meet

The type of holidaymaker you (and your travel companions) are can have a big impact on the kind of getaways you’ll enjoy. If you’re the type to pore over endless reviews, book everything in advance and use a spreadsheet to tick off every detail, you’ll have a very different experience to the fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants type of traveller, who prefers to just grab their passport and see where it takes them, carry-on in hand.

Or perhaps you’re more the flexible type, who likes to plan a few things in advance, but leaves space for spontaneous fun? Or maybe you’re the one who breathes a sigh of relief as your super organised friend hands out colour-coded itineraries at the airport?

We gathered together some of the holiday heroes that bring getaways to life to find out how they do it – and to discover some of the clever ways Barclays can help your holiday go even further, whichever group you belong to.

The chief holiday officer

‘I create a visual itinerary for every trip,’ says Sian Downes, 36

Following in the footsteps of Rafael Nadal as the second Spaniard to reach five major men’s singles finals, Alcaraz could emulate his childhood hero by winning his fifth major at the exact same age: 22 years, one month and three days.

The two-time Wimbledon champion has taken just 82 matches to reach 70 wins at slams – quicker than all but Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe, who took 81.

He improved his record on clay this season to 21 wins in 22 matches – including title wins in Monte Carlo and Rome – after Lorenzo Musetti retired with injury when trailing in their semi-final.

“Most of the time it is just about suffering,” Alcaraz said when asked what it would take to beat either Sinner or Djokovic after winning Friday’s first semi-final.

“But my favourite thing is that it gives me the feedback of how I can be a better player.

“I think that’s important, and that’s beautiful. Even if I win or not, it gives you a lot of stats and feedback.”

On Sinner, he added: “He’s the best tennis player right now. I mean, he’s destroying every opponent.”

A CLASH of generations and a crunch Iberian derby comes this Sunday when Portugal and Spain meet in the Nations League final.

SunSport have enlisted the help of their betting experts to preview the game and select the best bets, tips and exclusive sign-up bonuses from our leading betting partners.

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Portugal vs Spain preview

This game will likely be built up as Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lamine Yamal.

So who are we to change the narrative!?

The 40-year-old and 17-year-old meet on the park in a big final for their countries at the end and beginning of their careers.

And they’re both arriving as the key men for their countries having both scored in the midweek semi finals!

Portugal battled back from a goal down to score twice in five minutes midway through the second half to beat Germany in Munich.

The Portuguese had double the attempts on goal of the hosts, including in a completely one-sided second half.

But one of the best international games in years followed 24 hours later when Spain beat France 5-4 in a Stuttgart stunner.

The Spaniards were 4-0 up after 55 minutes before Kylian Mbappe’s penalty and Yamal scored six minutes later to restore a four-goal lead.

France scored three more in the final 11 minutes to almost complete the sensational comeback but just came up short.

Spain are still unbeaten in competitive games since March 2023, when beaten comprehensively by Scotland.

First scorer and correct score predictions

• Correct score: 1-3 at 12/1 with Betfred – HERE

• First scorer: Mikel Oyarzabal 19/4 with talkSPORT BET – HERE

Portugal vs Spain latest odds

Odds are correct at the time of publication and are subject to change.

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Portugal vs Spain prediction

Boy wonder

It would be rather silly to ignore the teenage sensation, wouldn’t it?

Lamine Yamal’s brace in midweek was further proof of his incredible rise this season, starring on yet another big stage.

The Barca boy has five goals in his last five games for club and country and this Spanish side are littered with incredible talent. Good boosted value.

• Lamine Yamal to score, Spain to win and both teams to score at 13/2 with William Hill – CLAIM HERE

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North Salinas High sophomore Clara Adams ran the fastest time in the girls’ 400-meter finals at the CIF State Track & Field Finals last weekend.

She crossed the finish line .28 seconds ahead of her closest competitor.

But Adams is not the state champion. She was stripped of that title after she used a fire extinguisher to spray her cleats while on the field inside the track moments after the race.

“I was robbed,” Adams, 16, told The Times shortly after being disqualified from that event as well the 200 finals, which took place later in the meet.

Adams said CIF officials told her that she was being disqualified because she had been “unsportsmanlike,” but that’s not how she saw it at all.

“I was having fun,” Adams said, noting her win in the 400 marked her first state title. “I’d never won something like that before, and they took it away from me. I didn’t do anything wrong.”

She added: “I worked really hard for it and they took it from me, and I don’t know what to do.”

Days later, David Adams, who said he is the sprint coach at North Salinas, told The Times his daughter was “doing better” but still trying to cope with everything that unfolded Saturday afternoon at Buchanan High in Clovis.

“Clara’s hurt. She’s hurt right now,” David Adams said Wednesday. “She’s better today than Saturday. Saturday was fresh. It just happened. It was a shock. She felt numb. They made her sit there and watch while they put those other girls on the podium, knowing Clara’s the fastest 400-meter runner in the state of California.”

Clara Adams has been running competitively since age 6, her father said. She finished fourth in the 400 at last year’s state meet and won the event with a state-best time of 53.23 at the Central Coast Section championships last month. After posting the top qualifying time in Friday’s preliminaries, Adams surged ahead of Madison Mosby of St. Mary’s Academy in Inglewood to win the race with a time of 53.24.

Immediately afterward, Adams walked over to the wall in front of the stands and found her father, who reached down and handed her what he described as a “small” fire extinguisher. She then walked back across the track into the grass, where she sprayed her cleats as if she was putting out a fire — a move her father said was a tribute to former U.S. sprinter Maurice Greene, who similarly celebrated his win in the 100 at the 2004 Home Depot Invitational in Carson.

CIF officials apparently were not amused and disqualified Adams on the spot, awarding first place to Mosby. According to rules established by the National Federation of State High School Assns., “unsporting conduct” is defined as behavior that includes but is not limited to “disrespectfully addressing an official, any flagrant behavior, intentional contact, taunting, criticizing or using profanity directed toward someone.” The penalty is disqualification from the event in which the behavior took place and further competition in the meet.

The CIF did not respond to a request for comment from The Times.

According to David Adams, the officials “were really nasty” toward his daughter. They “tugged on her arm,” he said, “they were screaming in her face. I could hear it from where I was at. I could see it — I couldn’t hear exactly what they were saying, but they were just really nasty.”

Clara Adams said she specifically asked the officials to speak with her father about the disqualification, but they refused.

“They kept telling me, ‘It’s OK,’ and I was telling them, ‘It’s not OK,’ and they didn’t care,” she said. “They were trying to smile in my face, like them telling me ‘no’ amused them or something.”

David Adams said the officials would only speak to North Salinas head coach Alan Green, who declined to speak to The Times for this story.

“They told him that it was unsportsmanlike conduct,” David Adams said of the officials’ discussion with Green. “We were asking for the rule, the specific rule of what she did, and they didn’t really give anything. It was more of a gray area that gives them discretion to pick and choose what they feel is unsportsmanlike conduct.”

Adams disputes that his daughter behaved in a manner that could be considered unsportsmanlike.

“Looking at the film, Clara is nowhere near any opponent,” he said. “She’s off the track, on the grass. Her opponents are long gone off the track already, so she wasn’t in their face. It was a father-daughter moment. … She did it off the track because she didn’t want to seem disrespectful toward nobody. And they still found a reason to take her title away. They didn’t give her a warning or anything.”

He added that his daughter is a “very humble, really sweet kid.”

“I take responsibility for the situation. I’m taking full responsibility,” he said. “Clara has run several championship races and won and walked off the track. It’s just weird that she celebrates one time and now people, these strangers, these middle-aged people want to chase after her character?”

Greene, the four-time Olympic medalist who inspired Clara’s celebration, told KSBW-TV in Salinas that the CIF should reconsider its decision.

“If [the celebration] was away from everyone and not interfering with anyone, I would say reinstate her,” Greene said.

David Adams said he is trying to make that happen but so far the CIF won’t return his calls .

“We have an attorney on standby right now,” he said. “I don’t want to take it there, but I will fight this all the way. As long as I’m breathing I’m gonna fight it. But we’re trying to go through proper channels to give the CIF an opportunity to do the right thing. Having an attorney involved is our last resort, that means we tried everything.”

