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Kim Jong Un to join Putin and other leaders at China military parade
North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un will attend a military parade in Beijing on 3 September, China’s foreign ministry has said – in what is believed to be his first international level meeting of leaders.
The so-called “Victory Day” parade will mark the 80th anniversary of China’s war against Japan and the end of World War Two.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin will also be among the 26 heads of state expected to attend the event.
China is expected to display its latest weaponry including hundreds of aircraft, tanks and anti-drone systems – the first time its military’s new force structure is being fully showcased in a parade.
The highly choreographed parade will see tens of thousands of military personnel march in formation through Tiananmen Square, including troops from 45 of the so-called echelons of China’s military as well as war veterans.
The 70-minute parade, which will be surveyed by Chinese leader Xi Jinping, is expected to be closely watched by analysts and western powers.
In a press conference given by China’s foreign ministry on Thursday, Beijing – one of Pyongyang’s closest allies – praised its neighbour for their decades-long “traditional friendship” and said the two countries will continue to collaborate on “regional peace and stability”.
Kim’s attendance is an upgrade from China’s last Victory Day parade, which happened in 2015 – during which Pyongyang sent one of its top officials, Choe Ryong-hae.
Kim attending the parade in the centre of Beijing standing alongside Russia’s Putin and China’s Xi will be quite the photo op.
But it will also be a key diplomatic win for Xi.
US President Donald Trump is trying to make a deal with Putin to end the war in Ukraine. He has also in the last week announced he wants to meet Kim again.
The Chinese leader is signalling here that he holds the geopolitical cards in this game. He has influence – although it is limited – on both leaders.
The timing is also key. The White House has suggested that President Trump could be in the region at the end of October and is open to meeting Xi.
The Chinese leader would go into any summit with the US president fully briefed by Kim and Putin and will know he is not being left out of the loop.
It’s been six years since Kim visited Beijing – he last attended the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 2019.
The reclusive North Korean leader also visited Beijing three times in 2018, marking a particularly busy year for international trips as he rarely travels abroad.
Japan had earlier this week asked European and Asian countries not to attend the parade,
Most Western leaders are not expected to attend the parade, in part due to their differences with Russian leader Putin over the Ukraine war.
Japan had earlier also reportedly urged foreign leaders not the attend the parade, saying it had “anti-Japanese overtones”.
The eBay Labor Dale Sale has kicked off with a 20% off coupon code: “HAPPY30TH” to celebrate eBay’s 30 year anniversary. This coupon happens to work on several TVs, including the new 2025 LG OLED TVs. Right now you can pick up a 65″ LG Evo C5 4K OLED smart TV for just $1,299.19 after you apply 20% off coupon: “HAPPY30TH“. Alternatively, you can get a 77″ LG Evo C5 for $1,837.59 after the same code. These are the lowest prices I’ve seen all year and at least $200 less than other retailers’ Labor Day deals. The seller Buydig is reputable and has over half a million postive reviews. It is also an authorized LG reseller so you’re getting the manufacturer warranty.
LG Evo C5 4K OLED Smart TVs Are on Sale for Labor Day
77″ LG Evo C5 4K OLED Smart TV
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The LG Evo OLED TV has been our favorite TV for gaming, especially for the PlayStation 5 console for three years running thanks to its outstanding image quality, low input lag, and high refresh rate. The C5 is LG’s newest generatoin (2025) model in the lineup. The C5 uses LG’s proprietary Evo panel, which offers higher brightness level and contrast ratio compared to traditional W-OLED TVs (similar to QD OLED panels on Samsung TVs). OLED TVs offer the best image quality of any TV currently available at consumer prices thanks to near-infinite black levels, near-infinite contrast ratio, and near-instantaneous response times. This is easily the best TV for streaming 4K HDR content in its intended glory.
The LG C5 has all the features you’d want in a gaming TV as well. It has a native 120Hz panel that can be pushed to as high as 144Hz and all four HDMI ports are 2.1 spec for running games in 4K at up to 120fps on a PS5 or Xbox Series X without any tearing. The C4 also supports variable refresh rate (VRR) and auto low latency mode (ALLM). The C5 is also pretty lightweight because the rear cabinet housing is made of a composite fiber; 65″ model weighs only 36 pounds without the stand. That makes it easier to install, especially if you plan on wall mounting it.
What are the updates over the 2024 LG Evo C4 model?
