Pakistan and Bangladesh headed into the penultimate match of the Super Four stage knowing the winner would advance to the final and Bangladesh had one foot in Sunday’s trophy match when they restricted Pakistan to 135-8.
Taskin Ahmed (3-28) and Mahedi Hasan (2-28) struck early to reduce Pakistan to 5-2 inside 10 balls and wickets continued to fall as the batting side teetered on 49-5 in the 11th over.
Wicketkeeper Mohammad Haris top-scored with 31 (23) to drag Pakistan into three figures, enjoying partnerships with Shaheen Shah Afridi (19) and Mohammad Nawaz (25), but Mahedi and Taskin dismissed the trio to prevent any late fireworks.
Bangladesh had their own struggles with the bat, losing three wicket in the powerplay and later slumping to 44-4.
Shamim Hossain’s 30 (25) briefly revived their hopes of a successful chase but his dismissal by Shaheen (3-17) in the 17th over was quickly followed by two wickets in three balls from Haris Rauf and despite some late boundaries from Rishad Hossain, Bangladesh fell short.
Bangladesh, who are yet to win the men’s Asia Cup, join Sri Lanka in being eliminated in the Super Fours, with the latter facing unbeaten India in the final group match on Friday.
England have named an unchanged team for the Women’s Rugby World Cup final against Canada on Saturday at Twickenham.
John Mitchell has opted to stick with the same starting XV and replacements who overcame a slow start to defeat France 35-17 in the last four.
Zoe Aldcroft captains the Red Roses in their seventh straight World Cup final.
England have not won the tournament since 2014, losing the past two finals to New Zealand.
Star full-back Ellie Kildunne, Abby Dow, Zoe Harrison, Amy Cokayne, Aldcroft, Abbie Ward and Alex Matthews all retain their spots from the starting XV defeated by the Black Ferns three years ago.
The Red Roses, who are on a record 32-Test winning run, have not lost since that defeat at Eden Park.
They went into that match having won their previous 30 games, and are up against an in-form Canada side on Saturday.
Kevin Rouet’s side, ranked number two in the world, have looked a class above all their opponents this tournament and delivered a remarkable semi-final performance to comfortably defeat New Zealand and reach their first World Cup final since they lost to England in 2014.
Canada are semi-professional, and have had to crowdfund nearly a third of the budget for their World Cup campaign – they are currently at 95% of their million-dollar fundraising goal entitled Mission: Win Rugby World Cup.
England have been professional since 2019 and are favourites to lift a home World Cup in front of an 82-000 capacity, sold-out Twickenham.
Saturday’s crowd will surpass the 58,498 who watched England beat France at the same stadium in the 2023 Six Nations – the previous record for a XV-a-side match – and the 66,000 who watched the women’s rugby sevens at Stade de France during the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
“Our staff and players have worked hard to reach this stage of the tournament,” Mitchell said.
“Playing a World Cup final at Allianz Stadium [Twickenham] in front of a record 82,000 is a significant milestone for the sport.
“We are well prepared for the challenge against Canada. It is number one versus number two in the world, and we know the contest will demand a full 80 minutes. Our focus remains on staying in our process and executing effectively.”
Since taking over the role as head coach in 2023, Mitchell has built depth by rotating his squad regularly to build two strong teams.
Ibiza Final Boss Jack Kay looks completely unrecognisable in an unearthed snap that was taken before his incredible rise to fame on social media over the summer
Ibiza Final Boss Jack Kay shot to fame on TikTok(Image: Jack kay Instagram)
Ibiza Final Boss Jack Kay looks completely unrecognisable in an unearthed snap that was taken before his incredible rise to fame. The 26-year-old construction worker, who hails from Newcastle, has become instantly known thanks to an eight second video posted on TikTok that has landed him a Channel 4 documentary and a multi-figure brand deal.
The viral social media star is known for his famous haircut, but in a newly-resurfaced photograph, the influencer looks totally different with a style that is worlds away from his signature look.
Standing on the right end in a snap taken in a pub, Jack can posing in front of a pint and is sporting with a much-less defined fringe whilst his beard and chain are nowhere to be seen.
Speaking about his incredible rise to fame, he said: “Where I’m from is like a council estate. Not much happens round there for people like me. People like me don’t get the chance to make it to this level, do you know what I mean? To make it to this level is like a dream, honest to god!”
On August 3, Jack was dancing at a party when he caught the attention of clothing label Zero Six West Ibiza. He had black and gold sunglasses on to match his black vest and massive gold chain. His muscled arms were on display and his now iconic bowl haircut had been shaped to perfection. The clothing label posted an eight-second clip of Jack dancing, and asked: “Does anyone know this absolute legend coz we’ve got 2 free guestlist with his name on it!”
