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CHICAGO (AP) — Two-time NBA scoring champion Joel Embiid returned to the Philadelphia 76ers' starting lineup against the Chicago Bulls on Sunday. After missing his first seven shots and ambling deliberately in his left knee brace in the first quarter, the 2023 MVP went on a tear to propel the Sixers to a 108-100 win over the Chicago Bulls. Embiid connected on eight of his next 10 shots in the second quarter for his first 19 points of the game, which lifted Philadelphia to a 62-50 halftime lead. The Sixers stretched it to 19 before holding on for their fourth win in five games, and Embiid finished with 31. “I just got lucky and started making shots,” Embiid deadpanned when he talked to reporters almost 90 minutes after the game. “We just missed shots and we adjusted and we got them in.” Embiid, a seven-time All-Star, added 12 rebounds in his fifth game this season. The 7-foot center had missed the previous seven games because of knee injuries and a three-game suspension for pushing a sports columnist. Embiid finished slightly above his career average of nearly 27.8 points per game in 33 minutes. The Sixers don't play again until Friday thanks to the NBA Cup, so coach Nick Nurse planned to give his star ample work Sunday with a break and recovery time ahead. “All of a sudden he certainly caught fire there with a little bit of variety,” Nurse said. “I know a lot of it seemed like foul-line jumpers, which it was. He snuck in a roll or two and a couple of post-ups. It gave us a lot of confidence.” The Sixers trailed 33-23 after the first quarter. Behind Embiid and a 16-0 run in the second, they took the lead for good. Chicago got within four points twice in the fourth, but Philadelphia closed it out. “We guarded really well and we rebounded extremely well at both ends,” Nurse said. Tyrese Maxey got his first career triple-double as part of the winning formula and clicked with Embiid. Maxey finished with 25 points, 14 assists and 11 rebounds. “It was great, that's who he is,” Maxey said of Embiid. “After he got in the game it's easy, it was easier, man. There was a lot more space out there.” The All-Star trio of Embiid, Maxey and Paul George (12 points) played together for only the second game this season. “Obviously we've got the connection,” Embiid said. "We know when things are not going right, what we need to do. Now it's up to us to make the shots and the plays. “After that first quarter, it just felt like we needed to take more of an ownership as far as getting us back in the game. They're great players.” AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nbaArticle content VICTORIA — The B.C. NDP and federal Liberal governments took victory laps last year after putting up a combined $285 million to secure a high-performance battery plant in Maple Ridge. The project looked to be an impressive one, according to the Nov. 14, 2023 news release. Taiwanese-owned E-One Moli and its investors were putting up the balance of $765 million for the $1.05-billion expansion of the company’s existing plant in Maple Ridge. The commitment would secure 100 existing jobs and add 350 more. Construction to start in the summer of 2024. When the expanded facility was up and running in 2028, it would be “Western Canada’s first high-performance lithium-ion battery cell manufacturing facility, creating a new hub in the global battery component supply chain.” For Premier David Eby, the green light from E-One Moli was proof positive that his government had made the province into “a centre for innovation, investment and cutting-edge technology” and “a leader in building a clean-energy future.” Eby, then heading into an election year, also took a swipe at his critics on the climate action front. “We know that this is what we have to do,” he told reporters. “The people who suggest that we have to accept that (climate change) as the future and stop taking action are simply wrong.” Then-B.C. Jobs Minister Brenda Bailey observed that jurisdictions all over the world were competing for battery plants. But in this case, B.C. was the chosen one. “This investment is a powerful example of a global leader in clean-technology manufacturing choosing to anchor its North American production and operations at home,” said Bailey. “B.C. has shown time and again that our province is stronger when we invest in people and the vision they have for a cleaner future.” B.C. officials said that the province’s supply of clean green power was a factor in attracting the project as well. E-One Moli would be switching some of its power from natural gas to electricity, “as well as participating in the load attraction program aimed at diversifying industries in B.C. wanting to connect to B.C. Hydro.” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who joined Eby and Bailey for the announcement at the E-One Moli site, went with that Canadian standby, a hockey metaphor. “This is where the puck is going,” Trudeau told reporters. “This is the future we are building every single day. Climate policy is economic policy. “The world is looking to Canada. When we support projects like E-One Moli’s new facility in Maple Ridge, we bolster Canada’s role as a global clean-tech leader, create good jobs, and help keep our air clean.” Trudeau’s commitment also addressed Eby’s concern that B.C. had been sidelined while the federal government committed to backing development of a trio of battery plants in Eastern Canada. The scale of the federal commitment did not warrant close inspection. Senior governments were putting up almost $44 billion to underwrite plants in Ontario and Quebec, according to the parliamentary budget officer. The Maple Ridge project drew a mere fraction of those billions, with Ottawa contributing $205 million and the province $80 million. Still, it was something to celebrate. In the months following the November 2023 announcement, the New Democrats would cite the Maple Ridge plant again and again as evidence that they were putting the province on the “cutting edge” of battery technology. But there were no media releases, nor any cause for victory laps with this week’s news that E-Moli had hit pause on the Maple Ridge plant. “$1 billion lithium-ion battery factory on hold,” read the headline on the front page of The Vancouver Sun on Wednesday. “Over the past year, we have seen a major scale-back in electrification projects globally,” company executive Frank So told Sun reporter Derrick Penner by e-mail. The cancellations or postponements included 17 lithium-ion battery manufacturing plants of one kind or another. Company chair Nelson Chang of parent Taiwan Cement Corp. said E-One Moli would hold off building any new plants abroad until it reaches “full efficiency” in its gigafactory in Taiwan. In contrast to the rhetorical flourishes that followed last year’s announcement, the New Democrats downplayed the significance of the latest development regarding the Maple Ridge plant. No more talk of B.C.’s supposed advantages over other jurisdictions in attracting investment. Instead, a statement from the energy ministry attributed the pause entirely to “a global recalibration driven by market conditions.” Not for the first time had B.C. arrived late to the game of attracting investment in the latest fashion in cutting-edge technology. Last year, Eby declared his enthusiasm for Australia-based Fortescue’s proposal to build a $2-billion hydrogen plant on a site near Prince George. “I love this project,” the premier declared, and predicted it could become a hub for hydrogen-based development. This fall, the company walked away after expressing doubts that B.C. could provide the necessary supply of “affordable” electricity and the “favourable” policies to go along with it. The premier just can’t resist these premature victory laps. Next time he touts a billion-dollar project, I suggest waiting until construction is well underway before getting caught up in the celebrations.
It looked like a recipe for disaster. So, when his country's swimmers were being accused of doping earlier this year, one Chinese official cooked up something fast. He blamed it on contaminated noodles. In fact, he argued, it could have been a culinary conspiracy concocted by criminals, whose actions led to the cooking wine used to prepare the noodles being laced with a banned heart drug that found its way into an athlete's system. This theory was spelled out to international anti-doping officials during a meeting and, after weeks of wrangling, finally made it into the thousands of pages of data handed over to the lawyer who investigated the case involving 23 Chinese swimmers who had tested positive for that same drug. The attorney, appointed by the World Anti-Doping Agency, refused to consider that scenario as he sifted through the evidence. In spelling out his reasoning, lawyer Eric Cottier paid heed to the half-baked nature of the theory. “The Investigator considers this scenario, which he has described in the conditional tense, to be possible, no less, no more,” Cottier wrote. Even without the contaminated-noodles theory, Cottier found problems with the way WADA and the Chinese handled the case but ultimately determined WADA had acted reasonably in not appealing China's conclusion that its athletes had been inadvertently contaminated. Critics of the way the China case was handled can't help but wonder if a wider exploration of the noodle theory, details of which were discovered by The Associated Press via notes and emails from after the meeting where it was delivered, might have lent