Six-time All-Star ahead Blake Griffin introduced his retirement from the NBA on Tuesday.

Griffin was chosen first general by the LA Clippers out of Oklahoma within the 2009 draft. His time in Los Angeles obtained off to a tough begin, as he broke the patella in his left knee throughout the preseason.

Griffin got here again the next season and gained the 2010-11 Rookie of the 12 months Award and made the primary of 5 straight All-Star appearances. He additionally gained the Slam Dunk Contest that season after slamming over a parked automotive.

His high-flying highlights grew to become the calling card of the Clippers, who actually took off within the 2011-12 season with the addition of level guard Chris Paul.

The acquisition of Paul and his penchant for alley-oop passes to Griffin and middle DeAndre Jordan reworked the Clippers into Lob Metropolis, and ushered in probably the most profitable period in franchise historical past.

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“Blake was a giant a part of the turnaround right here,” mentioned Tyronn Lue, the present Clippers coach who was an assistant on the workers early in Griffin’s L.A. profession. “Blake was one of the vital dynamic gamers we have seen on this league for a very long time so far as athletic-wise. One factor he would not get credit score for is his passing means. He had an excellent profession.”

Playoff success eluded the Clippers, nonetheless, and Griffin was surprisingly traded to the Detroit Pistons throughout the 2018 season, simply months after signing a five-year, $171 million extension with the Clippers.

Griffin, 35, spent elements of the following 4 seasons in Detroit earlier than being purchased out throughout the 2020-21 season and signing with the Brooklyn Nets. He performed final season for the Boston Celtics however averaged a career-low 4.1 factors, 3.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists whereas showing in 41 video games in a largely reserve function.

Regardless of the ups and downs of his profession, Griffin repeatedly mentioned in his Instagram publish that he was grateful for his NBA life.

“All of those experiences made my 14 years within the league actually unforgettable and I am unable to assist however to simply really feel grateful,” Griffin mentioned.

Griffin’s finest season was the 2013-14 marketing campaign, when he averaged 24.1 factors, 9.5 rebounds and three.9 assists, and completed third in MVP voting behind Kevin Durant and LeBron James.

For his profession, Griffin averaged 19.0 factors, 8.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists. He was named second-team All-NBA 3 times and third-team All-NBA twice.

It was intriguing to see what form Nadal can be in in opposition to 62nd-ranked Cobolli, who has solely performed in the principle draw of a Grand Slam twice.

A document 12-time champion in Barcelona, Nadal was taking part in his first clay-court match in 681 days – when he received the 2022 French Open last.

There was an air of anticipation as a packed crowd awaited Nadal’s arrival on the court docket which is called in his honour,, exterior with the gangways on his stroll out filled with ball children and match workers ready for a glimpse.

A near-standing ovation and big roar greeted Nadal, whereas the acquainted pre-match foibles – aligning his water bottles, field jumps on the web and zigzagged dash to the baseline – have been additionally lapped up.

It was much less sure whether or not the shot-making and athleticism which they’ve change into accustomed to seeing from Nadal would additionally return.

Doubts had been raised in regards to the affect of the belly harm on his serve and, though it appeared he wasn’t serving at full tilt, he confirmed few points.

There was, understandably, some early rust in his groundstrokes earlier than Nadal shortly discovered fluency from each forehand and backhand wings.

With Cobolli trying barely overawed and displaying uncertainty in his photographs, Nadal cemented an early break for a 4-1 lead and wrapped up the opening set in 43 minutes.

Whipping a trademark forehand winner down the road within the second recreation of the second set illustrated his rising confidence.

Nadal edged a run of three straight breaks and noticed out victory by taking his second match level, displaying his delight with trademark underarm fist pump.

Rafael Nadal hit a down-the-line forehand winner from about 10 ft behind the baseline, leaving his opponent shocked.

The shot occurred within the second sport of the second set of his first match on a clay courtroom in 681 days and evoked photos of Nadal in his prime.