On TikTok alone, the video has had almost 30million views and Jack became a meme, dubbed the Ibiza Final Boss. He captured the attention of many and soon signed with a talent agency and embarking on a club appearance tour, which one PR expert estimated could earn him £1k-5k per night. With at least eight appearances under his belt, that is an estimated earning of anywhere between £8k and £40k from club appearances.
The new film follows Jack as he adjusts to life in the spotlight and tries to find longevity in his newfound career as an internet personality. When asked why millions went wild for his unique look, Jack said: “I think why people love that video because it’s just my aura.
“I think no one has seen us before. When I’ve just stepped in the dance, looking the way I’m looking with my shades and my hair. My tattoos, my muscles, my beard and stuff. People think, ‘Who’s he?’ That’s what I think.”
He went onto reveal that he now goes to the hairdresser three times a week to keep up his look – and spends nearly £80 weekly.
“Before the fame, it was twice a week but now it’s three times,” he said. “I’ve got to keep myself on point.
“Three, four years ago, I had long hair, like a slick-back. I got sick of it and changed it to a Scouse trim. It’s basically just a low fade. Brush my hair to the side, put a bit of hairspray on. It’s got to be spot on.”
He added: “It looks fresh doesn’t it? Everyone loves it. Especially the birds. They loved it before the fame and now.”
AS I watched the scene playing out on the TV, my heart started pounding.
Estate agent Cherry was meeting her boyfriend’s mum, Laura, for the first time – bringing back memories of the real-life monster-in-law who tried to destroy me in ways you wouldn’t believe.
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Ayla Tash, 40, reveals the nightmare of a controlling mother-in-law and how it led to the breakdown of her relationship (posed by model)Credit: Getty
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My ex’s mum hated my guts from day one, she reveals (posed by model)Credit: Getty
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Daniel (Laurie Davidson) is embraced by Laura (Robin Wright) in The GirlfriendCredit: supplied
Hoping to make a good impression, she arrived with a beautiful bunch of flowers, but her future mother–in-law callously tossed them on a table, dismissing them as rubbish.
It’s a tale as old as time: son introduces the woman he loves to his mum, who instantly feels jealous that a new female will take her place.
So she makes her life HELL.
The reason The Girlfriend had such a strong impact on me was because, in many ways, I’d been there myself.
My ex’s mum hadn’t just disliked me, she’d hated my guts from day one.
She too had thrown down the flowers I’d given her the first time we met – not onto a table, but on the floor.
And the memories of the awful things she did while I was with her son still make me shudder.
Courteous to my face, but nasty behind my back, my monster-in-law, Jackie, constantly bad-mouthed me to friends and family – even my own neighbours.
She regularly told her son, Simon, that I wasn’t good enough for him and urged him to leave me, despite us having a child together.
Eventually, she succeeded and we split up. I simply couldn’t cope with her twisted games anymore.
My MIL threw a tantrum when me and my husband bought a house that was too far away from her
Thankfully I’ve had no contact with her since the split, but I still have nightmares about it – and watching TV show The Girlfriend brought them all back.
I won’t spoil the story for those who haven’t seen it, but although Cherry isn’t all that she seems, Laura’s actions beggar belief.
For me, though, there’s one big difference.
Courteous to my face, but nasty behind my back, my monster-in-law, Jackie, constantly bad-mouthed me to friends and family – even my own neighbours
Cherry
While Laura’s awful behaviour pushes her son into his lover’s arm, the same could not be said for me and my ex.
His mother’s constant interference created a crack so wide that we still don’t talk to one another, despite sharing a six-year-old.
‘Overbearing’
I’d hoped the unappreciated flowers might be a misunderstanding, but soon I was being subjected to constant put-downs.
Sometimes we’d pop to her house for breakfast and if I asked for a bit of fruit instead of bacon and egg, she’d tut and mutter that I was ‘strange’.
She’d also get in a huff if Simon chose to spend a Saturday night out with me, instead of going round to see her.
He’d tell me his mum was ‘in a mood’ because he wasn’t paying her as much attention now.
I thought he was joking – at that point I had no idea how bizarre their relationship was.
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Hit Amazon Prime thriller The GirlfriendCredit: Amazon Prime
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Ayla reveals her mother-in-law would constantly gaslight herCredit: Shutterstock
Just like obsessed Laura in The Girlfriend, Jackie had to know where Simon was at all times.
She’d call and text him multiple times a day, despite only living around the corner.
On one occasion, we were having sex at 11am when she messaged him six times in a row.
“Can you turn it off?” I pleaded as Jackie’s impatient alerts threatened to kill the moment.
I’m not alone in having a difficult relationship with my partner’s mum.
A two-decade study by Dr Terri Apter, a University of Cambridge psychologist, found that more than 60 per cent of women admitted their relationship with their mother-in-law caused them long-term unhappiness and stress.