a different flavor to Cottier's conclusions. “There are more story twists to the ways the Chinese explain the TMZ case than a James Bond movie,” said Rob Koehler, the director general of the advocacy group Global Athlete. "And all of it is complete fiction.” In April, reporting from the New York Times and the German broadcaster ARD revealed that the 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive for the banned heart medication trimetazidine, also known as TMZ. China's anti-doping agency determined the athletes had been contaminated, and so, did not sanction them. WADA accepted that explanation , did not press the case further, and China was never made to deliver a public notice about the “no-fault findings,” as is often seen in similar cases. The stock explanation for the contamination was that traces of TMZ were found in the kitchen of a hotel where the swimmers were staying. In his 58-page report , Cottier relayed some suspicions about the feasibility of that chain of events — noting that WADA's chief scientist “saw no other solution than to accept it, even if he continued to have doubts about the reality of contamination as described by the Chinese authorities.” But without evidence to support pursuing the case, and with the chance of winning an appeal at almost nil, Cottier determined WADA's “decision not to appeal appears indisputably reasonable.” A mystery remained: How did those traces of TMZ get into the kitchen? Shortly after the doping positives were revealed, the Institute of National Anti-Doping Organizations held a meeting on April 30 where it heard from the leader of China's agency, Li Zhiquan. Li's presentation was mostly filled with the same talking points that have been delivered throughout the saga — that the positive tests resulted from contamination from the kitchen. But he expanded on one way the kitchen might have become contaminated, harkening to another case in China involving a low-level TMZ positive. A pharmaceutical factory, he explained, had used industrial alcohol in the distillation process for producing TMZ. The industrial alcohol laced with the drug “then entered the market through illegal channels,” he said. The alcohol "was re-used by the perpetrators to process and produce cooking wine, which is an important seasoning used locally to make beef noodles,” Li said. “The contaminated beef noodles were consumed by that athlete, resulting in an extremely low concentration of TMZ in the positive sample. "The wrongdoers involved have been brought to justice.” This new information raised eyebrows among the anti-doping leaders listening to Li's report. So much so that over the next month, several emails ensued to make sure the details about the noodles and wine made their way to WADA lawyers, who could then pass it onto Cottier. Eventually, Li did pass on the information to WADA general counsel Ross Wenzel and, just to be sure, one of the anti-doping leaders forwarded it, as well, according to the emails seen by the AP. All this came with Li's request that the noodles story be kept confidential. Turns out, it made it into Cottier's report, though he took the information with a grain of salt. “Indeed, giving it more attention would have required it to be documented, then scientifically verified and validated,” he wrote. Neither Wenzel nor officials at the Chinese anti-doping agency returned messages from AP asking about the noodles conspiracy and the other athlete who Li suggested had been contaminated by them. Meanwhile, 11 of the swimmers who originally tested positive competed at the Paris Games earlier this year in a meet held under the cloud of the Chinese doping case. Though WADA considers the case closed, Koehler and others point to situations like this as one of many reasons that an investigation by someone other than Cottier, who was hired by WADA, is still needed. “It gives the appearance that people are just making things up as they go along on this, and hoping the story just goes away," Koehler said. “Which clearly it has not.” AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-gamesCanada Mining Group Uses China Ban to Push Back on Trump Tariffs - BNN BloombergBOISE, Idaho — Freshman wide receiver George Dimopoulos threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Dane Pardridge on the first play of double overtime and Jordan Hansen ended the game on a fourth-down sack to give Northern Illinois a 28-20 victory over Fresno State on Monday in the Idaho Potato Bowl. Dimopoulos, who played quarterback in high school, also converted the two-point conversion when he passed it to quarterback Josh Holst for his second completion of the season. Holst, a freshman walk-on, was making just his third start at quarterback as NIU was without starter Ethan Hampton, who entered with 