Tokyo record leads Asia stocks higher as Iran peace hopes grow

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

Manchester City are breathing down Arsenal's necks after Erling Haaland's strike beat the Gunners 2-1 on Sunday to land a potentially decisive blow in the Premier League title race.

Pep Guardiola's men close to within three points of the leaders and have a game in hand with momentum firmly in their favour as Arsenal's quest for a first league title in 22 years unravels.

Defeat to City in the League Cup final last month has sparked a run of one win in six games in all competitions for Mikel Arteta's men, including four consecutive defeats in domestic competitions.

Victory over relegation-bound Burnley on Wednesday will take City top for the first time this year.

After finishing second for the past three seasons, Arsenal are at risk of seeing another huge chance to end their long wait to be champions of England slip away.

But they will also rue their luck after twice hitting the post, either side of Haaland's winner in the second half.

After Rayan Cherki's stunning solo effort opened the scoring, City gifted the visitors a route back into the game when Kai Havertz charged down GIanluigi Donnarumma's attempted clearance to equalise.

But the difference in quality up front proved the difference.

Haaland pounced to sweep in his 34th goal of the season 25 minutes from time before Havertz headed over a glorious chance deep into stoppage time.

Guardiola's men looked to prey an Arsenal's anxiety in a blistering start.

Cherki's deflected shot then came back off the post and City claims for a penalty against Gabriel Magalhaes for handball were ignored.

The visitors were just starting to gain a foothold when a moment of magic from Cherki prised open the Gunners' notoriously mean defence.

The French international danced through challenges from Gabriel and Declan Rice before coolly slotting in the bottom corner.

However, Arsenal were handed an immediate lifeline thanks to Donnarumma's disaster.

The giant Italian was the scourge of Arteta's men when playing for Paris Saint-Germain in last season's Champions League semi-finals.

But he handed them a gift as he dallied and allowed Havertz to charge down his attempted clearance into the top corner.

The nature of the equaliser knocked City off their stride and it took until Guardiola's half-time team talk for the hosts to regain control.

Haaland should have scored when he hit the post after Arsenal failed to clear a corner.

But then came two moments which will haunt Arsenal if they fail to end their long wait to win the title.

Donnarumma redeemed himself with a massive save when one-on-one with Havertz before Martin Odegaard's follow-up effort was hooked off the line by Matheus Nunes.

Moments later Eberechi Eze hit the inside of the post and saw the ball roll agonisingly along the line rather than into Donnarumma's net.

City pounced on their moment of fortune to retake the lead.

Haaland outmuscled Gabriel to meet Nico O'Reilly's cross and hooked past David Raya.

Arsenal were denied by the woodwork once more when Gabriel's header deflected off O'Reilly onto the post and Havertz failed to turn in the rebound.

Gabriel was then lucky to stay on the field after an attempted headbutt on Haaland received only a yellow card.

But they had the chance to level when Havertz connected sweetly with Leandro Trossard's cross, but could not keep his hader down.

Arteta fell the ground in disbelief but now has the job of trying to raise his players for their final five games of the campaign.

Arsenal have on paper the kinder run-in but appear to have run out of steam when it matters once more.

kca/ea

(The Center Square) – Eight children were killed early Sunday in domestic-related shootings at three Shreveport homes, authorities said.

Shreveport Police Department spokesman and public affairs officer Chris Bordelon said at a morning news conference that a total of 10 people were shot, of which eight, all children, were killed.

The lone suspect then hijacked a car and led police on a chase into Bossier Parish, where he was shot and killed, authorities said.

Bordelon said the victims range in age from 1 to 14 years old. Some of them were related to the suspect.

“This is an extensive scene unlike anything most of us have ever seen,” Bordelon said.

Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith said officers were still investigating the details and the motive for the fatal shootings and asked the community for patience.

“I just don’t know what to say, my heart is just taken aback,” Smith said. “I cannot begin to imagine how such an event could occur.”

Mayor Tom Arceneaux said the families of the victims are hurting and he asked the community for their prayers.

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said in a statement that the details remain under investigation.