Two-thirds of daughters-in-law also believed that their husband’s mother frequently exhibited jealous, maternal love towards their sons.
This was definitely true of Jackie.
She relished standing in front of me with her arms wrapped around Simon’s waist or shoulders.
And she had a key to his flat, so would often turn up unannounced.
One morning I plodded, half-awake, into the kitchen wearing nothing but a pair of knickers, only to find Jackie casually washing his dishes.
I complained that I found her actions overbearing and gently tried to explain to Simon that it wasn’t normal for a mum to be so involved in her adult son’s life.
But he responded saying she only did so because she “cared about him so much” and wanted to help.
Two-thirds of daughters-in-law also believed that their husband’s mother frequently exhibited jealous, maternal love towards their sons
During the three years we were together, Jackie would constantly gaslight me, telling Simon she’d sent texts inviting me to the cinema, or out shopping, and that I’d ignored them.
And if he dared take my side, she’d burst into tears on the phone so that he’d have to go round and console her.
Her words were vicious, but her actions were even worse.
If I invited her and her doormat of a husband round for dinner (yes, she controlled him too) she’d politely accept, then not turn up, secretly texting Simon afterwards to say she felt my invite was “fake”.
About a year into our relationship, I found out I was pregnant with our son, Josh.
For a while, Jackie softened – but within minutes of his birth, she reverted to type.
I had a terrible labour which culminated in an emergency c-section. Josh then had to be rushed to intensive care.
I felt exhausted, broken and bloody, so we requested that loved ones give us time to rest.
Everyone respected our wishes – except Jackie.
An hour after I’d got off the operating table, she burst into the room armed with balloons and a giant teddy bear.
“We’ve all been through it, you know,” she crowed as I burst into tears and begged Simon to get her out of there.
She even insisted on sneaking into the intensive care unit to see our newborn, even though I hadn’t been able to see him yet.
Jackie’s treatment only worsened when we finally brought Josh home.
She would message me constantly, telling me which wet wipes to use and what kind of vests I should be putting on him.
I even saw messages on Simon’s phone telling him to hide clothes I’d bought for the baby and replace them with ones she’d supplied instead.
The bullying was so bad, I even went to see a counsellor.
Jackie’s interference caused countless arguments and at one point, I even left Simon after she texted him claiming that I was “lazy” and “a useless mum”.
What hurt even more was that he never defended me.
That’s when I realised the level of control she really had over him.
It was relentless and in the end, I left for good.
I realised I would never be able to have a healthy relationship with such a mummy’s boy and that Jackie would never change.
Thankfully, I have little to do with her now, although she did try to continue her antics after we split.
She bombarded my friends and family with messages claiming that I was mentally ill, an unfit mother and needed help.
Luckily, they knew what she was like and blocked her.
But I’ve had to write my story anonymously, for fear of any backlash.
As a mother of a son myself, I understand it can be difficult seeing your child growing up, moving on and having another woman take centre stage.
But I’ve vowed never to be like my ex’s mum and to try to love whoever my son brings home.
I know all too well what it feels like to be on the receiving end of a hate campaign from a woman it is impossible to compete with.
There have been nine previous Women’s World Cups but only three nations have lifted the trophy – New Zealand (six times), England (twice) and the United States (once).
England have played in eight finals but only won two of them, in 1994 and 2014.
Canada lost on their only previous appearance in a final, falling to England in 2014.
The United States won the inaugural tournament in Cardiff.
2021: New Zealand 34-31 England – Eden Park, Auckland*
*competition was postponed to 2022 because of Covid pandemic
2017: New Zealand 41-32 England – Ravenhill, Belfast
2014: England 21-9 Canada – Stade Jean-Bouin, Paris
2010: New Zealand 13-10 England – Twickenham Stoop, London
2006: New Zealand 25-17 England – Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton
2002: New Zealand 19-9 England – Olympic Stadium, Barcelona
1998: New Zealand 44-12 USA – National Rugby Centre Stadium, Amsterdam
1994: England 38-23 USA – Raeburn Place, Edinburgh
1991: USA 19-6 England – Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff
Downton Abbey debuted in 2010, establishing itself as a cherished series that spanned six seasons plus two earlier movies.
The conclusion served as a tribute to Dame Maggie Smith, who passed away aged 89 last September.
Her character, The Dowager Countess, was written off by her death in the 2022 picture, Downton Abbey: A New Era, though her memory was celebrated in Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, reports the Manchester Evening News.
Michelle Dockery has addressed the ending of the final Downton Abbey(Image: Nick Briggs/Carnival Films)
As the finale wrapped up with an emotional ending, following Lady Mary as a divorcee and single mother overcoming scandal, viewers saw visions of the family and servants dancing together with Violet Crawley, with the camera resting on a portrait of Dame Maggie.
However, Michelle has now revealed there were alternate endings in mind.
