moment

Will Smith crouched, his left knee on the ground and his mitt grazing the dirt as his Team USA teammate Mason Miller strode towards the plate.

From there, the only way for his glove to go was up and through the slider that fell out of the strike zone as the Dominican Republic’s Geraldo Perdomo stopped his swing. But, in a full count, home plate umpire Cory Blaser called it strike three.

Miller threw his hands above his head. Smith pumped his first. And the United States advanced to the World Baseball Classic final.

“That’s the work we do in the cage, and off the machine, and drills, and all that coming to fruition, and being applied to in-game,” Smith said in a recent conversation with The Times.

He has a slim chance of replicating that moment during the season, with the ABS challenge system implemented in MLB. If it had been in play during the WBC — as long as the Dominican Republic had challenges left — Perdomo surely would have used one on the final pitch of that 2-1 game.

And yet, as counterintuitive as it may sound, Smith dedicated time and effort during spring training to improving his framing.

“It’s important because you only get two challenges a game, offensively and defensively,” Smith said. “The whole team only gets those two. So the harder I can make it on the other team to challenge pitches, the better. The more strikes I can get and not have to challenge, the better. I think overall, it almost makes it more important, in a way.”

United States pitcher Mason Miller and catcher Will Smith celebrate a WBC semifinal win over the Dominican Republic.

(Rebecca Blackwell / Associated Press)

Framing had been a weakness in Smith’s game in recent seasons, according to Statcast’s catching metrics. His best season was 2023, when he recorded four runs saved via pitch framing. But he slipped to minus-eight and minus-10 the next two seasons. Entering the Dodgers’ series against the Phillies this weekend, he was at an even zero after 43 games at catcher this season, including 39 starts.

And now, when Smith doesn’t get a call, he has ABS to fall back on. Entering Friday, he’s challenged 41 calls through the ABS system from behind the plate, the 10th-most of any catcher. And he had a 71% success rate, the ninth-best mark among catchers with at least 20 challenges.

Because the catcher has the best vantage point, teams across the majors have made their catchers, not their pitchers, the point men for ABS challenges on defense.

ABS as a skill, however, isn’t just about getting the challenges right. Knowing the right times to take a risk is also key.

“There’s so many games within the game,” Smith said, “and that’s just another one of them.”

As Smith alluded to, under the challenge system — as opposed to fulltime ABS, which MLB also tested in the minors — it’s still possible to steal strikes.

“I like the challenge system because you still have the human error element to the game,” Smith said. “…Everyone always talks about how it’s a game of life, dealing with failure and dealing with ups and downs — the umpire screwing you or catching a break, that’s part of the game.”

Dodgers catcher Will Smith walks to the dugout after the fifth inning of a Dodgers-Marlins game at Dodger Stadium on April 27.

(Ronaldo Bolanos/Los Angeles Times)

Now, the players have recourse for the egregious calls and the biggest moments of the game.

The margins are so slim, however, that if a hitter isn’t convinced enough on a borderline strike call, and the situation dictates caution, he may not challenge.

The same goes for a catcher on a borderline ball call.

That’s where Smith’s work on framing comes in. He describes it as a change in philosophy.

“For me, it’s more just understanding the move,” Smith said. “I had to drill it in a little bit obviously, but more understanding the move of going farther out to get it, working through the ball, more like towards the pitcher, as opposed to letting the ball kind of come back to you. That was just not how I’d ever done it.”

That’s what he did on that last pitch of the WBC semifinals. Moving through the ball creates a more seamless motion, compared to pulling it into the strike zone, making the frame job more convincing. And catching it out in front also stops the ball’s own movement before it gets too far out of the zone.

That’s how Smith made a pitch that appeared to cross the plate below Perdomo’s knees look like a strike from Blaser’s vantage point.

The effect Smith’s spring training work behind the plate will have on the Dodgers’ season will be subtler. Instead of a singular game-defining moment, it’ll be an edge here and there.

But over the course of a long season, that adds up.

