Shane Flanagan's tenure as St George Illawarra coach has come to a sudden end, with the club confirming his departure after a disastrous start to the 2026 season

Oklahoma City's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander might be adding a couple more trophies to his collection. San Antonio's Victor Wembanyama has a shot at doing the same.And for the eighth consecutive year, the MVP will be an international one.Gilgeous-Alexander the reigning NBA MVP is one of the finalists for this year's top individual honor, along with Denver's Nikola Jokic and the Spurs' Wembanyama, who is also a finalist for defensive player of the year.The NBA's run of international MVPs started in 2019 and 2020 with Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is of Greek and Nigerian descent. Jokic, a Serbian, won in 2021, 2022 and 2024. Philadelphias Joel Embiid, who was born in Cameroon but since became a U.S. citizen, won the award in 2023, and Canada's Gilgeous-Alexander won last year.Gilgeous-Alexander is also a finalist for Clutch Player of the Year this season.The NBA announced the finalists for seven individual awards Sunday night and will start announcing winners on Monday. The Defensive Player award widely expected to be going to Wembanyama comes out then, followed by Clutch Player on Tuesday and Sixth Man on Wednesday.Meanwhile, the appeal that got the Los Angeles Lakers Luka Doncic onto the award ballots might earn him All-NBA, but did not lead to him getting his first MVP award. He was not among the top three in the balloting for MVP; voters cast their ballots last week after Doncic and Detroit's Cade Cunningham won appeals that got them on the ballot even though they didn't satisfy the terms of the NBA's 65-game rule for eligibility in most cases.Minnesotas Anthony Edwards lost his appeal but might get an award after all.Edwards is a finalist for Clutch Player of the Year. He wasnt on the ballot for MVP, All-NBA and other honors, but was on the Clutch ballot because those nominees were selected by the leagues coaches.The finalists MVP: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City; Nikola Jokic, Denver; Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio. Defensive Player of the Year: Wembanyama; Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City; Ausar Thompson, Detroit. Clutch Player: Anthony Edwards, Minnesota; Gilgeous-Alexander; Jamal Murray, Denver. Most Improved Player: Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Atlanta; Deni Avdija, Portland; Jalen Duren, Detroit. Sixth Man: Tim Hardaway Jr., Denver; Jaime Jaquez Jr., Miami; Keldon Johnson, San Antonio. Coach of the Year: J.B. Bickerstaff, Detroit; Mitch Johnson, San Antonio; Joe Mazzulla, Boston. Rookie of the Year: VJ Edgecombe, Philadelphia; Cooper Flagg, Dallas; Kon Knueppel, Charlotte.MVPGilgeous-Alexander is trying to go back-to-back, Jokic who has been first or second in five straight seasons, entering this year is seeking his fourth MVP in six years and Wembanyama is a finalist for the first time.Coach of the YearBickerstaff won the award from the National Basketball Coaches Association, selected by his peers, and is the likely favorite for the official NBA honor. Johnson and Mazzulla both led teams that widely exceeded most preseason expectations.Rookie of the YearThis will likely be a two-person race in the end, with Flagg and Knueppel both former Duke players the presumed frontrunners. That would suggest Edgecombe likely finishes third.Defensive Player of the YearWembanyama was the likely frontrunner to win it last season, but wound up falling short of eligibility after being diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis at the All-Star break and missing the rest of the season.Minnesotas Rudy Goberts bid for a fifth DPOY award which would break a record will continue for at least one more year.Clutch PlayerGilgeous-Alexander led the league in clutch scoring per game, with Edwards second. Denver had two legitimate candidates with Murray and Nikola Jokic; voters clearly gave Murray the edge.Clutch scoring is defined as points that come in the final five minutes of a game where the point differential between teams is five or less.Sixth Man of the YearJaquez averaged 15.4 points in 74 appearances off the bench, Johnson averaged 13.2 points after playing in all 82 Spurs games as a reserve and Hardaway also averaged 13.2 points in the 74 games where he came off Denvers bench.The winner will be a first-time selection for the award.Most Improved PlayerAvdija averaged 24.2 points and led Portlands surge to the playoffs, while Alexander-Walker bidding to give Atlanta its second consecutive MIP winner after Dyson Daniels last season averaged 20.8 points, by far the most his career.Duren was a first-time All-Star selection and averaged 19.5 points, almost double what he averaged last season despite playing basically the same amount of minutes.___AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

Jon Rahm capped off a chaotic week on LIV Golf when he closed with a 7-under 64 on Sunday for a six-shot victory in LIV Golf Mexico City, his second victory this year on the Saudi-funded circuit.Rahm went all of last season on LIV without winning, though he did claim the points title. And he had experienced disappointment before in 2017 at Chapultepec Golf Club when it was a World Golf Championship.There was no doubt this time after he made birdie on the reachable par-4 second hole and then holed out for eagle on the next hole. He played bogey-free.If you would have told me last week on Thursday afternoon that Id be winning by a six-shot margin this week, I would not have believed you because of how bad I played, said Rahm, who tied for 38th in the Masters. Hell of a an effort.The week has been filled with uncertainty surrounding the Saudi-funded league, with CEO Scott ONeil writing a memo to staff to say LIV was assured of funding through the end of the year amid reports speculating about the leagues financial future.LIV announced Sunday it would be returning to Chapultepec next year.There was a power outage on Tuesday, fueling more speculation. The streaming went out for two hours during the opening round. And then Bryson DeChambeau withdrew from the final round, citing an injury to his wrist that he did not want to further aggravate.DeChambeau, who was trying to become the first player to win three straight times on LIV Golf, was 16 shots behind Rahm when he stopped playing.I experienced some discomfort in my wrist during yesterday's round and have decided to withdraw from the the final round of LIV Golf Mexico City to prevent further injury, DeChambeau said in a social media post. Not how I wanted this week to go.DeChambeau said he would be evaluated and hoped to be at LIV Golf Virginia on May 7-10, a week before the PGA Championship.Rahm motored along, and so did his Legion XIII team, which won for the first time this year.David Puig shot 66 to finish second, picking up valuable world ranking points and all but assuring that he will be in the PGA Championship. The Spaniard is close enough that another top finish in Virginia could get him into the U.S. Open.___AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

