Hundreds of far-left protesters clashed with police in the eastern German city of Leipzig on Saturday night, during demonstrations over jail terms handed down to several people convicted of vigilante attacks against neo-Nazis.

Earlier this week, a court in Dresden convicted four left-wing activists, including a well-known student identified in German media as Lina E., of committing violent acts against neo-Nazis, sentencing them to jail for two to five years. Groups sympathetic to Lina E., who is from Leipzig, have been protesting the verdict.

An anti-fascist “Day-X” march planned for Saturday in Leipzig – where most of the attacks took place – was banned because authorities were concerned that it posed a threat to public safety. The ban was contested by the protest’s organizers, according to German newspaper Der Spiegel.

Police tried at first to accommodate the demonstration, but when it turned violent and officers came under attack, authorities responded with force. Five people were arrested, all male German citizens aged 20 to 32 years old, Leipzig police said.

Late into the evening, a group of approximately 300 people “threw stones at a police station and set fire to barricades.” Emergency forces, equipped with several water cannons were “deployed to stabilize the situation,” police said.

Separate “violent” gatherings were also reported in different parts of the city, police said, adding that “emergency force officers were attacked. Hundreds of police units are on standby and are preparing for a violent course in this phase of the operation.”

Leipzig police called for calm “to prevent the situation from escalating any further.”

The spokesperson added that police were expecting that protesters from across Europe to travel to Leipzig after call-outs on social media, and that it could be their largest operation in two years.

The calls for protests in posts online came in the aftermath of Lina E., 28, receiving a five year jail term earlier in the week for her role in a series of attacks in Leipzig and other German cities.

She had been in police custody since her arrest on November 5, 2020 and has become something of an icon among anarchist circles in Germany, with the “Free Lina” graffiti featuring on buildings in Leipzig, Hamburg and Berlin.

Lina E.’s three male accomplices, aged between 28 and 37, received prison sentences ranging from two years and five months to three years and three months.

Prosecutors said that Lina E. and her three co-defendants, known as Lennart A., Jannis R. and Jonathan M., are proponents of “militant extreme-left ideology” who carried out attacks on right-wing extremists in Leipzig and nearby towns.

The court found that the four activists spied on and attacked neo-Nazis and alleged supporters of the right-wing scene in Leipzig, Wurzen and Eisenach in the German state of Thuringia between August 2018 and the summer of 2020. Thirteen people were injured during the attacks, with two sustaining life-threatening injuries.

The trial against the group THE FOUR? started in September 2021 and was marked by the highest level of security. The accusations leveled against the group were the most serious faced by Germany’s radical left in recent years.

The judge acknowledged that right-wing extremism poses a greater threat to German society than left-wing extremism, but said that even proponents of such views have inherent rights.

Brandi Tuck had always been an overachiever. She was a straight-A student and extracurricular star, intent on becoming a high-powered lawyer in New York City.

Then, during her junior year at the University of Florida in 2004, her spring break plans fell through and it changed the course of her life.

“All of my friends were going on these community service alternative spring break trips. And I thought, ‘Nobody’s going to go to the beach with me?’” said Tuck, now 40. “So, I reluctantly signed up.”

There were several trips to choose from, each focused on a cause like HIV/AIDS, women’s rights, or the environment. But none of them spoke to Tuck. She’d done community service for years, but more out of a desire to build her resume than from any deep sense of altruism.

“I didn’t want to touch anything dirty or do anything that I felt like was going to be gross,” she recalled. “So, I picked the homelessness and poverty trip. It was the least bad of the options.”

That spring, she and a dozen other students headed to Atlanta, Georgia, to spend a week volunteering at homeless shelters. The experience was eye-opening.

“I had never been to a homeless shelter. I had never talked to someone who was experiencing homelessness,” Tuck said. “And I realized that these women are just like my mom.”

At one shelter, Tuck was entertaining children while their mothers were in a GED class. And then one young boy’s request stopped her in her tracks.

“(He) said, “Oh, I love you. Can you please not go? Stay with me,’” Tuck said. “They didn’t have a lot of attention because the moms were so stressed. And so I said ‘Okay, I’ll stay.’”

In that moment, Tuck decided to drop out of school and continue working at the shelter. But her friends argued that she should finish college. Tuck cried and agonized about her future.

“Finally, I said, ‘OK, fine. … But I promise you one day, I’ll do something about this.’”

Tuck kept her word. In 2008, she started a nonprofit, now known as Path Home, that provides shelter, support, and a host of services to families experiencing homelessness in Portland, Oregon. The organization has since helped more than 10,000 parents and children.

Living in tents, cars, and on the streets: Oregon’s unsheltered families with children

Between 2020 and 2022, Oregon saw one of the nation’s largest increases in homelessness, with numbers growing by more than 22%, according to federal data. Many of those people are unsheltered, which means they sleep in tents, cars, or on the streets.

“People are really living in squalor,” Tuck said. “And there are so many families.”

Oregon has the highest percentage of unsheltered families with children in the United States. Kitty Hernandez used to be one of them.

“My youngest son has always had a lot of health issues that have required my constant attention,” said Hernandez, 39, who says the unpredictability of the situation made it hard for her to keep a job. “He was always in and out of the hospital, making us homeless over and over.”

Hernandez and her two sons often resorted to sleeping in a tent outside.

“It’s just not safe. You can come back, find somebody in your tent. You can find your stuff gone. One day we woke up with snow caved in on top of us,” she said. “Not being able to give them a hot meal every night before they go to sleep – as a mother, it broke my heart.”

Last year, they were camped across the street from a hospital when a local man connected them with Path Home. When they arrived at the group’s shelter, they received a private room, hot meals, laundry – and a warm welcome.

“They made sure we had everything we needed and … they made us feel right at home,” Hernandez said. “It was like staying with family.”