The Vicar of Dibley star Dawn French was taken aback when a fan yelled at her in the street enthusiastically but had mistaken her for her fellow sitcom legend Dame Joanna Lumley

Dawn French was taken aback aback when a fan mistook her for Dame Joanna Lumley. The comedienne, 68, is best known playing the title role of Geraldine Granger in The Vicar of Dibley, while former model Joanna, 80, starred as boozy fashion magazine editor Patsy Stone in Absolutely Fabulous alongside Dawn’s sketch comedy partner Jennifer Saunders.

The TV star took to social media on Bank Holiday with a humorous video where she recounted the situation for her fans and followers as she appeared to take it all in good humour.

She said: “So I did something on the telly and come out of there, just walking along and [someone shouts] ‘Hey you, you! You are absolutely fabulous.’

READ MORE: Dawn French shocks fans with talk of ‘funeral’ plans and the sad story behind new projectREAD MORE: Joanna Lumley says she believes secret to not ageing is not eating meat as she turns 80

“Oh, thank you very much!’ [And they said] ‘No, you are Absolutely Fabulous, Joanna Lumley. That’s you!’ Yeah that’s me all right!” Captioning the post, she wrote: “ABSOLOOOOTLY FABLUSS!!!”

Fans were quick to react to the post, with one simply writing: “Joanna Lumley,” and leaving behind a string of crying-laughing emojis. Referring to a moment from the second series of The Vicar of Dibley, in which Geraldine is mistaken for a celebrity, another fan wrote: “Its like someone thinking you’re Alison Moyet all over again!”

Another joked: “You’ve finally made it [face palm emoji]” and a fourth said: “Recognition get it where you can! and another said: “Poor fella probably thinks Joanna Lumley was a lady vicar.”

Author and singer Jann Arden wrote: “joanna lumley!! just the best. I once had someone come up to me in the grocery store, they were awfully excited and then proceeded to tell me that I looked like Jann Arden’s mother. So there’s that.”

Dawn is actually part of the history of Absolutely Fabulous, which followed the capers of hapless PR guru Edina Monsoon and her best friend Patsy.

The sitcom, which ran sporadically over the course of 20 years, was initially based on a sketch that appeared as part of French & Saunders titled Modern Mother and Daughter, where Dawn played the part of Edina’s straight-laced daughter Saffy, and the part was eventually taken on by Julia Sawalha when the project was greenlit as a full series.

Dawn later made a cameo appearance as a television presenter in the first series, and reprised the role for Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie in 2016, alongside a host of other guest stars like Rylan Clark, Kate Moss and Dame Joan Collins.

Joanna’s early career consisted of appearances in Coronation Street and The New Avengers but she has also gone on to become known for narrating a host of travel documentaries, and has found renewed sitcom success with a starring role in Amandaland.

Meanwhile, as well as French & Saunders and The Vicar of Dibley and more recent TV roles with Can You Keep A Secret? , Dawn has carved out another career as an author, having recently released her fifth novel Enough.

It follows a woman named Etta who at 68 invites all of her family to go to the beach as the sun is rising, where she tells them that by sunset, she won’t be there anymore.

“She’s made a decision to excuse her kids from the difficult, prickly last part of life,” Dawn said as she appeared on The One Show. “And she has made this decision thinking that it’s extremely selfless to do that.”

The star told the BBC show’s hosts Angellica Bell and Clara Amfo that she felt that the fact her own father had died by suicide gave her some “permission” to write the story. Dawn also shared that her own age – 68 – was also a factor when she penned the book.

She said: “I feel a little bit of permission to write this theme because I am a child of suicide myself. My dad took his life when I was 19. And I have lived with the various stages of grief about that for my whole life.”

Like this s tory? F or more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram ,Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .

Love Your Weekend host Alan Titchmarsh questioned Jeremy Vine after the presenter opened up about an embarrassing celebrity encounter.

Jeremy Vine has shared a cringe-worthy story about meeting one of pop music’s biggest stars under rather unfortunate circumstances.

Love Your Weekend With Alan Titchmarsh returned to ITV this morning, with the much-loved presenter heading to The Big Cat Sanctuary in Kent for this week’s episode.

Alan Titchmarsh, 77, was joined by BBC presenter and journalist Jeremy, Michael Flatley and Kate Fleetwood, while dog-in-training Titch also made a welcome reappearance.

The veteran host kicked off the programme by quizzing his celebrity guests about their greatest “pinch me moments”.