“Multiple law enforcement agencies are investigating this tragic situation," Murrill said. "We do not yet know all the details, but I am deeply saddened by the senseless loss of life. I’m praying for the victims and their family members in the wake of this devastating violence.”

The shootings occurred on 79th Street in an area called Cedar Grove, among the most dangerous in Shreveport. Several murders have occurred in the area previously.

Shreveport has seen 15 murders so far this year, including the eight from Sunday.

Smith has repeatedly told the Shreveport City Council that domestic violence is a major issue facing the city. As other crime statistics were dropping, domestic violence incidents had been rising.

Up-and-coming Frenchman Arthur Fils beat Russian Andrey Rublev 6-2, 7-6 (7/2) to lift the Barcelona clay-court title on Sunday with Roland Garros just a month away.

The 21-year-old Fils returned from an eight-month injury absence in February and has been in strong form, finishing as runner-up to Carlos Alcaraz in Doha, before breezing to a fourth trophy of his career on Sunday.

"These eight months have been hard," he said. "And now here I am winning a tournament again."

The result will make him France's top-ranked male player after showing poise and maturity to negotiate his way to this ATP 500 title, including fighting from a set down to beat Spanish hope Rafael Jodar in the semi-final.

On Sunday, he went 2-0 down in the first set before finding his serve and a flurry of winning shots to win the first set 6-2, unnerving the 28-year-old Rublev.

In the second set, he blew four tournament points, sending the set to a tie-break, where he regained his nerve and had Rublev running around for a comfortable 7-2 close out.

"It was all in my head at the end. I played very well for a set and a half, but the pressure of the title caught up with me," he said of the match points that slipped away.

"At the end, I told myself I just had to put the ball in, and it paid off."

Yannick Noah was the last Frenchman to win Roland Garros in 1983, and Fils will be in the spotlight with the 2026 tournament starting on May 18.

French open champion Alcaraz pulled out of the Barcelona tournament with a wrist problem midweek.

bur-dmc/ea

World Rugby chair Brett Robinson told AFP that the sport "can't sit still" if it wants to grow, including conquering the "challenge" that is the United States with the 2031 World Cup.

Rugby union's place in global sport's pecking order has come into sharp focus over issues such as financial sustainability, player welfare and threats to its popularity in traditional rugby heartlands.

All Blacks great Michael Jones told AFP last week that union is losing the battle for "hearts and minds" to rival code rugby league in New Zealand.

His comments came just before Auckland-based Moana Pasifika said that it would fold at the end of the season, becoming the second Super Rugby team to go under in three years because of financial problems.

In Wales, another traditional rugby country, the national team's fortunes have nose-dived and football has caught the public imagination instead.

"I think that rugby is broadly in really rude health," Robinson, an Australian former international, said in Hong Kong, where he was attending the city's sevens tournament.

He pointed to participation rates around the world, including two million women, saying that the sport is "truly international".

He added: "We have to protect our core (markets), but we can't sit still and believe that the game will thrive if we don't consider and continue to look at how we grow the game."

That means taking rugby to new frontiers, prime among them the United States.

Australia will host the men's Rugby World Cup next year and the women's event in 2029.

Then comes the United States, staging the men's showpiece in 2031 and the women's competition two years later.

The US will host the football World Cup this June-July, providing a taste of the kind of challenges that rugby chiefs could encounter, with ticket prices and transport costs making headlines for the wrong reasons.

- 'Challenging market' -

Serious doubts have surfaced over the health of rugby in the US, including the state of the men's national team and the professional Major League Rugby, down to six teams after four clubs quit the competition. 

Reports in British newspapers claimed that there were questions over how the US would deliver the World Cup on a commercial level. 

Robinson said that it was about "building momentum into '31".

"We have worked with the top unions around taking iconic events and matches over that period of time (to the US) to build connections to fans.

"And also we currently have 27 host cities that we're focused on that we'll probably whittle down to 12 to 14 that we will look to base the matches in."

The host cities will be announced after the 2027 World Cup.