Published on 02/06/2025 – 19:11 GMT+2•Updated
19:13

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EU trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič will meet his US counterpart Ambassador Jamieson Greer on Wednesday on the sidelines of an OECD meeting in Paris following a high-level gathering of EU and US experts in Washington on Tuesday against rising tensions over US customs duties.

The Commission is hoping to rekindle negotiation with the US a week after EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and US president Donald Trump spoke on the phone, despite Trump’s subsequent decision on 30 May to slap 50% tariffs on EU steel and aluminium.

“The EU in good faith paused its countermeasures on 14 April, to create space for continued negotiations, and following the call between president Ursula von der Leyen and president Donald Trump both sides agreed to accelerate the pace of talks,” Commission spokesperson Olof Gill said on Monday, acknowledging however that Trump’s last announcement on steel and aluminium undermined the Commission’s “ongoing efforts to reach a negotiated solution with the US”.

The Commission has suspended until 14 July a list of countermeasures targeting US products after Trump decided on a 90-Day pause in the trade dispute he launched against his partners across the globe. But the Commission could decide to move forward with those countermeasures, it said.

A second list of US product is also open to consultation from industry until 10 June, when EU member states will adopt them.

“If no mutually acceptable solution is reached, both the existing and the possible additional measures will automatically take effect on 14 July or earlier if circumstances require,“ Gill said.

Šefčovič has already travelled to Washington three times to meet with his US counterparts, but his efforts have so far failed to break the deadlock.

The US and the EU exchanged proposals to begin negotiations, but both sides have dismissed the other’s offers. It wasn’t until EU and US leaders spoke by phone that talks were able to move forward—until President Trump announced new tariffs on steel and aluminium at the end of last week, putting the negotiations at risk once again.

The US currently imposes 25% tariffs on EU steel and aluminium, 25% on cars and 10% on all EU imports. Several investigations in pharma, semiconductors or aircrafts could also lead to more US tariffs on EU goods.

May 31 (UPI) — President Trump plans to meet with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz next week in Washington, D.C..

Merz, who was elected May 6 in a parliamentary election, is scheduled to visit with Trump on Thursday in the White House, German government spokesperson Stefan Kornelius said in a news release Saturday.

Merz, a member of the center-right Christian Democratic Union, replaced Olaf Scholz, who served since 2021 with the Social Democratic Party. Merz was first elected to the Bundestag in 1994 and was leader of the opposition since February 2022.

He will travel to the U.S. capital one day ahead, according to broadcaster n-tv.

They will focus on bilateral relations, the Russia-Ukraine war, the Middle East and trade policy, which includes tariffs, according to Kornelius.

A White House official confirmed the meeting to The Hill.

Like Trump, Merz wants a cease-fire in the war between Ukraine and Russia that began in February 2022.

Merz met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Berlin on Wednesday.

The chancellor said that Germany will increase financial support for Ukraine as part of a more than $5.5 billion agreement. That includes sending over more military equipment and increasing weapons manufacturing in Kyiv.

Members of the Trump administration have criticized Germany’s designation of the far-right Alternative fur Deutschland party as an “extremist” political entity.

“We have largely stayed out of the American election campaign in recent years, and that includes me personally,” Merz said in an interview with Axel Springer Global Reporters Network, which is part of Politico, that was published on May 7.

Last Wednesday, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul traveled to Washington and met with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Trump spoke on the phone with Merz during his visit on May 10 with French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to meet with Zelensky in Kyiv.

Macron, Starmer and Zelensky have already met with Trump in the White House.

Other foreign leaders who met with Trump since he took office again on Jan. 20 include Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, Jordan’s King Abdullah II bin al-Hussein, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Irish Prime Minister Micheel Martin, Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Many heads of state, including Trump, went to the funeral for Francis on April 26 in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican. Merz wasn’t one of them.

May 31 (UPI) — President Trump plans to meet with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz next week in Washington, D.C., in the meeting between the two leaders.

Merz, who was elected May 6 in a parliamentary election, is scheduled to visit with Trump on Thursday in the White House, Germany government spokesperson Stefan Kornelius said Saturday in a news release to The Hill and Politico Europe.

Merz, a member of the center-right Christian Democratic Union, replaced Olaf Scholz, who served since 2021 with the Social Democratic Party. Merz was first elected to the Bundestag in 1994 and was leader of the opposition since February 2022.

He will travel to the U.S. capital one day ahead, according to broadcaster n-tv.

They will focus on bilateral relations, the Russia-Ukraine war, the Middle East and trade policy, which includes tariffs, according to Kornelius.

A White House official confirmed the meeting to The Hill.

Like Trump, Merz wants a cease-fire in the war between Ukraine and Russia that began in February 2022.

Merz met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Berlin on Wednesday.

The chancellor said that Germany will increase financial support for Ukraine as part of a more than $5.5 billion agreement. That includes sending over more military equipment and increasing weapons manufacturing in Kyiv.

Members of the Trump administration have criticized Germany designating the far-right Alternative fur Deutschland party as an “extremist” political entity.

“We have largely stayed out of the American election campaign in recent years, and that includes me personally,” Merz said in an interview with Axel Springer Global Reporters Network, which is part of Politico, that was published on May 7.

Last Wednesday, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul traveled to Washington and met with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Trump spoke on the phone with Merz during his visit on May 10 with French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to meet with Zelensky in Kyiv.

Macron, Starmer and Zelensky have already met with Trump in the White House.

Other foreign leaders who met with Trump since he took office again on Jan. 20 include Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, Jordan’s King Abdullah II bin al-Hussein, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Irish Prime Minister Micheel Martin, Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Many heads of state, including Trump, went to the funeral for Francis on April 26 in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican. Merz wasn’t one of them.

IT’S the most glamorous fixture on the football calendar – but the glitziest stars will be the ones cheering on from the sidelines.

As Paris Saint-Germain prepare to take on Inter this evening, the players’ stunning WAGs will be getting dressed up to the nines as their partners prepare for potential Champions League glory.

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While PSG’s roster has included superstars including Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar in recent years, this year’s team is full of young, hungry talents ready to make their own names on the world stage.

The likes of Ousmane Dembélé and Achraf Hakimi will be testing themselves at the Allianz Arena in Munich against Inter‘s equally impressive side, which boasts stars including Lautaro Martínez and Marcus Thuram.

But away from the pitch, which of these names are scoring in their love lives too?

From doctors to lawyers and even fellow players – as well as a dramatic cheating scandal – we reveal all about PSG and Inter’s top WAGs.

Paris Saint-Germain F.C.

Nitsa Tavadze and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia

Brainy Nitsa Tavadze, 23, wife of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, 24, studied medicine while her relationship with the Georgian star blossomed.

In 2023, they tied the knot at the historic Samtavro Monastery in Mtskheta, celebrating with Georgian traditions, attire, and customs. 

Although the couple were introduced by a mutual friend in 2021 sparks didn’t fly until a month later.

Due to Nitsa’s demanding studies, the pair would write to and call each other, and would meet up during their time off or when Kvaratskhelia was on an international break.

When Nitsa didn’t have lectures to attend, she would go to Naples and attend matches at his former team, Napoli.

They made their first appearance at a basketball game between Italy and Georgia and by 2022 they were official. Now, they share a son, Damian, one.

Océane Toussaint and Warren Zaire-Emery

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French goalie Océane Toussaint, 21, has been in a relationship with her fellow PSG star Warren Zaire-Emery, 19, since 2024.

They were first papped together at a Louis Vuitton event in January and later confirmed their relationship at a gala in May.

Océane was the first goalkeeper to win the Titi d’Or – a fan award for PSG’s most promising academy player – in 2023 and took to social media to share her success with fans.

She wrote: “Very proud to be the first Titi gold keeper, thank you again for all your messages.”

During their short time together so far, Océane and Warren have already jetted off for glamorous holidays and were seen visiting Zoomarine in the Algarve.