Jeremy then launched into a rather risqué anecdote about a particularly memorable bathroom visit during his time at BBC Radio 2, prompting Alan to step in with a cautionary word.

“Behind Radio 2 reception there was a loo…” he began, as Alan interjected: “I think you’re going to take this slightly downmarket…”

“I wont!” Jeremy insisted as Alan questioned: “Is this really necessary?”

Jeremy then explained: “I’ve got to tell this story; I’ve got to unload because I haven’t really told it before.”

Alan then cheekily warned Jeremy that the phrase ‘I’ve really got to unload’ hardly inspired great confidence given the direction the tale was heading, reports the Express.

Undeterred, Jeremy continued: “So behind Radio 2 reception there is a single cubicle toilet and it was always locked because the receptionist said we don’t want anyone going in there for obvious reasons.

“And one day I was bursting and I could see the door unlocked, so I say, ‘Do you mind if I go in?’ and I lock the door and I’m in a seated position…

“You’re on the verge of oversharing!” Alan exclaimed, as Jeremy continued: “I don’t understand what’s going on outside the door because I’ve got no idea.

“But Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees has said to reception, ‘I need to use the loo urgently.’

“And reception looks round and the door is locked because it always is because they lock the door to stop people using it,” he clarified.

“So they gave him the master key and I’m sitting in the loo in a seriously private moment and [the door] suddenly opens and Barry Gibb walks in!

“This is the guy who wrote Islands in the Stream!” Jeremy added, as the studio erupted into laughter.

“He walks in a completely continuous movement and I think he made the noise ‘ha?!'” the presenter said, imitating a similar sound to what the Bee Gees sing in their famous track, Stayin’ Alive.

“I’ve only met him once and that was it,” Jeremy concluded, as Alan swiftly steered the conversation elsewhere.

For her standout moment, Kate recounted the occasion she encountered legendary Hollywood actor Dustin Hoffman following a theatrical performance.

She recalled being completely starstruck having previously watched him in classics such as Tootsie and The Graduate, while younger cast members recognised him from the animated blockbuster Kung Fu Panda.

Meanwhile, Michael disclosed he had recently had an audience with Pope Leo XIV, describing it as amongst the greatest days of his life.

Love Your Weekend With Alan Titchmarsh airs every Sunday at 9.30am on ITV1 and ITVX.

WASHINGTON — For much of President Trump’s second term, Republican senators have largely stayed in line, wary of the consequences of defying a president with a history of targeting those who cross him. This week, that dynamic noticeably shifted.

Senate Republicans blocked two of Trump’s legislative priorities, angered by the push to create a $1.8-billion federal fund to compensate people who claim to have been politically persecuted, including rioters who assaulted the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. The revolt forced Republican leaders to pull a planned vote on legislation to fund the president’s immigration crackdown and security features for the president’s White House ballroom project.

In response, the president defended the fund and lashed out at its critics.

“I gave up a lot of money in allowing the just announced Anti-Weaponization Fund to go forward,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. “Instead, I am helping others, who were so badly abused by an evil, corrupt and weaponized Biden Administration, receive, at long last, JUSTICE”!

The president also called Republican senators who broke with him quitters who are “screwing the Republican Party.”

The friction, which has been building for weeks, is being watched as potential test to the limits of Trump’s grip on his party amid an already tense political environment heading into the midterm elections.

“This is kind of a perfect storm,” former Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “It may be that this time you can point to it and say this is when the great migration begins, away from some of the president’s policies and away from the fear that the president can target you.”

Whether this week marks the beginning of that moment — or simply another episode of political turbulence that fades — is the central question now handing over Trump’s second term.

Not the first break — but an escalation

This is not the first time Republicans have broken with the president. In November, Congress overwhelmingly voted to force the Justice Department to release of the Jeffrey Epstein files, an effort that Trump unsuccessfully tried to thwart for months.

The Epstein vote showed that on the right issue, under the right circumstances, Republicans could be moved to defy Trump. This week, the creation of the fund changed the circumstances again, and the number of Republican senators willing to act quickly grew.

This moment comes after months of rising costs during the war in Iran, efforts by the president to oust members of his own party and now a set of proposals that are proving hard to defend in an election year.