As part of efforts to spark excitement towards 2031, South Africa and New Zealand will clash in Baltimore in September. Ireland faced the All Blacks in Chicago last year.

"We're working really hard to build a long-term play," Robinson said.

He added: "We aren't sitting still in terms of preparing and acknowledging that it's a challenging market.

"But equally as important will be what happens in '33 because women's rugby in North America is going from strength to strength."

Before that comes the World Cup in Robinson's native Australia next year, and he said that initial ticket sales "exceeded all expectations".

More than 750,000 tickets were snapped up for the largest edition of the World Cup, with 24 teams.

"So it's a really good signal about the World Cup," he said.

"We're really optimistic and excited," he added.

"Obviously there's some recent uncertainty that everyone's feeling through the Middle East (war), but we're still quite buoyant about the scale of what that event's going to look like."

pst/bc

"The Super Mario Galaxy Movie" -- based on Nintendo's popular video game franchise -- topped North America's box office for the third week in a row, industry estimates showed Sunday.

The animated sequel from Universal and Illumination Studios tracking the adventures of Mario, Luigi and friends in outer space raked in another $35 million, Exhibitor Relations reported.

That puts the worldwide box office total of the film -- which features the voices of Jack Black, Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy and Brie Larson -- at nearly $750 million. 

Holding its own in second place is another space adventure, Amazon MGM's smash hit "Project Hail Mary," which earned $20.4 million over the weekend in the United States and Canada.

The film, which stars Ryan Gosling as a teacher-turned-astronaut who awakes on a spaceship with a mission to save Earth from a dimming sun, has earned more than $570 million worldwide, and its run in movie theaters has been extended.

"'Super Mario' and 'Project Hail Mary' continue to drive the business in their third and fifth weekends -- they're carrying the box office," said analyst David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research.

Debuting in third place is "Lee Cronin's The Mummy," an original horror flick from Warner Bros, which earned $13.5 million. The film is not related to Universal's adventure films starring Brendan Fraser.

In the fourth spot at $4.8 million was "The Drama," A24's romantic comedy with a dark twist starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson about a couple unraveling just before their wedding.

And finishing in fifth at $3.8 million was another rom com, Universal's "You, Me & Tuscany" starring actress-singer Halle Bailey and Rege-Jean Page of "Bridgerton" fame.

Rounding out the top 10:

"Hoppers" ($2.9 million)

"Normal" ($2.7 million)

"Busboys" ($1.6 million)

"Bhooth Bangla" (1 million)

"Exit 8" ($670,000)

bur-sst/dw

Tens of thousands of people gathered on Sunday for a giant open-air Mass by Pope Leo XIV near Angola's capital Luanda, where he delivered a message of hope to the resource-rich country marked by poverty and inequality.

The pope was due later in the town of Muxima south of Luanda, which has become one of southern Africa's most venerated pilgrimage sites.

Leo flew into Luanda on Saturday, the third leg of a whirlwind four-nation African tour on which he has condemned corruption and the plunder of the continent's resources -- and had a high-profile spat with US President Donald Trump.

Around 100,000 people attended the Mass at Kilamba, around 30 kilometres (19 miles) from the capital, authorities said. Many had slept on the ground overnight in T-shirts bearing the image of the American pope.

After pushing through the crowds in his popemobile, Leo encouraged Angolans "to look to the future with hope" in a "new beginning" for the nation still scarred by a 27-year civil war that ended in 2002.

It was possible "to build a country where old divisions are overcome forever, where hatred and violence disappear, where the wound of corruption is healed by a new culture of justice and sharing", Leo said.

On arriving on Saturday from Cameroon, Leo went straight into an event with Angolan President Joao Lourenco and other officials where he spoke out against the "suffering" caused by poverty and the rampant exploitation of natural resources -- continuing the assertive tone of his 11-day tour.

He urged the officials to "not be afraid of dissent", with critics accusing Lourenco's government of repressing rights activists.

- 'Call leaders to account' -

Angola is one of Africa's top oil producers and is rich in resources such as diamonds.