Madalena Aragão and João Neves 

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Portuguese television and film star Madalena Aragão, 19, has been in a relationship with João Neves, 20, since 2024.

Madalena made her acting debut in 2016 when she was just 10 years old in the soap opera Rainha das Flores.

The talented actress is also a popular blogger and creator of a YouTube channel, where she shares her thoughts on teenage life and growing up. 

Since embarking on her new relationship with João it’s been go go go. She even moved to Paris to be with him after his move from Benfica to the French giants.

The pair have also been quite active on social media, sharing several adorable pics together.

In response to one of Madalena’s recent Instagram posts, Portuguese actor and model Diogo Amaral replied: “My favourite couple.”

Carol Cabrino and Marquinhos

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Influencer Carol Cabrino, 32, carved out a successful singing career before her marriage to Brazilian centre back Marquinhos, 31.

After he proposed to her underneath the Eiffel Tower, the pair had a civil wedding in June 2016.

Together they share three children – Maria, eight, Enrico, six, and Martina, 3 – but tragically, Carol recently opened up about losing her fourth child after suffering a miscarriage.

Taking to Instagram to share the distressing news in March, she said: “I’m going to talk about something that is not very good.

“But I’ve accepted what happened to me and I’ve come to share it with you.

“I can’t get on with my life if I don’t come here and explain to you a little of the things that have been happening in my life for a while now.”

Alessia Elefante and Gianluigi Donnarumma

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Italian bombshell Alessia Elefante, 27, is the fiancée of Gianluigi Donnarumma, 26, and the couple have been together for over seven years.

Alessia is an interior designer and mum to one-year-old Leo, whom she shares with Gianluigi. The Italian pro footballer proposed to her a month after their son was born.

They also share a dog named Coco that Alessia has referred to via her Instagram as her “favourite baby boy” and “a prince” – before her son was born, of course!

Alessia also stands 39cm shorter than her partner who reaches a whopping 6ft5inches.

Despite such a significant height difference, the couple seem super loved up and often share photos together on social media.

Another little known fact about Alessia is that she’s a twin. On May 27, 2024, she took to Instagram to share a birthday pic with her sister Daniela.

The caption wrote: “Since 1998. Love you.”

Shocked fans were quick to spot the similarities between the pair. One person wrote: “I thought there was a mirror in the 1st pic.”

Inter Milan

Agustina Gandolfo and Lautaro Martinez

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Model Agustina, 29, has two children with Inter’s star striker Lautaro, 27, Nina, four and Theo, two.

Agus has developed a career as a mumfluencer in recent years, with her candid posts about the realities of motherhood.

Alongside her personal updates, she has launched her own lifestyle brand, Coraje, as well as partnering with trendy fashion and fitness labels like Cloter Official and Tropical Sweat.

She met her Argentine husband around 2016 when he was playing for local club Racing, at a party hosted by fellow stars Mauro Icardi and Wanda Nara.

They were initially pals but later fell in love. They had their first child, a daughter named Nina, in 2021 and had a son in 2023.

The pair had a lavish wedding in Villa d’Este on Lake Como Italy in 2023 with 120 guests.

Agus has three tattoos: one of birds flying on her upper back, a heart on her arm and a quote on her ribs.

She also made headlines in 2021 after claiming a Milan restaurant had handed her a menu that didn’t have any prices on during a romantic meal out with her man.

She claimed on her Instagram story that the practice is sexist – because it assumes the man is going to pay for the meal, not the woman.

Kleofina Pnishi and Benjamin Pavard 

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Kosovo-born actress and model Kleofina, 30, was elected Miss Provence 2017 and ran in the Miss France competition the following year.

But life hasn’t always been easy. When she was just five years old, her family fled their homeland due to the war and arrived in France in 1999.

She graduated from the School of Journalism and Communication of Aix-Marseille, before meeting Benjamin Pavard, 29, with the pair getting engaged in July last year.

Benjamin got down on one knee on the coast of Saranda, Albania, in a beautiful, romantic proposal made special with flowers and candles. 

Federica Schievenin and Nicolò Barella 

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Stunning sports scientist Federica Schievenin, 35, met childhood sweetheart Nicolò, 28, over a decade ago.

Like her beau, she has had a passion for sports since a young age thanks to thanks to her dad, who was into motocross.

She earned a PT CFT3 certification from the International Sports Scientists Association in 2019 and is now said to be studying nutraceuticals and naturopathy.

The pair tied the knot in 2018 and are now parents to four children: daughters Rebecca, eight, Lavinia, five, Matilde, four and a baby son, Romeo.

Federica keeps her children’s faces hidden on social media, usually with an emoji.

Claudia Scarpari and Francesco Acerbi 

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Claudia Scarpari, 38, is the wife of defender Francesco Acerbi, 37, who she met in early 2020.

Speaking of their early romance, the glamorous lawyer said she found it “enchanting” to watch him play, but admitted she didn’t follow football before they met. 

However, since falling in love with the defender, Claudia has revealed she had never missed a match, and will always be cheering on her partner.  

Claudia already has a daughter and a son from a previous relationship, and has had more children with Francesco.  

Their daughters are named Vittoria, four and Nala, two.

On top of being a supportive WAG, Claudia is a successful lawyer and has spoken of the similarities between the couple’s careers, explaining they are both “defending and protecting what we believe in”.

The couple married in early 2025 in Cassina Rizzardi, Italy.

Sinem Gündoğdu and Hakan Çalhanoğlu

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Hakan Çalhanoğlu, 31, and Sinem, 30, grew up together in Turkey before tying the knot in 2017, but their relationship has not always been plain sailing. 

In 2018, the midfielder sensationally announced the decision to divorce his wife after a “very serious and unforgivable situation occurred”.

Sinem’s response was speedy, and came with another bombshell, as she announced: “I never cheated on you. By the way, I’m pregnant.”

Fortunately, the couple appear to have resolved their issues and now seem better than ever. 

Together they have three children: Liya, six, born in 2019, Ayaz, four, born in 2021 and Asil Can, two, born in 2023.

After an extensive search, HBO has officially found young wizards Harry, Ron and Hermione for its upcoming “Harry Potter” series.

Newcomers Dominic McLaughlin, Alastair Stout and Arabella Stanton are the chosen ones to play Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, respectively, of the more than 30,000 children who auditioned during the open casting call.

Filming begins this summer and the show premieres next year.

“The talent of these three unique actors is wonderful to behold, and we cannot wait for the world to witness their magic together onscreen,” executive producers Francesca Gardiner and Mark Mylod said in a statement. “We would like to thank all the tens of thousands of children who auditioned. It’s been a real pleasure to discover the plethora of young talent out there.” Gardiner will serve as showrunner and Mylod will direct multiple episodes of the series.

Author J.K. Rowling, Neil Blair and Ruth Kenley-Letts of Brontë Film & TV, and David Heyman of Heyday Films will also executive produce.

Here’s everything we know about the reimagining of the classic franchise.

Who is Dominic McLaughlin?

Prior to nabbing the titular role in “Harry Potter,” McLaughlin studied at the Performance Academy Scotland for five years. He is set to appear in BBC’s upcoming series “Gifted,” about Scottish teens who discover they have superpowers, and the Sky film “Grow,” about a grumpy pumpkin farmer and her orphaned niece.

“The news is out and this one is MAGICAL!!” wrote the Performance Academy Scotland on Instagram. “We are not sure that this will ever feel real but we said from the start that Dominic was the perfect Harry & we are thrilled for everyone else to see this soon too.”

Who is Alastair Stout?

“Harry Potter” is Stout’s first major role. His only other credited appearance is a commercial for Albert Bartlett potatoes.

Who is Arabella Stanton?

Stanton starred as Matilda Wormwood in “Matilda the Musical” in London’s West End from 2023 to 2024. The English actress also played the narrator Control in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s play “Starlight Express” in 2024.

Who else is in the cast?

Previously announced cast members include John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, Luke Thallon as Quirinus Quirrell and Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch.

How will the show differ from the movies?

