France blames Hezbollah for French peacekeeper's death in Lebanon

Reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander headlines the finalists announced Sunday for this year's award alongside San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama and Denver's three-time MVP Nikola Jokic.

Gilgeous-Alexander, who beat out Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo in the voting last year and was also named NBA Finals MVP as the Thunder beat Indiana for the trophy, averaged more than 30 points per game this season.

He led Oklahoma City to the Western Conference top seed and the best record in the league at 64-18.

Wembanyama, 22, has been the driving force of San Antonio's first run to the playoffs since 2019, averaging a career-high 25 points per game and a league-best 3.1 blocks.

Jokic averaged a triple-double and became the first player in NBA history to lead the league in both rebounds and assists in the same season. He averaged 27.9 points, 12.8 rebounds and 10.8 assists per game.

Wembanyama also headlines the finalists for Defensive Player of the Year, with Oklahoma City center Chet Holmgren and Ausar Thompson of the Detroit Pistons also on the ballot.

Gilgeous-Alexander is also up for Clutch Player of the Year. He scored 175 points in clutch time, defined as the final five minutes of regulation or overtime when the score is within five points.

Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic and Detroit's Cade Cunningham, who were both ruled eligible for awards races despite not meeting the 65-game minimum, both failed to make the final MVP ballot.

Anthony Edwards, who was ruled out of the MVP race when his request for an "extraordinary circumstances" exemption from the 65-game rule was denied, is nevertheless among the Clutch Player finalists, which isn't covered by the regulation.

The awards, which are voted on by a panel of sports media members, will be announced over the course of the playoffs.

bb/amz

Israel said its military had been instructed to use "full force" against threats in Lebanon despite a truce, and vowed to level homes allegedly used by Hezbollah, with state media reporting demolitions were underway on Sunday.

Some displaced residents have rushed back to their homes in the south but others are hesitant, uncertain about the durability of the 10-day truce that came into effect on Friday, halting weeks of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.

In the village of Dibbine, an AFP correspondent saw a man inspecting damage to his home and people walking near the rubble of destroyed buildings.

In Srifa, another correspondent saw people unloading belongings including mattresses and a washing machine as they returned to the southern village.

Elsewhere, an AFP correspondent saw people travelling away from the south after retrieving belongings from their homes.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had instructed the army "to act with full force, both on the ground and from the air, including during the ceasefire, in order to protect our soldiers in Lebanon from any threat".

He said the military had also been ordered to demolish any structure or road that was "booby-trapped", and "to remove the houses in the contact villages near the border that served in every respect as Hezbollah terror outposts".

Lebanon's state-run National News Agency (NNA) said that "the Israeli enemy is still destroying what remains of houses" in Bint Jbeil on Sunday after reporting demolitions a day earlier in the town, which saw heavy fighting between Israeli forces and Hezbollah before the ceasefire.

The NNA also said the Israeli army was "blowing up houses in Mais al-Jabal" and "carrying out a sweep operation and detonations" in Deir Seryan, both also near the border, while the town of Kunin "was subjected to enemy artillery shelling".

On Saturday, Israel's military said it had established a "Yellow Line" in south Lebanon, similar to the one in Gaza that separates areas held by Israeli forces from those controlled by militant group Hamas.

- 'Expansionism' -

On Sunday, the military published a map showing its "forward defence line" and an area in red stretching the length of the border where it said forces were operating to dismantle Hezbollah infrastructure and "prevent direct threats to communities in northern Israel".

It later said soldiers killed an "armed terrorist" who crossed the line.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Sunday denounced what he called "Israeli expansionism" in Lebanon. 

The truce took effect days after the first high-level meeting between Lebanon and Israel in decades, pausing a war that has killed nearly 2,300 people in Lebanon and displaced more than a million since erupting on March 2.

On Tuesday, French President Emmanuel Macron will meet Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam in Paris in a visit aiming to demonstrate France's support for Lebanon's "territorial integrity", the president's office said.

Macron will also urge Lebanese authorities to prosecute those responsible for an attack on UN peacekeepers in south Lebanon on Saturday that killed a French soldier and wounded three others.

France and the UN force (UNIFIL) have blamed Hezbollah, which denied involvement. 

A memorial ceremony was held at Beirut airport for the French peacekeeper, Florian Montorio, who UNIFIL said was "posthumously awarded UN and Lebanese Army medals in recognition of his dedicated service for peace in south Lebanon".

Salam's office said the premier would also travel to Luxembourg on Tuesday "to meet EU foreign ministers".

