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BOSTON (AP) — Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis is slated make his season debut Monday night against the Los Angeles Clippers following offseason ankle surgery. The 7-foot-2 Latvian center was upgraded from probable to available about an 90 minutes before tipoff, though Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said how much he'd play was to be determined. Veteran center Al Horford, who has started 14 of the Celtics 17 games this season, is out Monday with an illness. Fellow big man Luke Kornet is also sitting out as he continues to deal with hamstring tightness. “He has worked hard, he's in good shape. We'll put him in position to be healthy and be successful and do what's best for the team,” Mazzulla said. “He's been pretty consistent, just based on his work ethic and what he's done to get to this point.” Porzingis had surgery to fix a tear in the tissue that holds the ankle tendons in place. The issue limited him to seven playoff games during the Celtics' NBA championship run last season. Boston is 14-3 this season, but has missed his presence on the inside, with teams routinely outscoring the defending champions in the paint. Mazzulla acknowledged that how Porzingis plays on the offensive end, particularly how he operates sometimes out of the high and low post, will force some adjustment from how the team has played this season without him on the floor. “I think last year we had an opportunity to see how teams were guarding him,” Mazzulla said. "That'll take a little bit of time to figure out what the coverages are, just get used to that spacing. That'll take some time. ... Then we'll figure out how we go from there." The original window for Porzingis' return following surgery was five to six months. But Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said before the season that they didn't want to hold to a specific timeline because of the uniqueness of the injury. Porzingis injured his ankle in Game 2 of the NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks and missed the next two games. He returned for Game 5, contributing five points and one rebound in 16 minutes as the Celtics beat Dallas 106-88 to clinch their record 18th title. Porzingis averaged 20 points and seven rebounds in 57 games for last season. He signed a $60 million, two-year extension with Boston in the summer of 2023 after the Celtics acquired him in a trade with Washington. ___ AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba Kyle Hightower, The Associated PressWalmart criticized by civil rights leader over decision to cut DEI programs
—Zimbabwe’s delegation at this month’s United Nations climate conference in Azerbaijan featured two Belarusian businessmen who have faced allegations of dubious activities in Africa, according to . Aleksandr Zingman and Oleg Vodchits were among 21 representatives of Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Environment, Climate and Wildlife present in Baku, according to a list of COP29 participants published by the U.N. on November 11. The list describes Zingman as the “honorable consulate of Zimbabwe in Belarus,” and as having a paid or contractual relationship with Zimbabwe’s government. Vodchits, meanwhile, is listed as an “adviser” to Zimbabwe who attended the conference as the country’s guest. Environmental campaigners said they were surprised and concerned at the two men’s presence in the delegation to COP29, where countries that have signed the U.N.’s Convention on Climate Change negotiate new carbon emissions targets with the goal of halting global warming. The news comes as several prominent climate experts, former U.N. officials and world leaders signed an last week calling for reform of the COP annual conferences, due in part to the increasingly heavy presence of fossil fuel lobbyists and other corporate interests. In a written response to OCCRP, Zingman’s lawyer, Daniel Delnero, confirmed that both men had attended COP29 as advisers. “Mr Zingman and Mr Vodchits offer advice and counsel to the Zimbabwe delegation regarding navigating the political and business environment of CIS countries,” Delnero said. Azerbaijan is a member of the Commonwealth of Independent States, an association of former Soviet republics, as is Belarus. Vodchits, 38, did not respond to requests for comment. Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Information and Ministry of Environment also did not respond to questions. “I was really surprised with the news that they are part of the Zimbabwe delegation [at COP29],” Farai Maguwu, the executive director at Zimbabwe’s Center for Natural Resource Governance, told OCCRP of the two men. Regai Tsunga, a human rights advocate and former opposition member of parliament in Zimbabwe, called their presence in the Ministry of Environment’s COP29 delegation “irregular.” “This reflects negatively on the Zimbabwe government,” he added, pointing to Zingman’s alleged ties to “unsustainable mining.” Zingman and Vodchits made headlines in African media in 2021 after being in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Zingman’s Dubai-based company, Aftrade DMCC, specified that the reason for the incident was arms dealing allegations, which Zingman strongly denied. He was released without charge. An Aftrade said that Zingman’s “colleague,” Oleg Vodchits, was detained alongside Zingman. , drawing on documents accessed through the Pandora Papers leak, also found that Zingman, 57, co-owned a Zimbabwean gold