However, economic disparities are stark and around a third of the population of 36.6 million people live in poverty, according to the World Bank.

Patricio Musanga, 32, said he attended the Kilamba Mass looking for encouragement for young people in a country where the average age is just 23, with a lack of work making many seek better opportunities in Western countries.

"We are very rich in natural resources but... there is a glaring inequality between those who live well and the others," said Musanga.

"The pope must call our leaders to account... I believe that at least he will be listened to by the authorities," he said.

Father Pedro Chingandu, a Catholic priest who had come from the eastern province of Moxico, told AFP: "We need real democracy and the redistribution of wealth and justice."

- Not debating Trump -

At Muxima, hundreds of people spent the night in multicoloured tents ahead of Leo's arrival.

The town's celebrated 16th-century Mama Muxima shrine "is the soul and the heart of all Angolans," said Veronica Simao Teka, in her sixties.

Meraldo Amon Daniel, a 21-year-old nursing student, said she believed the pope's visit "can strengthen the faith, not only of the faithful, but also of the country's authorities." 

Angola's security forces are regularly accused of a heavy-handed response to dissent, including in July last year when around 30 people were killed in a crackdown on a three-day looting spree in Luanda and other centres.

Analysts said the unrest signalled dissatisfaction with Lourenco's socialist MPLA party, which has held power since independence in 1975.

Leo started his African tour in Algeria on Monday, then headed to Cameroon.

He told journalists on the flight to Angola he regretted that a war of words with Trump -- who labelled him "weak" after he called for an end to the Middle East war -- had overshadowed some of the trip.

It is "not in my interest at all" to debate the US leader, said the first American pontiff.

From Angola, Leo will travel to Equatorial Guinea, the final stop of an 18,000-kilometre journey across the continent.

fal-cmk-br/jxb

(The Center Square) - The U.S. Supreme Court will begin its final oral arguments sitting of the current term on Monday. The justices will hear several high profile arguments on various issues before the term ends in June.

On Wednesday, justices will hear arguments in Blanche v. Lau, a case to determine how immigrants are admitted into the United States. The case focuses on Muk Choi Lau, a Chinese national who became a lawful permanent resident in the United States in 2007. In 2012, Lau was convicted of trademark counterfeiting in New Jersey and fled the country.

However, once Lau returned, immigration officers admitted him under parole, a status that allowed him to be brought into the United States but not to remain permanently.

“It’s kind of a catch-all way that DHS officers can allow someone into the country,” said James Rogers, senior counsel at America First Legal.

Once Lau returned to the country on parole, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security began removal proceedings to take Lau out of the country. According to the Immigration and Nationality Act, an immigrant admitted on parole is required to prove that they are admissible into the United States.

“It’s a lot easier to remove an alien in that sort of situation,” Rogers said.

The justices will hear arguements over whether the government had to establish clear evidence when Lau returned to the United States that he had committed a crime or if his later conviction proved that point. The justices will also likely decide how much authority federal courts have when reviewing parole determinations.

Lawyers for Lau argued that the United States cannot use charges of a crime to make a determination on how an immigrant can enter the United States.

“No one thinks that a pending criminal charge is clear and convincing evidence that the defendant committed the charged crime,” lawyers for Lau wrote. “To the contrary, criminal charges are not evidence at all.”

Rogers said the court’s decisionmaking process in this case will be important because the Biden administration used parole to allow immigrants into the country. The Center for Immigration Studies estimated the Biden administration granted parole to 2.86 million foreign nationals.

“The parole statute is supposed to only allow a narrow exception where a DHS officer is allowed to admit aliens on a case-by-case basis if the DHS officer determines that there’s a significant humanitarian need or significant national benefit to letting the alien in,” Rogers said.

Rogers warned that the Supreme Court’s definition of federal review with parole designations could have a large impact on future administrations. He said Democrat administrations could allow large numbers of immigrants in on parole without needing to review the decision in court.

“This can make it significantly harder in the future to challenge left-wing administrations attempts to open the borders and use parole again to let in aliens because there would be no review of those decisions in court,” Rogers said.