The shelter houses 17 families with children, and they can stay for up to six months. Specialists help families find permanent housing, while case managers help people access the services they need. Classes about finances, life skills and parenting are also available. The goal is to help families regain control over their lives.

“When people think about homelessness, they don’t think about the families and the kids that we serve,” Tuck said. “70% of them work while they stay in shelter. And they’re just regular folks who are down on their luck.”

A place to heal from the trauma of homelessness

In 2018, Tuck’s nonprofit was able to buy an old church to create a new one-stop shelter. She was determined to make it an environment that would help families recover mentally as well as physically.

“When anyone experiences something as stressful as homelessness … your brain puts you into ‘fight or flight’ mode,” she said. “Over time, that turns into a trauma. It can actually rewire the brain.”

Traditional homeless shelters – often in gyms or warehouses – can be chaotic and cluttered spaces, with little privacy for families. So, Tuck worked with a local architect to create the first shelter in Oregon with trauma-informed design, which opened in 2019.

“It’s designed to give the sense of emotional, physical, and psychological safety,” Tuck said. “It helps families heal from the crisis of homelessness.”

The church’s classrooms were turned into private bedrooms for families, while the sanctuary was converted into common areas: living spaces, a library, a children’s play area, and a computer lab. The grounds include a playground, garden, picnic tables, and a basketball court. The spacious, clean, and open areas create a tranquil environment.

“It’s based on research done since the 1960s in hospitals, looking into what kinds of facilities promote better reactions among patients,” Tuck said. “Some of the key elements they’ve identified include having a connection to nature – lots of light, real plants indoors and outdoors – and building with natural materials, so we have lots of real wood. The color palette is also very calming – lots of greens and turquoises from the ocean.”

Hernandez and her two boys really appreciated the thoughtful family-friendly design and calming atmosphere.

“It’s a lot less stressful coming here,” she said. “It’s so beautiful. It doesn’t feel institutional. It feels homey.”

For Tuck, that’s the whole idea.

“It’s about helping families feel worthy (so) that they can get up and do the hard work to get their lives back on track,” she said.

Helping families move into permanent housing – and stay there

Staffers guide the families through the process and help them move into and furnish their new home. The nonprofit then provides rental assistance for a year to help families stabilize in their new situation.

“When a family gets their keys for the first time, it’s just an amazing feeling,” Tuck said. “Our goal here is that we put ourselves out of business.”

Hernandez was able to move into a two-bedroom apartment within 30 days.

“It’s nice being back in our own place. We can cook and we can hang out and do stuff that we like to do together,” she said. “(It’s) made their smiles come back.”

After families move out, the nonprofit continues to support them to make sure they can keep their homes, even when they run into unexpected challenges. Last year, they helped 360 families find housing and 87% of them kept it long-term.

That support has meant a lot to Hernandez.

“If I need help, they are there. They didn’t just say, ‘Oh, you’ve got a place,’ and then just forget about me,” Hernandez said. “They genuinely care about people.”

Smiling kids and happy parents, in homes of their own – that’s what has motivated Tuck since that spring break trip nearly 20 years ago. She is now working to expand her nonprofit’s campus to include transitional and permanent housing, and eventually hopes to replicate her program nationwide.

“Our vision is a society where every family receives the support and compassion they need to thrive,” she said. “When I see families succeed, that’s all that I need to continue doing this work.”

Want to get involved? Check out the Path Home website and see how to help.

To donate to Path Home via GoFundMe, click here

The Toronto Blue Jays have designated pitcher Anthony Bass for assignment following an anti-LBGTQ post the 35-year-old shared on social media last month.

The move comes hours before the Blue Jays’ first game of Pride Weekend when the team faces the Minnesota Twins. Bass was expected to take part in the festivities including catching the ceremonial first pitch on Friday.

Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said Friday that Bass’s performance on the field was primarily a baseball decision.

“Performance was a large aspect of the decision,” Atkins told reporters. “Distraction was a small part of it and something we had to factor in.”

Atkins emphasized that the move was made to improve the team.

“I’m saying we’re trying to build the best possible team we can build and this was a baseball decision to make our team better,” Atkins said.

Atkins added that the team values the LBGTQ community and expressed regret for any mishandling of the situation.

“We definitely don’t want anyone feeling any hurt,” Atkins said. “We’re focused on the environment. We care about this community. We care about our fans. And I deeply regret if people do feel that way. It certainly was not our intention.”

In May, Bass shared an Instagram post that called for anti-LGBTQ boycotts of Target and Bud Light over their support for the LGBTQ community and referred to the support as “evil” and “demonic.”

Bass later apologized for the post while speaking to reporters, but has been booed by fans at the Rogers Centre since.

On Thursday, Bass expanded on his original apology, saying he was sorry for “any harm or hurt” that he made toward the Pride community. However, he added that he stands by his “personal beliefs.”

“The video itself, obviously, I took it down,” Bass said. “I just felt like it was too much of a distraction, right? But I stand by my personal beliefs and everyone’s entitled to their personal beliefs, right? But also I mean no harm toward any groups of people. And I felt like taking that down the second time was the right thing to do and not being a distraction. As a team, our job is to win baseball games. And that’s my focus.”

Bass said he did not perceive the post to be “hateful” but added that he understood why some people viewed it as “hurtful.”

The 12-year veteran said he had a “productive” meeting with Pride Toronto’s executive director Sherwin Modeste earlier this week to understand more about LGBTQ community in the city and learn about Modeste’s story.

“Before I said anything, I really wanted just to listen to what he had to say. Those were my intentions going into the meeting, and I felt like it was very productive,” Bass said.

Bass met with Atkins and team manager John Schneider last week and according to Atkins on Thursday, Bass apologized to them and his teammates for “creating any harm and for hurting others.”