HBO has said the show will span a decade and remain faithful to Rowling’s books. The original films starred Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson. In addition to the seven bestsellers and eight hit films, the franchise also spawned the “Fantastic Beasts” movie prequels, starring Eddie Redmayne, the play “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” and themed areas at Universal parks.

One day after making a big announcement about his future, RJ Sermons concentrated on the present and rebounded from a disappointing effort in the boys’ 100 meters to beat a loaded field in the 200 meters Saturday in the Southern Section Masters Meet at Moorpark High.

“Not having the best race in the 100 gave me more fire in the 200 and I feel like I understand that race all the way,” Sermons said after building a sizable lead around the turn and winning in 20.97 seconds — not quite matching his personal-best 20.88 achieved three weeks ago at Baseline League finals. “The most important thing right now is to stay level-headed and prepare well for state.”

A four-star cornerback from Rancho Cucamonga, Sermons declared on Friday he will forgo his senior year, reclassifying from the class of 2026 to 2025 in order to join his older brother Cameron at USC this summer.

“I was thinking about it for two months, finalized my decision about a month ago and announced it yesterday because Thursday was the last day of school,” said the 6-foot, 185-pounder who committed to USC in mid-December, fulfilling a lifelong wish to follow in the footsteps of his father, Rodney Sr., a running back for the Trojans from 1994-97.

Before he turns his attention to college football, though, Sermons still has unfinished business on the high school track and has definite goals for the state meet on May 30 and 31 at Buchanan High in Clovis.

“For the 200, I can go 20.8 [seconds] for sure and my goal is 20.6,” he said, after finishing fourth in the 100 in 10.47 Saturday and finishing in 10.36 at the section finals last week. “In the 100, I’ll need to run high 10.1 or low 10.2 to win state. My focus [in the 100] will be the start. The key is getting out of the blocks fast.”

Alemany sophomore Demare Dezeurn repeated as boys’ 100 meters champion in 10.35 seconds Saturday.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

Defending his Masters title in the boys’ 100 meters before placing second to Sermons in the 200 with a personal-best 21.04 was Bishop Alemany sophomore Demare Dezeurn, whose winning time of 10.35 seconds bettered his Division 4 record-setting 10.42 and was one hundredth of a second faster than his wind-aided time at last year’s Masters.

“My goal is to win next week and one day be able to tell my kids I was state champion,” said Dezeurn, who confirmed he is transferring to Palisades and wants to play football in the fall. “This is just the beginning for me. I wasn’t planning to win today, I just wanted to put a good time on the board.”

Servite sophomore Benjamin Harris, second to Dezeurn last year in the 100 and fifth at state, stumbled and fell while crossing the finishing line in the 100 (he was third in 10.44) and had to scratch from the 200.

Robert Gardner, right, anchors Servite’s 4×100 relay, which posted the fastest time at the Southern Section Masters Meet on Saturday.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

Servite’s depth makes it a state title contender in the boys’ 4×100-meter relay. The team of Jace Wells, Jaelen Hunter, Kamal Pelovello and Robert Gardner, won Saturday in 40.40. Sherman Oaks Notre Dame was runner-up in 40.77.

“We’re a whole new team from last year but none of us like to lose and we’re going to practice getting the baton around better for next week,” said Gardner, who ran the anchor leg. Hunter later won the 400 meters in 46.91, one second faster than Jack Stadlman of Temecula Valley.

Long Beach Poly got revenge on Oaks Christian in the girls’ 4×100, as Leila Holland, Nevaeh Lewis, Aniyah Brooks and Brooklyn Lee won in 45.94 after finishing second to the Lions at state last year.

Anchor runner Brooklyn Lee, right, of Long Beach Poly sprints across the finish line first in the 4×100 relay at the Southern Section Masters Meet on Saturday.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

“This was very important and it feels good but we’re going to state to redeem ourselves,” Lee said. Oaks Christian (46.12) was second and Redondo Union (46.96) third.

After repeating as Southern Section champion in the 100 a week ago, Georgia commit Keelan Wright (11.41) from Chaparral was edged by five hundredths of a second by North Carolina A&T-bound Journey Cole of Redondo Union in the 100, but rebounded to win the 200 in 23.21.

Corona Santiago’s Braelyn Combe followed her second straight Division 1 section title with a winning effort of 4 minutes 44.36 seconds in the girls’ 1,600 meters, improving her time from last week by more than two and a half seconds.

Corona Santiago’s Braelyn Combe runs during the girls’ 1,600 meters at the Southern Section Masters Meet on Saturday.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

Grant Miller of La Serna was the boys’ 1,600 champion in 4:09.86. Stanford-bound Evan Noonan, who opted not to run the 1,600 (he won the section Division 1 title last week) to save his energy for the 3,200 meters, won the event in 8:55.76.

University of Oregon commit and reigning girls’ state long jump champion Loren Webster of Long Beach Wilson leaped 18 feet 11½ inches — the third-best mark behind only Ab Hernandez of Jurupa Valley (19-03½) and Kaylee Best of Norco (19-¾).

“I’ve been dealing with patella tendinitis the entire season but over the weeks the pain has decreased,” Webster said. “I was confident I’d win state last year because I’d jumped over a foot better than anyone else. As for this year I’d say 20 feet should win.”

Defending state champion Loren Webster of Long Beach Wilson competes in the long jump at the Masters Meet on Saturday.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

Texas commit Brandon Gorski of Mater Dei qualified for state for the fourth time in the boys’ high jump with a height of 6-6 to finish third behind Chaminade’s Matthew Browner and Sherman Oaks Notre Dame junior JJ Harel (last year’s state runner-up), who both cleared 6-10. Gorski also posted the third-best mark in the long jump with a 22-10½ effort.

Long Beach Wilson won the girls’ 4×400-meter relay in 3:43.71 and Long Beach Poly won the boys’ race in 3:10.83.

Aliso Niguel’s Jaslene Massey won girls’ discus (165-06) and shot put (49-07½). Reigning state discus champion and 2023 state shot put champion Aja Johnson of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame took second in both with marks of 158-08 (discus) and 45-08 (shot put).

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1. Mater Dei senior Brandon Gorski competes in long jump at the Masters Meet on Saturday. 2. Sherman Oaks Notre Dame junior JJ Harel competes in high jump. 3. Servite freshman Jaelen Hunter separates from the pack on his way to winning the boys’ 400 meters. (Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

May 18 (UPI) — Against the backdrop of Pope Leo XIV’s first papal mass Sunday, Vice President JD Vance met privately with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky about achieving a stand down in the war that has waged since Russia’s 2023 invasion of Ukraine.

It’s the first face to face meeting between the two leaders since the infamous February meeting in the Oval Office that erupted into verbal attacks, finger pointing and taunts by President Donald Trump.

The meeting between Vance and Zelenksy was overshadowed by Moscow’s large scale drone attack on Ukraine just hours prior. There are also reports that Russia may be planning a nuclear attack as it ramps up efforts to intimidate Kyiv and its allies.

Zelensky called the meeting “good,” and posted photos of smiling Ukrainian and U.S. officials gathered around an outside table.

“I reaffirmed that Ukraine is ready to be engaged in real diplomacy and underscored the importance of a full and unconditional ceasefire as soon as possible,” Zelensky said.

Trump is scheduled to talk with Zelensky Monday, and Trump has also said he plans to have a similar conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Leaders of Britain, Germany, France and Poland planned to speak with Trump before the U.S. president’s Monday phone call with Putin, German chancellor Friedrich Merz told reporters in Rome on Sunday.

“I spoke with Marco Rubio, including about the call tomorrow,” Merz said, referring to the U.S. Secretary of State. “We agreed that we will speak again with the four state leaders and the US president in preparation for this conversation.”

The latest efforts at achieving a ceasefire come as the first direct talks between Kyiv and Moscow failed to make any headway in ending the war, which started with Russia’s full scale invasion of the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol in February, 2022.

Reposts flood in. Likes climb faster than administrators can count.

Each spring, the Chargers know how to run up this score.

When it comes to what senior director of production Tyler Pino calls the “content Super Bowl,” the Chargers are multi-time season NFL schedule release champions. They broke the internet with popular anime videos in 2022 and 2023. A Sims 2 theme in 2024 kept online sleuths laughing for weeks at inside jokes.