“What you have is basically a bunch of people who feel a bit under siege,” said Bob Olinksy, the senior vice president of Structural Reform and Governance at the Center for American Progress. “At the same time, they know that most of what the president is doing is unpopular, and they’re the ones who are going to be standing for reelection in November.”

Republicans push back

Senate Republicans leaders are now asking the Department of Justice to reconsider the terms of the fund, underscoring just how politically toxic the idea has become within the president’s own party.

Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) told reporters that the politically speaking, the fund is “unexplainable.” Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) told the New York Times the fund should be in real trouble. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky) called the fund “utterly stupid” and “morally wrong.”

Sen. Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican whom Trump has singled out for going against him, was equally unsparing, saying he opposed “using billions of taxpayer dollars to compensate convicted felons and thugs who attacked police.” He also criticized the administration for pushing domestic and foreign policy issues that he says are bad for housing and the military.

“If opposing these things makes me a RINO [Republican In Name Only], then I gladly accept that nickname,” Tillis wrote on X. “We need Republicans to do well in November, but the stupid stuff is killing our chances!”

The Republican push back comes as the concern about self-dealing runs deep across the electorate.

A recent poll Economist/YouGov poll found that 59% of Americans believe Trump is using his office for personal gain, though that belief is sharply divided among partisan lines. A CNN poll found that 37% of Americans say Trump puts the good of the country above his personal gain, while 32% say he is in touch with the problems of ordinary Americans.

Asked if the political environment influenced the actions this week, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) told reporters that there is a “political component to everything we do around here.”

Funds and tax immunity clauses

Senate Democrats are wondering if the fund will mark a watershed moment for Republicans.

“Have Republicans finally found a bridge too far?” Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) told reporters after Republicans left Washington without funding Trump’s priorities.

Democrats have called the fund an illegal abuse of power designed to line the pockets of Trump’s allies with taxpayer dollars. Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) called it a “pure theft of public funds.”

The fund was created as part of a settlement resolving a $10-billion lawsuit Trump personally brought against the Internal Revenue Service over the leak of his tax returns. Alongside it, the deal says the IRS is “forever barred and precluded” from pursuing any tax claims against Trump and his businesses.

Under the tax immunity clause, Trump and his family could save more than $600 million, according to an analysis by Forbes.

The fund, however, has been the target of most of the bipartisan ire. Mostly because Trump and administration officials have not ruled out that it could stand to benefit people who carried out violence during the Jan. 6 riot.

The public funds, if disbursed, would come from the federal judgment fund, which is a Congress-approved ongoing appropriation that allows the Justice Department to settle cases and make payouts. In the past, Republicans have taken issue with the fund. The GOP-controlled House Judiciary Committee characterized it an abuse in 2017.

Several of the president’s allies have already talked about tapping into the fund.

Michael Cohen, Trump’s former attorney who served prison time in relation to campaign finance violations, said he plans to apply for compensation.

Former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio, who was convicted of seditious conspiracy and later pardoned by Trump, told CBS News he would seek a payout from the fund.

“I was targeted,” Tarrio said. “And I do believe that this fund does apply to me.”

On the eve of the City Section championship baseball game at Dodger Stadium, let’s explore a sometimes forgotten character trait: Patience.

When JJ Saffie walks onto hallowed ground Saturday as a starting left fielder for 10-time City champion El Camino Real High in the Open Division championship game against Birmingham, he will be finishing a journey few want to travel these days.

He spent three years on the junior varsity team waiting and grinding before getting his chance to start on varsity this season.

“Very patient,” he said. “Freshman year, played frosh-soph, called up for a few JV games. Sophomore year, on and off starter on JVs. Junior year is when it started clicking for me. I found my bat, I found the style I like to play, I started hitting real good.”

He was part of an outstanding JV team his junior year, called up as a pinch runner for the playoffs. He developed power and a knack for hitting balls over El Camino Real’s left-field fence during batting practice.

“I’ve hit two windows and six cars,” said the 18-year-old, who likes to cause mayhem for insurance companies.

El Camino Real celebrates a 4-3 win over Granada Hills to earn a trip to Dodger Stadium on Saturday.

(Craig Weston)

He’s hit two home runs this season and become a key player for the Royals.

