The International Cricket Council (ICC) has confirmed that the final of the current cycle of the World Test Championship (WTC) (2025–2027) will take place from June 9 to 13 next year at The Oval stadium in London. This will be the second time The Oval hosts a WTC final. Initially, the final was planned to be held at Lord's, but the venue has been changed from Lord's to The Oval.
Previously, in 2023, Australia won the title on this ground, defeating India to claim the WTC title for the first time. The ICC had previously entrusted the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) with the right to host WTC finals in 2027, 2029, and 2031. The Oval was selected for the 2027 final.
Gaurav Saxena, ICC General Manager for Events and Operations, noted that the WTC final is now among the most prestigious cricket events in the world, as it features the two best teams demonstrating outstanding performance over two consecutive years. He also emphasized the historical significance of the 2027 final, as test cricket will celebrate its 150th anniversary that same year. The Oval is one of the most iconic venues in cricket history, having hosted many unforgettable matches. The ICC and ECB intend to jointly make this event special for all cricket fans worldwide.
ECB's Manager of Competitions and Major Events, Neil Snowball, expressed gratitude that England and Wales are hosting three consecutive WTC finals. He added that the WTC final held at The Oval in 2023 was extremely successful for both spectators and broadcasters. Therefore, he is confident that the 2027 match will be even more memorable due to the celebration of test cricket's 150th anniversary.
The current WTC cycle is in an exciting phase, with all nine teams still vying for a spot in the final. Currently, Australia is in first place in the table with 87.50 percent points. South Africa is in second place with 75 percent, and New Zealand is third with 72.22 percent. Bangladesh is in fourth place with 58.33 percent. The Indian team's situation is not the most favorable: they are fifth with 48.15 percent points. Following them are Sri Lanka (41.67 percent), England (24.36 percent), West Indies (15 percent), and Pakistan (8.33 percent).
India has participated twice in the WTC final (in 2021 and 2023) but lost both times. Because of this, the Indian team hopes to realize the dream of winning the Test Cricket championship by reaching the final for the third time. Several important Test series are scheduled for July and August that could significantly change the WTC table. Two Test matches between the West Indies and Pakistan will start on July 25. Then, from August 13, a two-match series between Australia and Bangladesh will take place. India is scheduled to participate in two Test games against the hosts in Sri Lanka, starting on August 15. Additionally, England will hold a three-match Test series in Pakistan during August-September. The results of these series will determine which two teams meet in the WTC final.
Over the three WTC finals held, different teams have won the title. In 2021, New Zealand won its first WTC victory by beating India. Then, in 2023, Australia won the World Test Championship by defeating India. And in 2025, South Africa won the World Test Championship title for the first time in history.
Chinese mathematicians Deng Yu and Wang Hong were awarded the Fields Medal at the International Congress of Mathematicians in 2026. This event marks the first time this prestigious award has been given to Chinese mathematicians. Furthermore, it is the first time two mathematicians with a background in mathematical education in China have received the highest mathematical honor in the same year.
Wang Hong, born in 1991 in Guilin, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in southern China, is currently a professor at the Institute for Advanced Studies in France and the Courant Institute of New York University. Her research focuses on harmonic analysis and the theory of geometric measure.
Wang Hong's path to mathematics was not easy. When she enrolled at Peking University at the age of sixteen, she was initially placed in the School of Earth and Space Sciences because the Department of Mathematics at Peking University in her province had only one vacancy, and her scores were insufficient. However, upon learning about the possibility of transferring to mathematics after passing an exam, she seized the opportunity.
Wang Hong noted her long-standing childhood passion for mathematics, which led her to solve some of the most complex problems in the field. When encountering a dead end in her research, she turns to physical exercise to clear her mind and starts over from scratch. She also emphasizes the importance of collaboration, stating that working together allows for different perspectives and mutual support when a problem seems blocked.