The schedule reveal video posted Wednesday in the pixelated style of Minecraft surpassed one million views on X, formerly known as Twitter, in 45 minutes, and four million in three hours, confirming the Chargers’ social media dynasty. The next closest NFL team schedule video was viewed roughly 1.5 million times during that same span.

The Chargers set the bar among a throwback action figure commercial, a Mario Kart parody and an ad for a prescription drug. They had some brief competition when the Indianapolis Colts also dropped a Minecraft-themed video only to delete it roughly an hour later. The Jets even poked fun at the unexpected twin videos.

Each year’s creative videos have suddenly become more notable than the schedules they promote. But the Chargers’ content team tries to stay focused on the process of winning fans over one like, lower-case letter and laugh at a time.

“I don’t think our goal is to be the best on the internet,” said Megan Julian, Chargers senior director of digital and social media, “but our goal is to build generational fandom on the internet.”

Known for their creativity and casual humor, the Chargers were named the NFL’s best Twitter account by Complex in 2019, 2022 and 2023.

When Julian joined the Chargers in 2018, she was the only person behind the social media accounts. The franchise had just returned to L.A., where a whole generation had grown up without the NFL. Fans were already invested in different teams. Instead of trying to change an established fan’s mind, the content team aimed to cultivate new ones by reaching different, younger audiences that will fill SoFi Stadium for generations.

Allie Raymond, left, and Megan Julian of the Chargers’ social media team, walk on the practice field during rookie minicamp at the team’s headquarters in El Segundo.

(Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times)

Julian made the Chargers’ social media accounts feel like entering a group chat. The team, which includes director of organic social media Allie Raymond; Jaemin Cho, the senior vertical video coordinator; Lorren Walker, programming manager for organic social media; and coordinator Hannah Johnson, post in lower-case text in short, sharp bursts. They never overexplain the joke.

Here, among friends, it’s already known.

“You’re talking with the fans,” Julian said. “Not at them.”

Occasionally commenters complain about the lower case letters or can’t keep up with the newest slang. The schedule release videos often include pointed jokes toward opposing players or teams. Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson, who controversially sat out for one play last year because he was tired, ran out of gas in a go-kart race in this year’s video.

But the unique tone has built a distinct brand for an organization that is fighting for any way to stand out in a crowded L.A. market.

“We’re creative, and we think a little bit off kilter,” said David Bretto, the director of creative video. “But we do that because we’re allowed to do that, and the organization sees the success.”

A member of the Chargers’ content team films players taking part in rookie minicamp at the team’s headquarters in El Segundo on May 9.

(Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times)

The content team’s reputation precedes them. When videographers checked bags at the NFL combine, security guards asked what they were cooking for the schedule release. Incoming rookies asked who is behind the keys of the social media accounts that go viral with the latest TikTok trends.

Inspired by the energy of young, charismatic stars on the 2018 team including Keenan Allen, Mike Williams and Derwin James Jr., Julian started to craft a social media persona that matched the on-field personnel. For the franchise’s current era, showing the players’ personalities remains at the forefront.

Some players welcome the sight of the social media team holding a tiny microphone tethered to their phones. Linebacker Daiyan Henley is as ubiquitous on the Chargers’ TikTok account as the team’s logo. A more reserved personality such as Justin Herbert still shines through in videos that showcase the star quarterback’s humble charm.

Highlight videos of Herbert avoiding their cameras still turn into internet gold because while this is a football team, football is only a fraction of the franchise’s digital brand.

“There are only 20 days a year that we actually play the sport,” said Jason Levine, Chargers senior vice president of brand, creative and content. “Then the other 345, we’re just entertaining people.”

Allie Raymond records players and coaches taking part in Chargers rookie minicamp on May 9.

(Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times)

The biggest internet stage is the schedule release. The Seattle Seahawks sparked a revolution in 2016 with a cupcake-themed video in which special ingredients representing each city of their opponents were stirred into a batter. Some teams hire production companies and outside contractors to prepare for the big reveal. This season, NBA legend Allen Iverson and actress Brenda Song made cameos for the Buffalo Bills and the Rams, respectively.

But Julian proudly notes that all of the Chargers’ videos have been produced in-house.

The Chargers’ first major schedule release video came in 2019 when they represented each opponent with stock footage. A dog dressed in a lion’s mane. A person in a bear suit on a picnic. Both games against the AFC West rivals Kansas City Chiefs were represented by awkward chefs. The 73-second collection of clips was so weird it somehow worked.

The day before it dropped, Julian and Bretto nearly scrapped the project all together.

“To me, schedule release kind of feels like you’re on a cliff,” Bretto said. “You put all this work to get to the top of this mountain, and at the very end, there’s nothing to do but just jump. You don’t know how the audience is going to react.”

Just count the tens of thousands of likes. The reception is clear.

Pretoria says the visit is to ‘reset’ ties with Washington, after the US welcomed dozens of white Afrikaners as refugees.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa will meet United States President Donald Trump at the White House next week in an attempt to “reset” ties between the two countries, Pretoria has said.

The reported visit comes after the US welcomed dozens of white Afrikaners as refugees this week, following widely discredited allegations made by Trump that “genocide” is being committed against white farmers in the majority-Black country.

“President Ramaphosa will meet with President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington, DC to discuss bilateral, regional and global issues of interest,” South Africa’s presidency said in a statement on Wednesday.

“The president’s visit to the US provides a platform to reset the strategic relationship between the two countries,” it added, saying the trip will take place from Monday to Thursday and the two leaders will meet on Wednesday.

The White House had no immediate comment on the meeting, which would be Trump’s first with the leader of an African nation since he returned to office in January.

Relations between Pretoria and Washington have soured significantly since Trump returned to the White House.

Trump has criticised Ramaphosa’s government on multiple fronts. In February, he issued an executive order cutting all US funding to South Africa, citing disapproval of its land reform policy and its genocide case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against US ally Israel.

‘Wrong end of the stick’

Trump’s order also offered to take in and resettle people from the minority Afrikaner community, whom he alleges are being persecuted and killed because of their race – claims that have been disproven by experts and South Africa’s government.

Afrikaners are descendants of mainly Dutch colonisers who led the apartheid regime for nearly five decades.

Pretoria maintains there is no evidence of persecution of white people in the country and Ramaphosa has said the US government “has got the wrong end of the stick”, as South Africa suffers overall with the problem of violent crime, regardless of race.

The US’s criticism also appears to focus on South Africa’s affirmative action laws that advance opportunities for the majority-Black population, who were oppressed and disenfranchised under apartheid.

A new land expropriation law gives the government power to take land in the public interest without compensation in exceptional circumstances. Although Pretoria says the law is not a confiscation tool and refers to unused land that can be redistributed for the public good, some Afrikaner groups say it could allow their land to be redistributed to some of the country’s Black majority.

According to data, white people, who make up about 7 percent of South Africa’s population, own more than 70 percent of the land and occupy most top management positions in the country.

Ramaphosa has spoken repeatedly of his desire to engage with Trump diplomatically and improve the relationship between the two countries.

The US is South Africa’s second-largest bilateral trading partner after China.

Getty Images

SRG / SSR

Getty Images

‘Smuggling routes’

Reuters

Sarah Louise Beennett

Sarah Louise Bennett

BBC rugby league reporter Matt Newsum:

Hot on the heels of the success of Wigan and Warrington’s venture into Sin City in 2025, Hull KR and Leeds are the latest Super League entrants to make the trip over the Atlantic for the now annual Las Vegas event in tandem with the Australian NRL.

This time, RL Commercial have been more heavily involved in the process, after Warriors CEO Kris Radlinski and then Warrington counterpart Karl Fitzpatrick set the ball rolling for this year’s event off their own backs.

Both Hull KR and Leeds, and perhaps importantly from selling the game, brands, have a strong presence. They have shown themselves to be successful off the field of late as well as on it, and should provide the type of match-up which will show Super League in its best light.

