final

Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami will host Vancouver in the MLS Cup final after a dominant victory against New York City FC.

Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano hailed Lionel Messi as “extraordinary” after the Argentinian superstar steered the club into their first Major League Soccer (MLS) Cup final with a 5-1 thrashing of New York City FC on Saturday.

A Tadeo Allende hat-trick and goals from Mateo Silvetti and Telasco Segovia sent a revitalised Miami roaring into the championship game next Saturday at their home field in Fort Lauderdale.

While Messi did not get on the scoresheet, the 38-year-old provided a crucial, classy assist for Miami’s third goal scored by Silvetti that killed off the game as New York chased an equaliser.

“Leo has accustomed us to the extraordinary,” Mascherano said of his former Barcelona and Argentina teammate.

“He’s someone extraordinary, someone we’ll never see again. Today, perhaps we’re surprised that he didn’t score, but he gave us peace of mind with the third goal, an assist that only he can see. He practically sealed the game.”

Miami will host the Vancouver Whitecaps in next Saturday’s MLS showpiece.

Vancouver, spearheaded by former Germany and Bayern Munich star Thomas Muller, advanced to the final with a superb 3-1 victory over San Diego in California on Saturday to claim the Western Conference crown.

Messi and his teammates will head into the final bristling with confidence after another ruthless, high-scoring demolition job that followed on from their 4-0 drubbing of FC Cincinnati in the previous round.

Allende – who scored twice in the victory over Cincinnati – was once again the focal point of the Miami attack.

The 26-year-old Argentinian forward opened the scoring in the 14th minute after cleverly springing the New York offside trap and then headed in a superb second to make it 2-0.

New York rallied back with a headed Justin Haak goal in the 37th minute and came within a whisker of an equaliser when Julian Fernandez forced a fine one-handed save from Miami goalkeeper Rocco Rios Novo in the 66th minute.

That near-miss was to prove crucial.

Miami immediately swept upfield and a flowing move saw Rodrigo De Paul and Jordi Alba combine before Messi slipped a pass to Silvetti who rifled home to make it 3-1.

‘Unbreakable’

Segovia then eliminated any doubt with Miami’s fourth goal in the 83rd minute before Allende completed his hat-trick a minute from time to prompt wild celebrations.

The victory leaves Miami just one win away from completing a remarkable transformation after a season that appeared to be unravelling in disarray earlier in the campaign, following a string of defeats.

“We strengthened as a group and reached the end of the season with a brotherhood within the team, where everyone pulls together, and it doesn’t matter who starts,” Mascherano said. “We are a group, and the power of a group is unbreakable.”

Meanwhile, Vancouver – who thumped Miami 5-1 on aggregrate when they met in the CONCACAF Champions Cup semifinals in April – signalled that they will be ready to take on the star-studded Florida outfit with a masterful display to beat San Diego.

The Canadian club got off to a dream start with Brian White firing them into the lead after only eight minutes.

More relentless Vancouver pressure forced an own goal from San Diego goalkeeper Pablo Sisniega three minutes later, and a second White goal on the stroke of half-time made it 3-0.

San Diego raised hopes of an unlikely fightback when Mexico striker Hirving Lozano lashed in a long-range effort in the 60th minute.

But Vancouver continued to look the likelier team to score, and Sisniega was shown a red card for bringing down Ryan Gauld when the Whitecaps player rounded him to go in on goal.

Follow our live build-up, with full team news coverage, ahead of our text commentary stream of the all Brazilian final.

Who: Palmeiras and Flamengo
What: Copa Libertadores final
Where: Monumental Stadium, Lima in Peru
When: Saturday, November 29 at 4pm (21:00 GMT)
How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 18:00 GMT in advance of our text commentary stream.

The recent Brazilian dominance of the Copa Libertadores continues on Saturday when a team from the South American nation will lift the continental trophy for the eighth time in the last nine years.

Flamengo lead Palmeiras by five points with two games to play in the current season in Brazil’s Serie A after the sides finished second and third last season behind Botafogo.

In the meantime, the showpiece trophy on the continent is up for grabs in the Peruvian capital of Lima, and perhaps with it, the bragging rights for the winner, no matter who comes out on top in the domestic league.

Al Jazeera Sport takes a look at Saturday’s final between two of the biggest names in the global club game outside of European football.

Who are the current Copa Libertadores holders?

Botafogo did the double last season with Brazil’s Serie A title, while also lifting the Copa Libertadores trophy.

It was Botafogo’s first appearance in a final, and they sealed the win with a 3-1 victory against Atletico Mineiro in the match staged in the Argentinian capital of Buenos Aires.

How did Palmeiras reach the Copa Libertadores final?

Raphael Veiga scored twice, and Palmeiras overturned a 3-0 first-leg deficit with a 4-0 victory over Liga Deportiva of Ecuador in the Copa Libertadores semifinals.

Midfielder Veiga scored in the 68th and 82nd minutes after Ramon Sosa and Bruno Fuchs’s first-half goals.

Abel Ferreira’s side won all six of their group stage matches, while seeing off Argentina’s River Plate in the quarterfinals.

How did Flamengo reach the Copa Libertadores final?

Flamengo reached the Copa Libertadores final after salvaging a scoreless draw against Argentinian side Racing Club in the second leg of their semifinal.

The Brazilian club managed to hold on to the 1-0 lead it took in the first leg despite playing most of the second half with 10 men after Gonzalo Plata was sent off in the 56th minute.

Flamengo had limped to second spot in their group with three wins and one defeat from six games, and needed penalties to beat Estudiantes of Argentina in the quarterfinals.

What is Palmeiras’s record in the Copa Libertadores?

Palmerias are three-time winners, with their first victory coming in 1999. Their second win came in 2020, with their third title coming the following season – when they beat Flamengo in the final.

What is Flamengo’s record in the Copa Libertadores?

Flamengo will also be aiming to win the prestigious South American tournament for the fourth time, having previously claimed victory in 1981, 2019 and 2022.

How dominant are Brazil in the Copa Libertadores?

This is the eighth title in the past nine editions of the tournament that will be competed for by Brazilian sides.

Brazilian teams have won every Copa Libertadores title since 2019, with Saturday’s finalists winning two each in that period.

What happened the last time Palmeiras played Flamengo?

Flamengo were 3-2 winners in October against their nearest rivals for the Serie A title in Brazil. They also won 2-0 at Palmeiras earlier in the campaign, in what now appears the first of a decisive league double as the domestic season draws to a close.

Is there expected to be trouble at the Copa Libertadores final?

Rio de Janeiro police officers and football fans clashed on Wednesday near the city’s international airport as Flamengo’s squad prepared to travel to Peru to face Palmeiras.

Local media reported that about a dozen fans entered the Flamengo bus from the ceiling as thousands cheered outside. Footage showed officials using tear gas and rubber bullets amid the clashes, with some fans fighting back.