Erling Haaland delivered a crucial second-half strike to hand Manchester City a pivotal 2-1 triumph against Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium this afternoon.The Norwegian forward converted a Nico O'Reilly pull-back in the 65th minute, securing all three points for Pep Guardiola's side.The result narrows Arsenal's advantage at the summit to just three points, with City holding a match in hand over their title rivals.For the Gunners, this defeat marks their second consecutive loss, dealing a significant blow to their hopes of claiming a first league championship since 2004.City, meanwhile, are chasing what would be their seventh Premier League crown in nine seasons and now possess clear momentum heading into the final stretch of the campaign.The contest burst into life in the 16th minute when Rayan Cherki weaved his way through Arsenal's backline to give the visitors a surprise lead.Their advantage lasted barely two minutes, however, as Kai Havertz capitalised on a costly error from goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, pressing the Italian into a wayward clearance before diverting the ball into the net.Haaland's decisive intervention then restored City's lead midway through the second period.The German forward came agonisingly close to rescuing a point for Arsenal deep into added time, meeting a Leandro Trossard delivery with a header that sailed narrowly over the crossbar.The near-miss sent Mikel Arteta crumpling to his knees on the touchline, capturing the anguish of a damaging afternoon for the north London club.The standings now show Arsenal on 70 points with five matches remaining, while City trail on 67 with an additional fixture still to play, setting up what amounts to a direct battle for the title.Guardiola's men face arguably tougher remaining assignments, including trips to Everton and Bournemouth."He's very lucky"Should Gabriel have seen red? pic.twitter.com/pDjN7OfvFB Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 19, 2026 "Manchester City in charge, again!"Erling Haaland powers through to find the back of the net pic.twitter.com/tt04wbQnaz Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 19, 2026 Yet Arsenal's back-to-back defeats have shifted the psychological advantage firmly towards the defending champions.Sky Sports pundit Roy Keane offered his assessment: "The momentum's all with Man City. They've been the best team the last eight, nine, 10 years at dealing with pressure. We saw that again today."The former Manchester United captain added that Guardiola had acknowledged before kick-off that defeat would have ended their title aspirations, noting: "Arsenal have got to re-group and go again because they had chances and didn't take them."Speaking after the match, City captain Bernardo Silva gave immense praise to Haaland.He said: "Erling was fantastic today, fighting for every ball. It's not easy with two centre-backs that strong."Apart from the goal that he always scores, today he fought like an animal."Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter

The BBC has found a pattern of spikes in trades ahead of public announcements by the US president.

Evie Solomon has started a support group for women due to her experience while being diagnosed.

Americans are being warned to rethink travel to a sunny Caribbean destination as crime and concerns about terrorism rise.The U.S. Embassy in Trinidad and Tobago announced Thursday that the U.S. Department of State had updated its travel advisory regarding American tourists.The advisory cautions that Americans should "reconsider travel to Trinidad and Tobago due tocrime," citing a "heightened risk of terrorism."5 DANGEROUS CRUISE PORTS THAT TRAVELERS SHOULD RESEARCH BEFORE BOOKING EXCURSIONSThe Trinidad and Tobago Police Service is authorized to search and enter private and public properties while the State of Emergency (SOE), which was declared March 2, remains in effect.Bail is suspended during this time, meaning that anyone arrested for crimes in the country will be unable to leave local custody.Authorities say the order is due to "a spike in violent criminal activity that could threaten public safety."The embassy said that "although violent crime in Trinidad and Tobago has dropped greatly since 2024 due to security efforts started during the previous state of emergencies, crime remains a challenge throughout the country" adding that crime rates are lower in Tobago than in Trinidad.TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZThe advisory also states that U.S. government employees are prohibited from entering certain areas of the capital city, Port of Spain, including Laventille, Piccadilly Street and Besson Street.Travelers are advised against entering Beetham, Sea Lots, Cocorite and the interior of Queen's Park Savannah, as well as certain parts of Charlotte Street.At night, Americans are also discouraged from going to any of the beaches in Port of Spain as well as its downtown district, Fort George and Queen's Park Savannah.CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTERTrinidad and Tobago are distinct islands that were merged into a single colony in 1889, during British rule. They stayed unified when they declared independence in 1962.The islands are known for their diving and snorkeling opportunities, as well as their beaches. Trinidad is especially known for its high-energy carnival celebrations.Officials are also advising tourists to exercise increased caution in rural areas due to health risks and limited healthcare access.CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE STORIESThe advisory was discussed in a recent Reddit forum about Trinidad and Tobago, with some locals voicing alarm about the crime situation."My heart actually feels broken, and I feel a bit hopeless about crime in T&T," one Reddit user wrote."I am seriously worried about my close family, as it [crime] can hit anyone now."

Die Brgerentscheide in NRW haben eine deutliche Zustimmung zur Olympia-Bewerbung ergeben.[mehr]

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