Now he gets to start at Dodger Stadium, a moment every high school baseball player in the City Section dreams of reaching.

“I’m a big believer in good things will come to those who are patient,” he said. “I knew I needed to be patient, work on my game and eventually success would come my way and I’d have my opportunities and here’s my opportunity. I’m trying to prove that Saturday.”

El Camino Real needed a two-run single by RJ De La Rosa in the bottom of the sixth inning on Wednesday to defeat Granada Hills 4-3 in the semifinals at Cal State Northridge.

“I saw my pitch,” De La Rosa said. “I wanted to take advantage. It was the bottom of the sixth. The team needed me most and I pulled through. It was an amazing moment. These boys are my brothers. I will fight for them. I will do everything for them. I can’t wait to make some memories at Dodger Stadium.”

For Saffie, staying and fighting to get better rather than running away from a challenge is a great lesson for others.

“I had a few people tell me to transfer,” he said. “But my sister came here, my dad. I want to prove myself at this school.”

Top-seeded Birmingham will have junior Nathan Soto starting on the mound in the 1 p.m. game. It’s a big assignment and he’ll be working on his mental part of the game.

“It’s just another game,” he said after the Patriots’ 4-1 semifinal win over Carson. “I think it’s everyone’s dream to pitch there, but you have to keep it as a normal game.”

Pitcher Carlos Acuna grinded out a complete game in Birmingham’s 4-1 win over Carson to send the Patriots to Dodger Stadium.

(Craig Weston)

Birmingham can thank Carlos Acuna for putting together a sophomore season to remember. His pitching season is done. He finished with an 11-0 record after a complete-game win against Carson.

“It’s an amazing season he’s having,” coach Matt Mowry said.

In six of the seven innings on Wednesday, Carson got the leadoff batter aboard, forcing Acuna to work extra hard while throwing 102 pitches.

“He was on the edge of coming out,” Mowry said.

Acuna wouldn’t let him.

“I love this team,” Acuna said. “I want to play one last game.”

He’ll start on Saturday at second or third base in a game matching two of the most successful programs in City baseball history. El Camino Real is seeking a record 11th title. Birmingham wants its ninth title.

The 10 a.m. game at Dodger Stadium has Verdugo Hills taking on Taft in the Division I final.

Fans will come for the sun, the hot dogs, the fun of cheering on someone they know or enjoying a moment of distraction at Los Angeles’ most sacred stadium.

Just remember those are teenagers out there who’ve sacrificed and spent years working toward this moment. There’s no losers when you get to play at Dodger Stadium as a high school kid.

For Saffie, it validates his belief in trusting the process and trusting himself. He didn’t run when the going got tough. He persevered and learned a valuable lesson: patience still pays off.

There appears to be a shift in the years-long conflict in Ukraine.

Last weekend, Ukrainian forces struck deeper into Russian territory, piercing its air defences in a large strike on the Moscow region.

This came a week after fears of a Ukrainian attack forced Russia to scale down its annual Victory Day parade.

Kyiv’s also been relentlessly striking Russia’s oil facilities and military logistics, as it tries to disrupt supplies to the front lines.

All this as Russian missiles and drones continue to target sites across Ukraine.

So, where does the war stand in its fifth year? Does any one side have the upper hand?

Presenter: James Bays

Guests:

Peter Zalmayev – Director of the Eurasia Democracy Initiative

Pavel Felgenhauer – Russian foreign policy analyst

Mark Episkopos – Research fellow at the Quincy Institute’s Eurasia Program

Two US Navy jets collided during an air show at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho, sending both aircraft crashing to the ground in front of spectators. All four crew members ejected safely before impact.

As Kelsey Luderer rounded third base and headed home Thursday after hitting a game-tying home run that ignited Sherman Oaks Notre Dame to a 6-3 Division 1 softball playoff win over Anaheim Canyon, she was greeted by every teammate at the plate. They engulfed her in a sea of white, screaming, yelling and patting her head.

Looking on with pride was Brian Luderer, her father and Notre Dame assistant coach. Every moment he’s at a game or practice, it serves as a positive distraction from thinking about the fight his brother, Matt, the athletic director at St. Francis, has been enduring. For more than a year, Matt has been battling an uncureable brain cancer, glioblastoma.