Flamengo midfielder Saul Niguez joked about the incident on his social media channels, showing fans entering the bus from the top.

“We have some new signings,” the former Atletico Madrid player wrote.

The Brazilian club did not comment on the incident. Authorities also did not comment on injuries or arrests.

Head-to-head

This is the 48th meeting between the sides, with Flamengo claiming 16 victories and Palmeiras taking the spoils on 15 occasions.

Palmeiras team news

Figueiredo remains sidelined following a cruciate ligament injury sustained in March.

Lucas Evangelista misses out with a thigh problem, while former Tottenham midfielder Paulinho is ruled out by a shin injury.

Weverton’s fractured hand means the goalkeeper remains a heavy doubt, but his return hasn’t wholly been ruled out after his recent return to light training.

Flamengo team news

Gonzalo Plata misses out through suspension following his red card in the semifinal against Racing Club. Pedro misses out due to a thigh injury.

Henrique scored a late equaliser after coming on as a substitute against Atletico Mineiro in the most recent league match and is pushing for a start.

Palmeiras predicted starting lineup

Lomba; Khellven, Gomez, Cerqueira, Piquerez; Allan, Moreno; Pereira, Lopez, Anderson; Roque

Flamengo predicted starting lineup

Rossi; Sandro, Pereira, Danilo, Varela; Jorginho, Pulgar; De Arrascaeta, Carrascal, Araujo; Henrique

A MAJOR US airline has announced it will no longer conduct flight operations out of one of the country’s busiest airports.

Budget-friendly Spirit Airlines announced in late September that it will cease service in a midwestern city as part of the company’s restructuring effort to prioritize stronger markets.

Beginning on December 1, Spirit Airlines will no longer serve passengers at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.

The budget-friendly airline has been struggling financially following its second bankruptcy filing during the summer.

“We apologize to our guests for any inconvenience and will reach out to those with affected reservations to issue a refund,” the company said in a statement at the time.

Minneapolis is among several cities where Spirit Airlines will exit.

Impacted cities include Macon, Georgia, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Birmingham, Alabama, Boise, Idaho, Chattanooga, Tennessee, Columbia, South Carolina, Portland, Oregon, Salt Lake City, Utah, and four cities in California, Oakland, Sacramento, San Diego, and San Jose.

Around the same time, Spirit Airlines confirmed that it would be laying off around one-third of its flight attendants, according to CBS News.

Then, on October 31, Hartford, Connecticut became the latest city Spirit Airlines ceased to conduct service in.

Spirit cut its services out of Bradley International Airport, calling the continued halts to its services “very difficult.”

‘INEXPLICABLE DECISION’

However, Spirit is not the only airline facing financial woes, Avelo Airlines also announced it would stop services at Bradley International Airport.

The airline cited financial struggles as the main reason for leaving the Hartford airport.

However, officials disagreed with the decision as leaving the airport also removes the only direct flight to Montego Bay, Jamaica, from Connecticut.

“The CAA is especially disappointed on behalf of the community, which has fought so hard to secure nonstop service to Jamaica over recent years,” the Connecticut Airport Authority stated.

“The decision to cancel the MBJ route is inexplicable, given the strong ridership, subsidies received, significant airport incentives, and community support.”

FOR almost a decade, Stranger Things has had adults and kids alike cowering behind the sofa as a bunch of youngsters battle the evil Demogorgon and Vecna.

I’ve been scared out of my wits a few times but as the fifth and final series begins today, I have some very good news for fans of the hit sci-fi show.

Several spin-off projects are already in the works, I can reveal.

We will see more of the story unfold as inhabitants of the ­fictional US town of ­Hawkins, Indiana, venture into the mysterious alternate dimension The Upside Down.

Speaking at the London premiere, Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos confirmed: “The world of Hawkins, Indiana and the Upside Down, it’s not over.”

There is already a stage show, Stranger Things: The First Shadow, which has had rave reviews on London’s West End.

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And next year will see the launch of an animated series, Stranger Things: Tales From ’85, featuring a new cast and taking place in the period between the second and third series of the main show.

But talks are under way about a series of other opportunities, including chances to explore individual characters.

A source said: “Stranger Things has been one of the ultimate success stories for Netflix — loads of people got subscriptions just to watch that.

“They know there is a massive appetite for more, so although now is the right time to end the main series, it won’t be the end of the story.

“There have been talks of a live-action spin-off as well as another animated project.

“But there is also a hope that individual characters could return to the screen in stand-alone shows.”

One person unlikely to take up that offer is Millie Bobby Brown. She played key character Eleven, who has supernatural powers.

Millie made it clear she is excited to snap up opportunities away from the show after so many years working on it.

The last series in 2022 ended on a cliffhanger with Max Mayfield, played by Sadie Sink, left horrifically injured after being attacked by Vecna.

We find out what’s happened to her and after watching the first episode a few weeks ago, I can confirm it’s still just as terrifying.

The first four episodes of season five drop today, followed by more on Boxing Day and the grand finale on New Year’s Day.

David Harbour is back as police chief Jim Hopper, the adoptive father of Eleven — despite an allegation of bullying on-set and accusations from his ex-wife Lily Allen that he was unfaithful.

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But his character only has barely nine minutes of screen time in the episode which features a brilliant soundtrack including Diana Ross’s Upside Down, and ABBA’s Fernando during a particularly gruesome scene.

Watching bloody fights between monsters and mortals isn’t usually how I spend my Christmas, but this year, I’ll be glued to it.

SACRAMENTO — The final pieces of a multi-bill legislative package needed to implement a $52.1-billion state budget stalled in the state Senate on Monday as lawmakers made last-minute efforts to change or derail several measures.

The major issues still on the table include a proposed suspension of the renters tax credit and legislation to allow local governments to implement cheaper retirement plans for their workers.

The Senate shut down late Monday afternoon without taking major action. Senate President Pro Tem David A. Roberti (D-Van Nuys) said members would return at noon today, and “we will go until all business is completed, exhausted or until all hope is dead.”

In one late maneuver that was outside the framework of the bipartisan budget agreement, a proposal was emerging to give local governments the proceeds of a new statewide tax on tobacco while stripping them of much of their authority to regulate smoking.

Gov. Pete Wilson was awaiting passage of the package to which he had agreed last week with Democratic and Republican leaders of the Assembly and Senate. The new fiscal year begins Thursday.

“The governor will sign the budget as soon as he has the entire package on his desk,” said Dan Schnur, Wilson’s chief spokesman. “Every piece of the budget package is critical. You take out one piece and the package doesn’t fit together anymore.”

There was disagreement, however, over just what constituted the agreed-upon package.

Wilson Administration officials have said all five members of the leadership group agreed to suspend the renters tax credit for two years. The Assembly passed a bill to do that last week.