Earlier Sunday, Lebanon's military said it had reopened a road linking the city of Nabatiyeh with the Khardali area, and had partially reopened the Burj Rahal-Tyre bridge in the country's south.

Israeli strikes on several bridges across the Litani River, which runs around 30 kilometres from the border, have limited access to the area.

nad-lg/smw

The spectre of a charging Manchester City haunts Arsenal once more after a 2-1 defeat at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday put a huge dent in the Gunners' hopes of a first Premier League title in 22 years.

Mikel Arteta's men remain on top of the table for now but could be knocked off their perch for the first time in 2026 when City, with a game in hand, visit doomed Burnley on Wednesday.

Arsenal had lost just three times in 49 games this season before last month's League Cup defeat to City.

But they have won just one of their past six games, including four consecutive defeats in domestic competitions, as they contemplate another trophyless season.

It is a case of history repeating itself for long-suffering Arsenal fans, who have seen their side finish second in the Premier League for the past three seasons.

In both the 2022/23 and 2023/24 campaigns, Pep Guardiola's relentless team reeled in Arteta's side while last season the Gunners finished behind a resurgent Liverpool.

Once again City have hit their stride when it matters most, just as Arsenal have run out of steam.

Guardiola has now won 31 of his 39 Premier League games in April as he eyes a seventh title during his decade in Manchester.

By contrast, Arteta has overseen just 11 victories in 27 April league fixtures during his six-and-a-half years in charge.

Arteta was keen to stress that fortune had not favoured his side in a game of fine margins at the Etihad.

While Arsenal clearly showed signs of nerves in losing at home to Bournemouth last weekend, they took the game to City and were undeterred by Rayan Cherki's brilliant opener.

Kai Havertz charged down Gianluigi Donnarumma's attempted clearance to level almost immediately and Arsenal had plenty of other chances.

Eberechi Eze's shot somehow came off the post and along the line rather than into the net when the score was 1-1 and Gabriel Magalhaes's deflected header also came off the post in a frantic finale.

But Arsenal have only themselves to blame for repeated failings that have not been addressed.

Twice Havertz missed huge chances in the second half -- the German international failed to beat Donnarumma when one-on-one before heading over when unmarked deep into stoppage time.

Arteta fell to his knees in the technical area in despair.

After an injury-disrupted 18 months, Havertz was thrust into action for the full match as Arteta left Viktor Gyokeres on the bench until the final minutes.

The Swede was the man signed to solve Arsenal's need for a prolific number nine in last summer's transfer window.

Gyokeres is the club's top scorer with 18 goals in all competitions, but he has rarely looked as if he is the answer against top-quality opposition.

- Ruthless City -

Arteta admitted that City were sharper in attack.

"We proved that we are there, but the reality is that in the two boxes there was a difference," said Arteta. "That's what we think is the difference between the two sides, the finishing in the boxes.

"There is an element of luck, there is an element of timing, of execution. There are a lot of things that have to be your way.

"At the end, winning or not winning is going to come down to this moment. There are certain individual moments that you need in order to achieve what we want."

For Guardiola, Erling Haaland proved the value of a world-class striker.

The Norwegian had been well-marshalled in a bruising battle with Gabriel, but stole ahead of his marker to slot home the winning goal and his 47th for club and country this season.

"You can see the difference today on the field and those top players made a difference today," former Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira told Sky Sports.

"They will feel the pressure more now. I always question the mental strength of the team and I will question it more now regarding the result today."

kca/jw/bc

Matt Fizpatrick survived a nail-biting playoff with Scottie Scheffler to win his second RBC Heritage title Sunday, as the world number one's late charge fell just short.

Fitzpatrick, who had started the day three strokes clear of Scheffler, seemed set for victory with steady golf including 14 consecutive pars, but nearly threw it away with his first bogey of the day at the 18th.

In a sudden death shoot-out, the Englishman's superb approach yielded a rare birdie on the Harbour Town Golf Links' treacherous final hole, for victory.

Fitzpatrick said striking an "out of this world" four-iron to secure the last-gasp win had taken "a lot of grit."  

"To go out today and go toe-to-toe with Scottie and get over the line there on the 73rd is special," he said.

The two men had gone back-and-forth at the start of the day with early birdies on Hilton Head Island.

Scheffler made a birdie at 15 to pull within two of the leader, and another at 16 to narrow the gap to one, setting up a tense showdown on the formidable 18th.