The 37-year-old Spanish tennis legend prevailed over Italian Flavio Cobolli, 6-2, 6-3, in his first match of the Barcelona Open and his first on clay since successful a 14th Roland Garros title on June 5, 2022. He has gained the Barcelona title 12 occasions and the principle courtroom there may be named after him.

It was Nadal’s 481st profession victory on clay, third-most all time, and set him as much as subsequent face No. 4 seed Alex De Minaur. Nadal improved to 67-4 at Barcelona, the place he has reached the semis or higher in 13 of 16 appearances.

“I’m simply attempting to get pleasure from each second now,” Nadal, ranked 644th on the planet regardless of successful 22 Grand Slam titles, mentioned forward of his first match. “I used to be not in a position to spend so much of days on the tour the final three years so simply attempting to get pleasure from daily that I’m able to play with the blokes and at knowledgeable stage. Meaning loads to me.”

Nadal final performed on March 3 in an exhibition loss to Carlos Alcaraz in Las Vegas and appeared wholesome regardless of a left hip harm that pressured him to withdraw from Brisbane after three matches after which miss the Australian Open.

He then withdrew from Doha and Indian Wells

He has performed a complete of 12 official matches for the reason that 2022 U.S. Open.

“The day after Roland Garros I’ve been on crutches, in order that’s the reality,” Nadal mentioned, referring to a foot harm that required numbing injections on the nerve in his foot.

He added that he has handled “a whole lot of points and difficulties” through the years.

“That’s a part of life,” he mentioned.

Cobolli got here in ranked 62nd on the planet with victories over Yoshihito Nishioka. Gael Monfils and Felix Auger-Aliassime.

However he discovered himself overwhelmed by Spanish legend and the pro-Nadal crowd, and dedicated 41 unforced errors.

Nadal displayed a brand new serve that emphasizes his left arm extra and his belly muscle tissue much less. It was not overpowering however efficient nonetheless.

He confirmed a willingness to be offensive and his two-handed backhand regarded good.

Requested what success this week would appear to be for Nadal, Paul Annacone mentioned on Tennis Channel: “I believe getting by the event unhurt, whether or not is’ one match or 4, that to me is success. Hopefully and feeling higher as you play.

“Each match you win is a big bonus, however getting by and attending to the tip of the event.”

Flood situations continued to influence Dubai on Wednesday, after two years’ value of rain fell in simply 24 hours, data present.

Over a half foot — 6.26 inches — of rain was recorded within the United Arab Emirates metropolis between 10 p.m. native time Monday and 10 p.m. native time Tuesday, in keeping with the Dubai Meteorological Workplace.

Dubai receives 3.12 inches of rain per yr on common, in keeping with the World Meteorological Group, which means two years’ value of rain fell in 24 hours.

The Dubai Worldwide Airport, the world’s second-busiest airport, mentioned Wednesday it was going through “operational challenges” and suggested passengers to not arrive as runways continued to be inundated with water. It mentioned the “restoration course of will take a while.”

Egyptian and Iraqi nationwide carriers quickly suspended flights to and from Dubai because of dangerous climate, EgyptAir and Iraqi Airways mentioned on Wednesday.

Flydubai, UAE’s low-cost service, resumed partial operations Wednesday afternoon native time after quickly suspending all of its flights departing from Dubai. There have been additional flight cancellations, it mentioned.

The Dubai Worldwide Airport had quickly diverted inbound flights that arrived Tuesday night native time because of “distinctive climate,” the airport mentioned in an alert.

All Dubai authorities entities and personal colleges have been instructed to work remotely on Tuesday as a result of climate situations.

Dubai receives practically all of its annual rain (over 92%) between the months of November and March. On common, Dubai usually receives simply 0.13 inches of rain throughout the month of April.

United Arab Emirates noticed the heaviest rain ever recorded within the nation on Tuesday, killing not less than one individual and damaging properties and companies, in keeping with the UAE authorities.

The acute climate hit different areas within the Gulf Peninsula. In neighboring Oman, not less than 19 individuals died in extreme flooding over three consecutive days, in keeping with state media.

Human-amplified local weather change is inflicting excessive rainfall occasions to change into extra frequent and extra intense, in keeping with the U.S. authorities’s Fifth Nationwide Local weather Evaluation.

