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WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Willy Adames homered and drew a pair of bases-loaded walks, and the San Francisco Giants beat the Athletics 6-2 on Sunday night. Tyler Fitzgerald also hit a solo homer, and Rafael Devers and Wilmer Flores each had two hits to help back an uneven but effective outing by San Francisco starter Hayden Birdsong. One night after setting a season high with four RBIs, Adames stayed hot at the plate to help the Giants take two of three from their former Bay Area rivals. Adames walked to force in a run in the first inning, hit a solo home run off A's starter Jacob Lopez leading off the fourth then walked again with the bases full in the fifth. It's the first time that a Giants shortstop has had three RBIs in consecutive games since Rich Aurilia in 2000. Tyler Soderstrom had two hits including his 15th home run for the A's. Birdsong (4-3) pitched around traffic most of the evening and didn't allow a run until Soderstrom's solo home run leading off the fourth. He had six strikeouts and overcame control problems to win for the first time since June 1. Spencer Bivens and All-Star reliever Randy Rodríguez each retired three batters. Camilo Doval allowed a run in the ninth before getting Jacob Wilson to ground out and complete the five-hitter. Lopez (2-5) allowed four runs and five hits in 4 1/3 innings. Key moment After issuing a bases-loaded walk on a checked-swing, Lopez retired the next eight batters including seven consecutive swinging strikeouts. Key stat Birdsong walked five batters, none of which scored. Up next Giants RHP Landen Roupp (6-5, 3.48 ERA) faces Phillies LHP Cristopher Sanchez (7-2, 2.68) on Monday. Athletics LHP Jeffrey Springs (6-6, 4.07) pitches against Braves RHP Didier Fuentes (0-2, 9.00) on Tuesday. ___ AP MLB:https://apnews.com/hub/MLB
DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Abdulrazak al-Jenan swept the dust off his solar panel on his apartment roof overlooking Damascus. Syria's largest city was mostly pitch-black, the few speckles of light coming from the other households able to afford solar panels, batteries, or private generators. Al-Jenan went thousands of dollars in debt to buy his solar panel in 2019. It was an expensive coping mechanism at the time, but without it, he couldn't charge his phone and run the refrigerator. Syria has not hadmore than four hours of state electricity per dayfor years, as a result of the nearly 14-year civil war that ended with the ouster offormer President Bashar Assadin December. Syria's new leaders are hoping renewable energy will now become more than a patchwork solution. Investment is beginning to return to the country withthe lifting of U.S. sanctions, and major energy projects are planned, including an industrial-scale solar farm that would secure about a tenth of the country's energy needs. "The solution to the problem isn't putting solar panels on roofs," Syria's interim Energy Minister Mohammad al-Bashir told The Associated Press. "It's securing enough power for the families through our networks in Syria. This is what we're trying to do." Restoring the existing energy infrastructure Some of the efforts focus on simply repairing infrastructure destroyed in the war. The World Bank recently announced a $146 million grant to help Syria repair damaged transmission lines and transformer substations. Al-Bashir said Syria's infrastructure that has been repaired can provide 5,000 megawatts, about half the country's needs, but fuel and gas shortages have hampered generation. With the sanctions lifted, that supply could come in soon. More significantly, Syria recently signed a $7 billion energy deal with a consortium of Qatari, Turkish, and American companies. The program over the next three and a half years would develop four combined-cycle gas turbines with a total generating capacity estimated at approximately 4,000 megawatts and a 1,000-megawatt solar farm. This would "broadly secure the needs" of Syrians, said Al-Bashir. While Syria is initially focusing on fixing its existing fossil fuel infrastructure to improve quality of life, help make businesses functional again, and entice investors, the U.N. Development Program said in May that a renewable energy plan will be developed in the next year for the country. The plan will look at Syria's projected energy demand and determine how much of it can come from renewable sources. "Given the critical role of energy in Syria's recovery, we have to rapidly address energy poverty and progressively accelerate the access to renewable energy," Sudipto Mukerjee, UNDP's resident representative in Syria, said in a statement announcing the plan. Sanctions crippled the power grid While the war caused significant damage to Syria's infrastructure, cripplingWashington-led sanctions imposedduring the Assad dynasty's