But the legislation has hit a snag in the Senate, where Roberti insists that the deal included an agreement to place a measure on the ballot next year that, if approved by the voters, would embed the renters credit in the state Constitution. Such a move would make it impossible for the Legislature to tamper with it again.

Roberti and Wilson appeared to be on the verge of a compromise late Monday, although it was not clear if there was sufficient support in the Legislature. The new deal would put the issue to the voters, as Roberti wants, but would reinstate the $60 credit only for tenants who have a state tax obligation. The credit now goes–in the form of a refund–even to renters who pay no taxes.

Senate Democrats also appeared to be dragging their feet on the local government retirement issue. That bill, passed by the Assembly, would allow local governments to implement pension options for new employees that would save the governments money over time.

In holding up the bill, which is opposed by organized labor, Democrats appeared to be gambling that Wilson would look the other way because the measure produces no immediate savings to any level of government. But Schnur said the governor would not give up any piece of the package, no matter how minor.

“Even if the specific legislation doesn’t have direct fiscal impact, it is still the part of an overall agreement,” Schnur said. “We want to get this signed before midnight Wednesday. But we need the whole package in place before he can sign it.”

Schnur said the retirement bill, and another measure pending to allow counties to reduce general assistance welfare payments by as much as 27%, helped provide the rationale for the governor’s proposed shift of $2.6 billion in property tax revenue from local government to schools.

The so-called mandate relief, he said, was intended to give counties more control of their shrinking budgets.

The tobacco tax proposal floated Monday, although not part of the package, would address the same issue.

Local government reportedly could realize about $300 million annually through the 15-cent per pack tax. But in return, they would have to agree to strict limits on their ability to control smoking, perhaps leading to a state-imposed repeal of anti-smoking ordinances in place.

Several sources said Monday that the proposal had the tacit support of the tobacco industry and of Los Angeles County, which would stand to gain several millions dollars.

Sen. Charles M. Calderon (D-Whittier) confirmed that he was pushing the tobacco tax legislation. He said it made sense to restrict local government’s regulatory powers at the same time–a goal long sought by the tobacco industry.

“If we’re going to dedicate a revenue source, we have to make sure that the locals cannot circumvent or cut down the revenue source by continuing to impact the sales of cigarettes,” Calderon said.

But anti-smoking activists were out to kill the plan before it could even become an official proposal.

“Everybody wants to do something for (Los Angeles) County, but not under these conditions,” said Sen. Diane Watson (D-Los Angeles). “This is the most dishonest, diabolical scheme. It’s the worst kind of politics.”

Times staff writer Dan Morain contributed to this report.

State Budget Watch

Less than three days before the end of the fiscal year, these were the key developments in Sacramento:

THE PROBLEM: The state will end the year with a $2.7-billion deficit and faces a $9-billion gap between anticipated tax revenues and the amount needed to pay off the deficit and provide all state services at the current levels for another 12 months.

THE LEGISLATURE: Final legislative approval of the last handful of bills to complete the 1993-94 state budget was making no progress by late afternoon. The Senate met in the morning but recessed without voting on four budget bills, the stickiest of which would suspend the renters tax credit for two years.

GOV. PETE WILSON: Wilson was holding fast to his vow not to sign a new budget until all companion measures are passed by the Legislature.

KEY DEVELOPMENTS: Senate President Pro Tem David A. Roberti (D-Van Nuys) was one of those holding up his approval of legislation reducing the renters tax credit. He was seeking as a condition assurances in the form of a proposed constitutional amendment, to be considered by voters, that the credit would be protected and fully funded in future years.

In the video game world, conquering the “cheat code” means a player has figured out the secret password to stay alive.

In the high school football world, Matt Logan, the coach at Corona Centennial, is the only public school coach in California to have figured out how to beat private schools in the Southern Section Division 1 playoffs.

His teams won back-to-back championships in 2014 and 2015, then couldn’t crack the playoff code of beating St. John Bosco or Mater Dei for the next eight seasons.

Then came Friday night, when before some 4,000 fans, Centennial defeated Mater Dei 28-27 in the Division 1 semifinals to advance to a championship game Friday against Santa Margarita at the Rose Bowl. Going through the private-school gaunlet of the Trinity League is not easy but the Huskies fear no one.

How was the “cheat code” solved?

The truth is St. John Bosco and Mater Dei gathered so much talent on the offensive and defensive lines and so much depth that beating them in the postseason in recent years became unlikely.

This season, finally there were cracks in the armor.

“They’re not what they were,” assistant coach Anthony Catalano said. “They have weaknesses.”

Mater Dei had no elite running back like Jordon Davison; the offensive line couldn’t overcome its lack of experience and too many 15-yard penalties proved costly. St. John Bosco’s inexperience at quarterback and the absence of an elite running back also were exposed. Both teams had as good as a receiving corp as there is in the nation, but this season showed you have to be able to run the ball successfully in the fourth quarter.

This is the first time Mater Dei became a three-loss team since 2015. This is the first time Mater Dei or St. John Bosco have not played in a final since 2012 when Long Beach Poly won the title.

There’s still one more private school for Centennial to conquer, Santa Margarita, in Friday’s championship game. The two teams met Aug. 28 with Santa Margarita winning in overtime 33-27 when Logan missed the game because of a health scare.

Santa Margarita’s defense must be pierced for Centennial to win. The Eagles’ defensive line, linebackers and secondary are loaded with talent. Carson Palmer’s coaching staff, filled with former NFL players like himself, have shown they can teach, lead and handle X’s and O’s. They’ve also figured out the code to make it through the toughest schedule in Southern California.

It will be a great championship weekend for the Southern Section and City Section.

What a story for the return of Crenshaw (10-1) to the City Open Division final on Saturday against 11-time champion Carson at L.A. Southwest College. Interim coach Terrence Whitehead and his players are motivated to win for coach Robert Garrett, who has been on administrative leave all season. And what a season it has been for Carson junior quarterback Chris Fields III.

In Southern Section Division 2, surging San Clemente will host Los Alamitos in a rematch of their Alpha League game won by the Tritons. Sophomore quarterback Preston Beck has made tremendous progress in the last five weeks for San Clemente. It’s a rare game of home-grown players representing their communities absent of transfer students.

In Division 3, it’s the battle of top junior quarterbacks featuring Taylor Lee of unbeaten Oxnard Pacifica and Palos Verdes with Ryan Rakowski, who delivered a stitle title last season.

In Division 5, Rio Hondo Prep is 13-0 and going for a third consecutive title against Redondo Union, which is making its first championship appearance sine 1944. In Division 13, Montebello has reached its first final since 1935 and will play for its first championship against Woodbridge.

The competitive equity playoff system is creating championship opportunities for teams with little championship history. That’s a positive for fans bored of seeing the same teams every season in the finals.

SAN JOSÉ — Rose Lavelle scored in the 80th minute and eighth-seeded Gotham FC beat the Washington Spirit 1-0 on Saturday night to win their second National Women’s Soccer League championship.

