Labaron Philon Jr. lifts No. 12 Alabama past Clemson

Labaron Philon Jr. scored 29 points and made a crucial late jump shot as No. 12 Alabama beat Clemson 90-84 in the ACC/SEC Challenge on Wednesday night in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

With the Crimson Tide clinging to a one-point lead, Philon popped the jumper at 2:07 to make it 86-83. After the Tigers missed three shots on their possession, Amari Allen (20 points, 11 rebounds, four assists) banked in a short shot for an 88-83 lead that the Crimson Tide (6-2) held on for their third straight win.

Alabama's London Jemison totaled 13 points and Taylor Bol Bowen had 11 points and five boards. Houston Mallette scored 10 points while Aiden Sherrell produced five points, 10 rebounds and eight blocks.

RJ Godfrey scored 19 points for the Tigers (7-2), who lost for the first time in five games. Dillon Hunter had 13 points and Zac Foster added 12. Jake Wahlin had 11 points and six rebounds and Nick Davidson scored 11.

In their first matchup since Alabama beat Clemson 89-82 in the West Region's Elite Eight game in March 2024, Philon was feeling fine early and racked up eight points.

Following 3-pointers from Taylor Bol Bowen and Allen, the Crimson Tide built a 16-7 lead before the first media timeout as they drained 86% of their shots (6 of 7) and made all four from distance.

Jemison canned a long shot from the corner as Alabama went 5-for-5 from long range to increase the lead to 21-8. Meanwhile, the visitors missed their first five 3-point attempts.

Alabama continued to shoot above 60% and increased the lead to 35-16 on Allen's two free throws with 8:02 left in the first half.

Mallette's 4-point play at the 4:39 mark matched the largest first-half lead, 43-24, but Clemson cut it to 45-30 at the break.

Philon poured in 12 points while Allen had nine and Jemison added eight for the Crimson Tide. Godfrey notched 10 points for the Tigers.

Inside of three minutes in the second half, Godfrey cut it to 49-38 with two free throws. When Foster hit a 3-pointer with 14:25 to play, he made it 50-46 as the Tigers closed in. Davidson brought them all the way back at 54-54 with a left-handed hook shot at 12:05 during a 24-9 run.

Hunter put Clemson up 62-61 with 9:53 to go as possessions became more important in the back-and-forth game. The lead changed hands six times in the final 10 minutes.

--Field Level Media

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December 04, 2025

Labaron Philon Jr. lifts No. 12 Alabama past Clemson

Labaron Philon Jr. scored 29 points and made a crucial late jump shot as No. 12 Alabama beat Clemson 90-84 in the ACC/...

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Toyota deepens connections in F1 with Haas team sponsorship in 2026

TOKYO (AP) — Toyota is increasing its presence inFormula 1after taking over the title sponsorship of the Haas team on Thursday.

It's another high-profile commitment to F1 by a major automaker as theGeneral Motors-backed Cadillac teamprepares to make its debut next year.

The team's new name in 2026 will be TGR Haas F1 Team. The TGR stands for Toyota Gazoo Racing, which is the racing division of the Toyota Motor Corporation.

Taking over the title sponsorship means Toyota is more involved in F1 than at any time since it pulled its team out after the 2009 season. Since then, its circuit racing efforts have largely focused on sportscar events, including five straight wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans from 2018-22.

Haas and Toyota signed a technical partnership a year ago for research, engineering and driver development and the Haas car has carried some Toyota branding since. Toyota-linked Japanese drivers have taken part in tests using older Haas cars.

Toyota ran its own team in F1 from 2002-09 but failed to win a race despite spending heavily. It eventually withdrew from the series while the parent company was under financial pressure.

"It's naturally a privilege to deepen our relationship with TGR through this new title partnership agreement," Ayao Komatsu, team principal of Haas, said in a team statement, adding that the existing technical partnership has already "benefited us greatly."

Akio Toyoda, the chairman of the Toyota Motor Corporation, said: "Throughout our challenges in the 2025 season I witnessed young TGR drivers and engineers begin to believe in their own potential and set their sights on even greater dreams. Seeing this transformation moved me deeply. And today I can say this with confidence — Toyota has begun to move. Really move."

Toyoda has said previously he had second thoughts about pulling Toyota out of F1. He said part of his regret was not giving young drivers a better chance to compete in F1.

The length of the sponsorship agreement wasn't immediately clear and the statement mentioned only 2026.

Haas has been in F1 since 2016 and is eighth in the constructors' standings this season, which includedOliver Bearman placing fourthin Mexico. That was Haas' best race result since 2018 even though he fell short of achieving the team's first podium finish.

The final race of 2025 is on Sunday inAbu Dhabiandthree drivers are in contentionfor the world championship.

Lando Norris of McLaren leads by 12 points over Max Verstappen of Red Bull. Oscar Piastri of McLaren is 16 points behind. Norris and Piastri are trying for their first season titles, Verstappen is after his fifth straight.

AP Sports Writer James Ellingworth in Duesseldorf, Germany, contributed.

