Latest from Al Arabiya
Al Arabiya
9 minutes ago
- Sport
- Al Arabiya
Bradley Beal, 3-time all-star, agrees to buyout with the Phoenix Suns, AP source says
Three-time All-Star guard Bradley Beal and the Phoenix Suns agreed to a buyout on the two years remaining on his contract a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Wednesday. The person spoke to the AP about Beal's buyout on condition of anonymity because the deal hasn't been officially announced. The move paves the way for Beal to sign a two-year $11 million deal with the Los Angeles Clippers that includes a player option after he clears waivers, ESPN reported. Beal is expected to give back $13.9 million of the $110 million he's owed from the Suns, which allows Phoenix more flexibility as it tries to rebuild its roster. It's been a busy summer for the Suns, which also dealt 15-time All-Star Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets for a package that included Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks and the No. 10 overall pick in this year's draft, which the Suns used to select Duke center Khaman Maluach. The 32-year-old Beal would join a veteran Clippers roster that includes James Harden and Kawhi Leonard. Beal averaged 17.6 points over two disappointing injury-filled seasons with the Suns. Beal averaged a career-high 31.3 points per game during the 2020-21 season for the Washington Wizards, but his production has slowly declined since that point as injuries have taken a toll. He's missed at least 29 regular-season games with various ailments in each of the past four seasons.
Al Arabiya
9 minutes ago
- Sport
- Al Arabiya
Lynx Beat the Mercury 79-66 to Improve to 12-0 at Home Heading Into the All-Star Break
Kayla McBride scored 18 points, Courtney Williams had 12 points, seven rebounds, and five assists, and the Minnesota Lynx beat the Phoenix Mercury 79-66 on Wednesday to improve to 12-0 at home this season heading into the All-Star break. Minnesota, which led 37-33 at the break, made a 3-pointer on three straight possessions in the third quarter to extend its lead to 57-44. Phoenix made four of its first five field goals of the third before missing six straight as Minnesota went on a key run. Jessica Shepard's one-handed putback just before the third-quarter buzzer made it 64-49. The Lynx made five 3-pointers in the frame to outscore the Mercury 27-16. Napheesa Collier scored eight of her 10 points in the third, and Alanna Smith finished with 11 points for Minnesota (20-4). Williams recorded five-plus assists in her seventh straight game. Alyssa Thomas had 12 points and nine assists, and Kalani Brown had 11 points and 11 rebounds for Phoenix (15-7). DeWanna Bonner also scored 11 points on 5-of-12 shooting. Minnesota held an opponent under 40 percent shooting for the 11th time this season. Phoenix was just 25 of 70 from the field (35.7 percent).
Al Arabiya
9 minutes ago
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Indigenous Wampis Are Ambushed In Peru After Government Backs Out Of Anti-Mining Joint Patrol
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) – An attack by armed assailants on a patrol of a mission by the Indigenous Wampis guards last week in the Peruvian Amazon has again brought into focus the issue of illegal gold mining in the ancestral territory. The 60-member mission was ambushed and shot at as they were patrolling near the Wampis community of Fortaleza on Saturday, just days after the Peruvian government's sudden withdrawal from a planned joint enforcement operation to confront the illegal mining. No one was hurt in the attack. For two years, the Wampis Nation has pressed state agencies and the public prosecutors office in Peru to work together to monitor for and remove illegal mining operations from the Santiago River basin. Days before a scheduled joint operation, government agencies pulled out without explanation, according to Amazon Watch, a US-based environmental and Indigenous rights nonprofit. In response, the Wampis launched their own mission, and its first patrol was attacked on Saturday. Indigenous leaders say the incident highlights the growing risks faced by land defenders and the government's failure to uphold its promises. A Wampis official described the attack to The Associated Press. 'The around 60 Indigenous leaders, community guards, and technicians were tasked with monitoring the environmental impacts of illegal gold mining in the Bajo Rio Santiago region. People started throwing explosives – I don't even know what kind they were – and then came the gunfire,' said Evaristo Pujupat Shirap, 45, communications officer for the Autonomous Territorial Government of the Wampis Nation. 'Bullets hit the vehicle and even pierced a teacher's jacket at chest level,' Shirap added. The Peruvian government did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Members on the Wampis mission were armed with hunting rifles, but according to Shirap, leaders had instructed the group not to fire under any circumstances. While they did fire a few warning shots into the air, no direct confrontation took place, Shirap added. 'We will not stand by while our rivers are poisoned and our forests destroyed,' said Galois Yampis, vice president of the Wampis government. 'Peru's government failed to honor its commitments, so we are acting to defend our territory and the future of our people,' he added. The Indigenous Wampis territorial guards are community-led environmental defenders trained and organized by the autonomous territorial government of the Wampis Nation. Their aim is to protect Wampis ancestral lands from illegal activities such as mining, logging, and drug trafficking while upholding their cultural values and vision of Tarimat Pujut – a life in harmony with nature. Raphael Hoetmer, Amazon program director at Amazon Watch, a longtime ally of the Wampis, said they only confront violent criminals – yet are left to face danger without state protection. The Wampis Nation has long been urging Peru and gold-importing nations to strengthen enforcement against illegal gold trade and invest in Indigenous-led territorial monitoring and sustainable development. ___ The Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters, and funded coverage areas at