Second-half substitute Bruninha drove into the box on the left wing and sent the ball across to Lavelle, whose left-footed shot sailed past Spirit goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury into the bottom corner of the net.

It is the first NWSL championship for Lavelle, who scored in the 2023 final playing for the Seattle Reign against Gotham in a 2-1 loss.

After a strong opening 10 minutes of the match for Gotham, with three shots from Jaedyn Shaw, the final began to mature into a tense affair.

There were few chances and the best of the first half came when Spirit midfielder Hal Hershfelt perfectly timed a slide tackle and cleaned out Midge Purce with the follow-through.

Early in the second half, Trinity Rodman was brought off the Spirit bench for Sofia Cantore, bringing the crowd to its feet. The U.S. women’s team star was on a minutes restriction after suffering a knee sprain in October.

Even with Rodman, the Spirit continued to struggle to create chances. They had marginally more control of the ball, 53%, but were outshot by Gotham 12-6 and finished the game without a shot on target. Rodman had zero chances created.

The second-seeded Spirit (14-6-8) suffered a second consecutive defeat in the NWSL final, having lost last year to the Orlando Pride. The Spirit reached this final by overcoming Racing Louisville 3-1 in a penalty shootout in the quarterfinals and then beating the Portland Thorns 2-0 in the semifinals.

Gotham (11-8-9) defied the odds to make the final, going on the road twice to defeat the top-seeded Kansas City Current 2-1 in the quarterfinals and the defending champion Pride 1-0.

Gotham are the first eighth seed to win the championship. In 2023, when there were only six playoff spots, Gotham became the first sixth seed to lift the trophy.

Coach Juan Carlos Amoros has seven playoff wins in his career and two championships.

Nov. 22 (UPI) — President Donald Trump on Saturday said his proposed peace plan to end the war raging between Ukraine and Russia since 2022 is not his final offer.

Trump has given Ukraine a deadline Thursday to accept the 28-point proposal.

When asked by reporters outside the White House whether it is the final offer, Trump responded, “No. We’d like to get to peace.”

“One way or another we’ll get it ended,” he said, adding his familiar refrain that “the Ukraine war with Russia should have never happened. If I were president, it never would have happened.”

Asked what would happen if Ukraine rejects the plan, Trump said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky “can continue to fight his little heart out.”

Trump spoke to reporters before playing golf with Jack Nicklaus at the Joint Base Andrews golf course.

The president sent officials to Geneva, Switzerland, to meet Sunday with a Ukrainian delegation, including Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff, a top U.S. official told ABC News on Saturday.

National security advisers from Germany, France and Britain are also going to Geneva for talks, a diplomatic source told CNN Saturday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday posted on X about the talks.

“In the coming days, consultations with our partners will take place on the steps needed to end the war,” he said in a video.

“Our representatives know how to defend Ukraine’s national interests and exactly what must be done to prevent Russia from launching a third invasion, another strike against Ukraine — just as it has repeatedly committed crimes against our people and against other nations in the past,” Zelensky said.

His office said Friday noted that “Ukraine never wanted this war and will make every effort to end it with a dignified peace.

“Ukraine will never be an obstacle for peace, and the representatives of the Ukrainian state will defend legitimate interests of the Ukrainian people and the foundations of European security,” they said. “We are grateful for our European partners’ willingness to help.”

There are planned meetings with a Russian delegation.

Russia worked with the United States on the peace plan, which was presented to Ukraine last week. Russian President Vladimir Putin said “it could form the basis of a final peace settlement.”

But the plan includes what Ukraine has said are nonstarters, including giving up land not yet occupied by Russia and cutting its armed forces by more than half.

Ukraine also would be forbidden from possessing long-range weapons and Moscow would retain virtually all the territory it has occupied — notably, its 2014 seizure of Crimea.

Additionally, Ukraine would not be permitted join NATO, which has been a demand by Russia.

“Since the first days of the war, we have taken one, extremely simple position: Ukraine needs peace,” Zelenskyy said in an address on Friday. “And a real peace — one that will not be broken by a third invasion.”

Driscoll met with Zelensky on Thursday about a “collaborative plan to achieve peace in Ukraine,” according to a U.S. official.

Allies: Additional work needed

U.S. allies have been skeptical of the plan, including those attending the G-20 summit in South Africa.

The U.S. is absent because of “human rights violations” in the nation, Trump said on Nov. 8.

Twelve European Union leaders, joined by the Canadian and Japanese prime ministers, released a joint statement saying it welcomed “continued U.S. efforts to bring peace to Ukraine. The initial draft of the 28-point plan includes important elements that will be essential for a just and lasting peace.”

Bur it noted the draft proposal “will require additional work. We are ready to engage in order to ensure that a future peace is sustainable. We are clear on the principle that borders must not be changed by force. We are also concerned by the proposed limitations on Ukraine’s armed forces, which would leave Ukraine vulnerable to future attack.”

And these leaders said they must sign off on portions of the agreement that affect them.

“We reiterate that the implementation of elements relating to the European Union and relating to NATO would need the consent of EU and NATO members respectively,” the statement said.

Zelensky, in successive posts on X to leaders, wrote “thank you for your support!”

In a statement ahead of the meeting, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he expected friends and partners of Ukraine to “meet in the margins of the G-20 summit to discuss how we can secure a full ceasefire and create the space for meaningful peace negotiations.”

“We will discuss the current proposal on the table, and in support of President Trump’s push for peace, look at how we can strengthen this plan for the next phase of negotiations,” Starmer added.

Republicans unhappy with plan

The plan was also criticized by U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., the former Republican majority leader, as a way to appease Putin.

“Putin has spent the entire year trying to play President Trump for a fool,” McConnell posted Friday on Facebook. “If Administration officials are more concerned with appeasing Putin than securing real peace, then the President ought to find new advisors.

“Rewarding Russian butchery would be disastrous to America’s interests. And a capitulation like Biden’s abandonment of Afghanistan would be catastrophic to a legacy of peace through strength,” he said.

South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, a key Trump ally, called parts of the plan “problematic and can be made better” in a post on X.

“The goal of any peace deal is to end the war honorably and justly — and not create new conflict,” Graham said. “Finally, to the world: what about the fate of the almost 20,000 Ukrainian children kidnapped by Putin’s forces? This issue has to be addressed in any negotiated settlement.”

A bipartisan coalition of pro-Ukraine legislators will seek to force a House vote to impose crippling sanctions on Russia

Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania said in an X post Friday that he and his allies have “officially notified both the Clerk of the House and House leadership of our discharge petition to force a vote on crushing Russian sanctions immediately upon our return” from the Thanksgiving holiday recess.

The United States Department of Justice has acknowledged that the grand jury reviewing the case against James Comey, a former director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), did not receive a copy of the final indictment against him.

That revelation on Wednesday came as lawyers for Comey sought to have the indictment thrown out of court.