Rovers could pitch up in Las Vegas as champions and Challenge Cup winners, and this would be another memorable experience for a fanbase that has shown itself to be loyal and high in turnout at major events in recent seasons – one of the key reasons for their inclusion.

Leeds still carry a cachet to an Australian audience from their legacy of success, their links with high-profile Australians over the years, and the fanbase again, and while some of the success from the years of annual Grand Final appearances has tailed off, there is a sense the club is now heading in the right direction.

Both clubs will take some financial hit on the trip, as did their predecessors, particularly in giving up a home game for one but the hope is there are ways of making the trip pay both tangibly and metaphorically.

The aim one day is that all clubs in the Super League will get a chance to show their wares, but right now, these two clubs need to be shrewd and provide a meaningful showpiece, and there will be confidence that neither will wilt in the glare of the Nevada sun.

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Prep Rally. My name is Eric Sondheimer. As the prep baseball playoffs begin this week, let’s remind everyone we’re witnessing the making of the next great pitcher from Southern California.

Throwing strikes at 98 mph

Pitcher Seth Hernandez leads No. 1-ranked Corona.

(Nick Koza)

The Southern Section baseball playoff pairings will be announced on Monday, and 26-2 Corona is set to be the No. 1 seed in Division 1. It will be a last chance to take a look at standout pitcher Seth Hernandez, who enters the playoffs with a 17-0 record in two years of high school competition.

Southern California has produced Cy Young Award winners in Gerrit Cole (Orange Lutheran), Trevor Bauer (Hart), Jack McDowell (Sherman Oaks Notre Dame) and Bret Saberhagen (Cleveland), along with baseball’s current stars, Paul Skenes (El Toro), Max Fried (Harvard-Westlake) and Hunter Greene (Notre Dame)

Few exhibited in high school the pinpoint control along with being able to throw a fastball at 98 mph like Hernandez.

Here’s a look at the impact Hernandez has made.

Baseball

Venice received the No. 1 seed for the eight-team City Section Open Division playoffs that begin Wednesday. The semifinals are next Tuesday, followed by the championship game on May 24 at Dodger Stadium. Here are the complete pairings.

Sylmar came away as the Valley Mission League champions aided by a three-run home run from Rickee Luevano to beat Kennedy.

The Southern Section playoff pairings will be released Monday at 10 a.m. It’s the first time power rankings are being used to place teams into nine divisions. There’s expected to be first-round byes in Division 1.

Here’s this week’s final regular season top 25 rankings by The Times.

Softball

The Southern Section softball playoff pairings will be released at noon Monday.

In last week’s power rankings, Norco was ranked No. 1 and Orange Lutheran No. 2.

The City Section softball pairings will be announced on Friday. Granada Hills, which has lost in the final to Carson the last two seasons, is the likely No. 1 seed. San Pedro ended Carson’s reign as Marine League champion.

Track

Newbury Park’s Nicholas Durbiano (second from left) ran a 10.54 100 meters qualifying time at the Southern Section Division 2 prelims.

(Nick Koza)

The Southern Section track and field finals are set for Saturday at Moorpark High. The most interesting competition could come in Division 3, where Servite and Sherman Oaks Notre Dame will engage in an all-out duel for the boys team title.

There is so much depth to call upon from both teams. Servite qualified six runners for the 200. Notre Dame qualified four athletes for the long jump. The two schools went one-two in the 4×100 relay. Notre Dame’s JJ Harel is in the high jump, long jump and triple jump. Servite athletes are favored to win the 100, 200 and 400 and both relays. It will come down to picking up points in other events.

Here’s a look at results from the prelims.

Swimming

Granada Hills sophomore Isabella San Jose dives off the block to begin the anchor leg of the Highlanders’ victorious 400-meter freestyle relay.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

Granada Hills won the City Section boys and girls championships in swimming. Here’s the report.

Santa Margarita won the boys and girls titles at the Southern Section Division 1 championships. Here’s the report.

The state championships take place this weekend in Clovis.

Lacrosse

It will be Loyola taking on Mater Dei to decide the Southern Section Division 1 boys lacrosse championship Friday night.

For girls, Mira Costa will take on Foothill. Here’s the schedule.

Volleyball

It will be Huntington Beach taking on No. 1 Mira Costa in the Southern Section Division 1 volleyball championship match on Friday at 7 p.m. at Cerritos College.

Here’s a report on Mira Costa overpowering Corona del Mar.

The City Section Open Division semifinals will be held Tuesday night, with Venice hosting Granada Hills and Chatsworth hosting El Camino Real. The championship will take place Saturday at Birmingham.

Freshman sensation

Freshman pitcher Carlos Acuna of Birmingham is 7-0 with a 1.09 ERA.

(Craig Weston)

Freshman pitcher Carlos Acuna of Birmingham has had a sensational start of his high school career with a 7-0 record going into the start of the City Section playoffs next week.

Here’s a profile on what has made him so effective and calm under pressure.

Palisades loses field

Bulldozers have cleared the Palisades High baseball field so that bungalows can be used. The field won’t be rebuilt until 2029 at the earliest.

(Craig Weston)

The Palisades High baseball field is gone. Bulldozers cleared everything last month to make way for bungalow classrooms.

The school and Los Angeles Unified School District made the decision as the best way to get the campus re-opened after the Palisades fire.

There will be no new baseball field until 2029 at the earliest, a tough blow to the team and community.

Here’s the report.

Makena Cook of Orange Lutheran.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

New rules are coming in girls’ flag football that will be released this month. Some are controversial and will change the game.

Here’s a report on what to look for and the possible impact of the new rules.

There’s a big spring seven on seven passing tournament set for Saturday at Long Beach Millikan.

Practices have been taking place this spring across the Southland. Servite has had many visitors looking at its young offensive line. Here’s a report.

San Juan Hills has a rising line prospect. Here’s a report.

Notes . . .

Will Burr is the new girls’ basketball coach at Harvard-Westlake. He’s won Southern Section titles at Oak Park and Viewpoint. He played basketball at Bishop Alemany and is a former classmate of head of athletics Terry Barnum. . . .

Joe Goyeneche has stepped down as football coach at St. Bonaventure and will be replaced by defensive coordinator Nathan Page. Former coach Jon Mack is serving as a consultant. . . .

Former Taft and St. John Bosco basketball coach Derrick Taylor is the new head coach at Blair in Pasadena. . . .

Former Newbury Park and Utah quarterback Cam Rising (left) announced he is medically retiring from football. He’s coaching Brady Smigiel of Newbury Park.

(Craig Weston)

Former Newbury Park and Utah quarterback Cam Rising announced he is medically retiring from football and has joined Newbury Park as its new offensive coordinator, where he’ll get to tutor Michigan commit Brady Smigiel. . . .

Brandon Alexander has been hired to be the first girls flag football coach at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame. Schools in the Mission League have been reluctant to add flag football, so this could be the start of an expansion. Harvard-Westlake is expected to add a team in 2026. . . .

Huntington Beach junior receiver Troy Foster has committed to San Diego State. . . .

Standout defensive lineman Richard Wesley of Sierra Canyon has committed to Oregon. He changed to become part of the class of 2026. . . .

Linebacker Shaun Scott of Mater Dei has committed to USC, giving the Trojans 28 commitments for the class of 2026. . . .

Windward basketball standout JJ Harris has committed to Loyola Marymount. . . .

It was an emotional moment for Loyola and Harvard-Westlake tennis players honoring Loyola captain Braun Levi, who was killed by a suspected drunken driver. Here’s a report on the schools uniting.

From the archives: Augie Lopez

Former Loyola baseball player Augie Lopez has helped USC move into playoff contention.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

Former Loyola High catcher Augie Lopez has made a huge impact as a freshman for USC, helping the Trojans move into position to gain their first NCAA playoff berth since 2015.

He entered this past week hitting .338 with two home runs and 10 RBIs.

Here’s a story from 2025 discussing Lopez as a player.

And here was my prediction for 2025 back in January.

Recommendations

From NFHS.org, a story on how track and field officials can stay calm during championship events.

From the Los Angeles Times, a story on the life and legacy of Chet Lemon, a Fremont High grad and World Series hero who died at the age of 70.