Faced with the 458-yard par-four flanked by water and marshland, Fitzpatrick failed to find the fairway from the tee, leaving him a tough approach from shallow sand, directly into howling winds.

Fitzpatrick felt the nerves as he badly underhit his chip from the greenside rough and failed to make the 23-foot putt he needed for victory.

Both on 18-under par after 72 holes, after final rounds of 67 for Scheffler and 70 for Fitzpatrick, the pair returned to the last tee box.

This time both men found the fairway. But Fitzpatrick's approach landed just 13 feet from the pin, while Scheffler uncharacteristically ballooned his shot and came up well short and wide of the green.

Scheffler gave himself a chance of making par with a fine chip, but it was in vain after Fitzpatrick sank his birdie putt to secure his fourth PGA Tour victory

"Every time he needed something, he made something happen -- if it was holding a long putt, chipping in from off the green, you name it, he was doing it," said Scheffler.

"He earned this win, for sure."

- 'Means the world' -

Having won here in 2023, it was 31-year-old Fitzpatrick's second success at the tournament in South Carolina -- a happy hunting ground where he frequently holidayed with his family as a youngster.

"This is a tournament I wanted to win growing up arguably more than any of the majors, before I kind of understood more about the game," he said.

"But to win it twice means the world." 

It continued a superb run of form for Fitzpatrick, whose sole major win to date is the 2022 US Open.

He won last year's season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai and captured last month's PGA Tour Valspar Championship a week after finishing second at the Players Championship.

It was not just a two-horse race in regulation play Sunday, as Kim Si-woo got within two of Fitzpatrick with a birdie on 15. But the South Korean ended with a bogey on 18 to finish third on 16-under par.

amz/bb

Defending champion John Korir returns to the Boston Marathon on Monday aiming for a fourth straight marathon crown after adding victories in Chicago and Valencia last year.

The Kenyan, who overcame an early fall to clock the third-fastest time ever in Boston -- 2hr 04min 45 sec -- can expect a strong challenge from 2021 winner Benson Kipruto as well as Alphonce Felix Simbu and Cybrian Kotut, who finished second and third last year.

Kenya's Kipruto, who won the New York City Marathon last year to complete his collection of all the US World Marathon Majors, is the fastest man in the field with a personal best of 2:02.16.

Simbu followed his runner-up finish in Boston, 19 seconds behind Korir, with a victory in the World Championships marathon in Tokyo.

Korir thinks the quality of the field augurs a fast race on Monday.

"I think if I had someone to push me last year, we would have been very close to the course record," Korir, who clocked a blistering 2:02:24 in Valencia in December, told the Boston Globe.

"If everything goes good this year, it is in my mind to go for it," added the Kenyan, who is vying to become the first man to repeat as champion since Evans Chebet won in 2022 and 2023.

Women's champion Sharon Lokedi is also going for a repeat a year after she clocked 2:17:22 to slice more than two minutes off the course record.

She ended the two-year reign of fellow Kenyan Hellen Obiri and said her strategy this year will be much the same.

"I believe in consistency, and what works is what I've always been doing," said Lokedi, who also won the New York City Marathon in November.

Lokedi's top challengers include fellow Kenyan Irine Cheptai, who was fourth in Boston last year, and Ethiopian Workenesh Edesa, who won the Osaka and Hamburg marathons last year.

bb/amz

No. 25 South Carolina beat Mizzou softball 4-0 to win Game 3 and take its first series of the season Sunday.

Jori Heard was on the mound again for South Carolina, who was greatly utilized in Game 1 to take down the Tigers. She once again kept Mizzou at bay, allowing no runs and just three hits with six strikeouts.

Mizzou hitters struggled to find the right pitch. The Tigers stranded three runners in the second, striking out back-to-back times with the bases loaded. Then in the fourth, pinch runner Linny Ramsey got herself in a pickle and tagged out while trying to advance to third.

“We had the bases loaded with one out, and we didn't score, I felt that the wind just came out of their sails.” said head coach Larissa Anderson. “The game wasn't over at that moment, and they were acting like it was.”

Cierra Harrison kept things very minimal, only allowing two runs in 4⅓ innings. She had three punch outs and three hit by pitches — her first all season. She took the loss and is now 9-8 on the season. Marissa McCann entered the circle in the fifth, but allowed back-to-back homers that allowed the Gamecocks to take the win.

“(McCann) changed her motion a little bit,” Anderson said. “She's a competitor. She wants to be better and she needs to trust what she did before.”