1,600 yards and 12 touchdowns to go with six interceptions. Holst completed 18 of 30 passes for 182 and two touchdowns for Northern Illinois (8-5). He was also intercepted on the first play of the game. Both teams missed a 35-yard field goal in the final three minutes of regulation, including Dylan Lynch's third miss of the game on the final play to send it to overtime. Fresno State started overtime with a touchdown when Bryson Donelson was left wide open out of the backfield to haul in a 9-yard touchdown pass. NIU needed five plays, and a defensive holding penalty, to score as Holst found Grayson Barnes for a 3-yard touchdown. Donelson finished with 15 carries for 82 yards and a touchdown for Fresno State (6-7). He added three catches for 28 yards and another score. Dual-threat quarterback Joshua Wood was 16 of 23 for 180 yards and a touchdown. Mac Dalena made six catches for 118 yards to help go over 1,000 yards for the season. Fresno State was without 14 players, including starting quarterback Mikey Keene after he transferred to Michigan. Two top-three receivers, Jalen Moss and Raylen Sharpe, also did not play as the Bulldogs were forced to use five new starters. UTSA 44, COASTAL CAROLINA 15: Owen McCown threw for 254 yards and a touchdown and UTSA scored the opening 27 points of the Myrtle Beach Bowl to cruise past short-handed Coastal Carolina in Conway, S.C. UTSA (7-6) broke away in the second quarter by scoring a touchdown on three straight drives for a 21-0 lead. McCown was 14 of 17 in the first half, including a 6-yard touchdown pass to Patrick Overmyer. McCown also scored on a 35-yard run after breaking two tackles near the end zone. The other score was a 9-yard touchdown run by Brandon High. Coastal Carolina (6-7) finished the first half with just 140 total yards — 60 coming on the final drive. The Chanticleers punted on five straight drives to begin the game — with the longest possession lasting seven plays for 25 yards. UTSA added short field goals on its opening two drives of the second half, while Coastal Carolina started with two straight three-and-out drives. UTSA ended CCU’s third drive on Jakevian Rodgers’ first career interception to extend the program's single-game streak with an interception and a sack to 23 games. CCU’s first touchdown came on the first play of the fourth quarter when Bryson Graves caught a 50-yard touchdown pass from Tad Hudson. But UTSA’s Chris Carpenter returned the ensuing kickoff for a 93-yard touchdown to make it 34-7. It was the largest margin of victory in the five-year history of the Myrtle Beach Bowl. Get local news delivered to your inbox!
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NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks closed higher on Wall Street, sending the Dow Jones Industrial Average to another all-time high. The Dow added 1% Monday to the record it set on Friday. The S&P 500 rose 0.3%, while the Nasdaq composite rose 0.3%. Treasury yields eased in the bond market after President-elect Donald Trump said he wants Scott Bessent, a hedge fund manager, to be his Treasury Secretary. Smaller companies can feel a big boost from easier borrowing costs, and the Russell 2000 index of small stocks jumped 1.5%, closing just shy of the record high it set three years ago. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below. NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street is set to break more records Monday as U.S. stocks rise to add to last week’s gains. The S&P 500 was 0.2% higher, as of 3 p.m. Eastern time, and sitting just below its all-time high set two weeks ago. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 397 points, or 0.9%, to its own record set on Friday, while the Nasdaq composite was 0.1% higher. Treasury yields also eased in the bond market amid what some analysts called a “Bessent bounce” after President-elect Donald Trump said he wants Scott Bessent , a hedge fund manager, to be his Treasury Secretary. Bessent has argued for reducing the U.S. government’s deficit, which is how much more it spends than it takes in through tax and other revenue. Such an approach could soothe worries on Wall Street that Trump’s policies may lead to a much bigger deficit, which in turn would put upward pressure on Treasury yields. After climbing above 4.44% immediately after Trump’s election, the yield on the 10-year Treasury fell back to 4.26% Monday and down from 4.41% late Friday. That’s a notable move, and lower yields help make it cheaper for all kinds of companies and households to borrow money. They also give a boost to prices for stocks and other investments. That helped stocks of smaller companies lead the way, and the Russell 2000 index of smaller stocks jumped 2%. It’s set to top its all-time high, which was set three years