From MaxPreps.com, a story on a Texas high school softball team setting a national record for most home runs.

Tweets you might have missed

May 11 (UPI) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he is willing to meet face to face with Russian President Vladimir Putin following a demand by the Trump administration for the two leaders to meet in an effort to end the war between the two nations.

“There is no point in prolonging the killings,” Zelensky wrote on X. “And I will be waiting for Putin in Turkiye on Thursday. Personally.”

Should the meeting occur, it would be the first time that the two leaders have talked face-to-face since Russia invaded Ukraine in the port city of Mariupol more than three years ago.

President Donald Trump called for an unconditional 30-day cease-fire between the warring nations and threatened sanctions if the directive is “not respected.”

Zelensky spoke with Trump and leaders of several NATO nations Saturday, a call and meeting during which the Ukrainian leader said he is ready to begin a cease-fire on Monday, and added that he is ready to begin direct talks with Putin if the cease-fire goes into effect.

Putin responded that he is ready to begin direct talks with Ukraine on Thursday, although the Russian leader did not indicate being ready to accept terms of the cease-fire proposal.

Zelensky has said he will be in Turkey Thursday regardless of whether Russia enters the cease-fire on Monday.

The basketball coaches at Santa Monica College had this kid.

A wisp of a player at 5 feet 3, he wasn’t a particularly strong shooter and didn’t score much. What he lacked in skill he more than compensated for by diving on the court, taking charges, stripping the ball from the guy he was defending.

The basketball coaches at Santa Monica College had this other kid.

A sturdy 6-5, he could score and was the sort of splendid physical specimen often selected first in pickup games. But he’d often lose those games because he lacked other qualities such as grit, hustle and determination.

In a “Scholastic Coach” magazine article, Andy Hill outlined what he called the Team Contribution Index, what became the popular plus-minus statistic.

(Andy Hill via Scholastic magazine)

As he pondered the differences between the players in 1976, Andy Hill, then the team’s assistant coach, searched for a way to reward the overachiever while trying to extract more out of his less selfless counterpart.

“I sat there thinking about all the things as a coach you try to get guys to do — dive on the floor, talk on defense, take a charge — and I’m going, that stuff makes you win,” said Hill, a veteran of valuing the team over the individual after three national championship seasons as a reserve guard at UCLA under coach John Wooden. “And literally in that moment, a lightbulb moment, it’s like, it’s the scoreboard, right?”

In other words, how did a player’s team do while he was on the court? Did the team increase its lead? Lose its lead? Keep the score the same? For instance, if his team outscored its opponent by nine points while he was on the court, the player was given a plus-nine. If his team lost six points off its lead, it earned him a minus-six.

Under this metric, the tally for each player reflected his influence on the team. Trumpeting the concept in an article in the January 1977 issue of Scholastic Coach magazine, Hill called it the Team Contribution Index.

Over the years, the basketball community went on to call it something else. Look at any box score or listen to almost any broadcast, and even the most casual observer will notice references to what was essentially Hill’s invention — the plus-minus.

“I just wish,” cracked Hill, who turns 75 in July, “I got a nickel every time an announcer or analyst mentions plus-minus.”

Mick Cronin stood in a hallway inside Purdue’s Mackey Arena studying the box score after a tough late February loss. UCLA’s inability to generate enough stops left its coach searching for answers.

“Will’s plus-five, everybody else is minus,” Cronin said, referring to center William Kyle III as he scanned the page. “We’ve got guys minus-10, minus-19, so we didn’t get the job done defensively.”

UCLA’ coach Mick Cronin talks to his players huddled around him during a timeout on Jan. 30 at Pauley Pavilion.

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Cronin is among an army of coaches who routinely mention plus-minus figures as a gauge of how their players influence winning. Lakers coach JJ Redick agreed that the metric was “in general a useful tool” but cautioned that lineups and other factors needed to be taken into consideration.

“You can feel like a guy has a huge impact on the game and a huge impact on winning in a 10-point win and he’s a minus-nine,” Redick said. “And you can say, ‘Oh, this guy really cost us tonight’ and he’s a plus-seven. I think game to game, it doesn’t always tell the full story.

“But I think in the aggregate, it’s something as you can normalize things with lineups and with minutes you can see. For example, our team, Dorian Finney-Smith impacts winning when he is on the court.”

At plus-268 in his 43 regular-season games since arriving in a trade from Brooklyn, it’s Finney-Smith, a part-time starter — and not superstars Luka Doncic or LeBron James — who led the Lakers in season-long plus-minus. Austin Reaves ranked second on the team at plus-195, followed by Doncic (plus-176) and Rui Hachimura (plus-158).

A nine-year NBA veteran, Finney-Smith said he didn’t think about plus-minus until his coaches kept telling him that good things happened when he was on the court and encouraged him to keep playing his winning brand of basketball. What sorts of things were those coaches talking about?

“Just talking, being communicative, knowing my guys around me, being in the right spots for spacing — anything,” Finney-Smith said. “You know, me being a shooter with this team, being a stretch five, puts defenses at a disadvantage because now the center is out on the three-point line where now LeBron and Luka can get in the paint and get easy points, so I’d say it’s a whole bunch of things — playing hard, doing all the little things.”

Lakers forward Dorian Finney-Smith sprints up court against the Portland Trail Blazers on Jan. 2 at Crypto.com Arena.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Some metrics savants aren’t as sold on plus-minus. Ken Pomeroy, one of basketball’s most widely respected statistical analysts, pointed to a December 2022 game involving the Dallas Mavericks and New York Knicks. Doncic, then with the Mavericks, tallied 60 points, 21 rebounds and 10 assists on the way to finishing plus-seven. Teammate Dwight Powell, who logged two points, no rebounds and one assist in 30 minutes, finished plus-10.

But even going back to his original article, Hill has long acknowledged the limitations of his concept and its increased significance given a larger sample size. Just check the NBA’s leaders in season-long plus-minus — Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (plus-918) and Denver’s Nikola Jokic (plus-594), two of the top candidates for the league’s most valuable player award.

Many of the traits that make Finney-Smith a plus-minus phenom also applied to one of those Santa Monica College kids. Katsumi “Kats” Chinen would pour every ounce of his 5-3 frame into defending taller counterparts who would invariably post him up, often to their great regret.

“He spent a lot more time getting posted up than any of the guys who were posting him up had spent on their low-post game,” Hill said, “and he’d strip ‘em clean, he’d be dribbling so fast the other way, your head would spin.”

Meanwhile, 6-5 forward Falstaff Hawkins might have caused eyes to roll by his singular focus on scoring.

“Here was a guy,” Hill said, “who, you know, a dunk and a date is a lot more important than whether we win.”

Andy Hill, who played for UCLA legendary coach John Wooden, displays photos and memorabilia in his home.

(Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times)

That dichotomy made Hill wonder how he could convince his boss, coach Jim Wagner, to motivate Falstaff to do more while rewarding Chinen with more playing time.

Studying for his master’s degree in education, Hill devised what became his de facto thesis: the Team Contribution Index. Using a typewriter at UCLA’s Moore Hall to write an article about the concept, he sent a copy to Scholastic Coach, wondering if he was onto something new or just regurgitating a system that coaches had been using for years.

Hockey had employed a plus-minus system since the 1950s, though it had little relevance to basketball given the low-scoring nature of its game. Hill’s Team Contribution Index involved seemingly countless ways that players could help their team.

“Perhaps more important than cold numbers are the ‘intangibles’ that make up the ‘winner’ — guts, leadership, pride, toughness, concentration, attitude, etc.,” Hill wrote in his article. “It’s those little things that win for you — playing good defense, taking the charge, setting a solid pick, diving after a loose ball and encouraging teammates. It’s easy to find a shooter; it’s much harder to find a winner. Yet most of the statistical reinforcement is for the shooter; the player who does the little things has to be satisfied with a pat on the rear.”

If anyone could render a verdict on Team Contribution Index, it was Wooden, recently retired after a record run of 10 national titles in 12 years. Nervously, Hill went to see his old coach at his modest office inside the Morgan Center.