At a 90-minute hearing in a federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, Comey’s lawyers argued that the case should be dismissed outright, not only for the prosecutorial missteps but also due to the interventions of President Donald Trump.

Comey is one of three prominent Trump critics to be indicted between late September and mid-October.

The hearing took place before US District Judge Michael Nachmanoff, and Comey’s defence team alleged that Trump was using the legal system as a tool for political retribution.

“This is an extraordinary case and it merits an extraordinary remedy,” defence lawyer Michael Dreeben said, calling the indictment “a blatant use of criminal justice to achieve political ends”.

The Justice Department, represented by prosecutor Tyler Lemons, maintained that the indictment met the legal threshold to be heard at trial.

But Lemons did admit, under questioning, that the grand jury that approved the indictment had not seen its final draft.

When Judge Nachmanoff asked Lemons if the grand jury had never seen the final version, the prosecutor conceded, “That is my understanding.”

It was the latest stumble in the Justice Department’s efforts to prosecute Comey for allegedly obstructing a congressional investigation and lying to senators while under oath.

Comey has pleaded not guilty to the two charges, and his defence team has led a multipronged effort to see the case nixed over its multiple irregularities.

Scrutiny over grand jury proceedings

Questions over the indictment — and what the grand jury had or had not seen — had been brewing since last week.

On November 13, US District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie raised questions about a span of time when it appeared that there appeared to be “no court reporter present” during the grand jury proceedings.

Then, on Tuesday, Magistrate Judge William Fitzpatrick took the extraordinary step of calling for the grand jury materials to be released to the Comey defence team, citing “a disturbing pattern of profound investigative missteps”.

They included misleading statements from prosecutors, the use of search warrants pertaining to a separate case, and the fact that the grand jury likely did not review the final indictment in full.

Separately, in Wednesday’s hearing, Judge Nachmanoff pressed acting US Attorney Lindsey Halligan about who saw the final indictment.

After repeated questions, she, too, admitted that only the foreperson of the grand jury and a second grand juror were present for the returning of the indictment.

Halligan oversaw the three indictments against the Trump critics: Comey, New York Attorney General Letitia James and former National Security Adviser John Bolton.

All three have denied wrongdoing, and all three have argued that their prosecution is part of a campaign of political vengeance.

Spotlight on Trump-Comey feud

Wednesday’s hearing focused primarily on establishing that argument, with Comey’s lawyers pointing to statements Trump made pushing for the indictments.

Comey’s defence team pointed to the tense relationship between their client and Trump, stretching back to the president’s decision to fire Comey from his job as FBI director in 2017.

Comey had faced bipartisan criticism for FBI investigations into the 2016 election, which Trump ultimately won.

Trump, for example, accused the ex-FBI leader of going easy on his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, calling him a “slime ball”, a “phony” and “a real nut job”.

“FBI Director Comey was the best thing that ever happened to Hillary Clinton in that he gave her a free pass for many bad deeds,” Trump wrote on social media in May 2017.

Comey, meanwhile, quickly established himself as a prominent critic of the Trump administration.

“I don’t think he’s medically unfit to be president. I think he’s morally unfit to be president,” Comey told ABC News in 2018.

He added that a president must “embody respect” and adhere to basic values like truth-telling. “This president is not able to do that,” Comey said.

In Wednesday’s hearing, Comey’s defence also pointed to the series of events leading up to the former FBI director’s indictment.

Last September, Trump posted on social media a message to Attorney General Pam Bondi, calling Comey and James “guilty as hell” and encouraging her not to “delay any longer” in seeking their indictments.

That message was “effectively an admission that this is a political prosecution”, according to Dreeben, Comey’s lawyer.

Shortly after the message was posted online, Halligan was appointed as acting US attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia

She replaced a prosecutor, Erik Siebert, who had reportedly declined to indict Comey and others for lack of evidence. Trump had denounced him as a “woke RINO”, an acronym that stands for “Republican in name only”.

Dreeben argued that switcheroo also signalled Trump’s vindictive intent and his spearheading of the Comey indictment.

But Lemons, representing the Justice Department, told Judge Nachmanoff that Comey “was not indicted at the direction of the president of the United States or any other government official”.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The Justice Department acknowledged in court Wednesday the grand jury that charged former FBI Director James Comey was not presented with a copy of the final indictment, a concession that may further imperil a prosecution already subject to multiple challenges and demands for its dismissal.

The revelation is the latest indication of a troubled presentation of the case to the grand jury by an inexperienced and hastily appointed U.S. attorney named to the job just days earlier by President Trump.

Concerns about the process surfaced earlier in the week when a different judge in the case said there was no record in the transcript he had reviewed of the grand jury reviewing the indictment that was actually presented against Comey.

Lindsey Halligan, the interim U.S. attorney in charge of the case, said under questioning that only the foreperson of the grand jury and a second grand juror were present for the returning of the indictment.

Comey has pleaded not guilty to charges accusing him of making a false statement and obstructing Congress and has denied any wrongdoing.

The Justice Department has denied that the prosecution was vindictive or selective and insists that the allegations support the indictment.

Trump fired Comey as FBI director in May 2017 as Comey was overseeing an FBI investigation into potential ties between Russia and Trump’s 2016 campaign. The two have been publicly at odds ever since, with Trump deriding Comey as “a weak and untruthful slime ball” and calling for his prosecution.

Tucker and Kunzelman write for the Associated Press.

Sierra Canyon faced a familiar foe Saturday night in the Southern California Regional Open Division girls’ volleyball semifinals in Chatsworth.

The Trailblazers needed five match points to finally put away Mission League rival Marymount, 25-18, 19-25, 25-22, 25-23, and move within two wins of a state title.

It was the fifth meeting between the teams — the most in a season between two Southern Section schools from the same league since 2006 when Bay League rivals Redondo Union and Mira Costa also faced off five times. Sierra Canyon improved to 11-2 in its last 13 best-of-five set matches against Marymount — including the last seven in a row — though none of them have been easy.

Lucky Fasavalu serves an ace in Sierra Canyon’s four-set victory over Marymount in the Southern California Regional semifinals at Chatsworth on Nov. 15, 2025.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

“It gets harder every time we play them because they know our tendencies,” said Missouri-bound setter Lucky Fasavalu, who dished out 44 assists. “It makes us better, but it makes them better too.”

Hanna McGinest had 15 kills, the last of which ended the match. McKenna McIntosh had 13 kills and 15 digs, Kendall Omoruyi had 13 kills and four blocks and Eva Jeffries added eight kills and eight digs for Sierra Canyon.

Washington commit Sammy Destler led Marymount with 20 kills, seven of them in the second set. Elle Vandeweghe had 14 kills, Katelyn Oerlemans added 13 and Olivia Penske had 41 assists for the Sailors, who pushed the Trailblazers to five sets in the section semifinals.