This loss leaves the Tigers post-season schedule questionable. Now 24-24 overall and 7-11 in conference, Missouri will need to win four more games to reach the .500 threshold. With seven games left in the season, ideas on whether Mizzou should add a non-conference game to its schedule floated in the air.

“I'm trying,” said Anderson. “(Other teams) are putting all their money into the conference tournament and their conference seatings, so it's really tough to pick up a midweek game.”

The Tigers will head south to play a weekend series against Arkansas. Game 1 will be at 5 p.m. Friday at Bogle Park in Fayetteville, Ark.

Until the late innings of the game, Mizzou baseball couldn't get anything to go its way on Sunday in Norman, Oklahoma. 

The pitching staff struggled and the offense couldn't piece together hits in the Tigers 8-4 loss to No. 14 Oklahoma in the series finale. With a 9-6 loss on Friday and a 4-0 loss on Saturday, the Game 3 defeat brought a series sweep. 

"I still think this is a talented group of kids," Missouri coach Kerrick Jackson said postgame to Mizzou radio. "They've just got to learn how to win and be consistent."

After injury kept him out for nearly a month, lefty Javyn Pimental was not expected to go long in his return to the mound. With a lack of command evident early, he was pulled after just 1⅓ innings. Three runs crossed while Pimental was on the mound and a fourth runner he left on was brought across by reliever Keyler Gonzalez, who followed the starter. 

Gonzalez followed that inning with a scoreless third before giving up two singles in his final ⅔ of an inning. One runner crossed before he was pulled for reliever Ian Lohse, who gave up a three-run homer to his second batter. 

Relievers Kadden Drew, Juan Villarreal, Sam Rosand and Isaiah Salas finally found some answers for Oklahoma's offense. They combined for four scoreless innings to conclude the game. 

At the plate, Mizzou just narrowly avoided giving Oklahoma a perfect game. Kaden Peer snagged a single up the middle in the second inning, but was erased on a failed steal attempt. No other Tiger reached base until Kam Durnin's solo home run in the seventh inning. 

The Tigers finally pieced together a few hits in the late innings, even plating two more runs on a two-out single from Blaize Ward in the eighth. Mizzou stranded the bases loaded to end the penultimate inning, but that wasn't the end of the offense.

After a walk and a single to lead off the ninth, Eric Maisonet lined an RBI single to the right side on what could have potentially been the final strike of the game. The next batter stuck out swinging to end the game and strand two on.

"The last four innings, we decided we wanted to play," Jackson said. "But, we've got to just start that from the first (inning)." 

Mizzou (20-20, 3-15 Southeastern) will return to Columbia to face SIUE at 6 p.m. Tuesday in Columbia.

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined for 51 points as Boston Celtics thumped Philadelphia 76ers 123-91 in their opening NBA playoff clash on Sunday.

The indomitable duo took full advantage of the Sixers' dire shooting struggles to secure the Celtics' largest-ever margin of victory in a playoff opener.

Tatum led the charge, racking up 21 points in the first half. It was Brown's turn to go on the rampage after the break, pouring in 16 points in the third quarter alone to take the game beyond Philadelphia's grasp.

Both men sat out most of the final quarter, resting up for Tuesday's second home game before the best-of-seven series moves to Philadelphia, but the Celtics' lead continued to grow in a wire-to-wire win.

In one of the NBA's classic rivalries, Boston have won their last six post-season series against the Sixers -- a streak that goes back to the 1985 Eastern Conference finals.

Tatum showed no ill effects from the torn Achilles tendon he suffered almost a year ago, exhibiting why his return has made the surging Celtics many pundits' pick for this year's NBA title.

He finished with 25 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists.

"It's an incredible feeling. You know, not too long ago, I wasn't even sure if I was going to be able to play this season -- let alone get an opportunity to play in the playoffs," said Tatum.

"Today was probably the most excited and, like, relaxed and grateful I've been in... my nine years of being in the playoffs."

Later on Sunday, defending NBA champions Oklahoma City Thunder open their playoff campaign against the Phoenix Suns, who scraped through to the post-season via the play-in tournament.

Orlando Magic take on the Eastern Conference top-seeded Detroit Pistons, before San Antonio Spurs play Portland Trail Blazers.

amz/bc

Eight children were killed in a shooting spree early Sunday in the southern US state of Louisiana, in what police said appears to have been an incident of domestic violence. 

The incident, which took place just after 6:00 am (1100 GMT) in the city of Shreveport, was the deadliest mass shooting in the United States in more than two years, according to data from the Gun Violence Archive.