She told The Hollywood Reporter: “There were a couple of versions of the ending. There was another version where you saw Mary go back to work, she goes into the library and she sits at her desk.
“They decided to end it on the tribute to Maggie, which I think is the best ending. I always felt that it was the right way to finish.
Dame Maggie Smith as Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham in Downton Abbey(Image: ITV)
“[Mary, Cora and Robert] are saying their goodbyes and I think that’s for the audience – this feeling of moving on and saying farewell to each other.”
She added: “It feels quite hopeful. I also like that at the end of this story, Mary ends up as a single woman. There’s a new chapter ahead of her, she’s happier, and she’s excited to take the reins and become the lady of the house. It’s the end, but it feels like it’s ongoing.”
Creator Julian Fellowes previously spoke about dedicating the film to Dame Maggie: “I think we all felt that if there was a third film, we wanted it to be haunted by Maggie.
Downton Abbey came to an end with a third and final film(Image: AP)
“There is a theme of Maggie going through the film, and then at the end, you see her when Mary is having all her flashbacks. I like that. She was an iconic figure … And that’s another reason to finish.”
He added: “I think the actors had had enough – in the nicest way, there were a lot of good friendships and we’ll always meet as members of the Downton club … But I also feel that, in life, you must know when to let go of things, whether it’s professional or romantic or anything else.
“There is a moment when you think, ‘It’s time to bring this to an end.’ And I felt that about the show.”
DENVER — Kyle Freeland pitched six solid innings, Blaine Crim homered and drove in two runs, and the Colorado Rockies beat the Angels 3-1 on Sunday in their final home game of a miserable season.
Victor Vodnik got three outs for his 10th save as the Rockies improved to 43-113 with six games remaining, ensuring they won’t tie the 1962 New York Mets for the most losses in one season by a National League team since 1900. Those expansion Mets finished 40-120-1.
Mike Trout doubled leading off the game after hitting his 400th career home run Saturday night. He scored the only run for the Angels (70-86), who went 1-9 on their last road trip of the year.
Trout scored on Jo Adell’s single in the first but Freeland (5-16) was in control after that. He retired 13 of 14 batters before Taylor Ward’s leadoff single in the sixth. The left-hander issued his only walk one out later but ended his day by getting Logan O’Hoppe to ground into an inning-ending double play.
Angels starter Caden Dana (0-3) didn’t allow a hit through three innings, but three walks in the second allowed the Rockies to tie it on Kyle Karros’ sacrifice fly.
Crim’s leadoff homer in the fourth gave Colorado the lead, and Freeland and the bullpen made it stand up.
Crim added an RBI groundout in the eighth.
Key moment: The Angels had runners on first and third with one out in the first, but Freeland struck out O’Hoppe and Christian Moore to keep the damage at one run. Freeland had seven strikeouts.
Key stats: Colorado finished 25-56 at Coors Field, the most home losses in franchise history. The previous high was 46 in 2012.
Up next: The Angels host Kansas City on Tuesday to begin their final homestand. They had not announced a scheduled starter yet.
So Allen plays safe to get the cue ball to baulk and actually hits the jaws of the yellow pocket and just stays aboard!
Zhou Yuelong 8-8 Mark Allen (0-0)
On the stretch, Zhou gets a simple pot all wrong and misses into the right corner pocket.
The cue ball remains around the reds too but not sure if he’s gotten away with it and not left anything on.
Zhou Yuelong 8-8 Mark Allen (0-0)
Safety exchange to start the frame as you might probably expect.
Every shot carefully thought out as an error could spell the end.
Zhou Yuelong 8-8 Mark Allen
An enormous cheers greets both men as they return to the floor.
Zhou Yuelong to break in the decider.
Zhou Yuelong 8-8 Mark Allen
We’re heading to a decider!
Allen sinks the remaining balls after Zhou potted the cue ball and we’re going to have a 17th and final frame to decide our English Open winner.
And that decider will start after midnight, when they kicked things off at 1pm this afternoon. It’s been said so many times this week but that’s a completely absurd situation to expect sports stars to operate at their best in. Genuinely ridiculous.
But never mind. A one-frame shoot-out for £100,000!
Zhou Yuelong 8-7 Mark Allen (59-75)
Allen flukes a snooker when he hits the green this time.
Zhou makes contact with the green too but it sends the cue ball into the pocket after doing so!
Jay Slater’s disappearance sparked a social media storm as the 19-year-old tragically died while on holiday in Tenerife after sending a haunting message to his friend
A vast search was carried out in an effort to find Jay after he was reported missing on June 17, 2024. Sadly, Jay’s body was found in a remote area near the village of Masca on 15 July.
The search for Jay revealed he had vanished after being driven about 22 miles into the mountains to an Airbnb with two men he had met on the holiday. He fell around 80ft to his death in a treacherous ravine while trying to walk back to his accommodation in Los Cristianos.