ago. Smaller companies can feel bigger boosts from lower borrowing costs because of the need of many to borrow to grow. The two-year Treasury yield, which more closely tracks the market’s expectations for what the Federal Reserve will do with overnight interest rates, also eased sharply. The Fed began cutting its main interest rate just a couple months ago from a two-decade high, hoping to keep the job market humming after bringing high inflation nearly all the way down to its 2% target. But immediately after Trump’s victory, traders had reduced bets for how many cuts the Fed may deliver next year. They were worried Trump's preference for lower tax rates and higher spending on the border would balloon the national debt. . A report coming on Wednesday could influence how much the Fed may cut rates. Economists expect it to show that an underlying inflation trend the Fed prefers to use accelerated to 2.8% last month from 2.7% in September. Higher inflation would make the Fed more reluctant to cut rates as deeply or as quickly as it would otherwise. Goldman Sachs economist David Mericle expects that to slow by the end of next year to 2.4%, but he said inflation would be even lower if not for expected tariff increases on imports from China and autos favored by Trump. In the stock market, Bath & Body Works jumped 19.1% after delivering stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. The seller of personal care products and home fragrances also raised its financial forecasts for the full year, even though it still sees a “volatile retail environment” and a shorter holiday shopping season this year. Much focus has been on how resilient U.S. shoppers can remain, given high prices across the economy and still-high interest rates. Last week, two major retailers sent mixed messages. Target tumbled after giving a dour forecast for the holiday shopping season. It followed Walmart , which gave a much more encouraging outlook. Another big retailer, Macy’s, said Monday its sales for the latest quarter were in line with its expectations, but it will delay the release of its full financial results. It found a single employee had intentionally hid up to $154 million in delivery expenses, and it needs more time to complete its investigation. Macy’s stock fell 2.9%. Among the market's leaders were several companies related to the housing industry. Monday's drop in Treasury yields could translate into easier mortgage rates, which could spur activity for housing. Builders FirstSource, a supplier or building materials, rose 6.2%. Homebuilders, D.R. Horton, PulteGroup and Lennar all rose at least 5.8%. In stock markets abroad, indexes moved modestly across much of Europe after finishing mixed in Asia. In the crypto market, bitcoin was trading around $96,800 after threatening to hit $100,000 late last week for the first time. AP Business Writer Elaine Kurtenbach contributed.
Percentages: FG .438, FT .857. 3-Point Goals: 4-18, .222 (Kinziger 3-6, Wolf 1-3, Banks 0-1, Pence 0-1, Walker 0-1, Boser 0-2, Daugherty 0-2, Poindexter 0-2). Team Rebounds: 1. Team Turnovers: 1. Blocked Shots: 1 (Barnes). Turnovers: 10 (Kinziger 4, Walker 3, Boser 2, Banks). Steals: 6 (Banks 2, Walker 2, Kinziger, Pence). Technical Fouls: None. Percentages: FG .380, FT .800. 3-Point Goals: 10-28, .357 (Autry 5-7, Drumgoole 2-5, Hansen 1-1, Hutchinson 1-6, Moss 1-6, Jones 0-1, Buchanan 0-2). Team Rebounds: 6. Team Turnovers: 2. Blocked Shots: 4 (Castro 2, Drumgoole, Hansen). Turnovers: 8 (Buchanan 4, Hutchinson 2, Castro, Moss). Steals: 4 (Castro, Hansen, Hutchinson, Moss). Technical Fouls: None. .Global stocks end mostly up with DAX crossing 20,000 for 1st timeALISTAIR JOHNSTON’S crazy career background is like a story straight out of Hollywood . . . or Dollywood, to be more precise. The Celtic right-back was a bag of nerves when he was sent to Nashville SC in the 2020 MLS draft. Advertisement 6 Alistair Johnston admitted the MLS draft was a nerve-wracking experience Credit: Kenny Ramsay 6 He ended up in Nashville - home of country music and legendary star Dolly Parton Credit: Getty 6 But it worked out well and he eventually arrived at Celtic - and hasn't looked back Credit: Kenny Ramsay But Johnston reckons his move to the home of Dolly Parton and country music changed the course of his career. The 26-year-old Canadian opened up on the bizarre experience of that MLS draft, after penning a new five-year deal with the Hoops yesterday. AJ said: “It’s crazy to think that a lottery of a night with the draft changed everything. “Maybe if a different team had picked me, I wouldn’t have had the chance to break through. Advertisement Read More Celtic stories ROD RAGE Celtic fan slams Rod Stewart as he says 'I've invested more and I'm a pensioner' HIDDEN TALENTS Celtic star reveals he