decades of draconian rule made it impossible for Syria to secure fuel and spare parts to generate power. "Many companies over the past period would tell us the sanctions impact matters like imports, implementing projects, transferring funds and so on," al-Bashir said. During a visit to Turkey in May, the minister said Syria could only secure about 1700 megawatts, a little less than 20%, of its energy needs. A series of executive orders by U.S. President DonaldTrump lifted many sanctionson Syria, aiming to end the country's isolation from the global banking system so that it can become viable again and rebuild itself. The United Nations estimates the civil war caused hundreds of billions of dollars in damages and economic losses across the country. Some 90% of Syrianslive in poverty. Buying solar panels, private generators or other means of producing their own energy has been out of reach for most of the population. "Any kind of economic recovery needs a functional energy sector," said Joseph Daher, Syrian-Swiss economist and researcher, who said that stop-gap measures like solar panels and private generators were luxuries only available to a few who could afford it. "There is also a need to diminish the cost of electricity in Syria, which is one of the most expensive in the region." Prices for electricity in recent years surged as the country under its former rulers struggled with currency inflation and rolling back on subsidies. The new officials who inherited the situation say that lifting sanctions will help them rectify the country's financial and economic woes, and provide sufficient and affordable electricity as soon as they can. "The executive order lifts most of the obstacles for political and economic investment with Syria," said Qutaiba Idlibi, who leads the Americas section of the Foreign Ministry. Syria has been under Washington-led sanctions for decades, but designations intensified during the warthat started in 2011. Even with some waivers for humanitarian programs, it was difficult to bring in resources and materials to fix Syria's critical infrastructure — especially electricity — further compounding the woes of the vast majority of Syrians, who live in poverty. The focus is economic recovery The removal of sanctions signals to U.S. businesses thatTrumpis serious in his support for Syria's recovery, Idlibi said. "Right now, we have a partnership with the United States as any normal country would do," he said. Meanwhile, Al-Jenan is able to turn on both his fans on a hot summer day while he watches the afternoon news on TV, as the temperature rises to 35 degrees Celsius (95 F). He doesn't want to let go of his solar panel but hopes the lifting of sanctions will eventually bring sustainable state electricity across the country. "We can at least know what's going on in the country and watch on TV," he said. "We really were cut off from the entire world." ___ Chehayeb reported from Beirut.
ISTANBUL (Reuters) -Turkey's pro-Kurdish DEM party will meet President Tayyip Erdogan on Monday, seeking to move along a peace process between the Turkish state and the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group. DEM, the country's third-biggest party and which has played a key role facilitating the PKK's disarmament decision in May, said it met PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan in prison on Sunday. "(Ocalan) he said he attaches great importance to our delegation's meeting with the president described it as historic," the party said in a statement. The PKK, which has been locked in a bloody conflict with the Turkish state for more than four decades, decided in May to disband and end its armed struggle. The PKK could start handing over its weapons in the coming days, officials and sources said. President Erdogan will receive DEM Party leaders and delegation in Ankara at 1200 GMT. They are expected to discuss the recent developments in the PKK disarmament process. Since Ocalan's public call to his PKK in February, DEM has held talks with Erdogan and other government officials seeking to propel the potential peace process. Since the PKK launched its insurgency against Turkey in 1984 - originally with the aim of creating an independent Kurdish state - the conflict has killed more than 40,000 people, imposed a huge economic burden and fuelled social tensions. (Reporting by Ezgi Erkoyun and Zeynep Berkem; Editing by Michael Perry)