Jay’s mum revealed she saw his final text message that was never sent(Image: Channel 4)
Debbie logged into Jay’s phone following his death(Image: Supplied)
Within hours of Jay’s disappearance, mass online interest set conspiracy theories flying, causing a social media storm led by true-crime keyboard detectives. The case became the focus of global attention, with over 30 million videos online speculating about Jay’s whereabouts.
Now, a new documentary is set to detail his family’s hunt for answers and is the first time they have spoken publicly about the tragic case. During one moment, Jay’s mum Debbie Duncan recalled finding an unsent message when she logged onto her son’s Snapchat account.
After finally receiving Jay’s phone, Debbie found a devastating unsent message to his friend. She said: “When we signed into Jay’s Snapchat there was an unsent message from Jay to Brad [Geohegan].
“So the message was obviously just flying around and then the message sent to Brad, which obviously gave Brad a fright. He messaged me straight away ‘are you on Jay’s phone?’. I said yeah we’ve just signed into his Snapchat.
“He said ‘I’ve just got a message that’s just come through from Jay’. The last message he sent. He said ‘listen, I’m not going to make it’. It’s kind of like he knew he just wasn’t going to make it.”
He sent a message to his friend Brad, but it never went through(Image: C4)
Jay’s phone is believed to have ran out of charge when his call to friend Lucy Law ended at 8:50am. The documentary plays the desperate ‘999 call’ she made to Spanish police where she tells them: “Jay said he is going to die up there”.
Lucy had known Jay for about six years and was the last person to speak to him on the phone. On the call to Spanish police, Lucy tells them: “My friend he’s met some people, and they’ve drove him up into the mountains. I don’t know why and he’s left the house,
“And I don’t know if something happened, and I was telling him, you need to go back to your friends and tell them to drive you back down.
“And he said ‘No, I can’t. I can’t’. But I don’t know why that was.” The police then asked for the friend’s name and Lucy tells them it is Jay Slater.
The police ask if her friend has asked to be rescued and she added: “Yes, said he feels like he’s going to die up there. And then the phone cut off.” The audio from the call with the police has never been heard before and sheds new light on the events of June 17.
Channel 4 ’s new film The Disappearance of Jay Slater will air next weekend. The Disappearance of Jay Slater also has never-before-seen CCTV footage, previously unheard audio, the discovery of unsent messages, and access to the Slater family as they search for answers about what happened to Jay.
* The Disappearance of Jay Slater airs on Channel 4 on Sunday September 28 at 9pm.
Canada sensationally depose Women’s Rugby World Cup holders New Zealand, inflicting the Black Ferns’ first defeat in the tournament in 11 years to advance to the final.
Canada sensationally deposed Women’s Rugby World Cup holders New Zealand, inflicting the Black Ferns’ first defeat in the tournament in 11 years to advance to the final.
It will be only Canada’s second final appearance, after they lost to England in the 2014 showpiece. They could face the Red Roses again with England taking on France in Saturday’s second semi-final.
Whoever the opposition, Canada will be confident of claiming their first world title after ruthlessly burying the Black Ferns in Bristol.
Six-time champions New Zealand came into the game as slight favourites given their pedigree at the business end of World Cups, but Canada were supreme on both sides of the ball and in every department.
In the build-up to the game, Canada had spoken about the belief they had taken from their last two meetings with the Black Ferns – a 22-19 win and a 27-27 draw, both in Christchurch.
Even their most ardent fans though would not have expected victory by such an emphatic margin.
After first-half tries from scrum-half Justine Pelletier, wing Asia Hogan-Rochester, centre Florence Symonds and second row Sophie de Goede, Canada headed down the tunnel 17 points clear.
Three minutes after the restart, centre Alex Tessier, who plays her club rugby in Exeter, stepped off her right foot and sauntered in to make it 31-7 and all but extinguish Kiwi hopes.
New Zealand won their world title by overhauling England’s double-digit lead at Eden Park three years ago.
However, they did not have to make up such a vast deficit and, despite Liana Mikaele-Tu’u crossing from close range and Braxton Sorensen-McGee being put in by Ruahei Demant’s cross-field punt, they never looked like producing another famous comeback as 24,392 fans at Ashton Gate acclaimed the victors.
Just three months after rock ’n’ roll legend Ozzy Osbourne died at age 76, a new documentary will shed light on his final days.
Paramount+ released a trailer Wednesday for a new documentary film following the life of Osbourne, who died from a heart attack July 22. The film, “Ozzy: No Escape From Now,” was initially announced in February on his official site.
“The last six years have been full of some of the worst times I’ve been through. There’s been times when I thought my number was up,” Osbourne previously said of his career. “But making music and making two albums saved me. I’d have gone nuts without music.”