Extra intense excessive rainfall occasions additionally improve the frequency and scale of flash flooding because the inflow of water is greater than the infrastructure was constructed to deal with.

Local weather change can improve the depth, frequency and variability of maximum climate occasions.

For those who time-travelled to the late summer time of 2022 and informed incoming Prime Minister Liz Truss she would have a guide out inside twenty months, her response would seemingly have included an expletive, an exclamation mark and a query mark.

However issues occurred, fairly shortly, and Truss, now former UK prime minister, has revealed a brand new guide.

FT Alphaville final caught up with Truss’s private journey final February, after she revealed a near-4,000-word essay within the Sunday Telegraph, a fanzine.

We wrote then that Truss was

firmly within the light foothills of a stabbed-in-the-back (/entrance?) concept

with reference to her time as PM: blaming virtually everybody however herself for a catastrophic 49-day interval in workplace.

What’s modified since then? Not a lot. Whereas her politically inept successor Rishi Sunak clings on thanks extra to statutory legislation than political talent, Truss has been on a worldwide tour. She’s aligned herself to the Trumpist proper within the US, and penned ‘Ten Years to Save the West’ — successfully a 100,000-word extrapolation of the essay’s arguments — which was revealed as we speak.

The media tour is nicely underneath method, already producing headlines like “Truss helps Trump” and “Truss thinks UN must be abolished”, and quotes from the girl herself equivalent to:

Typically I don’t at all times talk in a most clear method

Alphaville received its arms on a duplicate of the guide, hoping to seek out some attention-grabbing monetary issues to speak about. We didn’t. So what’s there to say?

The simple factor, after all, is to level out the hypocrisy. As an illustration, within the introduction, Truss writes:

[Our] political discourse is usually essentially unserious, obsessing over trivia and extra involved with personalities than with concepts. It’s usually the media that will get blamed for that, however the larger drawback is with the various politicians who purchase into that agenda and willingly play the sport. The result’s a political institution pushed by short-term recognition, drifting on the prevailing winds of modern commentary…

…after which goes on to incorporate a chapter titled “Liberty, Equality and Wokery”. On the subject of which:

The West has misplaced its method. We have to get up and meet the challenges earlier than us or we’ll lose.

Is Truss saying the West must ‘get woke?’.

Or

now we have seen the function and dimension of the state enhance

…from the PM who did this.

Sometimes, Truss drifts perilously near epiphany, equivalent to when writing about her time as a junior minister within the Division for Training underneath David Cameron:

Earlier than being requested to affix the federal government, I had set out in a sequence of think-tank pamphlets how, by eradicating laws and upping our requirements, we may rework the system. This solely confirmed the hazard of writing pamphlets: actual life is way messier.

And but.

We may go on and on and on (belief us), however Alphaville is a markets, economics and finance weblog, not a political one. So let’s shortly handle the financial difficulty right here.

Truss likes to say that her focus is on progress. It’s not an excellent controversial ambition.

Sadly, her method labored a bit like this: think about a bunch of individuals are caught in a heat, stuffy room collectively. Everybody desires the home windows to be opened, however they’re mounted shut by difficult locks. Whereas folks attempt to work out how the locks function, certainly one of them, Liz, makes an attempt to throw a chair by means of the window. The chair bounces off and hits her within the face.

As we wrote earlier than the mini-Finances, this is a matter of Truss and her political tribe reaching directionally appropriate solutions regardless of abject failures of understanding alongside the best way.

No part of ‘Ten Years to Save the West’ demonstrates this higher than one from the guide’s second chapter, titled “A Hostile Atmosphere” (interpolating the House Workplace’s systematically racist, family-destroying immigration insurance policies right into a local weather pun, cute! 🙃).

Right here, Truss rails in opposition to inexperienced stuff (the local weather sort, not Kneadatite) like the price of environmental laws and company ‘advantage signalling’, which she sees as a Computer virus for socialism, gravy trains and badger supremacy.