wears a heavy DISGUISE when he goes out in Glasgow “Before you know it, I’m bouncing around the MLS without ever finding a home. “You then don’t get to a place like Celtic , so I got lucky in a way with Nashville. “The draft was honestly one of the craziest experiences. “They set up a camera crew at my house and were filming it. Advertisement Most read in Football LEAVE IT OUT Rangers boss Clement shuts down reporter who quizzed him on his future JIM DELAHUNT Our man's tips on Gers v United, Hearts v Hoops & all the weekend action Breaking 'LONGER-TERM' Rangers boss Philippe Clement provides grim Neraysho Kasanwirjo update UNHAPPY BHOY Furious Celtic fan calls out fellow Hoops supporters who 'discredit our brand' “There was a producer who had a 20-second head start on what was going on. “I could see that he had every single team’s scarf lined up, waiting for the signal. Celtic star Alistair Johnston and Wag teach their dog to swim “Before I even knew who’d made the pick, he’d take that team’s scarf away. “So I’d look over at him and say, ‘OK, the Orlando scarf got pulled, so I’m not going there’. Advertisement “Likewise, I knew that if he picked one up and held it, I knew I’d be going there. “But he’d then be moving all the scarves around after a trade had happened, and I’m like, ‘This is insane’. “North America is so big, meaning you could be sent to Vancouver, where I was born, away on the west-coast. “But then the next pick is Miami , and you’re away down south-east with a totally different lifestyle . Advertisement “You’re constantly thinking, ‘What would my life be like there, there or there?’. “Everything being so out of your control is really odd. I've started saying 'Aye' all the time - multiple family members have brought it up “I was eventually told it was Nashville, but leading up to that, you have no clue. “It’s such an emotionally taxing experience. I was just happy I went 11th in the draft — I’m not sure I could have lasted if I went below 20th. It was crazy.” Advertisement Johnston embraced Nashville life, and after a stint at CF Montreal, he then joined the Hoops in 2022. Two years on, he had no hesitation in putting down roots in Glasgow , and admits he loves Scotland , despite being cool on one of our national drinks. Johnston added: “My fiancee Peyton is from North Carolina so she had already taught me the Southern ways. Advertisement “Nashville is just west so I was open to the idea of embracing the Southern charm . “It took me a while to embrace country music, but after a while I got hooked! “But I also really love Glasgow and Scotland . “I’ve started saying ‘Aye’ all the time and multiple family members have brought it up. Advertisement “I’ve tried Irn Bru , which was OK, but the colour of it, you think that should be getting poured into an engine! “I like a Scotch and my dad loves it, so I always have to have a nice bottle for him when he comes over. " Golf is another one and we’ve got a good group here who like to play. I’ve played some courses that are way better than my skill level. 6 Moving to Nashville was close to fiancee Peyton's home Advertisement 6 The couple have put down roots in Glasgow - and Johnston is now staying for longer Credit: Kenny Ramsay 6 He loves life in Scotland - but isn't so sure about the national drink Credit: Alamy “I hacked it around Troon and Turnberry was a disaster , I lost 30 balls on the back nine! “A lot has happened to me since I moved to Scotland. Advertisement “We got engaged at Turnberry and we got a dog, which is like starting a family in some ways. “So we’ve set up quite a few roots here now and we’ve really enjoyed our time. “That’s something that wasn’t lost on myself or my fiancee in terms of making this decision. “It’s a place where we feel really comfortable and it wasn’t difficult to sign. Advertisement “The club wanted a new contract as a priority, and they made it clear they value me. “You want to be part of something that feels important, and that’s what Celtic gives you. Glasgow grannies and dog-walks in disguise By DAVID OLIVER ALISTAIR JOHNSTON says a 'heavy disguise' is part of his make-up every day in Glasgow. But he stood tall when handed the Celtic captain's armband for a 3-0 win against Motherwell last month. The defender grabbed his 50th cap for Canada in the international break - another honour to add to his growing collection. And the Premier Sports Cup could be next with the Hoops in the final against rivals Rangers in December. It's one Johnston is looking forward to against his club's big rivals - one that takes a daily toll on his everyday life in Glasgow , even to the point of affecting how he walks his DOG. He told the Canadian Press when he goes out "it's normally under pretty heavy disguise" during the day time. The right-back added: "In Nashville and Montreal I could walk through the streets and not get any abuse. Over here, every single person knows who you are and they either love you or they hate you, "I've had my fair share of pep talks and scoldings from grandmothers on the street. "The passion for the sport, it's second to none. "It's something I've learned, that I'm not going to be there for ever so cherish it while you are there because it's not normal — and it's not normal to a lot of cities in the world and it's not normal to a lot of players, no matter what club you play for. "It's definitely a unique experience but I've enjoyed it." “I have been lucky enough to be part of many in the last two years, and hopefully there are more to come.” Still only 26, Johnston revealed he would never rule out ending his career at the champions. Advertisement He said: “I am not that far-sighted, but if you could stand the test of time and the demands at Celtic, that would be just unbelievably special. “Only really a handful of guys can go out and do that. Callum McGregor and James Forrest are among the most decorated and legendary players here. “It’s not often that happens but we will see. “I have five more years, and hopefully I can do well enough that I can think of an extension down the line again.” Advertisement Celts boss Brendan Rodgers hailed Johnston’s personality, and insists the new deal is smart business for all parties. He said: “The club is really good at getting players committed to long-term contracts. “It doesn’t always mean that they will be there for that length of time, but at least it protects the asset. Advertisement “Ali loves being at Celtic, and he has the voice and personality to be a success here. “I’ve really enjoyed my time working with him. Read more on the Scottish Sun COMIC'S CASTLE Still Game star takes £150,000 hit to offload luxury £4m Scots castle HITTING THE HIGH NOTES Much-loved pub named best music bar in Scotland “I can see his development and I can see him growing. “He’s got so many attributes on and off the pitch that really help this team and this club.” Advertisement Keep up to date with ALL t h e latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football pageGlobal stocks mostly rose Tuesday, with US and German indices posting records, as markets weighed Chinese stimulus hopes, political tensions in France and the US interest-rate outlook. Germany's blue-chip DAX stock index jumped above 20,000 points for the first time and Paris rebounded even as France braced for new political turmoil. In New York, both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq narrowly rose to finish at records, while the Dow pulled back. Oil prices jumped more than two percent following reports that crude exporters were near an agreement to extend production limits. A closely-watched labor market report showed an increase in US job openings in October, but also a decline in new job postings during the month, a less upbeat sign. Samuel Tombs, chief US economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, said the data overall provides "good grounds" for the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates again this month. Still, the choppiness of Tuesday's trading session in New York points to reticence among US investors following a series of post-election records that many pundits believe have left stocks overvalued. "There wasn't a lot of conviction behind the upside moves," said Briefing.com . "The overall vibe in the market was more negative." Stocks in Paris edged higher even as France headed into a new political crisis as opposition lawmakers vowed to topple the minority government of Prime Minister Michel Barnier in a no-confidence vote after just three months in office. Germany's DAX, meanwhile, scored a fresh milestone, defying multiple headwinds battering Europe's biggest economy. The German economy, hit hard by a manufacturing slowdown and weak demand for its exports, has struggled in 2024. Yet the DAX has advanced in large part because companies in the index do heavy business abroad. In addition, the euro's recent weakness has boosted Germany's export-oriented companies, while easing interest rates both in the eurozone and the United States have also helped sentiment. Investors greeted a Bloomberg report that China's top leaders, including President Xi Jinping, would hold a two-day economic work conference next week to outline their targets and stimulus plans for next year. The report followed manufacturing activity data on Monday that suggested China's economic struggles may be coming to an end, but investors are looking for Beijing to step up support for the economy. The news helped push Hong Kong and Shanghai stock markets higher despite Washington announcing new export restrictions taking aim at