The press release describes the film as a “warm and deeply personal portrait” of Osbourne and how his world “shuddered to a halt” six years ago upon receiving his Parkinson’s diagnosis in 2019. Notably, it is said to depict the lead-up to the 76-year-old’s final farewell show, “Back to the Beginning,” at Villa Park on July 5.
Directed by BAFTA winner Tania Alexander and produced by Echo Velvet, the film also includes commentary from an array of Osbourne’s closest family and friends.
“Ozzy’s one regret is that he never really got to say goodbye to his fans,” his wife Sharon Osbourne says in the trailer.
Later, she poses a question to her husband: “What do you think of a big farewell show?”
“If I’m gonna go up there, I wanna be up there the old Ozzy singing,” he replies.
The film is not the only tribute to Osbourne, as a special performance at the 2025 VMAs was dedicated to the Black Sabbath frontman.
The farewell saw Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler come out of retirement to perform alongside bandmate Joe Perry, singer Yungblud, and Extreme guitarist Nuno Bettencourt. It featured a medley of hits, including “Crazy Train,” “Changes” and “Mama, I’m Coming Home.”
“Ozzy forever, man!” Yungblud yelled out at the end, before embracing Tyler.
SAN FRANCISCO — This is the time to bring on the rivals. The Dodgers are used to taking on challengers down the pennant stretch: the San Francisco Giants and San Diego Padres — and, in a previous version of the National League West, the Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds.
The final two weeks of the regular season are upon us. The Dodgers have one remaining head-to-head matchup that really matters — and that series starts Monday at Dodger Stadium, against the Philadelphia Phillies.
The Phillies?
The Phillies have not been realigned into the NL West. However, although the three division champions automatically qualify for the playoffs, the two with the best records earn a bye into the division series. The division champion with the third-best record — right now, that would be the Dodgers — must play in the first round.
The Milwaukee Brewers, the presumed champions of the NL Central, boast the best record in baseball. The Phillies, the presumed champions of the NL East, lead the Dodgers by 4 ½ games. The Dodgers have 13 games to play.
The Dodgers got a bye and lost in the division series in 2022. They got a bye and lost in the division series in 2023. They got a bye and came within one game of elimination in the division series in 2024. Would they be better off not getting a bye and playing in the first round?
“There is not a question in my mind that that does not make sense,” Andrew Friedman, the Dodgers’ president of baseball operations, told me last week. “It is better for your World Series odds to not play those three games.”
The five days off that come with a bye can disrupt the timing of hitters. They also can allow time for injured and weary players to recover — that could be critical for Dodgers catcher Will Smith, in particular — and for the Dodgers to arrange their starting rotation just the way they might like it. And, of course, you can’t be eliminated in the first round if you don’t play in it.
“We have made our life more difficult to this point,” Friedman said, “but I still think we have a really good run in us, and we’ll make it competitive. So obviously these three games against Philly are really important in that.”
What if the three games against the Phillies go poorly?
Even if they don’t, the Dodgers might not win the division. The Padres are closer to the Dodgers than the Dodgers are to the Phillies.
San Diego trails the Dodgers by 2½ games in the NL West.
If the Padres win the NL West, how much would that hurt the Dodgers’ chances of a lengthy postseason run?
Not much, if at all. Both teams almost certainly would end up in the wild-card round.
The NL West champion would play the last team into the NL field, most likely the Giants or New York Mets and maybe even the Reds or Arizona Diamondbacks, with the chance the opponent exhausted its pitching just to get into the playoffs. The other team would play the Chicago Cubs, and would avoid the possibility of facing the surging Phillies until the NLCS.
If the NL West comes down to the last day or two, the Dodgers would have to determine whether to use their best starters on that final weekend or line them up for the wild-card series.
In that scenario, what might be the decisive factor in the Dodgers’ calculus?
The NL West champion would play all three games of the wild-card round at home; the runner-up likely would play all three games on the road. The Dodgers are 48-26 at home, 36-39 on the road. (The Padres are 47-28 at home, 35-40 on the road.)
Would there be any precedent for the Dodgers not minding if the Padres won the NL West?
In 1996, the Dodgers and Padres were tied for the NL West lead heading into the final day of the regular season, with the two teams facing one another. Both teams were guaranteed a playoff spot.
The Padres won the game, and with it the division. The Dodgers started Martinez in their playoff opener three days later. They lost that game, and they were swept in the series by the Braves. The winning pitchers in that series, in order: John Smoltz, Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine.
How many games are the Dodgers on pace to win?
Ninety-one.
In Friedman’s previous 10 seasons running the Dodgers, what is the fewest number of games they have won?
Ninety-one, in 2016.
How did the Dodgers do that October?
They earned a bye into the division series, in which they beat the Washington Nationals. They lost to the Chicago Cubs in the league championship series.
Riders have crashed as a result of the protests, with some saying they have been worried for their safety.