AP auto racing:https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

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December 04, 2025

Toyota deepens connections in F1 with Haas team sponsorship in 2026

TOKYO (AP) — Toyota is increasing its presence inFormula 1after taking over the title sponsorship of the Haas team on Thu...

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Bayern Munich aims to continue unbeaten domestic run against Stuttgart in the Bundesliga

DUESSELDORF, Germany (AP) — Bayern Munich remains unbeaten in 15 league and cup games against German opposition this season as Vincent Kompany's team prepares to face Stuttgart in the Bundesliga on Saturday.

Key matchups

Stuttgart could hope to take advantage of Bayern's tough schedule after Bayern struggled to match Union Berlin's physical intensity at times in its3-2 win over Unionin the German Cup on Wednesday. Bayern prevailed in part thanks to two own goals by Union players and was under pressure late in the game.

Already eight points adrift of Bayern in second, Leipzig needs to avoid dropping further back when Ole Werner's team hosts Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday. Frankfurt is under pressure in seventh and risks failing to qualify for the Champions League knockout stages, too.

Hoffenheim is riding high in fifth and faces third-placed Borussia Dortmund on Sunday knowing that a win would see it overtake Dortmund in the standings.

Players to watch

Harry Kane's header against Union in the cup on Wednesday took the England captain to 25 goals from 21 games for Bayern this season. Five more goals for England take his tally to 30 for club and country.

Ibrahim Maza has three goals and two assists in his last five games in all competitions at Bayer Leverkusen in an attacking midfield role once filled by Florian Wirtz. Scoring thewinning goal against Dortmundin the cup on Tuesday was another step forward. Leverkusen visits Augsburg on Saturday.

Bayern midfielder Aleksandar Pavlovic is doubtful after he limped off against Union in the cup on Wednesday.

Frankfurt's top scorer Jonathan Burkardt will reportedly be out until the new year with a muscle injury. His eight goals in 10 Bundesliga games mean that's a heavy blow.

Off the field

Mainz and Augsburg both go into the weekend's games with interim coaches. Last-placed Mainz parted company with Bo Henriksen, who led the team to sixth last season but has overseen a dismal run this campaign, punctuated by poor discipline. Benjamin Hoffman is in temporary charge ahead of Friday's game against Borussia Moenchengladbach.

Augsburg fired ex-Germany striker Sandro Wagner on Monday after the team lost eight of its 12 Bundesliga games with him in charge. Manuel Baum returns as coach until the winter break.

AP soccer:https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

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December 04, 2025

Bayern Munich aims to continue unbeaten domestic run against Stuttgart in the Bundesliga

DUESSELDORF, Germany (AP) — Bayern Munich remains unbeaten in 15 league and cup games against German opposition this seas...

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China says working on streamlining rare earth export licenses

BEIJING, Dec 4 (Reuters) - China said on Thursday it is ​working on streamlining rare ‌earth export licenses - a key promised ‌outcome after a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and his counterpart Xi Jinping.

"The government ⁠is actively ‌adapting," Commerce Ministry spokesman He Yadong told reporters ‍at a weekly briefing, adding that authorities "were aligning themselves with general license ​mechanisms".

Reuters reported on Tuesday that ‌at least three Chinese rare earth magnet makers had secured licenses enabling them to accelerate exports to some customers.

He did ⁠not say if ​new licenses had ​been issued.

China began designing the new rare earth licensing ‍regimefollowing ⁠a late October meeting between Trump and Xi that eased ⁠trade tensions between the two countries.

(Reporting ‌by Beijing newsroom; Editing ‌by Edwina Gibbs)

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December 04, 2025

China says working on streamlining rare earth export licenses

BEIJING, Dec 4 (Reuters) - China said on Thursday it is ​working on streamlining rare ‌earth export licenses - a key prom...

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Malaria deaths rose in 2024, funding cuts risk surge, WHO says

By Jennifer Rigby

LONDON, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Malaria killed around 610,000 people in 2024, mostly young children in sub-Saharan Africa, the World Health Organization said on Thursday, warning ​of the risks of rising drug resistance, climate change and funding cuts.

The toll ‌was a slight increase from the number of deaths in 2023, and case numbers also went up, from 273 million ‌to an estimated 282 million, according to the WHO's annual malaria report.

After vast progress in the early 2000s, the fight against malaria has been stalling in the last decade. While 47 countries have been certified as malaria-free, others are seeing a jump in cases – in 2024, particularly Ethiopia, Madagascar ⁠and Yemen.

RISK OF RESURGENCE

"Too many ‌people are still dying from a preventable and curable disease," said Daniel Ngamije Madandi, director of the WHO's global malaria programme.

He said rising resistance to ‍malaria drugs and the insecticides used on some bed nets, alongside climate change and conflict, were all factors challenging the response to the disease, which is spread by mosquitoes.

The rise in cases and deaths is ​in part linked to population growth, but case incidence – which accounts for that – also grew ‌in the period 2015-2024, the WHO said, from 59 to 64 cases per 100,000 people at risk. Mortality rates have declined, but only slightly, from 14.9 to 13.8 per 100,000 people at risk.