“That was not his intent,” Atkins added. “His emotion was very strong, as was mine. I was personally hurt, myself. He felt my disappointment and anger. It was a very charged exchange.”

Atkins said he felt Bass’s apology was “sincere” and that he felt he was holding himself “accountable.”

“That was the most significant piece is that he was accountable,” Atkins said. “He wanted to apologize, not just to me, which was very important, but more importantly to our community and this community. Without that, as I said, we’d have a very different outcome. And then I think the willingness to do something about it, being paramount and seeing that step taken is a good first step.”

As for a message for fans who may be against participating in the weekend’s festivities, Atkins said the organization will “continue to work hard to make sure that this is an inclusive environment and one where we will not stand for behavior that makes it otherwise.”

Bass has a 4.95 ERA in 22 relief appearances this season for the Blue Jays. Bass has also pitched for the San Diego Padres, Houston Astros, Texas Rangers, Chicago Cubs, Seattle Mariners and Miami Marlins.

In a corresponding roster move, Toronto reinstated right-hander Mitch White from the 60-day injured list.

Novak Djokovic reached the French Open final after defeating an injury-stricken Carlos Alcaraz 6-3 5-7 6-1 6-1 on Friday.

The victory puts Djokovic, a two-time champion at Roland-Garros, on the verge of winning a men’s record 23rd grand slam title.

The match was evenly poised at 1-1 in the third set when Alcaraz appeared to experience cramp and began to struggle with his movement.

His condition improved in the fourth set after receiving treatment, but by now Djokovic clearly had the upper hand as he raced to victory, setting up a final against last year’s runner-up Casper Ruud after the Dane comfortably beat Germany’s Alexander Zverev 6-3 6-4 6-0.

“First and foremost, I have to say tough luck for Carlos,” Djokovic said in his on-court interview. “At this level, the last thing you want is cramps and physical problems in the late stages of a grand slam. I hope he can recover and come back very soon.”

Friday’s first semifinal was the contest most had been anticipating in the men’s competition, pitting the most decorated player in the draw against the current world No. 1.

Djokovic took the opening set as Alcaraz, who failed to convert any of his four break points, was unable to find rhythm or consistency in windy conditions on Court Philippe-Chatrier.

By contrast, Djokovic was accurate and unrelenting, heaping pressure on a player 16 years his junior.

The Spaniard stepped up his level in the second set and had the crowd in raptures when he raced to the back of the court and – almost impossibly – fired a forehand past Djokovic while facing the wrong way.

Alcaraz got his first break of the match at 4-3 when Djokovic sent a backhand long, but the Serbian hit back straight away with a break of his own.

With the match gaining intensity, Alcaraz engineered three set points at 5-4 before Djokovic responded superbly by winning the next five points in a row to ensure the set remained tied.

The same scenario occurred at 6-5 but this time Alcaraz made no mistake, converting the first of another three set points.

However, things quickly unraveled for the 20-year-old. Much to the displeasure of the crowd, he had to forfeit a service game at the start of the third set as cramps started to limit his movement.

Struggling physically, Alcaraz changed tactics and upped his shot power in an effort to shorten the points.

Although it looked at times like he could find a way back into the match, Djokovic never wavered and wrapped up the victory in three hours and 23 minutes.

He ended the contest with 39 winners and 36 unforced errors to Alcaraz’s 50.

Alcaraz later said that nerves and tension during the match had caused his whole body to cramp up.

“At the beginning of the third set I started to cramp every part of my body, not only the legs. The arms, as well, every part of the legs,” he told reporters.

“It was really tough for me to move at the third set, and in the fourth set let’s say I had a little chance, but it was really tough … It’s not easy to play against Novak, of course he’s a legend of our sport. If someone says that he goes onto the court with no nerves playing against Novak, he lies.”

Win on Sunday and Djokovic will return to No. 1 in the world rankings and move ahead of Rafael Nadal at the top of the men’s all-time grand slam list.

“I like the feeling. It’s a privilege. It’s an incredible privilege to be able to make history in the sport that I truly love, and it has given me so much,” Djokovic told reporters.

“The motivation is very high, as you can imagine. There is one more to go, and hopefully I get my hands on the trophy.”

Kevin De Bruyne has lived a charmed life. From Sergio Agüero and Romelu Lukaku to Samuel Eto’o and Fernando Torres, the midfielder has had his share of lethal strikers to finish the chances he’s created.

But even with those bounty of riches, none quite compare to Erling Haaland.

The Norwegian has scored a remarkable 52 goals so far in all competitions in his debut season in England, with De Bruyne providing assists for 13 of those. Together, the pair have combined brilliantly to take Man City to the brink of history.

City has won the Premier League and the FA Cup this season and faces Inter Milan in the Champions League final in Istanbul on Saturday hoping to become only the second English side to win ‘the treble’ – all three major trophies in a single season.

During his glittering career, De Bruyne has learned about the connection between midfielder and attacker, something Haaland has capitalized on.

“I tried to understand what they are good at and if I can get them in the right positions and do what they are really strong at, I feel like I’ve tried to be able to do everything in my power to help my team win … I also feel like whenever I’m on the ball, people will give me options, people have the trust in me that I’m able to give them opportunities.”

But even despite the ridiculous impact Haaland has made in his first season for City, De Bruyne – and Haaland himself – have higher expectations.

“If I look at all the chances that he had and all the opportunities he had to score, I expect him also to score goals,” De Bruyne said. “And it’s stupid to say when you think about somebody scoring 50 goals. But there’s been games also where I’ve told him: ‘You could have scored three and you scored one.’ But that’s a good thing.

“Sometimes he would say it himself. But I think every player on this level is a little bit like this. And I would say the same. Like: ‘I should pass the ball that way’ or ‘I should create more.’ And it’s never with a bad intention. But I think even he feels sometimes that he could be better but at 22 years old, it’s a little bit crazy to say.”

