1. Nikkei Asia:
Shohei Ohtani’s otherworldly performance that propelled the Los Angeles Dodgers back to the World Series has left the sporting world in awe, with players and legends alike marveling at what may have been the greatest single-game display in Major League Baseball history.
In a Friday night masterpiece, Ohtani flashed his dominance on both sides of the ball, hitting three homers and pitching six scoreless innings while striking out 10 batters to complete a four-game sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers.
“That was probably the greatest postseason performance of all time,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. “There’s been a lot of postseason games. And there’s a reason why he’s the greatest player on the planet.” Extensive highlights are here. (Sources: asia.nikkei.com, youtube.com)
2. Based on the television ratings for last year’s World Series, it’s likely that the television audience for Friday night’s Dodgers-Brewers game was larger in Japan than it was in the United States. (Source: espn.com/mlb)
3. The Israeli military conducted airstrikes in Rafah earlier today after armed militants fired anti-tank missiles at IDF forces near the humanitarian aid route in the city. The Israeli military used airstrikes and artillery fire against tunnels from which it believes the militants had fired, though it is unclear whether the attackers were hit. The IDF has also not determined whether the attackers were militants previously trapped in a tunnel before its destruction or if this was a planned assault. The IDF said that it destroyed several operational shafts and militant infrastructure where terrorist activity had been identified to “remove the threat.” The Israeli air force also launched strikes across the Gaza Strip, with Arab media reporting attacks in the northern city of Jabalya. (Source: haaretz.com)
4. Russian President Vladimir Putin in a phone call this past week with President Trump demanded that Kyiv surrender full control of Donetsk, a strategically vital region in eastern Ukraine, as a condition for ending the war, said two senior officials familiar with the conversation. Putin has tried and failed to conquer the territory for 11 years, repeatedly repulsed by Ukrainian forces who are deeply entrenched in an area they believe is a major bulwark against a speedy Russian advance westward toward their capital. Putin’s focus on Donetsk suggests he is not backing away from past demands that have left the conflict in a stalemate, despite Trump’s optimism about securing a deal, the officials said. (Sources: washingtonpost.com, understandingwar.org)
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