Beijing's ability to make advanced semiconductors. The moves step up existing US efforts to tighten curbs on exports of state-of-the-art AI chips to China. Beijing hit back by saying it would restrict exports to the United States of some key components in making semiconductors. Oil prices jumped ahead of a meeting Thursday of members of the OPEC oil cartel and its allies "The forecast is that they will announce an extension until the end of the first quarter of 2025, and this should help put a floor under prices," said Trade Nation analyst David Morrison. New York - Dow: DOWN 0.2 percent at 44,705.53 (close) New York - S&P 500: UP 0.1 percent at 6,049.88 (close) New York - Nasdaq Composite: UP 0.4 percent at 19,480.91 (close) London - FTSE 100: UP 0.6 percent at 8,359.41 (close) Paris - CAC 40: UP 0.3 percent at 7,255.42 (close) Frankfurt - DAX: UP 0.4 percent at 20,016.75 (close) Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 1.9 percent at 39,248.86 (close) Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: UP 1.0 percent at 19,746.32 (close) Shanghai - Composite: UP 0.4 percent at 3,378.81 (close) Euro/dollar: UP at $1.0511 from $1.0498 on Monday Pound/dollar: UP at $1.2673 from $1.2655 Dollar/yen: DOWN at 149.53 yen from 149.60 yen Euro/pound: DOWN at 82.94 from 82.95 pence Brent North Sea Crude: UP 2.5 percent at $73.62 per barrel West Texas Intermediate: UP 2.7 percent at $69.94 per barrel burs-jmb/dw
Bellator women’s featherweight champ Cris Cyborg is over Claressa Shields’ online taunts and aims to make her pay either in the cage or the ring. Cris Cyborg ‘s return to MMA was a triumphant affair as she defeated two-time PFL champ Larissa Pacheco earlier this year at Battle of the Giants . She still has at least one more bout on her existing PFL contract, and she’ll either defend her Bellator title or opt for a big-name super fight. One potential matchup is a fight with Shields, a boxing superstar and MMA fighter signed to the PFL roster. She most recently made her MMA return at PFL vs. Bellator, earning a split-decision win over Kelsey DeSantis. Cyborg and Shields have previously teased a potential crossover fight in the ring, but the weight class for the clash has triggered a hold-up in negotiations. Despite this, things have gotten personal between Cyborg and Shields in recent weeks, fueling speculation about a possible booking. READ MORE: Jon Jones’ longtime coach shoots down narrative that Tom Aspinall is a ‘complex puzzle’ ahead of potential Octagon clash Cris Cyborg calls out Claressa Shields for open-weight fight after recent back-and-forths In a recent post on X , Cyborg ramped up her ongoing beef with Shields. “In a real fight I suplex [Claressa Shields] on her head,” Cyborg said. “If she wants a boxing match, tell her to put down the cookies and chips and make 147. If she can’t make weight, tell her to sign the [PFL] deal and we can do it at an open weight, no weigh-in.” As of this writing, Shields hasn’t responded to Cyborg’s latest jabs. Cyborg has teased retirement in recent years and appears on the tail-end of her combat sports career. She’s also hinted at a desire to book super fights before calling it quits, and her budding feud with Shields might fit the bill. Shields, an unbeaten boxing juggernaut, most recently defeated Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse in her most recent boxing match. She earned Lepage-Joanisse’s WBO, WBC, and WBF titles after knocking her out in the second round. READ MORE: Conor McGregor ‘was kicking the wall’... Paddy Pimblett reveals the one UFC loss that left ‘The Notorious’ fuming... ‘It was hilarious’ Cris Cyborg could make Claressa Shields one of her final opponents before retiring Cyborg has also taunted former PFL superstar Kayla Harrison on social media in recent weeks, despite their previously targeted bout off the table. Harrison signed with the UFC in free agency earlier this year to make her full-time move to bantamweight. Cyborg is arguably the greatest female MMA fighter of all time after earning a slew of championships in top promotions like Strikeforce, UFC, and Invicta FC. The 39-year-old has defended the Bellator women’s featherweight title five times since leaving the UFC in 2019. Shields also has a potential rematch in MMA against Savannah Marshall in her crosshairs when she returns to the cage. Marshall signed with the PFL earlier this year and made her professional MMA debut in June, earning a first-round knockout. It’s uncertain if the Cyborg vs. Shields fight will come to fruition, but things are ramping up as 2024 comes to a close. The PFL matchmakers might have another big-name fight on their hands heading into next year. READ MORE: Leon Edwards breaks his silence to reveal new goal for 2025 after losing UFC welterweight title