my career” – has no doubt United will “come all guns blazing”. And the 32-year-old added: “Like us, they lost their last game so they want to put that right straight away. They always give us a good game, and I think every year the games between us are getting more and more competitive. It’s really exciting to be a part of.” After a notable turnover of players last summer, City started their WSL campaign with back-to-back losses before going unbeaten across the next 14 games, winning 12. That momentum has slowed with two defeats in the last four for Gareth Taylor’s side, 2-1 at Arsenal and then Liverpool last time out. Coombs, whose season has included signing a new deal with the club running to 2025 as well as returning to the England squad, said: “I think it has been a bit of a rebuilding year. “We bounced back pretty quickly after the first two games of the season and we’ve got ourselves in a place now where we’re a solid group, and there won’t be a big turnover at the end of the year. “So I think going into next year that puts us in a really strong position. We have had large periods of the year where we’ve played some really great stuff and we’ve got back to a competitive place in the league. So I think if we look at it as a building year, it makes next year really exciting for us.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live On this day 2016 – Liverpool lose to Sevilla in Europa League final Man City crush holders to book Champions League final return Recent history not on Rory McIlroy’s side as he aims to win US PGA Championship

President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign is vowing to hold the states that won him the White House in 2020 but also compete in places it lost like North Carolina and Florida, providing what it says are “a number of viable pathways" to victory

US President Joe Biden and other Group of Seven leaders began arriving in the Japanese city of Hiroshima

By Kirsty Needham SYDNEY (Reuters) -U.S. President Joe Biden rang his Papua New Guinea counterpart James Marape on Thursday after

China says its special envoy met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during talks in Kyiv earlier this week

Jordan Henderson reflects on Liverpool's summer transfer plans & his role at Anfield.

Hong Kong's leader says the city’s public libraries would not recommend books featuring “bad ideologies” to residents after they pulled titles related to the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown and certain political figures

Coventry City manager Mark Robins believes the Championship play-off final is ‘one for the romantics’ after his side set up a Wembley meeting with Luton Town. Robins’ team edged out Middlesbrough in a tight semi-final to put themselves just one game away from a return to the Premier League. The Midlands club were last in the English top flight in 2001, while Luton have never featured in the Premier League. And as recently as 2018, the two clubs were languishing in League Two, but now have the chance to earn promotion to the top of the English footballing pyramid. “People talk about journeys, where we’ve come from,” Robins told BBC CWR. “It’s one for the romantics. “Luton have come from the National League. I remember it well; Mick Harford in charge, 30-point deductions, it’s been a tough road for them but it’s been a tough road for us and we’ve got our own tales of woe from over a number of years. “Hopefully we can build into a game and have a really good go at getting back into the Premier League. We’re one game away, they’re one game away. To be part of that game is fantastic.” A single goal from Gustavo Hamer was all that separated Coventry and Middlesbrough across two legs, with the Brazilian-born playmaker firing home impressively to secure his side’s place in the promotion decider. Robins returned for a second stint as manager in 2017 and has steadied the club through a number of challenging seasons, leading them to two promotions to return to the Championship. The 53-year-old has been rewarded with a new, extended contract and praised the clubs “special fans” for their support. ““It’s a special club and it’s special because it’s been through so much,” Robins said. “We’re playing Luton who have been through a fair amount themselves, but this is a special club with special fans and the fact they’ve got behind us so much is testament to everything we do. “They’re really good, they’re behind the players, and the biggest achievement I think we’ve managed to do is reconnect with the fans - because there was a huge disconnect with the club. “They’ve come back together, and it’s been phenomenal. It’s changed beyond all recognition since I walked through the door in 2017 and hopefully we can take the next step.” Coventry and Luton meet on Saturday 27 May at Wembley to determine who earns promotion to the Premier League. Read More Coventry City aiming to come full circle after journey to hell and back A tiny ground and a squad costing less than a Man City sub. How are Luton one game from the Premier League? Real Madrid at critical juncture after impotent and powerless Champions League exit Coventry to face Luton in Championship play-off final as Hamer sinks Middlesbrough Coventry and Middlesbrough fail to land blow in Championship play-off semi-final Kitman Chris Marsh overcomes illness to help support Coventry’s promotion push

The age of huge UK property price increases may be coming to an end as population growth slows

Amy Schneider finished fifth on the leader board with zero wins putting an end to her journey in 'Jeopardy! Masters'

Ukraine said Thursday it had downed nearly an entire barrage of Russian missiles overnight, the latest in an "unprecedented" wave of aerial...