The LG Evo C5 improves upon the C4 with an updated Alpha a9 Gen8 processor and a higher peak brightness level, the latter of which is the more significant upgrade. Higher peak brightness means the C5 is able to deliver slightly better contrast ratio, slightly wider color gamut, better glare and reflection handling, and greater usability in bright rooms.
The 77″ LG Evo C4 4K OLED TV is also on sale
77″ LG Evo C4 4K OLED Smart TV
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If you don’t mind stepping down to the 2024 model, you’ll save around $160 going with the 77″ LG Evo C4 4K OLED smart TV. The C4 uses a similar Evo OLED panel to the C5 for increased brightness levels. It also has four HDMI 2.1 ports and a native 120Hz refresh rate that can be pushed to 144Hz for high-fps gaming on the PlayStation 5 console.
More Labor Day Sales
If you’re looking for more Labor Day sales like this, it’s worth checking out the below, including Amazon’s Labor Day sale and the Best Buy sale. Both have some standout deals on audio equipment.
Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn’t hunting for deals for other people at work, he’s hunting for deals for himself during his free time.
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US Open 2025: Osaka cruises past Gauff, Auger-Aliassime beats Rublev on day nine – as it happened | US Open Tennis 2025
Key events
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Karolina Muchova (11) beats Marta Kostyuk (27) 6-3, 6-7 (0), 6-3
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Lorenzo Musetti (10) beats Jaume Munar 6-3, 6-0, 6-1
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Naomi Osaka (23) beats Coco Gauff (3) 6-3, 6-2
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Osaka wins the first set against Gauff 6-3
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Iga Swiatek (2) beats Ekaterina Alexandrova (13) 6-3, 6-1
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Felix Auger-Aliassime (25) beats Andrey Rublev (15) 7-5, 6-3, 6-4
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Alex de Minaur (8) beats Leandro Riedi 6-3, 6-2, 6-1
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Preamble
We have just two matches left in the fourth round and they’re set for Arthur Ashe this evening. Jannik Sinner will meet Alexander Bublik before Amanda Anisimova takes on Beatriz Haddad Maia. That will be all from me, with the blog returning tomorrow for quarter-final thrills. Cheers all for tuning in.
Karolina Muchova (11) beats Marta Kostyuk (27) 6-3, 6-7 (0), 6-3
Muchova has three match points on her serve. Kostyuk’s backhand finds the corner to keep her alive, but Muchova takes the third opportunity, Kostyuk unable to keep the return in. Muchova sets up a challenging quarter final with Naomi Osaka.
Lorenzo Musetti (10) beats Jaume Munar 6-3, 6-0, 6-1
Clinical work. The tough part? A potential meeting with Jannik Sinner in the quarters.
Kostyuk will not go quietly. She gets herself two break points … and the first one is saved in spectacular fashion by Muchova – she reaches wide to fetch a forehand volley that clips the net cord and goes her way. Kostyuk nets and Muchova, finalist at the 2023 French Open, finds the safe haven that is deuce. She saves another break point and pulls off a difficult hold. Muchova leads 5-2 in the deciding set.
Muchova’s drop shot helps her to 40-15 and she dictates the next point brilliantly, a couple of backhand slices followed by the deep cross-court forehand. She leads 4-1 in the deciding set.
We’ve got a proper contest on Grandstand, with the 11th seed, Karolina Muchova, up against the 27th seed, Marta Kostyuk. Muchova took the first set 6-3, while Kostyuk was victorious in the second-set tie-break. Muchova has just landed a break in the third set and leads 3-1.
Over on Louis Armstrong, Lorenzo Musetti is 6-3, 6-0, 2-1 up against Jaume Munar, the 10th seed looking set for his first US Open quarter-final.
Gauff was unable to get to a single break point, with Osaka relentless across an hour and a bit.
Osaka speaks: “I’m a little sensitive and I don’t want to cry. I had so much fun out here. This is my favourite court in the world and it means so much to me to be back here.
“Honestly, I look up to her [Gauff] a lot. The way she conducts herself, I think it’s really special, to be such an amazing role model at such a young age is a gift and it’s a talent that she has and I have all the respect in the world for her.”
What a champion.
Naomi Osaka (23) beats Coco Gauff (3) 6-3, 6-2
Gauff, deeply frustrated, lets 40-15 slip to deuce. And she nets a forehand to provide Osaka match point. Another forehand goes wrong and it’s all over. Naomi Osaka has delivered a statement victory.
Gauff tries something new, rushing to the net but unable to get on the end of Osaka’s backhand. The third seed’s backhand to the corner is unable to clip the line – Osaka is 5-2 up in the second set and just a game away. We’ve had just an hour of play.