Last week, Israel-Premier Tech began racing in modified jerseys which did not display their team name.
Organisers said: “It is still unknown whether there will be a winning ceremony with the situation as it is, with thousands of protesters filling downtown Madrid.
“The race has been officially ended and Jonas Vingegaard is the winner.”
Clashes continued after the race was abandoned, with protesters throwing bottles of water and other objects at police.
Race organisers had already shortened the 21st and final stage of the Vuelta from 111.6km to 103.6km.
Organisers did not specify a reason for the section removed, which would have crossed the plush Madrid neighbourhood of Aravaca.
Cycling journalist Brian Smith told BBC Sport: “They realised [there could be disruption] a few days ago when the protesters stopped a stage going into Bilbao.
“So there was always a contingency in place and the riders all voted to ride into Madrid. They knew something may happen”.
The protests come in the wake of the Israeli military launching a campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.
Speaking before Sunday’s final stage, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said he admired the protesters.
“Today marks the end of the Vuelta,” Sanchez told a socialist party rally in the southern city of Malaga. “Our respect and recognition for the athletes and our admiration for the Spanish people who are mobilising for just causes like Palestine.”
Madrid’s Mayor Jose Luis Martinez-Almeida said Sanchez’s comments were to blame for causing the abandonment.
“[It is] violence that the prime minister is directly responsible for due to his statements this morning instigating the protests,” he said.
“Today is the saddest day since I became mayor of this great city.”
The state-of-the-art Fujian is in the final stages of testing before it officially begins active service in China’s navy.
Published On 12 Sep 202512 Sep 2025
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China’s newest aircraft carrier transited through the Taiwan Strait as part of a research and training exercise before its entry into service, according to the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN).
PLAN spokesperson Senior Captain Leng Guowei said on Friday that the Fujian was bound for the South China Sea, where it will undergo testing.
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“The cross-regional tests and training are a routine mission of the carrier’s construction process and do not target any specific objects,” Leng said, according to Chinese state media.
The 80,000-tonne Fujian has not been officially commissioned for service, but it will soon join the Liaoning and Shandong vessels as China’s third and most advanced aircraft carrier.
Fu Qianshao, a Chinese military affairs expert, told China’s State-run news outlet Global Times that the Fujian’s research trip to the South China Sea is a sign the aircraft carrier is nearly complete. It earlier underwent tests in the East China Sea and Yellow Sea.
The Fujian’s route was not unexpected, as Chinese state media shared photos and videos of the aircraft carrier leaving Shanghai’s shipyard on Wednesday.
A step forward for China’s blue water navy.
🇨🇳China’s third aircraft carrier, the Fujian passes through Taiwan Straits to hold tests, training in #SouthChinaSea.
By the way, the Taiwan Strait is not ‘international waters’.
Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force on Thursday spotted the Fujian sailing near the disputed but uninhabited Senkaku Islands, in the direction of the Taiwan Strait, accompanied by two PLAN destroyers.
The Senkaku Islands are known as the Diaoyu Islands in China and the Diaoyutai Islands in Taiwan.
The Fujian is just the second aircraft carrier in the world, after the USS Gerald Ford, to host an electromagnetic catapult system that makes it easier for aircraft to take off and land.
Developing such a launch system is a sign that the technology gap between China and the US is closing, according to maritime expert and former United States Air Force Colonel Ray Powell, but there are still some limitations.
The Fujian is 20 percent smaller than US super aircraft carriers and conventionally powered rather than nuclear-powered, Powell said.
The real challenge for China, Powell told Al Jazeera, will be crewing its aircraft carriers as the PLAN will need to divide veteran crew members between the three carriers: Fujian, Liaoning and Shandong.
“China is closing the hardware gap, but developing the operational expertise for effective blue-water carrier ops is what the US has spent nearly a century perfecting,” he said.
While no date has been announced yet for the Fujian’s official commission into active service, the US Naval Institute (USNI) said it is expected to “coincide with a date that holds historical significance to China”.
Possible dates include September 18, the anniversary of Japan’s 1931 invasion of Manchuria, or China’s October 1 national holiday, the USNI said.
Carlos Alcaraz claimed the latest chapter of his compelling rivalry against Jannik Sinner with a four-set victory to regain the US Open title.
Spain’s Alcaraz started strongly, weathered a second-set fightback from Italy’s Sinner, before powering to a 6-2 3-6 6-1 6-4 victory in New York.
The men’s final was delayed by half an hour because of extra security measures put in place due to US President Donald Trump’s presence.
Once under way, the pair produced another engaging contest – albeit short of the drama and quality of their French Open and Wimbledon finals earlier this year.
Reigning French Open champion Alcaraz’s superior serving – an area which let him down against Sinner at the All England Club – ensured he reclaimed the US Open title that he first won in 2022.