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame assistant coach Brian Luderer with his daughter, Kelsey.

(Craig Weston / For The Times)

It’s hard for Brian to talk about his brother without crying. “These girls give me what I need,” he said. “They’re like my family. The more we can win, the better for me. I’m proud he’s been fighting his butt off.”

Three weeks ago, Matt suffered a relapse. The many Luderer family members (Brian has four children and Matt has six daughters) have united to keep the faith. And softball is their place for a moment away from life’s challenges.

“This is kind of our happy place, a good place to get away,” Kelsey said.

Haley Maldonado had a three-hit day for Sherman Oaks Notre Dame.

(Craig Weston / For The Times)

The Knights fell behind 3-0 after Canyon’s Mia Saenz hit a two-run home run and added another run on an error. The hitters started forcing Canyon pitcher Kelsey Perez to work extra hard, producing multiple three-and-two counts. Sophomore Haley Maldonado, who finished with three hits, contributed an RBI double in the second. But it wasn’t until Luderer’s home run to left field in the fourth that the Knights were set free, leading to a three-run inning and a comeback victory.

Brian and Notre Dame head coach Justin Siegel are best friends and former minor league baseball players who turned to softball when they had daughters. Brian has sophomore twins Kelsey and Keira in starring roles. In four years, they’ve built the Knights (22-3) into a Division 1 title contender. Next up is Marmonte League champion Oaks Christian on Saturday.

Every softball win brings a moment of peace to the Luderer family.

Oaks Christian 8, Chaminade 1: Sophia Debs struck out 13 and hit a home run for the Lions.

Murrieta Mesa 10, Valley View 0: Lilly Hauser had three hits and struck out 11 in a six-inning mercy rule win.

La Mirada 4, Los Alamitos 2: Alison Ortega struck out 10 for La Mirada.

JSerra 3, Yucaipa 2: Liliana Escobar struck out nine and walked one for JSerra.

Mater Dei 11, Foothill 3: Danica Lancellotti had a two-run double and finished with three hits for Mater Dei.

May 13 (UPI) — King Charles III set out the British government’s legislative program at the State Opening of Parliament on Wednesday, focusing on expediting new agreements on closer U.K.-EU economic ties, tackling the cost of living, boosting defense AI and tech innovation and easing financial sector regulation.

The king’s 17-minute speech in the House of Lords referenced 37 bills in total, including legislation to renationalize British Steel, a Competition Reform Bill to fast-track reviews by the competition watchdog and a bill to help small businesses by hiking the interest suppliers can charge clients that fail to pay on time.

Charles opened his address with the geopolitical situation, saying Britain faced threats from an “increasingly dangerous and volatile world,” with the conflict in the Middle East the most recent example, and warned every “element of the nation’s energy, defense and economic security” would be challenged.

Honing in on the economy, Charles said the government would harness the power of the state “in partnership with business and enable reforms that support higher growth and a fair deal for working people.”

“My Government believes that the United Kingdom’s economic security depends on raising living standards in every part of the United Kingdom. My Ministers will support measures that maintain stability and control the cost of living. They will use public investment to shape markets and attract further private investment,” he said.

The speech pledged progress on airport expansion and highway infrastructure projects and a Northern Powerhouse Rail program to better connect the big cities in the north with each other and the rest of the country, along with reforms to the police, National Health Service and criminal justice system.

An immigration and asylum bill was also promised to help tackle the issue of migrants and asylum seekers arriving on small boats.

One issue that received no mention was cutting welfare spending, an area where the Labour administration of Prime Minister Keir Starmer has twice been forced to back down in the face of his own MPs since coming into office in 2024.

While the address is called The King’s Speech, it is purely ceremonial with the speech actually given to him by the government to read out.

It was Charles’ third time to open parliament, a historic tradition that dates back to the 16th century as a way to periodically bring together three normally separate elements of British polity: the democratically elected members of the House of Commons, the House of Lords and the Crown.

The proceedings include Buckingham Palace taking an MP “hostage” to ensure the king is returned unharmed and a “search” of the basements of the Palace of Westminister for dynamite by the King’s ceremonial Yeomen bodyguards, a throwback to the gunpowder plot to blow up the House of Lords during the State Opening of Parliament on Nov. 5, 1605.