In addition to mathematics, Wang Hong has long been interested in drawing. She often makes sketches while contemplating a problem, believing that drawings help her visualize its structure. For her, the connection between drawing and mathematics represents an 'implicit common property.'
Deng Yu, born in 1989 in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province in southern China, holds a professorship at the University of Chicago. His research areas cover partial differential equations, hydrodynamics, harmonic analysis, and statistical physics.
His interest in science began with a simple problem from a school textbook. Deng recalls spending an entire day solving this problem. Although it might seem easy to him now, the delight of finding the solution became one of his earliest memories of joy in problem-solving.
Deng demonstrated exceptional talent in both mathematics and Go—a traditional board game he loved since childhood. As a high school student, he participated in the national qualifying tournament for Go in China and missed the chance to become a professional player by just one match. Later, he used the game as a way to relax when tired or stuck on a problem.
During three years of high school, Deng independently studied the complete high school mathematics curriculum. In ninth grade, he took a math test at the level of the Chinese university entrance examination and consistently scored no less than 130 out of 150 points. In 2006, Deng represented China at the 47th International Mathematical Olympiad and won a gold medal. After enrolling in the School of Mathematical Sciences at Peking University, he transferred to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and in 2015, he earned his Ph.D. from Princeton University.
Deng is also interested in poetry. When asked what he would do if he hadn't become a mathematician, he replied that he might have written science fiction. For him, these two pursuits share a fundamental similarity: 'You put forward a fictional hypothesis and then conduct extremely rigorous logical deductions and develop a story.'
Since the establishment of the Fields Medal in 1936, only five times among four countries—the USA, France, the UK, and Russia—have two mathematicians from the same country received this award in the same year. Thanks to the victories of Wang and Deng, China has become the fifth country to achieve this milestone.
Following Spain's capture of a second World Cup title, succeeding their 2010 victory in South Africa, serious discussions have begun regarding the future of world football. The Sideline Story episode analyzes what the upcoming 2026 World Cup signifies for the development of the game.
The question arises whether the victory of the La Roja national team, built on ball possession, has revived a fading football philosophy, or if it was a one-off achievement. It is also discussed whether Argentina can withstand the new era without collapsing, especially in the absence of the legendary Lionel Messi.
Amid major coaching changes, the question arises about who is truly creating something significant for the 2030 tournament. Furthermore, FIFA is considering the possibility of increasing the number of participants to 64 teams, compared to the record 48 teams that participated this year.
It is being considered whether such an expansion could help China gain a real chance to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 2002.
The host nation, China, demonstrated remarkable resilience by overcoming the threat of defeat and defeating the USA team with a score of 3:2. This victory allowed China to advance to the semi-finals of the FIVB Women's Volleyball Nations League Final, which is being held in the Special Administrative Region of Macau, China.
The American team dominated the first set, winning it 25:15. However, China managed to respond, winning the second set 25:23, and then won the third set 25:20. The USA forced the game into a decisive fourth set, winning it 25:17. In the fifth set, the team in red maintained high concentration, twice reducing the deficit by three points before securing a dramatic victory 15:13, which delighted local fans.
In China, outside hitter Juan Yushan was the top scorer with 17 points. Captain Gun Xiangyu led the team with 15 points, and Tan Xin added 13 points. Central blocker Wang Yuanyuan also performed well, scoring 12 points. China managed to neutralize the Americans' attacking advantage by blocking the opponent 9:7 and committing six fewer unforced errors.
Juan shared her joy after the match, noting: 'I am so happy that we made it to the semi-finals! We didn't play well enough in the previous five-set matches, so today's game was a stimulus for our confidence.'
In the USA squad, Jordan Thompson scored the most points with 24 points, and Dana Rettke scored 18 points. Despite the Americans having an attack advantage of 74:58, they failed to capitalize on their offensive dominance. In the upcoming semi-final, China will face Turkey on Saturday. In another quarterfinal match, defending champions Italy and Brazil will meet.