Top-seeded Sierra Canyon (41-3), which has already set the program single-season record for wins in a season, improved to 4-1 this fall against the fifth-seeded Sailors (38-7) and has not lost a match in California (its three losses came in out-of-state tournaments).

Having defeated Mater Dei for the first time in its history to win the Southern Section Division 1 title, Sierra Canyon will try to make it two in a row against the visiting Monarchs on Tuesday night in the regional final. Sierra Canyon’s four-set victory on Nov. 8 at Cerritos College marked its first in 10 tries against Mater Dei, which beat Torrey Pines in four sets in Saturday’s other semifinal.

“They’re both incredible teams,” Fasavalu said, referring to Marymount and Mater Dei. “Marymount is scrappy, has weapons everywhere and has two great middles. Mater Dei’s pins are explosive and they have great game I.Q. Both are full of seniors so they really want to win — but so do we!”

Asked if she is happy to be playing Mater Dei, Fasavalu admitted she was since her cousin Westley Matavao plays for the No. 2-seeded Monarchs (33-5).

“We know how good they are but we can play great volleyball,” Fasavalu said. “I’ve got great options as a setter. McKenna and Kendall demand the ball a lot and it’s my job to read the other side of the net and see where mismatches are.”

Follow the build-up, analysis, and live text commentary of the CAF playoffs final for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The Trans-Siberian Railway is known around the world for its impressive length, but many don’t know that they can go further and enter one of the most dangerous countries on Earth

The world’s longest direct train journey takes eight days to reach its destination – and crosses into one of the world’s most secretive countries. Since June, direct passenger trains have been running from the Russian capital of Moscow all the way to North Korea’s Pyongyang.

Kim Jong-un’s hermit kingdom remains one of the most secretive – and feared – nations on Earth, with the tyrant’s iron fist seeing residents executed for the simple act of watching foreign TV.

That’s a staggering journey of 6,213 miles and makes it by far the longest train journey on Earth, according to the Guinness World Records.

A large portion of the trip uses the Trans-Siberian Railway, that runs across Russia from the capital Moscow in the west to Vladivostok in the east. Spanning a total of 9,288 kilometres (5,772 miles), that in itself is the longest single track in the entire world.

Passengers travelling from Russia to North Korea will travel in a specially-made carriage that is attached to the regular Trans-Siberian Railway service. Once arriving in Vladivostok, the carriage is then reattached to another train and carries on to Pyongyang.

These services were quite infrequent to begin with before being forced to grind to a total halt following the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Since then, however, the hermit kingdom has been trying to patch up its relationship with Russia, going as far as to send North Korean soldiers to fight in Ukraine.

Very few Westerners have dared to travel the full way from Moscow to Pyongyang. One group documented their trip back in 2018 and shared what the conditions on board have been like. As they boarded the train in Moscow, they explained that the dedicated Korean carriage was clear to see.

They claimed it was clear to see the train has not been kept in the best condition. “It was cold inside our compartment — no heating, maybe 10 degrees,” the travellers explained, adding that heating would not be turned on for several hours. “If it’s cold outside this period, the cars are individually heated with a coal stove, which is located in every car.

“However, individual heating requires that coal is available – and this was not the case in our North Korean sleeping car, but no problem, we had warm clothes.

“However, the water-boiler was working, so preparing tea, coffee and instant-noodles was possible.”

North Korea’s feared reputation is not without reason. The government is known to monitor all forms of communication by residents, to ensure there is no contact with the outside world. Thousands have been detained in “political prison camps” for “crimes” such as trying to flee the country or practising their religion.

Food is often withheld from the wider population, instead prioritising the elite and military. According to the UN, 10.7million, ore more than 40% of the entire population, are undernourished.

The winner of this year’s ITV series has been named and they were shocked with the result

The Big Brother 2025 champion has finally been revealed.

A total of 17 housemates, including latecomers and surprise entrants, were narrowed down to a final six. Cameron, Elsa, Emily, Jenny, Richard and Tate were announced as this year’s Big Brother finalists earlier in the week.

This was followed by a shocking last-minute double back-door eviction that left viewers at home stunned. Marcus and Teja just missed out on the grand prize as they were sent packing after the final Wicked-themed task.

The latest series has been jam-packed with drama, from forming rivalries to divisions and heated debates. One contestant was booted out on the very first night only to make a surprising comeback and secure a spot in the final.

Meanwhile, one housemate was shown the door by Big Brother due to repeated rule violations, reports OK!.

Presenters AJ Odudu and Will Best graced our screens once again to host ITV’s live grand finale on Friday (November 14), where they disclosed the public vote results for each remaining contestant.

The final rankings were: Tate in 6th, Emily in 5th, Cameron in 4th and Jenny in third. This left Richard and Elsa battling it out for the top two spots.

Before the final result was unveiled, viewers got a glimpse of how the contestants spent their last night and day in the house, including partaking in Big Brother’s last supper.

Cameron confessed: “Seven weeks in this mad house. It’s been a hell of a ride in here. I can’t say in a nutshell how much I’ve appreciated coming into this house and spending it with you guys, and how great you’ve all been. So, thank you for that. Jenny I probably couldn’t have done it quite without you. It certainly wouldn’t have been as fun and enjoyable and you know I think the world you, never change never change.”

Richard declared to the group: “This experience has been without doubt the most bonkers, crazy, madcap, incredible, extraordinary thing I have ever done. It’s been great to meet all of you, it’s been a magnificent, magnificent ride and I wouldn’t have had it any other way. So, here’s to you, it’s been great!”.

After this, the crucial moment arrived. Will enthusiastically revealed the victor during the live finale and AJ was the first to greet the jubilant housemate, £100,000 richer, as they stepped out to thunderous cheers.

In a nail-biting climax, it came down to a showdown between Elsa and Richard, with the latter clinching victory.

Before leaving the house Richard embraced imaginary housemates and addressed the house: “Big Brother team it has been an absolute pleasure and delight. Good night and thank you.”

When asked by AJ how he felt about winning the series he responded: “Absolutely crazy.”

Fans were quick to voice their opinions on the outcome. One fan took to social media, posting: “Absolutely made up for Richard! He’s been the most decent, genuine and authentic person in the Big Brother house this year! Well deserved!”.

Another chimed in: “He was one of 4 late arrivals that entered without a crowd and now Richard will not only leave the house to a crowd, but he’ll be leaving it with £100k as the Big Brother GRAND CHAMPION 2025! ! ! Huge congratulations, sir.”

A third fan remarked: “Huge congrats to Richard for winning this year’s Big Brother, he has been such a brilliant housemate and he deserves to win especially being the oldest at 60.”

Another said: “I’m fine with Richard winning for the sheer fact that Caroline will have to sit there and watch his winning interview.”

Big Brother is streaming on ITVX.

World number one Judd Trump won six frames in a row despite joking that he was only playing at “10%” as he claimed a 6-2 victory over Zhao Xintong to reach the final of the Champion of Champions in Leciester.