The 22-year-old has now won six Grand Slam titles – making him the second youngest man behind Bjorn Borg to reach this tally.
Alcaraz’s victory ensures an even split between him and Sinner – who won the Australian Open as well as Wimbledon – at the four majors in 2025.
Alcaraz has also wrestled the world number one ranking away from Sinner, who held the position for 65 weeks.
After Sinner saved two championship points, Alcaraz reset to take his third opportunity with an ace out wide – celebrating with a now trademark golf swing.
THE US Open will come to a close today at Flushing Meadows as the two biggest stars in tennis face off yet again!
Rivals Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz will go head-to-head in their third Grand Slam final of the year with US president Donald Trump attending the showpiece match.
Sinner beat Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final earlier this summer to take the SW19 crown for the first time.
Sinner is looking to defend his US Open title and win the 2025 trilogy between the two titans of men’s singles.
Second seed Carlos Alcaraz took down 24-times major winner Novak Djokovic 6-4 7-6(4) 6-2 with clinical precision to reach the US Open final, prevailing in a highly anticipated showdown that packed the house at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The match on Friday was billed as the hottest ticket in New York and lived up to the hype, with a scoreline that belied its intensity, as the 2022 champion Alcaraz soaked in deafening cheers on match point.
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Djokovic had won their two most recent meetings, including in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open earlier this year, but the 38-year-old showed wear and tear against the Spaniard 16 years his junior.
“It’s something that I’m working on, just the consistency on the matches, on the tournaments, on the year in general,” said Alcaraz, who won his fifth major title at Roland Garros this year and finished runner-up at Wimbledon.
“Just not having up-and-downs in the match. Just the level that I start the match, just wanted to keep that level really high during the whole match.”
Djokovic dropped his serve when he sent a shot past the baseline in the opening game and was unable to set up a single break point chance in the first set, which Alcaraz closed out with an unreturnable serve.
Urged on by the celebrity-packed stands, the seventh seed got in the fight in the second set, sending over a superb backhand to convert on a break point in the second game.
But Alcaraz had not dropped a set so far in New York and was not about to start as he put his foot on the gas, setting up a break point after surviving a 16-shot rally with one of his fine forehand winners and converting from the baseline.
Down 0-2 in the tiebreak, Djokovic outlasted his opponent in a cheeky exchange at the net and paused to take in the roars of the crowd, a reminder of the Serb’s perennial appeal two decades after his Flushing Meadows main draw debut.
But the Spaniard kept his nerve, closing out the tiebreak with two more unreturnable serves before Djokovic gifted him a break point with a double fault in the fourth game of the third set.
“It’s not easy playing against him, to be honest,” said Alcaraz, who hit twice as many winners as his opponent.
“I’m thinking about the legend, what he has achieved in his career. It’s difficult not to think about it. So that makes facing him even tougher.”
The writing was on the wall for Djokovic as he hit another double fault on the penultimate point of the match, and he leaned on the net as he congratulated his opponent with a grin after handing over the contest with a wide forehand.
“Of course, it’s frustrating on the court when you are not able to keep up with that level physically. But at the same time, it’s something also expected,” said Djokovic, who picked up the last of his four US Open titles in 2023.
“It comes with time and with age.”
Alcaraz, right, and Djokovic hug after their semifinal matchup at the US Open on September 5 [Timothy A Clary/AFP]
Defending champion Jannik Sinner battled past 25th seed Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-1 3-6 6-3 6-4 in the second semifinal to set up another blockbuster title clash with Alcaraz and renew one of the sport’s most compelling rivalries.
Shortly after Alcaraz wove his magic to dismantle Djokovic, the usually machine-like Sinner misfired at times but prevailed to ensure a third successive major final with the Spaniard.
The Italian world No 1 faced brief resistance in the fifth game of the contest but dialled up the intensity to hold and wrapped up the lopsided opening set when Auger-Aliassime sent a backhand wide.
Auger-Aliassime settled his nerves in his second New York semifinal, breaking for a 5-3 lead in the next set en route to levelling the match, before going toe-to-toe with Sinner in the third set, only for the momentum to shift again.
Sinner, who took a medical timeout for an unspecified issue earlier, found his groove to close out the third set and staved off a strong challenge from his reinvigorated Canadian opponent with some clutch serving in the next set to advance.
Sinner will face off against Alcaraz for the third successive Grand Slam final on Sunday. Sinner captured the Australian Open and Wimbledon titles this season but lost to Alcaraz in an epic five-set battle in the French Open final.
“Sunday is a very special day and an amazing final again,” said Sinner. “I feel like our rivalry started here (in 2022) playing an amazing match. We are two different players now, with different confidence too.”
Top-ranked Sinner is now chasing a fifth career major after joining Rod Laver, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic as the only men to reach all four Grand Slam finals in a season [File: Kena Betancur/AFP]