‘Unnecessary’ comparisons

De Bruyne and his City team are on the brink of history.

The only other team to achieve the treble is City’s arch-rival, Manchester United, which won the treble in the most dramatic fashion, scoring two late goals against Bayern Munich in the Champions League final in 1999.

That team was full of famous figures. Alex Ferguson as manager and legendary players Peter Schmeichel, Gary Neville, Jaap Stam, and Denis Irwin. Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole all started against Bayern, while Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjær played key parts off the bench.

And this City team has the potential to be no different. With Pep Guardiola at the helm, the team is made up of already renowned figures. Alongside De Bruyne are the established Kyle Walker, John Stones, İlkay Gündoğan, Rodri, Bernado Silva, Riyad Mahrez and Ederson. Meanwhile, Haaland, Rúben Dias, Jack Grealish, Julián Álvarez and Phil Foden are on their way to cementing their legacies.

But De Bruyne was not a fan of making what he calls “unnecessary” comparisons.

“It’s a massive achievement and if we would be able to do that on Saturday, it’s also a massive achievement,” he explained.

“But how can you compare different eras, I would say, different players, different teams you play?

“I don’t know how you compare the teams that they played against our teams. They should be proud of what they did, and if we do it, we should do the same. But it feels like a bit of unnecessary drama.

“I also understand people talk about it and it’s interesting, but I’m very happy that as a player, I don’t feel the necessity to talk about these things because I’m not that kind of guy.”

Eight years later

A lot has changed since De Bruyne signed for City.

His arrival in 2015 came with a hefty transfer fee and, with it, expectation.

With a reported $68.7 million (£54.5m) price tag attached to his name, De Bruyne faced doubt from certain areas of the media and Man City’s fanbase, questioning whether he was worth the amount of money he was acquired for. The previous season, De Bruyne had scored 16 goals and provided 28 assists to help Wolfsburg to a second-placed finish in the Bundesliga and a victory in the German Cup.

“Obviously, I think a lot was said when I when I signed for City and the amount of money,” he said. “And I thought at that moment in time when a lot of articles or people would say something, I had the feeling: ‘People don’t watch other leagues.’

“In England, the Premier League is the Premier League and they will see snippets in Europe. But I don’t feel like anybody saw what I’ve done in Germany at the time with Wolfsburg and the Europa League and winning the cup.

“We had an amazing season and I felt that nobody saw the progression that I made. And the amount of money, I couldn’t do anything about it. These are the clubs negotiating and that happens. Maybe I have a little chip on my back to say like: ‘When I come to City, I will perform.’”

Eight years later and now 31 years old, De Bruyne has achieved almost everything at Man City, becoming one of the world’s best attacking players.

His full potential unlocked under the genius of Guardiola, De Bruyne is known for his driving runs, pinpoint passes and thunderbolt strikes.

The one thing that has eluded him and City is the Champions League trophy. Man City did reach the final of the competition two years ago but lost 1-0 to Chelsea in Porto.

De Bruyne says he doesn’t harbor any “bad feelings or emotions” towards the disappointing end to the campaign. He puts the team’s stunning form this season down to the chemistry amongst the squad.

“The bond is so good, so nice. Sometimes every team has a bust up in training or whatever but I feel that’s also necessary to build a good group,” De Bruyne says.

“But like I said, I feel like the group has always been really good together, no matter what moment it happened or what happened, good or bad, it’s always been pretty good together.

“I never feel like there are many egos or people distancing themselves one way or another … I’ve been here eight years and it’s been pretty incredible to me.”

On one side of the net will be a player whose career was in jeopardy just last year through injuries. On the other side will be the most in-form player in tennis looking for her third French Open title.

Saturday’s women’s French Open final proves to be an intriguing one for many reasons, in particular because each player’s recent experiences offer tantalizing narratives.

First to qualify for the final was Iga Świątek, the world No. 1 and the reigning champion at Roland Garros. She has become almost unbeatable on clay courts, and is looking to cement her status at the top of women’s tennis.

And she was followed by Karolína Muchová, an unlikely finalist playing in her first grand slam final who was told by some doctors last year that her injuries were so severe her tennis career might have been over.

The pair have only met once before, Muchová beating Świątek at the 2019 Prague Open. But a lot has changed since then. Muchová has had to overcome countless battles with injuries while Świątek has skyrocketed to become a three-time grand slam winner.

Facing Świątek on clay at the moment is a daunting task for anyone – her dominance at the French Open has been likened to that of Rafael Nadal who won the grand slam 14 times.

But it was revealed to Muchová in her press conference that she was undefeated in previous encounters against the world No.1, No.2 and No.3 a statistic she says she can take confidence from.

“I don’t think I will be the favorite. It’s nice. I didn’t really even know about this statistic, if I say like that,” she said.

Whether it be a now-healthy player finally getting her opportunity to shine or her opponent looking to cement her name as one of tennis’ most dominant players, Court Philippe Chatrier is sure to see some fireworks.

Comeback with a flourish

Muchová has long been a favorite of tennis purists. Her all-round skillset, from power and precision to accuracy and athleticism, means she is close to the full package.

However, after a burgeoning beginning to her career, including a semifinal berth at the 2021 Australian Open, injuries blighted the Czech’s progress.

Having seemingly had all potential options open to her in the tennis world, the door appeared to slam shut with withdrawals and time spent in rehab. She dropped out of the top 100 in the world rankings and she said she received the news no professional athlete wants to hear. “Some doctors told me: ‘Maybe you’ll not do sport anymore,’” she recounted to reporters.

But Muchová never lost hope. She has slowly climbed back to her best and has enjoyed a remarkable run at this year’s French Open.