China’s Zhao, the world champion, made breaks of 50 and 72 to take the opening two frames, with Trump initially appearing well out of sorts.

However, the Englishman responded with runs of 68, 73, 77 and 66 as he reeled off the next five frames before sealing his victory with a break of 63.

“From 2-0 I felt I controlled the game. I scored heavily and didn’t miss much. I am happy to be in the final because I am still not 100%, I’m probably at about 10%,” said Trump.

“I have changed my tip from brass to titanium this season and I am really struggling.

“I don’t feel comfortable or fluent, I really have to take care over every shot.

“When I play my best I know I will win nine times out of 10, but over the last few years I have learned how to win more often when I am not at my best.”

Trump has won just one of his previous five finals in this event, will now face Mark Selby or Neil Robertson on Sunday as he looks to claim his first title since the 2024 UK Championship.

One EastEnders star departed Walford tonight in sad scenes – with more exits set to come on the BBC soap

An EastEnders star has bid farewell to the Square. Micah Balfour departed the BBC soap this evening, just eighteen months after joining as George Knight’s estranged son Junior.

In sad scenes this evening, Junior said goodbye to his ex Cindy and his sisters Anna and Gina. He shared his prized car with his uncle Kojo and warned his dad to stay away from Nicola Mitchell.

As he bid farewell to the Square, he headed off to start a new life in Dubai. A BBC spokesperson previously confirmed the departure to The Mirror, explaining: “We can confirm Micah will be leaving EastEnders later this year, we wish him all the best for the future.”

When Junior arrived on the Square less than two years ago, bosses teased “there is more to Junior than meets the eye”.

Upon his casting on EastEnders, then-executive producer Chris Clenshaw said in a statement: “I’m delighted to welcome Micah Balfour to the cast of EastEnders as he takes on the role of Junior Knight.

“Although Junior has been referenced since the Knights arrived in the Square, the audience knows very little about George’s son and the circumstances behind their estrangement.

“Junior arrives in Walford following an unlikely meeting with his dad, and is quickly thrust into the heart of the drama. However, it will soon become apparent to viewers that there is more to Junior than meets the eye.”

Micah’s exit from the BBC soap comes just before the departure of Anna Knight, played by Molly Rainford.

“New boss Ben Wadey is making sweeping changes on the show and his decision coincided with Molly deciding she wanted to pursue other challenges,” a source added, “She’s hugely talented and wants to spread her wings and see what else is out there for her.”

“Molly came into the show two years ago, and in that time has been trusted with some great storylines. It’s just so happened that when Molly was considering other options in her career, a meeting was held to discuss the future of the character, and both parties were in mutual agreement that it was the right time for Anna Knight to wave goodbye to Walford.”

Of Micah’s departure, a source said: “Bosses decided not to renew Micah’s contract and he filmed his final scenes last month. Obviously Micah was gutted but he understands how it all works. His final scenes will air before Chris­t­mas. The door is being left open.”

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Big Brother fans were left fuming just minutes into the latest episode, two days before the final

Big Brother viewers have issued the same complaint as they ask “why?” mere minutes into the latest episode, blasting the “ridiculous” instalment.

The Big Brother finale is merely two days away, with one contestant set to be crowned the 2025 champion on Friday, November 14. Earlier footage showed Somerset farmer Cameron bagging an automatic ticket to the finale, whilst fellow housemates face eviction.

Supporters have been casting their votes for who they wish to rescue as there’s a double elimination this week, which is believed to be a backdoor eviction. Elsa, Marcus, Teja, Tate, Emily, Richard and Jenny are all up for eviction, reports OK!.

Yet the elimination won’t be broadcast until tomorrow’s (November 13) episode, merely one day before the finale, leaving supporters absolutely livid with tonight’s (November 12) show.

Rushing to X, within minutes, one supporter declared: “This is such a filler episode i can’t, GIVE US THE WICKED TASK AND EVICTION NOWWWWW.”

Another penned: “It really is annoying that they are making us wait till tomorrow, the day before the final to see who’s gone. @ITV just can’t do backdoor evictions right, there’s too many of them.”

A third commented: “Why isn’t the eviction tonight?”.

A fourth remarked: “It really is ridiculous that the last eviction before the final, a double eviction as well, happened this morning and won’t be shown until tomorrow. This series has been done so badly.”

Another slated: “This is so stupid and pointless.”

Tonight’s episode witnessed Big Brother assembling the housemates on the sofa for a regal challenge.

Given that Cameron had secured his pass to the final, he was crowned King of the house.

Big Brother declared: “King Cameron, your first decision is to appoint your Royal Aid. They will be your right hand.”

Jenny was chosen as his Royal aide, whilst Marcus took on the role of Court Jester, tasked with keeping the monarch amused.

Tate was subsequently picked as a Royal Comforter, whose duty involved serving as a personal footrest, whilst Emily became the Royal Cook, responsible for all culinary matters.

However, things didn’t go according to plan, with Tate being banished to the garden jail before having rotten tomatoes hurled at him.

But viewers were left disappointed with the episode, demanding “more” for finals week.

One X user posted: “the final week has been a bore.”

Another commented: “I knew this week #bbuk would be boring! These tasks dont create drama.”

Big Brother’s finale airs Friday, November 14 at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX

It was two years ago this month, with USC’s defense at an unthinkable nadir, that Lincoln Riley finally decided to fire Alex Grinch, his first defensive coordinator.

“I am that committed, and we are all that committed to playing great defense here,” Riley said in 2023. “Whatever it takes to get that done, that’s what we’re going to do.”

Not everyone took Riley’s comments seriously at the time.

“There’s a school on the West Coast right now that’s going to re-commit to defense,” Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said a month later. “You give up [46] to Tulane last year in a bowl game — at a place where Ronnie Lott played. Now they’re going to think about defense. That was the first thing we thought about 25 years ago.”

Rest assured, USC has thought about it plenty since. And now two years into the rethinking process, with the College Football Playoff very much within reach in mid-November, USC’s defense is still the biggest question mark facing Riley and his staff over the final stretch of this season which continues, fittingly, against Ferentz and his 21st-ranked Hawkeyes on Saturday.

On paper, the defensive improvement has been palpable, year over year, even if it’s a bit less drastic from this season to last. USC is giving up more than two fewer points per game in 2025 and fewer yards per game through the air and on the ground than in 2024. The defense has created more pressure, already with three more sacks than last season (24 to 21), and clamped down in the red zone, with opponents scoring only 67% of the time, third-best in the nation.

But that progress hasn’t always been linear, admits D’Anton Lynn, the Trojans defensive coordinator. Where in his first season, Lynn had a litany of experienced defenders from the transfer portal to lean on, his second season has made for a much different experience.

“This team is more talented, but they’re just young,” Lynn said. “It’s just guys who haven’t played before. There are certain mistakes you have to live through.”

