The Indiana Pacers overcame the first-quarter ejection of guard Bennedict Mathurin to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers 129-109 and go 3-1 up in their NBA Eastern Conference semi-final series.
A win for the Pacers over the top seeds in game five in Cleveland on Wednesday (00:00 BST) will see them reach a second straight conference final.
Mathurin left the game with four minutes and 32 seconds left in the opening period after a punch to the chest of De’Andre Hunter.
At that stage, the Pacers led 22-10 and they were 38-23 at the end of the quarter before outscoring their rivals 42-16 in the second to hold a 80-39 advantage
The total was a Pacers franchise play-off record for points in a half.
Pascal Siakam scored 21 points for the Pacers while Myles Turner and Obi Toppin each added 20 as they bounced back from a heavy 126-104 loss in game three.
“This is a group that plays better through adversity,” said Turner. “We got punched in the mouth last game, we had a hell of a response. The starters set the tone and the bench picked it up the rest of the game.”
Thunder level series in ‘disgusting’ game
Elsewhere, Oklahoma City Thunder edged the Denver Nuggets 92-87 to level their Western Conference series at 2-2.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 25 points with six rebounds and six assists to lead Oklahoma City, while NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic scored 27 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for Denver.
The game tipped off approximately 38 hours after Denver’s overtime win in game three and both sides showed signs of fatigue with Nuggets coach David Adelman describing Sunday’s encounter as a “really disgusting basketball game”.
He added: “Give their team credit, those guys made plays, made enough plays to push them over the edge and win the game.”
The Nuggets overcame a poor start to lead 53-52 midway through the third quarter and led by eight points early in the fourth.
But the visitors regained the lead thanks to a Cason Wallace three-pointer with 8:35 to play and held on until the end.
Legendary India batter Virat Kohli has announced his immediate retirement from Test cricket.
His decision comes before this summer’s five-Test tour of England, which starts on 20 June, and follows captain Rohit Sharma’s retirement on Wednesday.
Kohli, 36, has played 123 Tests for India and scored 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85.
“It’s been 14 years since I first wore the baggy blue in Test cricket,” Kohli posted on social media.
“Honestly, I never imagined the journey this format would take me on. It’s tested me, shaped me, and taught me lessons I’ll carry for life.”
Kohli retired from T20 internationals in 2024, after India’s World Cup victory, but is expected to continue playing one-day internationals.
“There’s something deeply personal about playing in whites. The quiet grind, the long days, the small moments that no-one sees but that stay with you forever,” he added.
“As I step away from this format, it’s not easy – but it feels right. I’ve given it everything I had, and it’s given me back so much more than I could’ve hoped for.
“I’m walking away with a heart full of gratitude – for the game, for the people I shared the field with, and for every single person who made me feel seen along the way. I’ll always look back at my Test career with a smile.”
Kohli has long been regarded as one of the four batting greats of his era, alongside England’s Joe Root, Australia’s Steve Smith and New Zealand’s Kane Williamson, and has scored 30 Test centuries.
But his most recent Test ton, 100 not out in the first Test against Australia in November, was his first in 15 innings across 16 months.
Only three tons have come in 39 Tests since January 2020. He averages 30.72 in that time.
The Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, has announced that it plans to disband and disarm in a move promising an end to decades of conflict with Turkiye.
The move was announced on Monday by the Firat News Agency, a media outlet close to the group. Part of a new peace initiative with Ankara designed to put an end to four decades of violence, the plan to disband comes days after the PKK convened a party congress in northern Iraq.
Following the congress on Friday, the group had said that it had reached “historic” decisions tthat would be shared with the public soon.
Firat reported that a statement by PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan outlining his “perspectives and proposals” were read during the congress.
In February, Ocalan – who has been in jail since 1999 – called on the group to lay down its arms and dissolve itself in a bid to end the conflict, which has claimed tens of thousands of lives since the 1980s.
The outlawed PKK, which is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey and most Western states, announced a ceasefire days later but had set conditions to disband, including the establishment of a legal mechanism for peace talks.
Without a win since the end of March, Ulster had already pulled up a stool at the last chance saloon by the time they travelled south to Munster for their penultimate game of the season on Friday.