Al Arabiya
39 minutes ago
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
California republican lawmakers launch campaign to require voter id
Two California Republican state lawmakers launched a campaign Wednesday to place a measure on the 2026 ballot that would require voter identification and proof of citizenship at the polls. The proposal would require the state to verify proof of citizenship when a person registers to vote, and voters would have to provide identifications at the polls. Those who vote through mail-in ballots would have to give the last four digits of a government-issued ID such as a Social Security number. 'We do not want to make it harder to vote. In fact, our initiative makes it easier to vote because it streamlines the process to verify someone's identity,' Assemblymember Carl DeMaio, who's leading the effort, said at a Wednesday news conference. The Republican lawmakers said the measure would help restore trust in elections where they said people have complained about outdated voter rolls and an inadequate signature review process, with some also casting doubt on election results. While voting by noncitizens has occurred, research and reviews of state cases have shown it to be rare and typically a mistake rather than an intentional effort to sway an election. Voter fraud is also rare. California is among 14 states and the District of Columbia that do not require voters to show some form of identification at the polls or to register to voter. The California campaign came as congressional Republicans were working to advance their own legislation to overhaul the nation's voting procedures at the urging of President Donald Trump. Across the country, lawmakers in 17 states have introduced legislation this year to require proof of citizenship for voters, according to National Conference of State legislatures. Opponents argued that the requirements make it more difficult for people to vote, especially the elderly, those with disabilities, and those without drivers licenses. The NAACP and other civil rights groups have argued that it disproportionately harms Black and Latino voters. Democrats in the California Legislature, who hold supermajorities in both chambers, in April rejected a bill by DeMaio aiming to enact similar voting rule changes. The statewide proposal also came as the state continued to challenge a local measure passed by voters in the city of Huntington Beach to require voter identification at the polls. The state last year sued the city over the new rule, and Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law to prohibit local governments in California from establishing and enforcing laws that require residents provide identification to vote in elections. Sen. Tony Strickland, who helped pass the Huntington Beach measure as a city councilmember last year, said he expects a similar fight from state Democrats over the issue. 'The courts would be on our side because we carefully drafted this initiative. It's constitutional,' he said.
Al Arabiya
39 minutes ago
- Sport
- Al Arabiya
Genie Bouchard will retire from tennis after a final appearance in Montreal
Genie Bouchard, who reached the Wimbledon final and two other Grand Slam semifinals in 2014, is retiring from tennis. The Canadian will play in the National Bank Open in Montreal later this month before ending her career, Tennis Canada said Wednesday. The organization said Bouchard, 31, would be given a wild card into the tournament in her hometown. 'You'll know when it's time. For me, it's now,' Bouchard posted on social media along with pictures of herself playing. 'Ending where it all started: Montreal.' Bouchard reached No. 5 in the WTA rankings and in 2014 won her lone singles title. She lost to Petra Kvitova in the Wimbledon final after also reaching the semifinals that year at the Australian Open and French Open. She got back to the quarterfinals in Australia in 2015, but her career was never the same after she slipped on a wet locker room floor at the US Open later that year and suffered a concussion that forced her to withdraw before her fourth-round match. She sued the US Tennis Association, and a jury found that the organization was 75 percent at fault and she was 25 percent to blame. Bouchard helped Canada win its lone Billie Jean King Cup title in 2023 but has mostly switched to pickleball, playing just one match on tour this season. She has a career singles record of 299-230. 'She has been one of the most important figures in the history of our sport in Canada and a trailblazer who redefined what Canadian tennis could be,' said Valerie Tetreault, the National Bank Open tournament director. 'We are proud of everything she has done as a player and role model, and we can't wait to see her in action one last time at IGA Stadium this summer.'