No. 2 men's seed Carlos Alcaraz withstood an early scare from No. 14 Andrey Rublev to continue his pursuit of a third consecutive Wimbledon title, winning in four sets Sunday 7-6 (5), 6-3, 6-4, 6-4. Rublev challenged Alcaraz from the start, running out to a 4-1 lead in the first set as the defending Wimbledon champion struggled to get into a rhythm. He had difficulty winning his serve while also committing several unforced errors. Alcaraz finally held serve to close within 4-2 and showed some emotion as he tried to fire himself up. Rublev then made an error at the net on an Alcaraz drop shot, giving him an opening to gain two points in the set. Alcaraz went on to win 11 of the next 12 points. Rublev appeared as if he might be running low on energy after a frenetic start, and that allowed Alcaraz to get back into the set. Alcaraz took a hard fall and lost his racket while reaching to return a serve, but wasn't injured. That almost seemed to be an answer to Rublev's early aggressiveness, doing everything he could to get back into the match and force a tiebreaker. Despite his own fall in the same corner after the two switched sides, Rublev was undeterred and went ahead 3-2 in the tiebreaker. Alcaraz showed his range by going deep in the corner to return two shots, but hit his next one into the net to fall behind 6-5. And at that point, the crowd came to life, sensing Rublev was about to win the first set. That feeling was affirmed when Alcaraz again went deep behind the baseline for a return, but hit it into the net to lose the tiebreaker, 7-5. Rublev won four of his six tiebreaking sets during this Wimbledon tournament. RUBLEV IS PUMPED!He takes the opening set 7-6(5) against Alcaraz 😮💨#Wimbledonpic.twitter.com/vJRAUvNoRf — Wimbledon (@Wimbledon)July 6, 2025 Yet anyone who thought Alcaraz might be shaken by losing that first set was quickly corrected. He took control with his serve in the second set and a forehand return seemed to surprise Rublev. After Rublev held serve to tie the set at 2-2, Alcaraz mixed in different tactics with his rocket serves and forehands, slicing balls down the line and feathering drop shots at the net. That had Rublev moving all over the court and curbed what was a successful aggressive approach. Tied at 3-3, Rublev double-faulted to allow Alcaraz to break serve. The Russian couldn't recover from there, frustrated he couldn't win his serve as Alcaraz held to get the final two points and win the second set. CARLOS ALCARAZ IS UNREAL 😱📺: ABCpic.twitter.com/qc0FxkBt4E — ESPN (@espn)July 6, 2025 The two began the third set going back and forth, but Alcaraz arguably won the point of the match by sliding on the grass toward the corner to return a cross-court shot that darted just out of Rublev's reach for a 4-3 lead. The crowd erupted at the amazing play from the two-time Wimbledon champion, and Alcaraz held his finger to his ear, asking for more. From there, Rublev played like he knew the set was lost and ready to start fresh. Perhaps the difference in the match was Rublev couldn't raise his play to another level when he had Alcaraz playing catch-up. Contrarily, Alcaraz seemed to get better as the match wore on, reaching to find an extra boost when he needed it. Rublev kept attempting to win his serve, aiming toward the lines to get Alcaraz chasing. But Alcaraz either got to the shots he wasn't able to get to earlier in the match, or Rublev wasn't quite as precise as when he started. The fourth set began with Alcaraz getting two aces, but Rublev didn't move further back to try to adjust to the serve. That may have been another difference as Alcaraz changed his approach and mixed up his shots as the match progressed. Those adjustments helped him recover from Rublev's early onslaught. Rublev came back to save three break points to stay alive. But Alcaraz broke his serve to go up 3-2. If there was one adjustment Rublev appeared to make, it was with his mental and emotional approach. During breaks in play, he looked like he was trying to calm down and not lose his composure as Alcaraz took control. Under those circumstances, Rublev wasn't just battling his opponent but himself as well. "It's just about belief"Carlos Alcaraz reflects on coming back from one set down against Andrey Rublev.#Wimbledonpic.twitter.com/1X8fW54TTC — Wimbledon (@Wimbledon)July 6, 2025 Three consecutive errors demonstrated Rublev lost that battle, despite the crowd trying to give him a lift. After eventually losing the fourth set, he quickly left the court like someone who knew he let an opportunity for a career-making win get away. Alcaraz praised Rublev's power in his on-court interview after the match. But he credited his own mental approach, saying, "It was just about belief," and not getting down after losing that first set. "Andrey is one of the most powerful, if not the most powerful player, that we have on tour," Alcaraz said. "Aggressive with that forehand, it's difficult to face him. He's pushing you to a limit, running side to side. But I was happy with the way I moved. I think I played intelligently, smart today." Alcaraz will face Cameron Norrie in the Wimbledon quarterfinals. The Brit could have the crowd on his side, especially after winning a thrilling five-set match over Chile's Nicolas Jarry 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-7 (7), 6-7 (5), 6-3.
