Sports News Roundup: NBA-James suspended one game, Stewart two after on-court incident; Giants re-sign RHP DeSclafani to 3-year deal and more

Darrell Brooks, 39, was arrested near the scene of Sunday's attack in the town 20 miles (32 km) west of Milwaukee and faces five counts of first-degree homicide. Soccer-FIFA wraps up inspection of potential 2026 World Cup venues FIFA, world soccer's governing body, wrapped up site visits to potential venues for the 2026 World Cup to be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico with a stop in Toronto on Monday, saying a decision on cities can be expected in April.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

NBA-James suspended one game, Stewart two after on-court incident

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James has been handed a one-game suspension without pay and Detroit Piston's Isaiah Stewart a two-game suspension after an on-court incident on Sunday where a swing of James' arm bloodied Stewart's face, the NBA said. James was suspended for "recklessly hitting Stewart in the face and initiating an on-court altercation," Byron Spruell, president of league operations, said in a statement on Monday.

Giants re-sign RHP DeSclafani to 3-year deal

The San Francisco Giants re-signed right-hander Anthony DeSclafani to a 3-year, $36 million contract Monday. The deal comes after a strong season for DeSclafani, who went 13-7 with a 3.17 ERA in 31 starts for San Francisco in 2021. The former Florida Gators hurler, who turns 32 in April, pitched for one season with the Miami Marlins and five seasons with the Cincinnati Reds before joining the Giants last offseason.

Cuban woman says soccer star Maradona raped her as teenager, 'stole my childhood'

Mavys Alvarez, a Cuban woman who had a relationship with late soccer star Diego Maradona two decades ago, told a news conference on Monday that the Argentine player had raped her when she was a teenager and "stolen her childhood." Alvarez, now 37, gave testimony last week to an Argentine Ministry of Justice court that is investigating her allegations of trafficking against Maradona's former entourage, linked to events when she was 16.

Soccer: Southgate wants to 'prove people wrong' at club level after England role

England manager Gareth Southgate said he would like to return to club management at some point and that he would be motivated to "prove people wrong" about his track record in domestic football. Southgate, who was handed the England job on a full-time basis in 2016, signed a new contract through to the end of 2024 on Monday. He led England to the 2018 World Cup semi-finals and the Euro 2020 final this year.

WTA: Chinese tennis player's call with Olympic chief is not enough

Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai's video call with International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach did not address or alleviate concerns about her well-being, the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) said on Monday. The whereabouts of Peng, a former doubles world number one, became a matter of international concern for nearly three weeks after she posted a message on social media alleging that China's former Vice-Premier Zhang Gaoli had sexually assaulted her.

NBA: Bucks hold moment of silence for Wisconsin parade attack victims

The Milwaukee Bucks held a moment of silence prior to their game on Monday for the victims of an attack in Waukesha, Wisconsin, where a motorist sped his SUV through a Christmas parade, killing five people and injuring scores more. Darrell Brooks, 39, was arrested near the scene of Sunday's attack in the town 20 miles (32 km) west of Milwaukee and faces five counts of first-degree homicide.

Soccer-FIFA wraps up inspection of potential 2026 World Cup venues

FIFA, world soccer's governing body, wrapped up site visits to potential venues for the 2026 World Cup to be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico with a stop in Toronto on Monday, saying a decision on cities can be expected in April. After inspection tours of 22 cities and 23 venues a FIFA delegation will now submit a report from which 16 hosts will be chosen although FIFA's chief tournaments and events officer Colin Smith suggested that number was not written in stone.

Cricket: Australia selectors face Paine-ful headache

While Tim Paine will no longer lead his team out as Australia captain in the wake of a 'sexting' scandal, selectors have yet to decide whether he will take the field at all during the Ashes. Being captain was the one thing that guaranteed the 36-year-old selection and he now faces a challenge to prove he deserves a spot behind the stumps.

NFL-Rams' Odell Beckham says he will receive his salary in bitcoin

Los Angeles Rams newly-acquired wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. will receive his total salary from the Rams in bitcoin, he said on Monday, making him the latest NFL star to ask to be paid in the cryptocurrency. "It's a NEW ERA & to kick that off I'm hyped to announce that I'm taking my new salary in bitcoin thanks to CashApp," he wrote on Twitter.

Soccer: Messi, Ronaldo and Salah on shortlist for FIFA Best Men's Player award

Paris St Germain forward Lionel Messi, Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo and Liverpool's Mohamed Salah are among the 11 players shortlisted for The Best FIFA Men's Player award, the world governing body said on Monday. The trio are joined by last year's winner Robert Lewandowski of Bayern Munich, Manchester City playmaker Kevin De Bruyne and Chelsea duo N'Golo Kante and Jorginho.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)