Wednesday’s opening of parliament comes amid a leadership crisis at the top of government with scores of Starmer’s own MPs demanding he either stand aside or set a timetable for his departure after the party suffered heavy losses in local elections on Thursday.

“There’s deep uncertainty as to whether Starmer will be leading the government over the next 12 months or so. So it’s a bit of a paradox,” Craig Prescott, an expert in the constitutional and political role of the monarchy at Royal Holloway, University of London, told NBC News.

Starmer has insisted he is staying put and will lead his party into the next election, not a big stretch given his 165-seat parliamentary majority and that no MP or cabinet member has mounted a formal challenge to his leadership.

Nevertheless, Prescott described the parliament into which the king ventured on Wednesday as “febrile.”

“The politics of all this is a bit too close for comfort,” he said.

The BBC said allies of Health Secretary Wes Streeting had told it that he would formally challenge Starmer as early as Thursday. The pair held talks in Downing Street early Wednesday but there was no word on the outcome of their meeting.

O’Leary has seen hundreds of players come and go, whether as team-mates or members of squads he has coached.

There has always been a desire, he says, to ensure those who have arrived understand what the place is about.

“Even as a player, I hated it if someone who came in had something negative to say about the club, the city, the people, anything,” O’Leary explains.

“I take it really personally. So I do all I can to make sure people who come here have the best possible experience at Swansea City, like I’ve had, and that they see it how I see it.”

O’Leary first watched Swansea play against Manchester United in 1986, a friendly game which was played to raise money for the cash-strapped Welsh side.

It was his first experience – but certainly not the last – of a crisis at the club.

By his early teens O’Leary was involved in the Swans’ youth set-up, and by 1995-96 he was knocking on the door of the first team.

That was a season in which Swansea had no fewer than four managers – including the unknown Kevin Cullis, who lasted a week – and suffered relegation to what is now League Two.

Jan Molby was in charge for the back-end of the campaign, and it was the former Liverpool star who gave O’Leary his debut, in a 5-1 defeat at Bradford City in March 1996.

While all Swansea’s senior pros were in tracksuits, O’Leary and another youth prospect, Damien Lacey, travelled to the game in “trousers and a polo shirt” because in those days, there was no kit dished out to youngsters.

Villa’s wretched 2-1 home defeat by Tottenham on Sunday – a third consecutive loss – did not give them the ideal platform, even if Emery made eight changes.

It underlined the lack of depth within the squad, with Emi Martinez, Matty Cash, Youri Tielemans and Morgan Rogers viewed as the only first-choice starters in Sunday’s XI.

Emery, though, has earned admiration from at least two fellow Premier League managers who have been privately impressed with the decisions he made – a clear focus on his biggest game at the club – and how he stuck to the strategy.

He has won the Europa League a record four times – three times with Sevilla and once with Villarreal – and with minds focused those close to Emery expect to see a different performance to Sunday’s surrender.

“We are improving, including myself, and we will have more challenges to set for the present or future,” said Emery, when asked if this is the last chance for this squad to win something.

“I don’t think tomorrow is the last opportunity for us or anyone. The players are enjoying the process we are doing and they are aware about how difficult football is, and this is the greatest moment we are having in the last three years.

“It will break nothing about how we are thinking and trying to improve.”

Even if Emery believes they can push for honours beyond this season and with Champions League football – Villa should finish in the Premier League’s top five regardless of their European fate – changes are expected.

The squad needs to be refreshed and selling players is the easiest way to comply with regulations – with England forward Morgan Rogers their biggest asset.

There is a realisation a significant number need to be recycled and Emery has been aware since the opening month of the season what needs to be done.

He and president of football operations Roberto Olabe are aligned, but Olabe was brought in to help progress Villa further, more medium and longer term.

Going forward there will be more focus on younger players, and filling the necessary first-team gaps with more senior signings, but Emery, the same as any manager, wants players who are ready now.

The pair are close – Emery handpicked Olabe to replace Monchi in September – so a common ground is found and the duo spend hours talking about tactics and philosophies, conversations which usually start in the club’s canteen at Bodymoor Heath.

Yet the desire for new players to take Villa to the next level is the hardest task.