Funding is also consistently below what is needed, the WHO said. In 2024, the total investment in malaria control from both donors and affected countries reached $3.9 billion, far below a target ⁠of more than $9 billion.

That total, and the data on ​last year's cases and deaths, do not yet take ​in the cuts to international aid this year, which began in January in the United States and which have had an impact on the fight against ‍malaria this year.

"The underfunding ⁠of [the] malaria response ... brings obvious risk, a massive and uncontrolled resurgence of disease," said Ngamije.

He said new and better tools, including treatments, diagnostics and malaria vaccines, offered hope and ⁠had saved millions of lives. But they have to reach those at risk to have an impact, he added, ‌a responsibility that lies with governments in the affected countries as well as ‌international donors.

(Reporting by Jennifer RigbyEditing by Frances Kerry)

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December 04, 2025

Malaria deaths rose in 2024, funding cuts risk surge, WHO says

By Jennifer Rigby LONDON, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Malaria killed around 610,000 people in 2024, mostly young children ...

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UK and Norway will mount joint naval patrols to protect undersea cables and hunt Russian submarines

LONDON (AP) — Britain and Norway will mount joint naval patrols to protect undersea cables from Russia, the U.K. said Thursday, asPrime Minister Keir Starmerand Norwegian counterpart Jonas Gahr Støre held talks on defense.

The U.K. government says a combined fleet of at least 13 warships will "hunt Russian submarines and protect critical infrastructure in the North Atlantic."

It follows a10 billion pound ($13.4 billion) dealstruck in August for Norway to buy at least five British-made frigates. Those Norwegian vessels and eight British ships will operate jointly in the seas along NATO's northern flank.

As part of the agreement, formally signed Thursday in London by the two countries' defense ministers, the U.K. has agreed to use Norwegian missiles for the Royal Navy's surface fleet.

Starmer and Støre were scheduled to hold talks at the U.K. prime minister's residence at 10 Downing St. before visiting British and Norwegian personnel at RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland, where they will meet aircraft crews that have beentracking Russian vessels. Britain says Russian naval activity around U.K. waters has increased by 30% in the past two years.

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December 04, 2025

UK and Norway will mount joint naval patrols to protect undersea cables and hunt Russian submarines

LONDON (AP) — Britain and Norway will mount joint naval patrols to protect undersea cables from Russia, the U.K. said Thu...

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No. 10 Iowa State shatters school records against Alcorn State

Milan Momcilovic made a career-best eight 3-pointers and recorded 27 points along with a career-high five steals and No. 10 Iowa State steamrolled Alcorn State 132-68 on Wednesday night at Ames, Iowa.

Jamarion Batemon established career highs of 26 points and seven 3-pointers for the Cyclones (8-0), who set school records for points in a game and 3-pointers (22) during the nonconference victory.

Joshua Jefferson added 24 points and a career-high-tying 10 assists for Iowa State, which led by as many as 66 points. Killyan Toure had 13 points, six assists and four steals, Nate Heise scored 13 points and Dominykas Pleta had 12 points for the Cyclones.

Jameel Morris produced 17 points and three steals and Shane Lancaster scored 16 points for the Braves (1-9). Bryson Calamese added 10 points for Alcorn State, which shot 48.2% from the field and was 8 of 19 from 3-point range.

Iowa State played without standout point guard Tamin Lipsey (groin) for the third straight game. The Cyclones hope he will return for Saturday's road showdown at top-ranked Purdue.

The Cyclones set the school record for points when Batemon swished a 3-pointer with 51.5 seconds left. The old mark was 130 against The Citadel on Nov. 20, 2016, when Iowa State won by 67 points.

Alcorn State, which has yet to play a home game, has faced a tough schedule and Wednesday's setback was its seventh on the road by at least 19 points. The Braves lost by 45 points to Minnesota, 32 to Florida State, 26 to LSU, 25 to Louisiana Tech, 20 to Maryland, and 19 to Oklahoma.

Iowa State shot a sizzling 70.8% from the field and missed just eight of its 30 3-point attempts (73.3%).

Jefferson scored 20 first-half points and the Cyclones were 10 of 12 from 3-point range in the half to take a 65-28 lead into the break.

Alcorn State started out fast and took a 7-2 lead on Morris' 3-pointer just 77 seconds into the contest.

The Braves led 9-6 before the Cyclones took over with 17 consecutive points. Pleta converted a 3-point play to give Iowa State a 23-9 lead with 14:37 left in the first half.

The Cyclones later went on a 15-2 surge with Momcilovic hitting back-to-back threes to make it 44-15 with 6:24 remaining.

The lead went over 50 when Heise drilled a trey during a 15-0 spurt to make it 91-39 with 11:31 remaining in the game. Batemon capped the run with a trey to make it 99-39 with 9:47 to play.

Momcilovic drained two more 3-pointers in a span of 18 seconds to push the lead to 117-51 with 5:58 left.

--Field Level Media

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December 04, 2025

No. 10 Iowa State shatters school records against Alcorn State

Milan Momcilovic made a career-best eight 3-pointers and recorded 27 points along with a career-high five steals and N...

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