A horrible miscue from Gauff hands Osaka two chances to break – she needs just one as Gauff nets a backhand. Osaka is up 6-3, 4-2, staring at a first grand slam quarter-final since 2021.
Osaka is machine-like with the ball in her hand at the moment. She hasn’t lost a point on her first serve and has won 74% of points on her second serve, too. She leads 6-3, 3-2.
Lorenzo Musetti has taken the first set against Jaume Munar 6-3. Gauff holds to 15 and we’re 2-2 in the second set on Arthur Ashe.
Osaka stays immense on her serve. Gauff has won just four points when receiving. Osaka leads 6-3, 2-1.
Some excellent defence from Gauff sees her go 15-0 up and she gets away with a slightly off drop shot, Osaka netting with a backhand. She holds; Osaka leads 6-3, 1-1.
Stunning from Osaka, who goes 30-0 up after closing a wild rally with the most delicious of forehands to the corner. Gauff’s body language is all over the place, wondering what she has to do to even take a point of Osaka’s serve. Well how about that: a forehand return brushes the line and she has that elusive point. Another fine return makes it 40-30 but Gauff nets a forehand. Osaka is up 6-3, 1-0.
Osaka wins the first set against Gauff 6-3
Gauff is a mixed bag with her serve, an ace and double fault in there before Osaka bangs down another cross-court backhand winner. And another double fault gives Osaka the first set! Wowzers. Osaka has been close to immaculate, welcoming her opponent’s 16 unforced errors (Osaka has made five).
Osaka races to 40-0 and Gauff, perhaps out of frustration, just wallops a flat forehand to get on the board. But it’s another simple hold, with Osaka having lost just two points on her serve. Osaka is 5-3 up.
Gauff, from the forehand side, sends down a brilliant backhand winner. She holds and Osaka leads 4-3. Over on Louis Armstrong, 10th seed Lorenzo Musetti is underway against Jaume Munar and already up a break.
Osaka begins with an ace down the middle and Gauff is struggling to make any inroads on her opponent’s serve. It’s a love hold and Osaka leads 4-2.
Gauff’s serve remains under the spotlight and she begins with a double fault, but it’s smoother from there as she goes 40-15 up. Osaka reels off a backhand winner and takes it to deuce, but Gauff is victorious at the net before Osaka goes long with a down-the-line forehand. Osaka leads 3-2.
Gauff’s forehand down the centre finds the net before Osaka laces a cross-court backhand to go 30-0 up. It’s another straightforward hold. Osaka leads 3-1.
Gauff races to a love hold, a couple of aces in there, too. Osaka leads 2-1 in the first set.
Well then, this is some start from Naomi Osaka. The 23rd seed is up and away with a 2-0 lead in the first set, Gauff beginning with a string of unforced errors.
Alexandrova suffered with her second serves, winning just 27% of her points on those. The action doesn’t stop, with Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka making their way out on Arthur Ashe for today’s headline clash.
Iga Swiatek (2) beats Ekaterina Alexandrova (13) 6-3, 6-1
Swiatek heads to the net to sweep away a backhand and go 30-15 up. Alexandrova recovers though, attacking to give herself a chance of survival, launching the ball deep to give Swiatek some bother on the baseline. But the 2022 US Open champion prevails, a backhand winner sending her through to the quarters.
Swiatek has another chance to break, and Alexandrova’s fourth double fault of the match provides it. The second seed will serve for the match, up 6-3, 5-1.
Swiatek has little to worry about at the moment. She’s 6-3, 4-1 up against Alexandrova.
Felix Auger-Aliassime (25) beats Andrey Rublev (15) 7-5, 6-3, 6-4
Rublev holds and Auger-Aliassime is up again, serving to reach the last eight. He is up to the net to secure the first point, a statement move. A lightning ace follows and another first serve sets him up for a deep forehand winner. Three match points: he needs just one, a backhand down the line setting up a wonderful victory.
Auger-Aliassime is up 4-3 and serving in the third set. Rublev needs something to change – instead comes a complete miscue with the forehand, Auger-Aliassime going 30-0 up. An ace down the middle follows and the hold is straightforward. Auger-Aliassime leads 6-5, 6-3, 5-3.
Right, how much fight has Rublev got in him? He came from a set down to beat Auger-Aliassime in the 2024 Madrid Open final. He quickly holds to 15. Auger-Aliassime leads 7-5, 6-3, 3-2.