Knocked out of the Champions Cup by eventual finalists Bordeaux-Begles last month, all their eggs were in the United Rugby Championship (URC) basket and, despite taking an early lead in Thomond Park, they were deservedly beaten by their Irish rivals.
While the 38-20 defeat did not quite seal their fate, results later in the weekend ensured that the northern province will miss out on the play-offs in the URC and, for the first time, not feature in next season’s Champions Cup rugby.
After winning just eight of 22 games in all competitions this year with only a dead rubber against Edinburgh to come, such an outcome has looked a possibility for some months but will still be a jarring one for the 1999 European Cup champions who were in a league final under Dan McFarland just five years ago.
Second-half struggles prove costly
Ulster’s failure to score after the turn against Munster was far from an isolated incident. Indeed, it was the sixth occasion this season when they could not muster a single score in a second half.
In two of those games, against Cardiff and the Sharks, leads of 19-0 were surrendered in hugely damaging losses, while close contests against Benetton, Bordeaux-Begles and Leicester Tigers, the latter pair in the Champions Cup, became lopsided defeats.
Coupled with a home loss to 15th-placed Zebre in January, when the side bucked the trend and instead failed to score in the first-half, it is not hard to find where Ulster left crucial points behind them that would have made a huge difference in their play-off push.
Injury woes have huge impact on season
Inpho
Heading into the Munster game, head coach Richie Murphy said his available squad was the strongest it had been since he took on the job in March of 2024.
While that was perhaps a case of too little, too late, there is no doubt that injuries have had a huge impact upon Ulster’s season.
Skipper Iain Henderson saw his first action of any kind since February, and his first league minutes since October, in the defeat but in total has played only 10 times for his province this season thanks to various knocks.
Robert Baloucoune (2), James Hume (4), Tom Stewart (8), Cormac Izuchukwu (12), Rob Herring (12), Stuart McCloskey (13) and Jacob Stockdale (13) all also saw their appearances limited though injury.
Loss of experience finally takes its toll
In any sport, but especially rugby, injuries are part and parcel of any season. While Ulster’s problems have felt severe, the squad is not equipped in the way it once was to replace like for like when experienced players are forced onto the sidelines.
In each of the past two off-seasons there have been more senior players leaving than arriving with the panel impacted by the side’s well-documented financial constraints.
International imports Duane Vermeulen, Sam Carter, Jeff Toomanga-Allen and Rory Sutherland all departed two summers ago, while Steven Kitshoff and Dave Ewers made their own exits last year.
Former Ireland players Craig Gilroy, Luke Marshall, Ian Madigan, Jordi Murphy, Marty Moore, Billy Burns and Will Addison all retired or moved on during the same period.
As Ulster look to replenish their squad not through the open market but their academy system, that group with experience of playing at the highest level or winning the game’s biggest prizes have been replaced by players still finding their feet at the professional level.
Counting the cost of Challenge Cup rugby
Inpho
With Ulster having had to cut their cloth accordingly in a different financial landscape, there will be a concern that off-field struggles impacting on-field results becomes something of a spiral.
Already, the pattern of the season’s conclusion seeing plenty of experienced stalwarts heading out the door was set to be repeated.
John Cooney has been a talisman for the province since arriving from Connacht in 2017 but the 11-times capped Irish international has signed a three-year deal with Brive.
Lock Kieran Treadwell, who has also won 11 caps for Ireland, will return to Harlequins, while Andy Warwick and Alan O’Connor, who have represented Ulster a combined 421 times, are among the summer exits too.
All told, eight departing players accounted for 93 outings this season and, to date, the impressive signing of Northampton Saints number eight Juarno Augustus is the only confirmed arrival.
Green shoots for next season?
Despite missing the play-offs for the first time since the URC expanded to 16 teams and missing out on the Champions Cup for a first time ever, the season has not been without a few positives.
The performance against Munster was a disappointment, all the more so in that second half when their season was on the line, but recent showings have displayed flashes of promise.
Conversely while on a losing streak, there were times against Leinster, Bordeaux and the Sharks in April when the side looked to be playing considerably better than they were during their winning run through March.
Lock Cormac Izuchukwu made his Ireland debut in November and has added excellent line-out work to his obvious dynamism as the season has progressed.
Once the province settled on Jack Murphy at fly-half, he joined his fellow former Ireland Under-20s Grand Slam winner James McNabney in showing real promise too.
