Police in the Netherlands used water cannons in The Hague today to remove environmental activists that have been disrupting traffic for seven days.

Protesters, from groups including Extinction Rebellion, Greenpeace, and others, have been demanding that the Dutch government end subsidies to industries using fossil fuels.

Photos on Friday showed water cannons spraying protestors as they blocked the A12 through The Hague. Protestors carried signs reading ‘Stop Financing the Problem’ as police appeared to detain the activists.

The demonstrations followed a report published last week by The Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations that revealed that the Dutch government has been subsidising industries that use oil, coal, and gas to the tune of some €37.5billion.

Police were carting protestors out of the road, while activists sat beneath umbrellas as they were showered by water cannons.

Thousands have been detained since the protests began a week ago. 

Last Saturday, some 10,000 were reported to have attended the demonstration, and over 3,000 protestors were detained over the weekend.

The protests in the Netherlands on Friday coincided with others held in dozens of other countries around the world as climate groups hoped for a weekend of demonstrations intended to conclude with a March to End Fossil Fuels on Sunday in New York, where leaders are gathering at the United Nations General Assembly. 

The United Nations is hosting the Climate Ambition Summit on September 20. 

Activists in The Hague have promised to stay put and return if removed until the Dutch government alters its approach to subsidies for fossil fuel consuming industries.

Environmentalists have staged several large protests in the Netherlands over the past several months. Activists also blocked the A12 which runs past the current temporary home of the Dutch parliament in May and March.

While the Netherlands is often seen as an environmental leader, there are calls for further green measures to be put in place as the country moves towards early general elections in November.

Incumbent Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte, who has been in power almost thirteen years, has said that he will not stand for re-election. His coalition collapsed amid a dispute over migration policy in July.

The Netherlands wants to cut emissions of pollutants by 50 per cent by 2030 in what the government has described as an ‘unavoidable transition’.

Chris Paul’s stay in Washington didn’t last long, with the NBA icon reportedly being traded to the Golden State Warriors, with Jordan Poole heading the other way.

Paul revealed earlier in the week that he found out he was being sent to the Wizards while on a flight to New York, and his future has changed once more, as first revealed by NBA insiders Shams Charania and Adrian Wojnarowski. 

It has been revealed that Paul will head to the Warriors, while Washington in return receive Poole, second-rounder Ryan Rollins, a protected first-round pick in 2030 and a second-round pick in 2027.

More to follow. 

The Los Angeles Lakers have serious concerns over the condition of Anthony Davis amid reports he left Wednesday’s game with Golden State Warriors in a wheelchair.

Davis appeared to take an accidental hit to the side of the head from Kevon Looney in Wednesday’s playoff game against Golden State and was in clear discomfort when he was sat on the sidelines.

Chris Haynes then said on the live commentary that Davis left in a wheelchair after being subbed out and he did appear shaky on his feet as he tried to walk off the court on television.

Haynes later said on NBA on TNT that he had been told Davis took a hit to the temple but had avoided a concussion, He admitted it looked ‘really scary’.

Lakers coach Darvin Ham also moved to ease concerns in his post-game press conference, saying he checked on Davis in the locker room and he seemed to be ok. 

‘Obviously everyone saw he took a shot to the head,’ Ham said. ‘I just checked in on him. He seems to be doing really good already.

‘That is where it is at, that is the status of it right now.’

ESPN’s NBA reporter Dave McMenamin claimed Warriors medics were waiting outside the Lakers locker room to find out if they were needed to assist Davis.

When he was speaking to the media, Ham had no further update on when he will learn more on how Davis is. ‘We just got done with the game,’ he said. 

McMenamin said Austin Davis of the Lakers said ‘I believe he’ll (Davis) play’ in Game 6 on Friday night.

But even so, if there are any concerns of a concussion then Davis now has to be a major doubt for Game 6 on Friday in Los Angeles. 

Davis finished with 23 points on 10-for-18 shooting, nine rebounds and three assists but didn’t block a shot. The Lakers lost the game 121-106.

Klay Thompson scored 30 points with eight 3-pointers, Golden State limited Anthony Davis while allowing LeBron James 23 points, and the defending champion Warriors evened their Western Conference semifinal with the Los Angeles Lakers at one game apiece with a 127-100 win Thursday night.

Stephen Curry added 20 points and 12 assists as Splash Brother Thompson shined to help Golden State make 21 more 3-pointers – giving the Warriors an NBA record for most in the first two games of a playoff series at 42. James’ Cavaliers hit 40 against Atlanta in the 2016 second round.

Coach Steve Kerr switched things up and inserted JaMychal Green into the starting lineup for Kevon Looney, who had a career-high 23 rebounds in Game 1 but has been dealing with an illness.

Kerr aimed to give a different look with scoring options and perhaps more free-throw chances by going hard at Davis in the paint – where Golden State got thoroughly outplayed in a 117-112 loss in the opener.

Thompson’s basket with 7:48 left in the third gave Golden State its biggest lead at 82-64 and the Warriors rolled from there.

The Warriors had more fast-break points and points in the paint. JaMychal Green matched his playoff career high with 15 points, while Draymond Green contributed 11 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists after insisting he had to get more aggressive.

The best-of-seven series shifts to Los Angeles for Game 3 on Saturday.

James shot 6 for 8 in the first with a pair of 3s for 14 points as the Lakers led 33-26. He retrieved a loose ball and let it fly for a pretty 3 with 7:47 before halftime but the Warriors were too much.

Davis followed up his brilliant Game 1 performance – 30 points, 23 rebounds, five assists and four blocked shots and 11-for-19 shooting – with 11 points while shooting 5 for 11, seven rebounds, four assists and three blocks.

Golden State outscored the Lakers 84-47 over the second and third quarters – recording two 40-point quarters in the same playoff game for the first time in franchise history.

Looney received huge roars as he came off the bench for his first action with 3:41 left in the first. He grabbed eight rebounds and scored six points playing just less than 12 minutes.

Kerr was hardly worried ahead of Game 2, pointing to how Golden State lost Game 1 of the NBA Finals at home to Boston last year before winning it all.

The Warriors also rallied from a 2-0 deficit in their first-round series to beat Sacramento, the first defending champion to ever do so.

Thompson shot 11 for 18 and 8 of 11 from deep. His 19 points in the first half were his most in a postseason contest since he scored 21 in Game 6 against the Rockets in 2019. 

Anthony Davis manhandled the Golden State Warriors with his 30 points enough to give the LA Lakers a 117-112 Game 1 win. 

A 14-0 Warriors run naturally spearheaded by Stephen Curry almost brought the Warriors a magical comeback win but D’Angelo Russell and LeBron James made the final two shots of the game to take Game 1 for the Purple and Gold.

Incredibly, the Tuesday night classic was tied at 112 with 1:25 remaining in the ball game before Russell’s jumper and a James free throw. Golden State couldn’t connect on its final three shots as the Lakers held on. 

Before Draymond Green’s irrelevant game-ending air ball, Jordan Poole had two chances — including a missed game-tying three-pointer from 28 feet with nine seconds remaining. His long-range attempt was ridiculed on social media, partly given the shooting prowess surrounding him. 

Davis’ astonishing 30-point, 23 rebound, five-assist night was almost overshadowed due to the late Curry-led charge, but ultimately received its rightful moment in the spotlight as LA put down the first marker.

The Warriors had three players who hit six three-pointers in the game; Poole (6-11), Curry (6-13) and Klay Thompson (6-16).  

More to come…