“I walk it down to coach and my heart’s going boom-boom-boom,” Hill said, tapping his chest with his hand. “Why am I doing this? But he reads this article, very thoughtfully, quite attentively, and he looked up and said, ‘That’s a great idea.’ ”

It was their first positive interaction in years.

Hill arrived at UCLA in 1968 with hopes of becoming the team’s next great point guard.

An All-Los Angeles City Section player who had averaged 27.2 points per game at University High, he lived up to his billing on the Bruins’ freshman team while earning co-MVP honors alongside Henry Bibby.

Their careers diverged from there. Bibby went on to become a starter on three national championship teams while Hill played sparingly off the bench as his backup, averaging 2.1 points in 69 varsity games.

“I thought Andy was better than I was,” Bibby said, “but sometimes people can be better than you but the coach sees something different in you and they go in your direction and I think they went in my direction. I saw Andy as a superior player than me — he just knew basketball and I didn’t know basketball, I just had probably more talent than he did, athleticism.

“But as I look back now, if I hadn’t known Andy Hill was going to be the point guard with me, I wouldn’t have probably gone to UCLA. I thought Andy was that good.”

Andy Hill, who played for UCLA legendary coach John Wooden, displays a photo of him with Wooden, left, and a basketball signed by UCLA star Bill Walton in his home.

(Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times)

Hill played so little that a golfing buddy later joked that he was “the man who starts 5,000 cars” because when he entered the game everyone left. In truth, even one eventual star thought he should be playing more only to learn he couldn’t until he fit into the larger group.

Sidney Wicks, who would go on to become one of college basketball’s all-time greats at power forward in his final two seasons, lagged behind others in the rotation as a sophomore even though he could have made a case for being one of the best players on the team.

“He was awesomely talented,” Hill said, explaining Wicks’ delayed emergence, “but awesomely talented fitting in within a system was unbeatable.”

One of Hill’s most enduring memories of playing for Wooden was the coach yelling his name in half the time it took others to say it, reflecting his level of agitation. Feedback was limited about why he wasn’t playing more.

“Coach just shut himself off,” Hill said, “and as a young person, my thought understandably was, he just doesn’t see it, he doesn’t care, whatever. And I felt really bad.”

Many years later, sitting in the den of his Encino condominium, Wooden relayed a story that explained the way he had handled the situation. When he was a sophomore in high school, Wooden was forced to come off the bench as the sixth man even though he knew he was the best player on the team. The humiliation of not starting prompted Wooden to strip to his jockstrap and storm out of the gym.

It was another lightbulb moment for Hill.

“I said, ‘Wow,’” Hill said, recalling his reaction. “It wasn’t that you didn’t know [what it felt like]. It’s just that you couldn’t deal with it.’ And he apologized, he [said he] should have done better, but it’s so human — I understand; I mean, you’re crushing this kid’s dream and you know it, and it was like, ‘Oh, OK, you just couldn’t deal with it.‘”

The men reconciled their differences long before Wooden died in 2010. After Hill left coaching following his brief stint at Santa Monica College, he enjoyed immediate success in the entertainment industry. Rising from a movie and television executive to head of his own production company to president of CBS Productions, Hill presided over some of the most successful shows of the 1990s, including “Walker, Texas Ranger,” “Touched by an Angel” and “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman.”

Realizing that Wooden’s teachings about collaboration and teamwork had fueled his achievements, Hill called his old coach — with a considerable sense of dread — to share this revelation. Would Wooden take the call? Would he even remember him?

Hill’s apprehension dissolved when Wooden not only picked up as Hill spoke his name on the answering machine but also asked him to visit, leading to an instant reconnection. They went on to co-author the bestselling book “Be Quick — But Don’t Hurry!”

It took awhile before Andy Hill’s plus-minus stat began to catch on widely in college basketball.

(Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times)

After the publication of his article, Hill charted the Team Contribution Index with his Santa Monica College players in what turned out to be his final year of coaching.

The concept made a limited impact with the team because his boss didn’t believe in its usefulness.

“The guy I was working with,” Hill said, “was far less impressed than John Wooden.”

Hill didn’t think much about it again until several years ago, when he started hearing broadcasters routinely mention plus-minus and seeing it listed in box scores. While the NBA adopted the metric in its box scores in 2007, college basketball started using it in 2018.

“At that point,” Hill said, “I kind of went, whoa, this has really turned from something off to the side and become totally mainstream.”

Ultimately, Hill considered plus-minus an ode to a beloved friend.

“This is all really a Coach Wooden story, in my mind, you know you dial it back to sort of who he was and what he was about,” Hill said. “If the assignment was, summarize coach, it’s a pretty good summary because the underlying principle was, it is about doing all these little things right.”

May 10 (UPI) — European leaders from Britain, France, Germany and Poland joined Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Saturday in urging Russian President Vladimir Putin to accept a 30-day unconditional ceasefire or face more sanctions.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merez traveled in a train together to Kiev, and Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk was aboard another train, the Guardian reported.

Zelensky said they “spoken to President Trump together. We agreed on our common view of our further actions.”

“The cease-fire must be comprehensive: in the air, at sea and on land,” Zelenskyy told reporters. “It is quite possible to monitor the cease-fire in coordination with the United States of America, this is really realistic. The cease-fire should last for 30 days to give diplomacy a real chance.”

Zelensky said he was “grateful to President Trump” and wants the cease-fire to begin Monday in a post on X.

“We share a common view: an immediate, full, and unconditional ceasefire is needed for at least 30 days,” Zelensky posted on X. “We propose it begin on Monday, May 12. We are waiting for Russia’s response.

“This proposal has been on the table since the talks in Saudi Arabia, when it was first put forward by the United States. Once the ceasefire begins, there will be the best moment for diplomacy. Ukraine is ready for meetings and negotiations in any format.”

The proposal was dismissed by Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov on Saturday, who said via the Russian news agency Interfax that he hears “many contradictory statements from Europe. They are generally confrontational in nature rather than aimed at trying to revive our relations. Nothing more.”

Peskov earlier said Russia would only agree to a cease-fire if U.S. and European ends arms supplies to Ukraine.

“Otherwise, it will be an advantage for Ukraine,” he told ABC News. “Ukraine will continue their total mobilization, bringing new troops to frontline,”

Putin also wants Ukraine to surrender large parts of the eastern and southern regions of its country that Russian forces haven’t seized.

“Macron, Merz, Starmer and Tusk were supposed to discuss peace in Kyiv. Instead, they are blurting out threats against Russia,” Dmitry Medvedev, former Russian president and current deputy head of Russia’s Security Council, the BBC reported.

The four European leaders made their first joint appearance in a virtual meeting of the “coalition of the willing,” which includes mostly European nations. They said they would assist Ukraine if there is a durable cease-fire in the now 3-year long war, which started when Russia attacked it’s neighbor on Feb. 24, 2022.

Joining in the video link were Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Macron said “some 20 countries” are in “unanimity” about the cease-fire, referring to Ukraine as “the beating heart of Europe.” He said once the cease-fire is agreed, there are a “number of steps we’re working on.” That includes strengthening Ukraine’s army.

“All of us here, together with the U.S., are calling Putin out. If he’s serious about peace then he has a chance to show it now,” Starmer said.

Merz, who assumed office on Tuesday, said Saturday that if Russia rejects the ceasefire proposal, Europe will keep defending Ukraine.

Macron documented the leaders’ journey by train on Instagram, including traveling through Poland, and posted a video of the group with Zelensky and Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska visiting a memorial to the war dead in central Kyiv. Macron and Starmer also joined Zelensky in a visit to the Saint Sophia Cathedral.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said it was “symbolic” to meet in Kyiv and showed the “the strength of our unity.”

Putin had declared a three-day cease-fire, which ended on Saturday, although Russia had not followed by it — similar to what happened during a one-day Easter truce Russia implemented last month.

Ukraine and Russia traded accusations of violating cease-fire that ceasefire, as well, with Zelensky accusing Russia of nearly 3,000 violations and Russia claiming Ukraine violated the halt more than 1,000 times.