Richie Murphy has already spoken about how Ulster will “dust themselves off” and attempt to come back stronger next year.
EXCLUSIVE: Simon Cowell recently admitted he ‘always’ worries about money, despite his eye-watering net worth, but Kerry Katona has some thoughts on the music mogul’s statement
Kerry Katona is speaking out after Simon revealed he has money problems
Kerry Katona has blasted Simon Cowell over his money claims. Simon may not be someone you’d expect to be fretting over his bank balance, but the music mogul revealed earlier this week that he ‘always’ worries about money, despite his skyhigh success and staggering net worth.
“I always worry about money, because I think you have to,” said Simon, who was estimated to be worth £385 million by The Sunday Times in 2020, on a new episode of the How To Fail Podcast.
Speaking exclusively to New, Kerry had a few words for Simon after his admission: “If I’m honest, I think that’s pretty rich coming from him – pun intended! He’s a multimillionaire with plenty of mansions and private jets – he’ll be alright! Simon, I love you, but saying that feels out of touch. Next thing you know, he’ll be on OnlyFans selling feet pics.”
Simon says that the Covid-19 pandemic left him worried for the future of his money
Simon continued to admit that the Covid-19 pandemic left him with financial woes, Simon continued to tell podcast host Elizabeth Day: “I remember reading it for the first time on a website and I don’t read a lot of stuff on social media, but I’d heard about it.
“So I was curious and the second day, the story got bigger to a point where I actually phoned one of my partners and I said, I don’t like the look of this, I have a horrible feeling it’s gonna be like that movie contagion. I think we need to get all of our shows into production around the world quicker this year.”
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He added: “And we did. And when it happened, it was, obviously worse than I could have imagined, but when you think about that, the wars and everything else, the instability, what is safe? I mean, was it gold cash stock? I don’t think anything is safe any longer.”
Simon, who has been in the industry for over four decades, says he now follows the advice to ‘live in your money’ and enjoy it, but is also aware of it being precarious.
While he might be aware of the riskiness of his capital, it doesn’t mean Simon has been one to scrimp – boasting lavish homes across the world, including an £8M Cotswolds mansion, flashy cars and a reported private jet on standby.
Kerry says Simon “will be alright” after his admission
But not one to let the lifestyle get to his head, the Britain’s Got Talent creator is the first to call himself ‘obnoxious’. Recalling one incident several decades ago, Simon said, “I do remember one time I was driving in my Porsche. I had long hair.
“The top was down and I passed this pub, and I remember someone shouting ‘you w*nker!’ and I went, actually, you are right. I am a w*nker.”
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Simon, who is now a dedicated dad to ten-year-old son Eric, added that he has everything he needs now and doesn’t yearn for more money or flashy expenditures these days.
He is currently appearing on screen on Britain’s Got Talent, joining judges Alesha Dixon, Bruno Tonioli and Amanda Holden.
Amid ferocious Israeli attacks on Yemen, ostensibly in response to Houthi attacks on Israel, surprising news from the United States seemed to shake matters briefly.
US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that a ceasefire had been agreed between his country and the Houthis, claiming the Houthis had bent the knee and this was a victory for the US.
He also praised the Houthis for their bravery and resilience.
This meant the US would no longer be bombing Yemen, and the Houthis would stop firing at ships in the Red Sea in support of the Palestinians in Gaza.
There was no mention of Israel in Trump’s announcement – a sign, to many, of a possible chill between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The Houthis, for their part, made it clear that the deal does not extend to Israel and they would continue their attacks until Israel allowed aid into Gaza, ending the starvation it is imposing on the people there.
Israel left out?
Israel has been launching attacks on Yemen, claiming it wants to deter the Houthis, who took control of Sanaa in 2014 and already fought a years-long war against the internationally recognised Yemeni government.
On Sunday, Israel’s Arabic-language spokesman made a post with eerie echoes of Israeli attacks on the trapped population of Gaza, issuing “warnings” to people in three Yemeni ports in Hodeidah governorate to flee. The attack never came.
Whether these erratic actions are a reaction to the announced US ceasefire remains to be seen, but many analysts have spoken of a widening rift between Netanyahu and Trump.
Netanyahu has reportedly expressed his frustration with Trump’s Middle East policy in private conversations.