She beat No. 8 seed Maria Sakkari in the first round before beating 2020 semifinalist, Nadia Podoroska, in the second round. The 26-year-old then blitzed through her next three matches without dropping a set, overcoming No. 27 seed Irina-Camelia Begu, Elina Avanesyan and 2021 runner-up Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

She saved her most impressive performance for the semifinal though. Down 2-5 and facing match point against world No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka, Muchová was able to stave off the danger, win five games in a row to stun the Belarusian and reach her debut major final.

With a maiden grand slam in her sights, Muchová was in a sanguine mood after the victory over Sabalenka, making sure to highlight the struggles which makes her success in Paris all the more special for her.

“There has been many moments, many lows, I would say, from one injury to another,” Muchová – who is projected to return to the top 20 in the world rankings after the tournament – told reporters. “For sure when I missed Australian Open last year, and I was in a pretty bad state healthy-wise, I was working out a lot to try to get back.

“But I always kept it kind of positive in my mind and tried to work and do all the exercises to be able to come back. Obviously, as well last year, when my ranking dropped and I was thinking, you know, to play some small tournaments, and I did, I tried it, and there I didn’t really feel so great. I wanted to feel like motivated to play to get back, but I couldn’t somehow.

“So I knew for this year I had few more special rankings left. I was telling myself I will see how it’s going to be after Indian Wells, because that was my last special ranking there. You know, I played great in Dubai, I did great in Indian Wells, I was feeling pretty fine health-wise.

“It’s up-and-downs in life all the time. Now I’m enjoying that I’m on the upper part now.”

Improvement and dominance

Świątek has been here before. In the final, with just a victory between her and a French Open title, this is familiar territory for the Pole.

Although she’s familiar with the situation, Świątek said a lot had changed since her first French Open title three years ago.

“Oh, my God. Yes, for sure I feel like I’m a better player,” the 22-year-old said when asked if she considered herself a better player from the one who won her debut grand slam in 2020 at Roland Garros.

“Improvement I feel like is everywhere, so I can’t really say. Everywhere, like tennis-wise, mentally, tactically, physically, just having the experience, everything. So, yeah, my whole life basically.”

Once again, Świątek has looked almost unstoppable in Paris. She has not dropped a set on her way to the final, her stiffest test coming against No. 14 seed Beatriz Haddad Maia where she was forced to a second set tie break in which she eventually prevailed.

Her semifinal victory and Sabalenka’s defeat ensured she will remain atop the world rankings whatever the result.

Świątek revealed that she was familiar with Muchová’s game because she had watched her matches and played her in practice many times since 2019.

With the opportunity to solidify as one of the most dominant prospects in all of sports, just like Nadal did at the same venue on the men’s side of tennis, Świątek said the Spaniard’s success was never a motivating factor for her.

“I wouldn’t say that kind of motivation, it’s my style. I’m more of a person who just try to do her best every day and hope for the best,” she told reporters.

“But, no, like Rafa, what he did and what he’s still doing, it’s pretty amazing. I never kind of knew that it’s going to be possible for me. So it was totally out of my reach, if I can say that. And still he played so well so many years, I don’t know if it’s going to be possible for me.

“But I just try to compete, keep it cool year by year and just do everything step by step. So I wasn’t really thinking that.”

If British food has come in for a bit of mockery over the years, it isn’t because the recipes are wrong. It’s because they’re misunderstood.

We call sausages “toads.” We cover offal in gravy, wrap it in pastry and call it a “pudding.” We eat eels! Real, no foolin’ eels!

None of it really makes sense to the casual observer. But that’s just one of the things that makes British cuisine so special, whether it be from any of the four corners of the UK: England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.

Eating British food is not just eating. It is a surrealist expedition into a magical parallel universe that will challenge almost everything your eyes, your palate and your gut know to be right and proper.

These are some of the classic British dishes:

The Full English

We’re not about to claim that we’re the only nation that eats eggs and fried pork products in some form for breakfast.

But we would humbly suggest that we’ve taken the whole notion of the “cooked breakfast” to more ambitious places than anyone else would probably dare.

A proper British fry-up requires more than a plate. It requires a vast platter capable of accommodating not just predictable eggs and banal bacon but their exotic cousins: kidneys, fried bread, a sausage made entirely of blood (see black pudding, below) and a concoction of leftover potatoes and vegetables that we inexplicably call “bubble and squeak.”

See also: The Full Scottish.

Yorkshire pudding

Pudding, for you non-Brits, is what we in the UK call dessert. But the Yorkshire pudding is a liar.

It looks all puffy and mouthwatering like a pudding, right? But don’t let its friendly appearance fool you. It is not a pudding at all. Like 95% of all British cuisine, it is comprised entirely of eggs, flour, milk and fat.

Before Prozac arrived, this was often the best available alternative.

Toad in the hole

Exactly the same as the above recipe but with sausages and therefore 3.7 times tastier.

Black pudding

Despite the name, there’s no mistaking this one for a dessert. It’s a sausage made out of blood. Congealed blood. And oats.

The trick to eating this successfully is to shut your eyes and try not to think or breathe. That way it’s actually quite exquisite.

Spotted dick

They gave you this in English schools in the ’70s and ‘80s when Margaret Thatcher ruled the land with a fist of iron. In fact, it might have even been her idea.

Spotted dick is a dense and delicious combination of sugar, flour, currants and the raw, shredded fat found around the loins and kidneys of a sheep. And if that’s not sophisticated enough, it is traditionally drenched in the national beverage: custard.

Jellied eels

Imagine the biggest slug you’ve ever seen. Then imagine eating it.

Pie and mash

A glorious way – no, the only way – to consume as many carbs as possible in one meal. Pastry on the bottom, a different type of pastry on the top, unidentifiable flesh in the middle and a tsunami of mashed potatoes.