Swiatek holds to lead 5-3 before Alexandrova double-faults to set up deuce. Oh dear – another double fault hands Swiatek set point. The world No 2 is gifted it, with Alexandrova netting an attempted drop shot. Swiatek takes it 6-3.
It’s 3-3 in the first set between Swiatek and Alexandrova, with the latter serving. Swiatek sees an opportunity at 15-30, launching an electric backhand return on the second serve. And then Alexandrova has a nightmare at the net, setting up for a forehand smash before trying to drop the ball … except it doesn’t go over. Swiatek breaks and leads 4-3 in the first set.
Rublev fails to hold his serve to start the third set. Auger-Aliassime – up 7-5, 6-3, 1-0 – is so very close to his first grand-slam quarter-final since the 2022 Australian Open.
Auger-Aliassime is serving for the second set – and he does so with aplomb, resisting as Rublev launches some flat, fizzing forehands. Auger-Aliassime leads 7-5, 6-3 and Rublev is showing signs of combustion. The Canadian launched 15 winners in that set; Rublev managed four.
Over on Louis Armstrong, it’s 1-1 between Swiatek and Alexandrova, both failing to hold serve.
Rublev, I should remind you, has won seven of his eight meetings against Auger-Aliassime. The 25th seed holds his serve and is up 7-5, 5-2.
Rublev double-faults and we’re at deuce. Auger-Aliassime loves the second serve, stepping inside to wallop a cross-court forehand winner. Rublev, furious with himself, then sends a backhand wide. He smashes his racket into the ground. Auger-Aliassime has the break and leads 7-5, 4-2.
Iga Swiatek is getting ready for battle, up against Ekaterina Alexandrova, the 13th seed, who is yet to drop a set in the tournament. Swiatek leads 4-2 in the career head-to-head.
Auger-Aliassime’s has a chance to get to break point … but he messes up an overhead smash, sending it long. Rublev manages to hold, Auger-Aliassime up 7-5, 2-2.
YO COUSIN!
Auger-Aliassime’s forehand down the line has been joyous to watch. He powers his way to 15-30, but Rublev launches a recovery to hold. Auger-Aliassime leads 7-5, 1-1.
Rublev has a break point in the first game of the second set but Auger-Aliassime leaps at the net to volley and set up deuce. A second break point is saved too, and Auger-Aliassime’s defence comes to the fore in a 23-shot rally that goes his way. He manages to hold, extending his lead to 7-5, 1-0.
Alex de Minaur (8) beats Leandro Riedi 6-3, 6-2, 6-1
De Minaur prevails after an hour and a half, strolling into the last eight. It brings an end to a fine showing by Riedi, who advanced through qualifying to beat the 19th seed Francisco Cerundolo in the second round.
Auger-Aliassime sees an opportunity at 15-30, advancing to the net to sweep a forehand winner and set up two set points. He’s looked so powerful in the last 15 minutes … but he just loses his radar, two forehands going wrong to prompt deuce. A forehand down the line ends a lengthy rally to set up a third set point … and Auger-Aliassime is undone by a second serve that narrowly remains in bounds. But here comes a fourth chance … and it’s taken! Auger-Aliassime peppers the forehands from the backhand corner and is up to the net to take the first set 7-5. Rublev is not a happy chap as he leaves the court for a breather.
Auger-Aliassime is on the attack with his serve, two aces in the game setting him up for a 40-30 lead. A wide forehand from Rublev gives the Canadian a 6-5 lead in the first set.
Elsewhere, De Minaur has taken the second set against Riedi to lead 6-3, 6-2.
A love hold from Auger-Aliassime put him up 5-4 – he’s won 10 points in a row!
Auger-Aliassime is a break down but his serve is still in decent order as he holds. Rublev leads 4-3 in the first set but Auger-Aliassime has an opening at 0-30 after Rublev goes way wide with a backhand. Auger-Aliassime then thumps a forehand return on the second serve down the line to set up three break points. Rublev nets a backhand and that is a quickfire game from Auger-Aliassime, levelling up at 4-4 in the first set.
De Minaur is racing away, up 5-0 in the second set against Riedi and about to serve. Riedi, ranked 435 in the world, has had a fine run to this point but … oh, wait – a spanking forehand sets up a second break point and he takes it, pumping the right fist in relief, a game finally on the board. Nonetheless, De Minaur leads 6-3, 5-1.
Rublev has a break point … and he takes it after Auger-Aliassime goes long with a backhand. Rublev has a 7-1 record against Auger-Aliassime – they last met at Hamburg in May – and he’s up 2-1 in the first set.