He has been publicly against the US administration’s talks with Iran, claiming there is no diplomatic way to resolve differences with Tehran, yet Iran and the US have continued their talks.
He went on to blame Iran for the Houthis’ attacks, claiming Israel’s attacks are a message to the “Houthis’ sponsors”.
Trump, for his part, has seemed unconcerned.
“It’s worth noting Trump didn’t say anything about [Houthi] attacks on Israel, which seem to be continuing amid this escalation,” Nicholas Brumfield, a Yemen analyst, told Al Jazeera.
“In [this] case, it’s a US drawdown because the Houthis haven’t been attacking international shipping,” Brumfield said. “They’ve been attacking Israel. The US has been doing its thing, and the Houthis have been targeting US ships.”
After Israeli attacks on Monday and Tuesday, which killed at least three people and wounded 35 others and damaged Hodeidah Port and Sanaa Airport, the Houthis promised retaliation.
The attacks “will not go unanswered”, the Houthi political bureau said in a statement.
Journalists take pictures of a plane Israel destroyed at Sanaa International Airport on May 7, 2025 [Khaled Abdullah/Reuters]
That kind of statement is typical of the Houthis, who have managed to weather more than a decade of attacks by forces with far superior military capabilities.
Air strikes by the US and United Kingdom on Yemen in early 2024 were unable to stop the Houthis’ attacks on Red Sea traffic.
Years of air strikes by a Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen’s internationally recognised government taught the Houthis to keep their military infrastructure agile, analysts told Al Jazeera.
A senior US government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Al Jazeera that recent US attacks on the Houthis have pushed leaders underground after the killing of some key military commanders.
However, unlike under US President Joe Biden’s administration, the attacks under Trump have been indiscriminate and have led to more civilian deaths. More than 250 people have been killed by US attacks on Yemen since mid-March, including at least 68 people at a centre housing detained African refugees and migrants in late April.
Experts told Al Jazeera that despite the increased ferocity of those attacks, the Houthis have not been deterred.
“The Houthis aren’t going to stop,” Brumfield said.
Israel still striking
The Houthis have made their stance clear vis-à-vis the agreement with the US and the continuation of attacks on Israel, which has also made clear that it plans to keep attacking.
“The stated aim is to deter [the Houthis] or deplete their military capabilities to the point that the Houthis cannot target Israel any more, but these are both very unrealistic goals,” Hannah Porter, an independent Yemen analyst, told Al Jazeera.
Israel already considers that it has diminished the capabilities of two of its biggest foes, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza, over the past 19 months.
But trying something like that on the Houthis would be a vastly different challenge, she said.
“Israel has probably not gathered the amount of intel on the Houthis that they have on Hamas or Hezbollah, so tracking and targeting leaders will be harder,” Porter said.
“More importantly, the geographic area is much larger in northern Yemen, meaning that there are far more potential targets.”
“The terrain is a factor, too,” she added. “Northern Yemen is very mountainous with plenty of places to hide people and weapons.”
For now, Israel and the Houthis seem intent on continuing their exchange of attacks. And the first to suffer will be the people of Yemen.
Israel struck numerous targets in recent days in Yemen, including Sanaa’s airport and the port in Hodeidah, which experts said is likely to exacerbate Yemen’s dire humanitarian situation.
Israel destroyed at least three civilian planes in the attacks.
Smoke rises after an Israeli air strike on Sanaa on May 6, 2025 [Adel al-Khader/Reuters]
Yemen is already suffering one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. More than 18.2 million people require humanitarian assistance and protection services, according to the United Nations.
More than 17.1 million Yemenis suffer acute food shortages, and about five million are on the brink of famine.
While analysts said Israel’s attacks on ports will not be a “knockout blow”, they are among a matrix of factors that leave many Yemenis in an increasingly precarious position.
“The humanitarian situation will just get worse,” Raiman Al-Hamdani, a Yemen researcher with the international development company ARK, told Al Jazeera.
“Destroying the two main ports of northern Yemen, where the majority of the population lives, coupled with the FTO [“foreign terrorist organisation”] designation with cuts to the aid system around the world and the deteriorating economy … is a recipe for [unprecedented] humanitarian disaster.”
“[Israel’s attacks] are a continuation of its strategy. It’s out of spite, targets civil infrastructure and the policy of creating human suffering,” Al-Hamdani said.