mining venture, Zim Goldfields, with the son of a senior Belarusian official. Aftrade that Zingman had any involvement with the gold venture. “Mr. Zingman’s arrest in the DRC was politically motivated and, ultimately, he was cleared of any wrongdoing by DRC authorities after being detained and subjected to intense, unlawful interrogation for a two-week period,” Zingman’s lawyer told OCCRP. “Mr. Zingman was not charged with any crimes and does not have any involvement with the arms trade or mining industry.” was engaged in riverbed mining until that practice was banned by Zimbabwe’s government in September 2020, for environmental reasons. Two months later, Zimbabwe’s government declared that ten illegal gold miners were feared to have been “buried alive” and that two bodies had been recovered, on the site of “Zimgold fields.” The company did not respond to the claims at the time. In 2023, detailed how the company had violated the country’s mining laws and contributed to the pollution of the Odzi and Mutare rivers. Local residents and health officials blamed a cholera outbreak in the area on the contamination of water sources, which the Zimbabwe National Water Authority said had occurred “as a result of the operations of a mining company.” “Zim Goldfields never became operational,” Delnero told reporters. “The company was formally dissolved in 2020.” As evidence, Zingman’s lawyer shared a document showing the dissolution in 2020 of Midlands Goldfields Limited. Midlands is the U.K. company through which Zingman held a stake in Zim Goldfields, OCCRP reported in 2021. Delnero did not share any Zim Goldfields dissolution documents, and he later added: “Mr. Zingman does not have any involvement with Zim Goldfields.” Zingman’s name has also been linked to an online disinformation campaign. In 2020, some of the controlled by a notorious disinformation software promoted favourable stories about Zingman and his business in a concerted and automated campaign, . Zingman’s lawyer said at the time that his client had never engaged in disinformation campaigns. Last year, Africa Intelligence reported that Zingman and Vodchits had formed ties with the administration of Kenyan President William Ruto. , again as advisers, according to the news site. Source:
BOSTON (AP) — Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis is slated make his season debut Monday night against the Los Angeles Clippers following offseason ankle surgery. The 7-foot-2 Latvian center was upgraded from probable to available about an 90 minutes before tipoff, though Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said how much he'd play was to be determined. Veteran center Al Horford, who has started 14 of the Celtics 17 games this season, is out Monday with an illness. Fellow big man Luke Kornet is also sitting out as he continues to deal with hamstring tightness. “He has worked hard, he's in good shape. We'll put him in position to be healthy and be successful and do what's best for the team,” Mazzulla said. “He's been pretty consistent, just based on his work ethic and what he's done to get to this point.” Porzingis had surgery to fix a tear in the tissue that holds the ankle tendons in place. The issue limited him to seven playoff games during the Celtics' NBA championship run last season. Boston is 14-3 this season, but has missed his presence on the inside, with teams routinely outscoring the defending champions in the paint. Mazzulla acknowledged that how Porzingis plays on the offensive end, particularly how he operates sometimes out of the high and low post, will force some adjustment from how the team has played this season without him on the floor. “I think last year we had an opportunity to see how teams were guarding him,” Mazzulla said. "That'll take a little bit of time to figure out what the coverages are, just get used to that spacing. That'll take some time. ... Then we'll figure out how we go from there." The original window for Porzingis' return following surgery was five to six months. But Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said before the season that they didn't want to hold to a specific timeline because of the uniqueness of the injury. Porzingis injured his ankle in Game 2 of the NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks and missed the next two games. He returned for Game 5, contributing five points and one rebound in 16 minutes as the Celtics beat Dallas 106-88 to clinch their record 18th title. Porzingis averaged 20 points and seven rebounds in 57 games for last season. He signed a $60 million, two-year extension with Boston in the summer of 2023 after the Celtics acquired him in a trade with Washington. ___ AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba Kyle Hightower, The Associated Press