She writes about certainly one of her campaigns as constituency MP for South West Norfolk, for a “main growth” of the A11 street:

The venture had been vastly delayed and the worth massively hiked by all of the environmental objections and works. Specifically, the builders had been pressured to put in ‘bat bridges’ so bats may journey safely throughout the street.

Sure, the A11 has ‘bat bridges’. Right here’s an instance (from Cornwall) of how such a bridge appears:

Bats function like blind flying Scalextric, following alongside pure options equivalent to hedgerows and the perimeter of woodlands by sonar, with a view to commute to areas like feeding spots.

So the elemental ambition behind bat bridges appears moderately stable: for those who’re going to construct a street chopping by means of the bats’ commute (a course of generally known as severance), you need to discover a technique to minimise the interruption.

You may additionally, after all, need to keep away from having bats be killed by site visitors — though research have discovered that it’s laborious to watch what number of bats are killed on the roads due to their small dimension and suitability as a snack to go for bigger predators.

So, in concept, making a raised bridge is the answer. The suspended strains try to supply continuity between the pure strains that the bats usually comply with, linking them up throughout roads by offering a continued reference for sonar navigation.

The issue is the bats don’t use them — bat bridges are actually thought of so unsuccessful that The Observer known as them certainly one of “nature conservation’s epic fails” earlier this 12 months.

Within the case of the Broadland Northway in Norfolk (close to to, however not in, Truss’s constituency), barely fewer than half of the bats noticed flew shut sufficient to the bridges to be thought of customers (from Appendix A right here);

There was minimal distinction between the numbers of bats utilizing the gantry with the 5m classification and never utilizing the gantry (48%, 52%) illustrating that roughly half of the crossing bats have been utilizing that gantries.

(The report notes, encouragingly, that low mild ranges in the course of the monitoring imply some bats might have been missed.)

It’s an unlucky error, and an costly one — six bridges over the A11 between Barton Mills in Suffolk and Thetford in Norfolk price £350k in line with native reporting — that appears to vindicate Truss’s no-nonsense, spend-smart philosophy.

Sadly, she goes on to jot down:

Evidently, no bat has ever been seen on these bridges. Anyway, bats fly!

Wha… what?

— Does Liz Truss suppose bats have been imagined to bodily climb the bridges?
— Does she suppose environmental specialists believed bats usually land subsequent to roads after which stroll throughout them?
— Does she suppose that if the answer was for bats to easily fly over, no person else would have considered that?
— Understanding this now, do you suppose Truss would be capable to observe sure parallels between how she received this difficulty principally proper regardless of completely misunderstanding the issue, and the way she received her ambitions as PM principally proper regardless of completely misunderstanding the issue?
— Do you suppose Truss thinks a lot in any respect?

In case your reply to that final query is, no, by the way, you’d be mistaken. In truth, within the guide’s eleventh chapter, she reveals chiropteran philosophy is definitely a key concern:

I’m somebody who likes to shoot the breeze and bat concepts forwards and backwards, however as Prime Minister there was treasured little alternative to try this, even when I may have discovered the time.

Humanists UK have known as for the Authorities to develop nationwide steerage for England on the query of non secular practices in faculties following immediately’s Excessive Court docket ruling which dominated in favour of the so-called ‘prayer ban’ at Michaela Neighborhood Faculty, Brent. 

Michaela Neighborhood Faculty was taken to the Excessive Court docket in January by a Muslim pupil following allegations {that a} ban on all prayers and worship had been imposed within the college. The pupil argued that the ban was a ‘breach of her proper to freedom to manifest her non secular beliefs’, nevertheless this was rejected on the grounds that the pupil had…

‘chosen the Faculty figuring out of its strict regime; on the proof she was capable of transfer to an acceptable college which might permit her to hope at lunchtime; and, in any occasion, she was capable of carry out Qada prayers with a purpose to mitigate the truth that she was not capable of pray on the allotted time.

The choose additional dominated that:

‘The drawback to Muslim pupils on the college attributable to the PRP (prayer ritual coverage) was outweighed by the goals which it seeks to advertise within the pursuits of the varsity neighborhood as an entire, together with Muslim pupils’.