Those mistakes have surfaced at some of the worst possible times this season. In the loss to Illinois, a late pass interference call and a missed tackle on a swing pass proved to be the difference. At Notre Dame, a blatant missed run fit saw Irish back Jeremiyah Love break off an explosive touchdown run that turned the tides. The run defense ended up coming unglued, giving up over 300 yards in a rainy defeat.

The last two games have been much more encouraging, with USC holding Northwestern and Nebraska to three points apiece after halftime. The difference between the two halves was significant as the Trojans held the two opponents to a combined total of 209 second-half yards.

In both cases, the defense didn’t find its stride until it was first punched in the mouth. But Riley credited Lynn for his adjustments from there.

“When leaks have sprung, we’ve been able to get them closed pretty quickly,” Riley said.

The next step is stopping those leaks before they burst. And that starts, Lynn says, with letting the mistakes they make roll off their shoulders.

That mental hurdle is one that USC’s young defense has struggled with this season.

“Just kind of all year with us, we’ve had those moments where we shoot ourselves in the foot, or we get good calls, and we just mess it up ourselves,” cornerback DeCarlos Nicholson said. “We’re just zoning in on that, and just the battle within ourselves. Like man we’ve gotta buckle down right, and we’ve gotta get this stuff done.”

That battle is quickly reaching its crescendo with just three weeks left in the season. But as that final stretch approaches, the blueprint for USC’s defense is clear to Lynn.

“We need to be consistent up front,” Lynn said. “We need to stop the run. We need to limit big plays. When we do those things, we can be a really good defense. That’s easier said than done, but again, it just comes back to being consistent.”

LA28 released the detailed daily competition schedule for the biggest Olympics in history on Wednesday, laying out every event for the 19 days of competition that will feature more than 11,000 athletes across 51 sports.

Along with being the largest in Games history, the 2028 Summer Olympics will be the first to include more female athletes than men. The schedule honors the historic moment for women in sports by showcasing the women’s 100-meter final at the Coliseum as the primetime, marquee event on the first official day of competition on July 15, 2028.

“The reason we’re throwing out the women’s 100 meters on the first day is because we want to come on these Games with a bang,” Shana Ferguson, LA28’s chief of sport and head of Games delivery, said on a conference call. “And likely that race will be among the most watched of all the races in the Games. We just want to start that Day 1 with a massive, massive showcase of the fastest females in the world.”

The women’s 100-meter final will punctuate Day 1 competition that will feature eight women’s finals, the most for a single day at the Olympics. The men’s 100-meter final will follow on Day 2.

Scheduling the women’s final on Day 1 will require the top athletes to run up to three, 100-meter races in one day as opposed to putting qualifying on a separate day as the semifinals and finals. Olympic organizers presented the idea to athlete commissions within LA28 and through World Athletics. While some preferred to keep the status quo for the women’s 100 meter, Janet Evans, LA28’s chief athlete officer, said the majority of competitors simply wanted to know when their races would be so they could plan their training accordingly.

“I think a lot of athletes will be looking immediately at the schedule and planning their training around it,” said Evans, a four-time Olympic gold medalist in swimming. “That was certainly top of mind as we made this decision.”

Making the schedule came with extensive consultation with athletes and international sport federations. Organizers considered the sun position for diving, which will be held outdoors at the Rose Bowl Aquatics Center. They wanted to ensure that fans waiting to enter arenas wouldn’t be left in the sun during a mid-day competition. Weary of heat affecting horses in Santa Anita, they took care to schedule equestrian events for either early morning or evening sessions.

With track and field setting the stage in the first week, swimming competitions traditionally take place first were shifted to the second week to allow organizers to build an indoor swimming pool in SoFi Stadium after the venue helps host the opening ceremony on July 14.

But keeping with Olympic tradition, the marathon will still take place on the final weekend of the Games, with the women running at Venice Beach on Day 15 (July 29), and the men competing on Day 16 (July 30). As one of the final Olympic events, marathon medalists typically receive their medals during the closing ceremony, which will take place at the Coliseum on July 30, beginning at 6 p.m.

The 2028 Games are approaching major checkpoints with less than three years until the opening ceremony. The Paralympic competition schedule will be released later this year. The volunteer program has already opened for community opportunities while applications for Games time volunteers will open in summer of 2026. Olympics ticket registration will open in January 2026.

Fans can begin registering for the ticket lottery in January and purchasing windows for those who are selected in the lottery will begin in spring 2026. Prices start at $28. With concerns about sky-high ticket prices for sporting events such as the FIFA World Cup or the World Series, Ferguson said LA28 will not use dynamic pricing, but didn’t state any specifics about the prices.

Ferguson said the organizing committee has 14 million tickets for the Olympics and Paralympics, which would break the ticket record set by Paris 2024. The biggest Olympics, and the most jam-packed schedule, would warrant that kind of attendance.

“What a great responsibility that is for us,” Ferguson said of hosting the biggest Olympics in history. “The care and concern that went into building this competition schedule — I will tell you that the folks on the team who did it really, truly, had a lot of sleepless nights because they wanted to get this right for every single athlete, regardless of sport.”

LA28 competition dates

Opening Ceremony: July 14
3×3 Basketball: July 17-22,
Archery: July 21-28
Artistic Gymnastics: July 15-25
Artistic Swimming: July 25-29
Athletics: July 15-30
Badminton: July 15-24
Baseball: July 13-19
Basketball: July 12-30
Beach Volleyball: July 15-29
BMX Freestyle: July 28-29
BMX Racing: July 15-16
Boxing: July 15-30
Canoe Slalom: July 14-22
Canoe Sprint: July 25-29
Cricket: July 12-29
Cycling Road: July 19-23
Cycling Track: July 25-30
Diving: July 25-30
Equestrian: July 15-29
Fencing: July 15-23
Flag Football: July 15-22
Football (Soccer): July 12-29
Golf: July 19-29
Handball: July 12-28
Hockey (Field): July 12-29
Judo: July 15-22
Lacrosse: July 24-29
Modern Pentathlon: July 15-18
Mountain Bike: July 15-18
Open Water Swimming: July 17-18
Rhythmic Gymnastics: July 27-29
Rowing: July 15-22
Rowing Coastal Beach Sprints: July 24-25
Rugby Sevens: July 12-18
Sailing: July 16-28
Shooting: July 15-25
Skateboarding: July 18-27
Softball: July 23-29
Sport Climbing: July 24-29
Squash: July 15-24
Surfing: July 15-23
Swimming: July 22-30
Table Tennis: July 22-30
Taekwondo: July 26-29
Tennis: July 19-28
Trampoline Gymnastics: July 21
Triathlon: July 15-20
Volleyball: July 15-30
Water Polo: July 12-23
Weightlifting: July 25-29
Wrestling: July 24-30
Closing Ceremony: July 30