Phenomenal export sales for U.S. corn and soybean oil as of late forced the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Tuesday to crank up its 2024-25 export outlooks. The result? Record-low stocks-to-use for U.S. soybean oil and, against all prior narratives, smaller U.S. corn ending stocks than in the previous marketing year. There is a chance soyoil exports must increase further despite the historically tight supplies, though the jury is still out on corn. U.S. soybean oil sold for export in 2024-25 totaled 416,356 metric tons as of Nov. 28, an eight-year high for the date. The marketing year began Oct. 1. At least another 30,000 tons were sold last week, rendering USDA’s November peg of 2024-25 exports far too low at just 272,000 tons. That forecast surged a whopping 83% in Tuesday’s update to 499,000 tons (1.1 billion pounds), a three-year high though well below the decade average. The known sales already account for at least 90% of this target. Between 2014 and 2021, an average of 40% of the annual export volume was sold by the start of December. While it may seem USDA took an overly conservative approach to the U.S. soyoil export boost, it could also imply that the agency expects the rare price discount of soybean oil versus rival palm oil to be relatively short-lived. The palm oil production squeeze and subsequent price rally has been seen as a boon to soyoil exporters, but tight inventories could limit further upside to U.S. soyoil shipments. USDA’s latest figures put 2024-25 U.S. soybean oil stocks-to-use, a measure of supply versus demand, at 5.2%. That is the smallest share in 61 years of records and down from 5.4% last year. Outright stocks of 683,000 tons are up slightly from the 2023-24 levels, which marked a 10-year low. The United States a few years ago was the No. 3 exporter of soybean oil and accounted for 10% of global exports, though it is set for a 4% share in 2024-25. Back in February, preliminary USDA estimates showed 2024-25 U.S. corn ending stocks surging 17% on the year to a multi-decade high of 2.532 billion bushels. Fast forward to Tuesday, U.S. corn ending stocks for 2024-25 are projected at 1.738 billion bushels, down 1% from 2023-24. Most of that legwork came from a 19% dive in 2023-24 ending stocks since February. But the supply shrinkages in both 2023-24 and 2024-25 owe to better-than-expected demand rates as corn prices dipped to four-year lows this year. USDA’s 2024-25 corn carryout on Tuesday landed well below all analyst estimates and was driven by a 6% surge in exports to 2.475 billion bushels. That would be the second largest volume on record behind 2020-21, a year significantly boosted by Chinese purchases. China has not bought any U.S. corn for 2024-25, which began Sept. 1. However, some market watchers worry trade with top corn buyer Mexico could be at risk from potential tariffs once U.S. president-elect Donald Trump takes office. USDA appears to have left some upside room in the corn export estimate given that total sales as of late November covered an above-average share of its new forecast. U.S. corn used for ethanol also contributed to the supply slide on Tuesday, rising 1% to what would be a seven-year high after several weekly ethanol output records were notched last month. The big declines in 2024-25 U.S. corn ending stock estimates come despite a huge record yield of 183.1 bushels per acre. But that number will come under scrutiny next month, potentially causing yet another shift in the corn balance sheet. Source: ReutersPrayers are pouring in after a North Texas church pastor suffered a health scare during Sunday service. DALLAS - Bishop T.D. Jakes is heading home from the hospital and thanking everyone who prayed for his recovery. Jakes shared a video and written message on social media on Wednesday afternoon. "I’m so grateful to y’all," he said, pointing to his nurses as he appeared to be leaving a medical facility. "Grateful to all the people who prayed and all the people who texted, all the people who had prayer vigils, all the people who were concerned and sent love and sent notes. I’m just grateful. This past Sunday, the 67-year-old Dallas preacher was rushed offstage while delivering a sermon at The Potter’s House of Dallas. Video from the church’s stream posted on social media showed Jakes lowering his microphone while starting to shake. Related Bishop T.D. Jakes suffers 'health incident' during Sunday service During Sunday service on Nov. 24, 2024, Bishop T.D. Jakes suffered an apparent medical emergency at the end of a service, during a prayer. Jakes clarified that he did not have a stroke. But he said the medical emergency "could’ve been fatal if it weren’t for God’s intervention." "A special thank you to God and the medical professionals in our city whose speed and expertise were beyond exceptional," he wrote in his post. He said he would take some time to recuperate and reflect on what happened. Related TD Jakes improving after health scare, family says The family of Bishop TD Jakes shared an update after Jakes had a "slight health incident" during his Sunday sermon. Bishop TD Jakes founded The Potter's House Church in Dallas in 1996. The non-denominational church has grown to more than 30,000 members. According to the church's website, Jakes has advised three presidents and was a featured speaker at the inauguration of President Barack Obama in 2009. The information in this article comes from Bishop T.D. Jakes' post on X and past news coverage.Kyren Wilson overcomes headache to thrash Stephen Maguire at UK Championship