Shepherd’s pie

Another national dish built upon a tissue of lies. Not a pie but a gigantic swamp of brown meat and gravy hidden beneath a thick blanket of mashed potato. Excessive consumption of this dish risks triggering a neurological condition known as “mash psychosis.”

Fish fingers, chips and beans

By which we mean, fish sticks, oven-cooked french fries and canned beans in tomato sauce.

By the age of 16, the average British child will have eaten this dish 4,160 times.

Gone to a friend’s house for dinner? Fish fingers, chips and beans. Got a friend round for dinner? Fish fingers, chips and beans. Mom and dad had a few drinks again? Fish fingers, chips and beans.

Proust had his madeleines. The Brits have oven chips and frozen sticks of reconstituted haddock.

Scotch egg

An egg wrapped in a sausage. What could be better except maybe …

Sausage roll

A sausage wrapped in an egg (and various other ingredients that make up pastry).

Trifle

Can’t decide on dessert? Let trifle solve the conundrum. Layer one pudding on top of another pudding on top of another and cover it all with whipped cream.

For good measure, douse the whole thing in fortified wine then chuck on a bunch of brightly colored sprinkles and a cherry.

Brits will put a cherry on top of anything and call it dessert.

Eton mess

The heroin of desserts. In some upper-class areas of Britain, you can’t move for the aristocrats passed out in the gutter having overdosed on this intoxicating mixture of meringue, cream and fruit.

Steak and kidney pudding

How do you like your steak? Medium rare and served with peppercorn sauce? Gently seared with a crisp green salad on the side?

Or perhaps the way that the Queen of England (probably) preferred it during her long life: cut into chunks, combined with the vital organs of a sheep and stuffed inside a gigantic bucket of pastry?

Rice pudding

In China, it’s fried with egg. In Japan, it’s served cold with raw fish. There’s only one way we serve our rice in Britain: overcooked and drowned in milk and sugar..

Jam roly poly

A rolled up cake made of shredded fat filled with jam. Something like this could only be conjured from the imagination of a nation that also gave you The Beatles, the World Wide Web and fox hunting.

Fish and chips

Nothing – not the Union Jack flag, not the White Cliffs of Dover, not the BBC, not even the chilling sight of Cliff Richard singing at Wimbledon – is as British as fish and chips.

Everything about this greasy delight is British, from the cod, caught in cold Atlantic waters off the coast of Iceland, to the potatoes, originally cultivated by native Americans and first brought to Europe by the Spanish. All deep fried in oil, imported from, among other places, Latin America.

Traditionally, served wrapped in newspaper, you’re nowadays more likely to have it dished up in a carcinogenic, non-recyclable box. Yum.

Scones

History will probably one day reveal that the English Civil War of 1642-1651 was started by two idiots who couldn’t agree on whether the jam or cream went on the scone first.

This is still a cause of division in the country that makes our bickering over Brexit seem tame and reasonable by comparison.

Christmas pudding

Was it the 18th-century literary giant Dr. Johnson who said that when a man is tired of Christmas pudding, he is tired of life? That said, Johnson suffered terribly from gout.

Tea

We stole plants from China and India, sailed all the way back home, dried them, crushed them, drowned them in boiling water then mixed the whole thing with milk and sugar.

We now delude ourselves that there isn’t a crisis that can’t be resolved simply by brewing up a pot of tea.

This story was originally published in 2019. It was updated and republished in June 2023.

Major US cities trapped under a thick, orange blanket of smog this week will soon get a reprieve, as the Canadian wildfires spewing noxious fumes across the border are easing up.

Fire activity in the province of Quebec has improved, and the area covered by smoke is now just 7% of what it was last week. Slightly cooler temperatures and higher humidity in Canada mean less smoke billowing across the border.

But there are two big caveats: It’s still early in the Canadian fire season, meaning more wildfires could flare up this summer. And several US states are still suffering poor air quality, which could cause health problems.

“Smoke from Canadian wildfires continues to be transported south by winds into the U.S. resulting in moderate to unhealthy air quality across parts of the Northeast, mid-Atlantic, Ohio Valley, and Midwest on Friday,” the National Weather Service said. “Some improvement is expected this weekend.”

While the worst has passed for most of the Northeast and mid-Atlantic regions, potentially harmful air pollutants in New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, DC, are expected to linger Friday before slowly clearing over the next several days.

Philadelphia’s air quality index exceeded 150 early Friday, making it “unhealthy,” according to the monitoring website AirNow. New York City’s air quality index was below 150 early Friday and deemed “unhealthy for sensitive groups.”

The oppressive smoke this week has postponed professional sports games, grounded flights due to poor visibility, shuttered zoos and beaches and forced many to mask up outdoors. Climate experts have warned such events are becoming more frequent due to human-induced climate change.

About 50 million people across several Midwest and East Coast states were under air quality alerts early Friday, but the number could change as conditions improve in some areas.

Here’s what to expect:

• Entire states’ air quality is compromised: All of Pennsylvania, Delaware, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Jersey and Indiana are under air quality alerts, as well as parts of Ohio, Michigan, Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina.

• Schools go remote: Public schools in New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, DC, have remote learning Friday to help reduce exposure to air toxins.

• New York City will improve: After having the world’s worst air quality multiple times this week, according to IQAir, the Big Apple could see some “significant improvement,” Mayor Eric Adams said Thursday. “As of right now, the smoke models are not indicating another large plume over the city,” Adams said, though he urged people to mask well when outside.

• Evacuated Canadians can go home: Most of the Halifax residents evacuated because of the wildfires will be allowed to return home Friday, Mayor Mike Savage said. About 16,000 people fled their homes during the height of the wildfire evacuations, and about 4,100 remain evacuated.