Kevin Durant's run with the Phoenix Suns has officially come to an end. The trade that moved Durant to the Houston Rockets became official Sunday in what ended up beinga record seven-team deal. Shortly after that went through, Durant posted a long goodbye message to the Suns on social media. My time in Phoenix has come to an end. All these stops along the journey have really impacted me in a positive way. Remeber it's a world behind the scenes, and those who make things work in that space, work tirelessly to make our lives easier as players. I appreciate all the… — Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5)July 6, 2025 "My time in Phoenix has come to an end," he wrote. "All these stops along the journey have really impacted me in a positive way. Remeber [sic] it's a world behind the scenes, and those who make things work in that space, work tirelessly to make our lives easier as players. I appreciate all the quick interactions with everybody from support staff to teammates, distant cousins, it's all a family that I'm grateful to be a part of, no matter what. I truly believe this NBA is one big community. Much love to Arizona. Houston, can't wait!" Durant, who will turn 37 this fall, is now set to play for his fifth team in the league. The 15-time All-Star and four-time scoring champion averaged 26.6 points, 6 rebounds and 4.2 assists last season. Though Durant was clearly the centerpiece of the Suns during his two full seasons there, the team struggled to really get off the ground. Durant, who was traded there by the Brooklyn Nets during the 2022-23 season, ended up having three different head coaches in Phoenix. They went just 36-46 last season and missed the playoffs and were eliminated in the opening round of the playoffs in 2024. Durant has one year left on his current contract, and he's eligible for a two-year extension next summer. The team appears ready to make a championship push now after making a series of big moves this offseason. They also landed center Clint Capela in Sunday's trade, and he'll help back up Alperen Şengün down low. Fred VanVleet, Amen Thompson and Jabari Smith Jr. then likely round out the team's starting lineup with Durant. The Rockets went 52-30 last season and made the playoffs for the first time in five years, though they were knocked out in the opening round. The Rockets are clearly on the way up as head coach Ime Udoka enters his third season at the helm, and Durant's presence there can only help in their quest to win what would be their first championship in more than three decades. And as he enters the last stretch of his career, having that opportunity in front of him is about all Durant can ask for.
At least 80 people are dead and others missing after heavy rain lashed Texas,leading to "catastrophic" flooding. By far the greatest number of fatalities occurred in Kerr County, where 68 people at last word are believed to be dead, according to officials, including 28 children. At least 41 people are missing statewide as of late Sunday afternoon, officials said. President Trump has signed a disaster declaration for Kerr County and the Federal Emergency Management Agency is on the ground there, the Department of Homeland Security said Sunday. Jul 6, 11:19 PMDeath toll in Texas flooding rises to at least 80 At least 80 people have died in Texas as a result of the catastrophic flooding in the state. The death toll continues to rise as officials in affected areas conduct search and rescue operations.By far the greatest number of fatalities occurred in Kerr County, where at least 68 people are believed to be dead, according to officials. Deaths were also reported in Travis County, Williamson County, Burnet County and Tom Green County.-ABC News' Darren Reynolds Jul 6, 10:06 PMAdditional rainfall, search and rescue operations continue in Kerr County: Sheriff Officials in Kerr County, Texas, said in an update on Sunday that search and rescue operations are continuing as additional rain impacts already flood-hit areas."There was additional rain in the upper Guadalupe basin this afternoon, leading to a rise in Johnson Creek," the Kerr County Sheriff's Office wrote in a post on Facebook. The agency said the additional rainfall may lead to a rise of one to two feet downstream when it enters the Guadalupe River in Ingram."Please be aware if you are near the Guadalupe River or Johnson Creek," the sheriff's office said. Jul 6, 6:07 PMTrump says he'll 'probably' visit Texas on Friday, avoids FEMA question Speaking with reporters before boarding Air Force One on Sunday, President Donald Trump spoke about the flooding in Texas, saying he'll "probably" visit the state on Friday."We're working very close with representatives from Texas, and it's a horrible thing that took place, absolutely horrible," Trump said, saying he's spoken with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. Asked if the meteorologists at the National Weather Service who were impacted by the federal cuts should be hired back, Trump initially said he didn't know but eventually said no.Trump also wouldn't answer if he was working on plans to phase out the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), as internal documents show the agency isn't properly staffed."Well, FEMA is something we can talk about later, but right now they're busy working, so we'll leave it at that," the president said.