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UNC football hires Bill Belichick to be its next head coach Bill Belichick, 72, led the New England Patriots to six Super Bowl victories during the 2000s and 2010s. He has never been a college football head coach. UNC has picked him to lead the the Tar Heels following the firing of Mack Brown. Bill Belichick is among the best coaches in the history of the NFL. He won six Super Bowl titles as head coach of the New England Patriots, and two more as an assistant coach with the New York Giants. But Belichick — famous for his curt, curmudgeonly answers as much as for his success of the field — has been around football for much more than a handful of championships. Here is a timeline of important moments in Belichick’s career: 1976 — In his first job at the pro level, Belichick was part of Tommy Hudspeth’s staff with the Detroit Lions. The whole staff was fired after the 1977 season. 1979 — Belichick latches on with the New York Giants, and begins a 12-year run with the team. After working as an assistant under Ray Perkins, Belichick assumes control of the defense under head coach Bill Parcells. That tandem helps the Giants to two Super Bowl wins. 1991 — Belichick earns his first head-coaching gig, with the Cleveland Browns. After a playoff run in 1994, Browns owner Art Modell announces the team’s intended move to Baltimore during the 1995 season. The Browns falter the rest of the way, and Belichick and his staff are fired. 1996 — Belichick goes back to the Super Bowl with Parcells, as an assistant in New England. Belichick begins forming his relationship with Patriots owner Robert Kraft. January 2000 — After a messy divorce with the Patriots in 1997, Parcells and Belichick went together to the New York Jets. After the 1999 season, Parcells resigned as Jets head coach. Belichick was supposed to be elevated to the job. Instead, Belichick scribbled “I resign as HC of the NYJ” on a napkin, attended his introductory press conference, and explained he was leaving. Soon after, Kraft hired him to lead the Patriots, replacing a fired Pete Carroll. April 2000 — The Patriots selected former Michigan quarterback Tom Brady 199th overall in the sixth round of the NFL draft. Belichick stashed him on the roster as the team’s fourth quarterback with Brady appearing in only one game his rookie season. The Patriots finished 5-11 in Belichick’s first season as New England’s coach. 2001 — Belichick elevated Brady to Drew Bledsoe’s backup to begin the season. In Week 2, after Bledsoe sustained a concussion and a collapsed lung in the second half of a game against the Jets, Brady took over under center. The Patriots went on to win their first Super Bowl, upsetting the St. Louis Rams. 2003 — The Patriots win the Super Bowl for the second time in three seasons, beating the Carolina Panthers, 32-29. 2004 — The Patriots became a full-fledged dynasty under Belichick with their third Super Bowl win in four years, beating the Philadelphia Eagles, 24-21. 2007 — “Spygate!” An NFL investigation validates claims that a New England videographer was recording defensive signals used by the Jets during a season-opening win. The Patriots were fined $250,000 and docked a first-round draft pick for violating NFL rules. Belichick was fined $500,000. 2007 — The Patriots responded to “Spygate” by averaging an NFL-best 36.8 points per game. They beat their first eight opponents by a combined 204 points. New England completed a perfect regular season, finishing with a 16-0 record following a thrilling 38-35 comeback victory over the New York Giants. But the Patriots’ hopes of an unbeaten season ended in 17-14 Super Bowl loss to the Giants. 2011 — The Patriots finished the regular season 13-3 and earned a trip to their fifth Super Bowl under Belichick. But they were again thwarted by the Giants in a 21-17 loss. 2014 — The Patriots finished their third straight regular season with 12 wins and earned their sixth trip to the Super Bowl in Belichick’s tenure. The game ended in dramatic fashion when undrafted rookie Malcolm Butler intercepted Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson’s short throw into the end zone and the Patriots end a decade-long drought without an NFL title by beating the defending champion Seahawks, 28-24. 2016 — The Patriots earned a fifth Super Bowl win in historic fashion, rallying from a 28-3 deficit in the third quarter to beat the Atlanta Falcons, 34-28, in Super Bowl 51. 2017 — Patriots made their eighth Super Bowl appearance under Belichick, but lost to the Philadelphia Eagles on the “Philly Special” trick play. 2018 — New England rebounded from the Super Bowl loss to the Eagles and made its ninth Super Bowl appearance under Belichick, beating the Rams 13-3 to capture the franchise’s sixth Lombardi Trophy. Belichick joined George Halas and Curly Lambeau as the only coaches with six NFL championships. 2020 — Belichick acquired former MVP Cam Newton to replace a departed Brady, but the Patriots stumbled to a 7-9 finish. Brady, meanwhile, led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a Super Bowl win, earning his seventh ring. 2021 — The Patriots drafted former Alabama quarterback Mac Jones. Jones got a Pro Bowl bid as a rookie and the Patriots went 10-7 in the regular season, but lost in the first round of the playoffs to Buffalo, 47-17. January 2024 — After stumbling through a pair of lackluster seasons, during which Belichick tried some questionable coaching assignments, the Belichick-Kraft marriage dissolved. The Patriots and the sure-to-be Hall-of-Fame coach parted ways after 24 seasons and nine trips to the Super Bowl, including six wins. December 2024 — After spending time as a television analyst and being on the hot-list for several NFL coaching vacancies, Belichick is hired as the next head football coach at the University of North Carolina, marking his first head coaching job at the college level. This story was originally published December 11, 2024, 4:11 PM. UNC on to Bill Belichick: Tar Heels to hire NFL Super Bowl champion as next head coach Will Bill Belichick’s success at UNC be measured in wins and losses, or on ledger sheet?
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