There are not any current legal guidelines to explicitly govern non secular practices in faculties in England aside from that (uniquely on this planet) Christian worship in state faculties ought to happen on daily basis. This latter requirement has been condemned by the UN as in breach of the UN Conference on the Rights of the Youngster. The Nationwide Governance Affiliation additionally known as for the requirement to be abolished since 2018, as have most instructing unions. In a debate within the Home of Lords in January, friends known as for the abolition of collective worship in faculties.

Humanists UK has lengthy campaigned towards the authorized requirement, arguing that the regulation is inconsistent with trendy society and calling for collective worship to get replaced by inclusive assemblies. In 2019 we supported Lee and Lizanne Harris to efficiently problem necessary collective worship at their baby’s college on human rights grounds.

Commenting on the Excessive Court docket ruling Humanists UK Chief Govt Andrew Copson stated:

‘Within the absence of nationwide steerage on non secular practices in faculties and of a critical nationwide dialogue about current legal guidelines, circumstances like this can proceed to be introduced. Faculties shouldn’t be left alone to cope with this. As we speak’s Excessive Court docket judgment requires critical considering from the federal government about easy methods to defend the kid’s freedom of faith or perception whereas additionally ensuring our training system is truthful and inclusive to all.

‘We consider a primary step needs to be to resolve the broader challenge of necessary collective worship in faculties and change it with an inclusive type of meeting that makes all pupils really feel welcomed, whereas making cheap lodging for many who need to privately pray or worship the place it doesn’t infringe the rights and freedoms of others. With out such holistic consideration, resentment will proceed to construct inside our faculty system.’

The Arabian peninsula was hit by unprecedented rainfall and floods, shutting colleges and grounding flights on Wednesday, with elements of the desert nation United Arab Emirates receiving 10 inches of rain in 24 hours.

In Oman, not less than 18 folks have died in latest days due to the extreme climate, the nation’s Nationwide Committee for Emergency Administration stated.

The storms swamped roadways and created harmful situations throughout the area, a usually arid a part of the world that’s unaccustomed to intense rain and flash flooding.

Dubai’s airport suggested passengers early Wednesday to not journey to the airport until “completely essential.” Main airline Emirates stated in a post on X it was suspending check-in for all passengers at Dubai till midnight Wednesday (3 p.m. ET).

The Nationwide Middle of Meteorology in Abu Dhabi stated the rain within the UAE surpassed something since data started in 1949, when the world was nonetheless a British protectorate and earlier than the invention of oil.

The Khatm Al Shakla space exterior the town of Al Ain, close to the border with Oman, acquired 10 inches of rain in lower than 24 hours.

The meteorology heart referred to as it “an distinctive occasion within the UAE’s local weather historical past because the begin of recording local weather knowledge, and it’s anticipated that the approaching hours will witness the recording of bigger quantities of rainfall.”

Individuals desirous to vote in subsequent month’s native elections are being reminded to register by the top of the day.

The deadline is quick approaching for voters to have the ability to solid their ballots on 2 Might, when polls are happening throughout the nation.

Practically 2,700 council seats in England are up for grabs throughout 107 native authorities, whereas 37 police and crime commissioners in England and Wales may also be chosen.

Learn Extra: Minister ‘moderately assured’ Rwanda invoice will move this week

Votes are additionally happening to elect a number of the most high-profile regional mayors within the nation, together with Higher Manchester, London and the West Midlands.

Individuals who haven’t but registered to vote, or usually are not positive if they’re eligible, have till 11.59pm on Tuesday to submit an utility.

This may be finished on-line on the federal government’s register to vote web site.

You will want to provide your title, date of beginning, handle, and nationwide insurance coverage quantity with the intention to register.

Round 44 million persons are estimated to be eligible to vote within the elections, however as many as seven million persons are both incorrectly registered or lacking from the register completely, based on the Electoral Fee.

Figures counsel there was a last-minute surge of curiosity to register for subsequent month’s locals – which might paint a telling image of how the basic election anticipated later this 12 months will pan out.