• Firefighters will get help: New York state plans to send forest rangers to help fight the wildfires in Quebec Friday, Gov. Kathy Hochul said. Federal resources have also been deployed, the White House has said.

Scientists warn such routine-altering weather events are more likely to continue disrupting daily life as the planet warms, creating the ideal environment for more severe and frequent wildfires.

When flames burn, the smoke can travel thousands of miles, which puts millions more people in harm’s way.

Wildfire smoke is particularly dangerous because it contains tiny particulate matter, or PM2.5, the tiniest of pollutants. When inhaled, it can move deep into lung tissue and enter the bloodstream.

It comes from sources including the combustion of fossil fuels, dust storms and wildfires. Such smoke has been linked to several health complications including asthma, heart disease and other respiratory illnesses.

Click on the website of any given luxury resort in Maldives and you’ll likely find an entire page highlighting its commitment to sustainability and associated “green” credentials.

The lingo isn’t your usual tourism marketing jargon – terms like waste management, soil erosion and solar energy generation don’t exactly evoke visions of cream-hued beaches lapped by impossibly blue waters.

But Maldives isn’t your usual destination. As the world’s lowest-lying country, it’s 99% water, with its 1,000-plus islands spread over 90,000 square kilometers.

The majority of the country’s 160-plus resorts sit on individual islands, putting the onus on these accommodations to go above and beyond to reduce their impact on Maldives’ fragile environment.

But do tourists actually care about a resort’s sustainability cred?

Increasingly, the answer is “yes,” says marine biologist Samuel Dixon, who has been with the Fairmont Maldives, Sirru Fen Fushi since before it opened over five years ago.

As the luxury resort’s sustainability manager, he oversees all of the 120-villa property’s eco-inspired initiatives, from protecting the 9-kilometer-long house reef to implementing cutting-edge energy-saving strategies.

“I have noticed that there is a lot more inquiry into some of the work that I’m doing here, whether it’s on coral restoration, turtle conservation, recycling or our energy and our solar usage. To have a lot more guests engaging and asking these types of questions is music to my ears because it means we are heading into a future where there is a bigger call for a more sustainable hospitality industry.”

Dixon oversaw the installation of a new facility at the resort, the Sustainability Lab, which offers guests a front-row seat to one of the biggest challenges faced by Maldives – plastic waste.

Opened in early 2022, it’s the first center of its kind in the country. Set just steps away from the resort’s arrival dock inside a building made of upcycled shipping containers, it’s filled with specialized machinery that turns plastic waste into bespoke souvenirs, furniture and supplies for local schools.

The lab also recycles discarded “ghost nets” – discarded by fishing boats, they’re particularly harmful to sea turtles – by braiding them into bracelets and luggage tags.

A visit to the lab is sobering. Large bins filled with different colors of tiny pieces of plastic line the shelves, ready to be put into the industrial machines and melted down into various shapes and sizes. The predominant color is blue thanks to an abundance of plastic water bottle tops.

Dixon says the plastic is sourced from multiple places. There’s the packaging that comes with the weekly food supplies. They also collect plastic waste from neighboring hotels and local schools.

And, of course, the sea provides an endless supply of materials.

“That is the gift, unfortunately, which does keep on giving every day,” he says of the ocean.

“We are removing between three to five kilograms of waste in the morning just from this resort. And about one to two kilograms of that is plastic. And so we collect it and make trips to other uninhabited islands as well.”

The foraged plastic is first washed to remove any dirt or residue. Then, it’s shredded down into small pellets that can be used in two ways. There’s the extruder, which melts it down and reforms it into 3D molds to create souvenir turtles, carabiner hooks and school rulers.

There’s also a press, which will flatten the plastic into sheets that can be used “exactly like wood,” says Dixon. The resort’s carpentry team uses it to make furniture, which guests can commission and get shipped home.

Though the amount of plastic processed is small in the grand scheme of things, Dixon says it’s important to remind visitors of the issues faced by Maldives while also working with the local communities to address such challenges.

“I think what’s fantastic about bringing this into the hospitality industry, and particularly in a location like the Maldives, which is an paradise idyllic location, is it really brings it to the forefront of guests’ minds,” he says.

“Guests can actually not just hear the words, ‘oh, the hotel recycles plastic,’ they can come and they can see it. They can visualize it. They can actually be a part of the process. And we do try to make it as fun as we can.”

As a result of their efforts, the Sustainability Lab is one of the few places on the resort island where guests will actually see much plastic.

There are no plastic water bottles – glass only – while guests are each given a reusable water bottle they can fill at one of the water stations around the island and take home as a souvenir. Even the toothpaste in the dental kits comes in a tiny paper packet.

Underwater art installation doubles as artificial reef

Another resort space that puts a heavy emphasis on conservation is the Coralarium, located a few dozen meters offshore from the main beach area.

A large, metal sculpture, it doubles as a coral garden for local wildlife that guests can snorkel into and explore.

“The Coralarium aims to be a center for education and for conservation,” says Dixon. “It was made all with pH-neutral material, so it’s nontoxic to the marine life and contains no harmful pollutants. The structure was designed to kind of replicate a hard substrate of a coral reef. So when coral have the mass spawning events, the Coralarium essentially catches the coral polyps and facilitates coral naturally.”

He says it’s essentially an artificial reef, but with live coral growing on it, too.

“We’ve had about 120 fish species move in, so it’s become a mini habitat for marine life there, which is great to show guests.”

‘Secret Water Island’

Suitably, the Fairmont Maldives is located on what’s been nicknamed “Secret Water Island.”

On the backside of the island is the resort’s 9-kilometer house reef, which is home to more than 400 species of marine life. Directly offshore, it can easily be explored with a snorkel set. Those who visit between December and April will be able to witness the reef’s manta ray season.

But guests don’t even need to go into the water to take in the abundance of aquatic wildlife offshore.