De Minaur is looking rather comfortable over on Louis Armstrong. He’s already 3-0 up in the second set against Riedi, breaking the Swiss player’s serve twice. An overhead smash seals the second break.
Felix Auger-Aliassime is here after trumping the third seed Alexander Zverev – this is his first time in the fourth round of the US Open since his run to the semis in 2021. He thunders an ace down to hold his serve and go 1-0 up in the first set against Andrey Rublev.
Alex de Minaur takes the first set against Leandro Riedi 6-4, secured after Riedi goes long with a blasted forehand. The Australian has a peculiar record at the slams, reaching the quarter-finals of all four tournaments. But he’s still waiting for his first semi-final appearance.
Preamble
Hello, hello, hello and welcome to another week at Flushing Meadows. We’ve got more last-16 action in the singles, with eighth seed Alex de Minaur already up and running on Louis Armstrong, facing the Swiss qualifier Leandro Riedi. Iga Swiatek’s clash with Ekaterina Alexandrova will follow.
Felix Auger-Aliassime will open up on Arthur Ashe against Andrey Rublev, but the real eye-catcher is Naomi Osaka’s meeting with Coco Gauff, their first match at a grand slam since the 2020 Australian Open, when a 15-year-old Gauff shocked the defending champion. Here’s to some more drama today.
NEW YORK — This was a fourth-round match with unusually large consequences, a highly charged litmus test, a gut-check in real time.
After missing the entire 2023 season on maternity leave, four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka has expressed frustration with her lack of progress. When would her game regain that ethereal major-winning quality?
Coco Gauff, even in the wake of a title at Roland Garros, turned to biomechanics specialist Gavin MacMillan just before the US Open, willing to sacrifice short-term results by playing the long game. Could she rely on her great strengths of speed and competitive fire while making significant adjustments to her serve and forehand?
The answers arrived in only 64 minutes on Monday in Arthur Ashe Stadium as Osaka dropped a decisive 6-3, 6-1 decision on Gauff to advance to the quarterfinals. It’s Osaka’s first major quarterfinal since winning the 2021 Australian Open.
It was reminiscent of the memorable match between the two here six years ago. Osaka, at the height of her powers, dispatched a 15-year-old Gauff 6-3, 6-0 in a third-round match that ended with tears. The difference is that Gauff was seeded No. 3 here and Osaka was No. 23.
“I mean I’m a little sensitive — I don’t want to cry,” Osaka said afterward. “Honestly I had so much fun out here.
“This is my favorite court in the world, and it means so much to be back here.”
Much has been made of Osaka’s move to coach Tomasz Wiktorowski. And while Iga Swiatek’s former coach has been a boon to her confidence, the difference between the 2024 Osaka and this year’s edition might just be fitness — and the confidence that brings.
Even earlier this year, she appeared sluggish at times, impatient to end points quickly. Against Gauff, Osaka moved exceptionally well, weathered long rallies and stayed in a visibly positive frame of mind. Her intensity was palpable.
So was her patience. Osaka won 16 of the 24 rallies that went five shots or more. She also converted each of the four break points she earned. Osaka next plays Karolina Muchova, a three-set winner against Marta Kostyuk.
Gauff, meanwhile, consistently struggled with her forehand and service game. There were five double faults, but the forehand was the real issue. Gauff had 20 unforced errors on that side. On this occasion, even her usually reliable backhand sometimes broke down.
Even early on, Gauff’s forehand was fluky (five errors) and Osaka broke and then held at love for a 2-0 lead.
But while Gauff — with a tweaked toss — had eased into her service games in the opening rounds, she came out firing against Osaka. She stroked two aces in her second service game and the other two first serves were unreturned. They were all 110 mph-plus.
That break was the only margin until Gauff, trailing 5-3, was broken again. Two double faults, in addition to two groundstroke errors, gave Osaka the set in 31 minutes.
With the match on serve at 3-2 in the second set, Gauff served into trouble. A double fault started it and an errant backhand closed it as Osaka converted her third break point in her third try.
Osaka scored one last break to secure the match.
Osaka is realistically trying to win her third US Open title in eight years. This is her fifth trip to the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam. It’s worth noting that she won the first four.
The turning point, Osaka said, came last month in Montreal.
That was when Osaka came back from down a set and 5-3, saving two match points, to defeat No. 13 seed Liudmila Samsonova in a match that went more than two-and a-half hours.
“Since then, I’ve been thinking anything’s possible,” Osaka said in her on-court interview. “You just have to have a smile on your face.”
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