The gunman, who was not immediately identified but was reportedly an adult male, was fatally shot by police after a car chase, officials said.

Police Corporal Chris Bordelon told a press conference that the "rather extensive crime scene" spanned three residences, which were being combed for evidence by investigators.

The victims ranged in age from one to 14, Bordelon said. Two other people were struck by gunfire, but their conditions were not immediately known.

"Some of the children inside were his descendants," he added.

The suspect carjacked a vehicle and led police on a chase before officers opened fire and the assailant was killed. No officers were injured, according to state police.

"We do believe him to be the only individual that fired gunshots at these locations," Bordelon said, calling the incident a "domestic disturbance."

Police said more details about the victims and the gunman would be released pending notification of next of kin.

ABC affiliate KTBS reported that the two people wounded were adult women who were shot in the head. The network also said a male child was injured when he jumped from a roof of one of the homes.

One of Louisiana's two US senators, Republican Bill Cassidy, called the incident an episode of "horrific violence" and wished the survivors a speedy recovery.

Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry said he was "heartbroken."

The United States, where firearms are readily available, is a frequent scene of gun violence, with thousands of people killed every year.

"It's a terrible morning in Shreveport and we all mourn with the victims," Mayor Tom Arceneaux said at the press conference.

sst/dw 

Harry Kane scored his 32nd goal of the campaign as Bayern Munich cruised to a 4-2 home win over Stuttgart to claim a record-extending 35th Bundesliga title. 

Raphael Guerreiro, Nicolas Jackson and Alphonso Davies joined Kane on the scoresheet, while Chris Fuehrich and Chema Andres scored for the visitors. 

Borussia Dortmund's limp 2-1 defeat at Hoffenheim on Saturday, their second in two matches, left the door open for Bayern, who only needed a point at home to secure the title with four games to spare. 

Coach Vincent Kompany left regular starters Kane, Michael Olise, Manuel Neuer, Aleksandar Pavlovic, Dayot Upamecano and Jonathan Tah on the bench with Wednesday's German Cup semi-final at Bayer Leverkusen in mind.

Bayern fell behind when Chris Fuehrich scored with 21 minutes gone but roared back, scoring three goals in seven minutes.

Jamal Musiala created Guerreiro's opener before Luis Diaz laid on two goals in four minutes for Jackson and Davies to grab control of the match by the break. 

Kane grabbed another early in the second-half to ensure another Bundesliga crown was quickly added to his burgeoning team trophy collection. 

With victory secure, Bayern took their foot off the pedal as an assistant brought bags full with '2026 Champions' t-shirts to the sideline. 

Andres added a late goal for Stuttgart with two minutes remaining but Bayern were on cruise control with title celebrations in mind. 

- Record-breaking Bayern -

The title victory once again illustrated Bayern's modern and historical dominance of German football. 

The Bavarian giants have now won 13 of the past 14 Bundesliga titles. Bayern have 35 league titles, with no other team reaching double figures. 

Bayern's wealth and influence outshines all of their domestic rivals and this season has been truly remarkable. 

Bayern have scored 109 goals, the most in Bundesliga history and eight more than the previous record set back in 1971-72, with four games remaining. 

Free-scoring Bayern have 79 points and a goal difference of 80. If the season ended today, Bayern would become the first team to have a greater goal difference than points tally in Bundesliga history. 

With four wins in their remaining four games, Bayern could bring up 91 points, equalling the best mark set by their treble-bound side in 2012-13. 

Then there are the individual records. 

Kane, who became the first Englishman since 1930-31 to reach a half-century of goals in a season in all competitions on Wednesday, can still reach Robert Lewandowski's single-season goals record of 41.

The England captain has 32 goals from his 27 games this campaign and is in with an outside chance of catching Lewandowski. 

Michael Olise has 18 assists, three shy of the all-time mark set by Thomas Mueller in 2019-20. 

Earlier on Sunday, Freiburg pushed last-placed Heidenheim closer to the drop with a 2-1 home win. 

Johan Manzambi put the Europa League semi-finalists ahead after 24 minutes but Heidenheim's Budu Zivzivadze levelled things up just before the hour mark. 

Freiburg's Maximilian Eggestein scored the winner with seven minutes remaining to help his side leapfrog Eintracht Frankfurt into seventh spot. 

The defeat leaves Heidenheim, who hosted Chelsea in the Europa Conference League last season, seven points behind the relegation play-off spot and 11 from safety with four games to play. 

Later on Sunday, Borussia Moenchengladbach host Mainz. 

dwi/ea