At Kata, the resort’s Japanese restaurant, large reef sharks can be spotted cruising through the waters below its stilted platforms alongside other colorful fish. Similar scenes are also a nightly occurrence at Azure, Fairmont’s seafood restaurant.

In terms of accommodations, Fairmont Maldives, Sirru Fen Fushi has a variety of overwater villas in varying sizes, while those who prefer the beach can opt for sunrise or sunset villas. (The sunrise villas face the house reef, the sunset villas are opposite the Coralarium.) There are also tented villas for those who want to really get close to nature.

There’s a variety of treatments and therapies on offer in the large spa, plenty of water sports activities and excursions and an excellent kids’ club. Children can learn more about the resort’s conservation efforts by joining its new Generation Sea program, which includes visits to both the Sustainability Lab and the Coralarium.

For sustainability manager Dixon, seeing guests young and old take an interest in these once-neglected issues has been incredibly validating.

“When I think about how we’ve really adapted and created a more sustainable environment here, a more sustainable operation within this hotel, it makes me very proud,” he says.

It’s not often that a soccer match can be encapsulated in just a single word.

But mention “Istanbul” and every fan in the world will know exactly which game you’re talking about.

On May 25, 2005, Liverpool and AC Milan contested the Champions League final at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium, which also hosts this year’s showpiece between Manchester City and Inter Milan.

That match 18 years ago would go down as one of the most memorable and iconic in sporting history, one which is still referred to by Liverpool fans as the ‘miracle of Istanbul.’

Leading 3-0 at half time thanks to Paolo Maldini’s opening-minute goal and a brace from Hernan Crespo, AC Milan already had one hand on the trophy when the teams returned to the dressing rooms.

What happened in the second half, however, made the 2005 Champions League final the mother of all “I was there” moments.

“It was incredible that we were 3-0 down against an Italian side at half time and we managed to win it at the end in the penalty shootout.”

What makes the events of that night all the more remarkable is that Liverpool’s comeback was completed almost as soon as it had started.

There were just seven minutes between Liverpool captain and talisman Steven Gerrard scoring Liverpool’s first and Xabi Alonso leveling the scores just after the hour mark, a thrilling, chaotic period in which the Reds seemingly did the impossible.

Rafael Benítez’s men emerged for the second half looking like an entirely different team, one full of belief that played with courage and purpose. But what sparked this sudden turnaround?

“I think the most asked question is: ‘What happened at half time?’” Hyypia said. “I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve explained what happened. It was very quiet at first and we heard the crowd singing ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ outside and that’s incredible.

“Your team is 3-0 down and the crowd is singing for the whole of halftime and maybe that gave us a little bit of strength, but then Rafa Benítez was quite calm and he just said: ‘Look, boys, it can’t continue like this. We have to give the fans something to cheer about in the second half, many of them have traveled a long way – even in cars to Istanbul to support us.

“I wouldn’t think that he expected for that to happen, what then happened.”

Even after Gerrard scored the first – a looping header that he celebrated by frantically waving his arms and bellowing in an attempt to gee up his teammates – Hyypia said the team still didn’t quite believe they could mount a comeback.

But when Vladimír Šmicer’s sweet strike made it 3-2 just two minutes later, Hyypia said everything changed.

“I think the second goal was the turning point when we started to have belief that we can come back,” the Finnish defender recalled.

“The third one came quite quickly after that and I think it was a bit of shock for Milan that we came back to 3-3 and then they started to play again and it went a bit more even again.

“They had a great chance that Jerzy [Dudek] saved in extra time, the double save from [Andriy] Shevchenko, which was an incredible double save from Jerzy and of course he was the hero then in the penalty shootout as well.”

Indeed, that truly incredible double save from Liverpool’s Polish goalkeeper was as important as any of the team’s three goals.

Even today, the second of Dudek’s saves to deny Shevchenko in the dying minutes of extra time still seems almost physically impossible – a touch off the glove from point-blank range that somehow diverted the ball over the crossbar.

Without that save, then Dudek’s famous “wobbly legs” that helped to win the penalty shootout and Liverpool’s comeback would forgotten; “Istanbul” would likely never have become part of soccer’s lexicon.

For Hyypia, these moments just made the occasion all the more remarkable.

“Every footballer in the world would like to win the Champions League once and that night I managed to win it and nobody has taken that from me,” Hyypia said. “It’s in the history books and I think that’s the biggest thing you can win in club competitions.

“We managed to win it then and I’m happy for that and I thank all of my teammates and the people who helped us on the way to the final and to win it.”

The night was also an unforgettable one for AC Milan and its fans, but for all the wrong reasons.

At halftime, the supporters in the stadium and back home in Milan would have been forgiven for starting their celebrations early. The 3-0 lead was a deserved one which reflected the gulf in class between the two teams.

Legendary Brazilian goalkeeper Dida played for AC Milan that night and did everything in his power to maintain his team’s lead, saving Xabi Alonso’s penalty in the second half, but he was beaten to the rebound by the Spaniard.

Even 15 years after that night, Dida admitted he still plays that final over in his head and wonders how his team squandered a seemingly unassailable lead.

“So that image, I believe, will remain in everyone’s heads. The cup [we thought] was practically ours, but football is this way, it’s beautiful because until the referee ends the game, anything can happen.”

AC Milan did get its revenge two years later, beating Liverpool 2-1 in the final, a game that Dida said helped to ease the pain of Istanbul.

“Obviously talking about 2007 is much nicer,” he said. “We’re a lot happier, especially because we won.

“It was proof that we could have done the same thing two years before, but time has passed and we must try and forget about the match we lost and focus more on the one we won.”

If Saturday’s contest between Man City and Inter is half as thrilling as the 2005 final, then fans are in for another special occasion.