-ABC News' Lalee Ibssa and Hannah Demissie Jul 6, 5:23 PMTexas flooding death toll now at least 78 The number of deaths due to the flooding in Texas is now at least 78, according to the latest information from state officials.Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) Chief Nim Kidd said during an afternoon press conference with Gov. Greg Abbott in Austin that there were at least 69 people confirmed dead, based on information that was "a few hours hold" at the time they prepared for the conference.Those numbers included 59 confirmed dead in Kerr County, according to Abbott and Kidd, with 41 missing across the state.In a separate press conference the began just as Gov. Abbott's was ending, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said that as of 1:30 p.m. local time, there were 68 dead in the county, including 28 children – nine more Kerr County deaths that previously reported.Eighteen adults and 10 children are pending identification, according to Leitha.Leitha added that 10 campers and one counselor at Camp Mystic remain unaccounted for. Earlier Sunday, 11 campers remained unaccounted for. It's not known if the single camper was found alive or is among the dead.Gov. Abbott said only people with "specific information" about a missing person should contact officials in order to prevent unnecessary calls from potentially interfering with recovery efforts. Jul 6, 4:16 PMGov. Abbott giving press conference Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and other officials are currently conducting a press conference in Austin to share the latest information regarding the flooding in Texas. Jul 6, 1:05 PMFEMA activated in Texas, according to DHS The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has been activated in Texas, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).The activation comes in the wake of President Trump on Sunday signing a disaster declaration for hard-hit Kerr County, where at least 59 people have died as a result of the torrential rains and resulting flooding.The U.S. Coast Guard is also helping with search-and-rescue operations in the area, according to DHS, using helicopters and other aircraft equipped with thermal cameras to search for survivors.DHS Secretary Kristi Noem is "on the ground with Governor Abbott and local leaders on Saturday and will continue to work to make sure Texas has the resources needed to respond and recover," the DHS statement said. Jul 6, 11:40 AMPresident Trump signs "Major Disaster Declaration" for Kerr County, Texas President Donald Trump posted on his social media platform Sunday morning that he has signed a "Major Disaster Declaration" for Kerr County, Texas.The declaration is "to ensure that our Brave First Responders immediately have the resources they need," the post said, in part."These families are enduring an unimaginable tragedy, with many lives lost, and many still missing. The Trump Administration continues to work closely with State and Local Leaders. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem was on the ground yesterday with Governor Greg Abbott, who is working hard to help the people of his Great State," Trump also wrote. Jul 6, 11:21 AM59 dead in Kerr County, including 21 children, sheriff says Fifty-nine people are dead as a result of the flooding and torrential rains in Kerr County, Texas, Sheriff Larry Leitha said during a Sunday-morning press conference. That tally includes 38 adults and 21 children, Leitha said.Leitha also said 11 campers and one counselor remained missing from Camp Mystic, located on the banks of the Guadalupe River.Search and rescue efforts are ongoing, Leitha said. Jul 5, 7:12 PM43 dead in Kerr County Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha provided an update on the flood damage in his area during a news conference and said the death toll rose to 43 people as of 7 p.m. ET."Among these who are deceased, we have 28 adults and 15 children," he said.Leitha said five children and 12 adults are pending identification."I assure you we're going to do everything along with our partners, and we'll be on this till we find the last body," he said. Jul 5, 4:47 PM32 dead, including 14 children, in catastrophic flooding At least 32 people are dead, including 14 children, Texas officials said Saturday. Officials are still searching for 27 people who are missing."My instruction to every state official involved is to assume everybody who is missing is alive, and there's a need for speed. Not just every hour, every minute counts, which is why there's people in the air, people in the water, people at the ground right now because they're looking to save every last life and we will not give up that effort," Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said at a press conference.Search and rescue teams are continuing to search for live victims, officials said. Click here to read the rest of the blog.
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