Some 43,037 purposes have been made on Monday, the very best for a single day to date this 12 months and method above the earlier peak of 31,496 on 2 April, authorities figures present.

A median of 26,968 purposes to vote have been made per day within the week to fifteen April, up from 25,552 the earlier week and 20,220 a fortnight in the past.

Learn Extra:
Sunak and Tory MPs vulnerable to election wipeout might preserve seats
Younger individuals’s fears over new voter ID guidelines

Craig Westwood, director of communications on the Electoral Fee, stated: “In the present day is the final day to register to vote forward of the elections on 2 Might.

“Solely people who find themselves registered can have their say on points necessary to their native space, so do not delay.

“Registering to vote is fast and simple – all you want is your title, date of beginning, handle, and nationwide insurance coverage quantity.

“These beforehand on the register who’ve not too long ago moved dwelling or whose particulars have modified might want to register to vote once more.”

New Voter ID Guidelines

All voters meaning to solid a poll within the elections on 2 Might won’t solely have to be registered but in addition present a type of photograph identification on the polling station.

Not all sorts of photograph ID can be accepted, however a passport, driving licence or blue badge are legitimate.

Anybody with out the proper identification might want to apply for a voter authority certificates by 5pm on 24 April, which will be finished on-line.

Photograph ID guidelines have been introduced in as a part of the Elections Act 2022, with the federal government saying they have been essential to fight the chance of in-person voter fraud.

The measure has proved controversial, sparking accusations of gerrymandering and disenfranchisement.

The necessities have been first enforced ultimately 12 months’s native elections in England.

A report by the Electoral Fee advised at the least 14,000 individuals – 0.25% of voters – didn’t vote in these elections after being unable to indicate an accepted type of photograph ID at their polling station.

Sandwell residents are being reminded to ensure they’re eligible to vote within the Could elections.

NEW ORLEANS — Towards the top of top-of-the-line video games of his younger profession, Zion Williamson grabbed a towel and flung it down on the New Orleans Pelicans’ bench.

With 3:13 left and the Pelicans making an attempt a livid comeback, Williamson’s evening was over, the irritating results of a left leg damage.

Williamson had 40 factors, 11 rebounds and 5 assists and had simply tied the rating at 95-95 with a layup in opposition to Los Angeles Lakers middle Anthony Davis.

Lakers coach Darvin Ham referred to as a timeout, however as Williamson walked to the Pelicans’ bench space, one thing was off. He briefly sat down, threw the towel and walked again into the tunnel, ending his evening.

With Williamson out of the equation, the Pelicans could not hold on and the Lakers left the Smoothie King Middle with a 110-106 victory and the No. 7 seed within the playoffs.

The Pelicans will face the Sacramento Kings on Friday evening, however Williamson’s standing is unclear. Following the loss to the Lakers, Williamson was seen strolling round with none wraps on his leg and did not seem to have a limp when he left the locker room.

“Proper now, it is left leg soreness and he will get imaging on it tomorrow,” Pelicans coach Willie Inexperienced mentioned after the sport. “We are going to work out extra. That is the report I obtained again. I have not talked to him. However we’ll see what occurs tomorrow once we get the outcomes again.”

Williamson performed in a career-high 71 video games this season and was taking part in in his first non-regular-season recreation of his younger profession. He missed the Pelicans’ two play-in video games in 2022 due to damage in addition to their playoff sequence that 12 months. He additionally sat out the group’s play-in recreation final season due to an damage.

After simply 12 factors in a Sunday loss to the Lakers to ship New Orleans to the play-in recreation itself, Williamson crossed that mark within the first quarter alone. His 40 factors would have been a season excessive, and he had by no means had a 40-point, 10-rebound recreation in his profession.

“That was every thing that you might have hoped from Z,” Pelicans ahead Larry Nance Jr. mentioned. “He gave us every thing. He was unimaginable tonight. You’ll be able to’t ask for extra from that child. He was unbelievable.”

Stated Inexperienced: “It was powerful to see him go down. We’re all praying and hoping he’s OK. He was battling. He was going. The group was proper there with him. It is powerful. We’ll see what occurs and go from there.”