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The gold price continued to move this week, approaching the US$3,900 per ounce level and setting a fresh all-time high on the back of a US government shutdown.

The closure came after Congress failed to reach an agreement on a spending bill ahead of the new American fiscal year, which began on Wednesday (October 1).

Democrats and Republicans are at odds as Democrats push for changes to the bill, including an extension to billions of dollars in Obamacare subsidies; meanwhile, President Donald Trump has threatened thousands of permanent layoffs, not just temporary furloughs.

This shutdown is the 15th since 1981, and according to Senate Majority Leader John Thune, it could continue on until next week as the two sides negotiate. The longest government shutdown happened between 2018 and 2019, during Trump’s first presidency, and lasted for 35 days.

Part of the reason market watchers see this shutdown as significant is that it will delay the release of the latest nonfarm payrolls report, which was set to come out on Friday (October 3).

Depending on how long the shutdown lasts, September consumer price index data, which is scheduled for publication on October 15, may also not be on time.

The US Federal Reserve is due to meet later this month, from October 28 to 29, and normally would use this and other data to help make its decision on interest rates. The central bank cut rates by 25 basis points at its September meeting, and CME Group’s (NASDAQ:CME) FedWatch tool currently shows strong expectations for another 25 basis point reduction at the next gathering.

Although gold took a breather after nearing US$3,900, it remains historically high, with many market watchers suggesting US$4,000 is in the cards in the near term.

In the longer term, some experts have even loftier expectations — for example, Adam Rozencwajg of Goehring & Rozenwajg sees a path to a five-figure gold price.

‘It’s not going to happen under normal circumstances — it’s not going to happen when everything’s going great. But by the end of this cycle, will we get there? I think we probably will,’ he said.

It’s also worth touching on silver, which pushed past the US$48 per ounce mark this week. Unlike gold, silver has not yet broken its all-time high during this bull run — it’s pushing up against uncharted territory, raising questions about how high it can go this time.

On that note, David Morgan of the Morgan Report shared several factors that would tell him the market is reaching a top. Here’s what he said:

‘You want to look at exchange-traded fund flows like the GDX, GDXJ, SIL and SILJ. At the same time, more important than almost anything is trading volume at the stock level. When mid-tier and smaller producers suddenly trade three, four or five times their normal daily volume, and prices are rising, that isn’t random. That’s retail money coming back into the market, and fund buying and probably institutions.

‘One more layer of confirmation is relative to performance. When the mining sector starts to outperform the S&P 500 (INDEXSP:.INX), which it has, and the Nasdaq (INDEXNASDAQ:.IXIC), which it has, it’s a telltale sign that the generalist money, not just the hard money crowd, is beginning to rotate in.’

Bullet briefing — CEO shakeup at Barrick, Newmont

Barrick Mining (TSX:ABX,NYSE:B) and Newmont (NYSE:NEM,ASX:NEM) both announced major executive changes this week, with the CEOs of both companies departing.

Barrick’s Mark Bristow unexpectedly stepped down from his position on Monday (September 29) after nearly seven years at the helm of the firn. His exit, which was effective immediately, comes after big changes at the firm, including a shift toward copper and an asset divestment program designed to hone the company’s focus on tier-one assets.

It also follows persistent issues in Mali, where Barrick lost control of its gold-mining complex and had 3 metric tons of the yellow metal seized by the government.

According to Reuters, Bristow’s handling of that ongoing situation was the final straw that prompted the company’s board to push for a change in leadership.

Newmont announced the retirement of Tom Palmer the same day. He had held the position since 2019, and will be succeeded by the company’s president and COO. Analysts note that Newmont had been signaling that a succession plan was in the works.

Similar to Barrick, the company has been in the midst of an extensive program geared at streamlining its portfolio. Newmont acquired Newcrest Mining in 2023, and in February 2024 announced a program to sell non-core assets. It completed the program in April of this year, but has continued to make portfolio adjustments, and to pursue other cost-saving measures.

Market watchers note that despite efforts to boost efficiency, Barrick and Newmont have both failed to match the performance of their peers during today’s bull market.

Year-on-year share price performance of major gold miners.

Chart via Google Finance.

With gold-mining companies conscious of not repeating missteps made during the precious metal’s last runup, investors will no doubt be keen to see how they perform under new management.

Securities Disclosure: I, Charlotte McLeod, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

The No. 23 BYU Cougars improved to 5-0 to start the season after beating the West Virginia Mountaineers 38-24 at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo, Utah, on Friday night.

It’s the ninth 5-0 start in BYU’s history and the fourth with coach Kalani Sitake at the helm.

Quarterback Bear Bachmeier completed 18 of 25 passes for a career-high 351 yards in the Cougars’ win. He threw for a touchdown and had an interception. Bachmeier also rushed for 43 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries.

Running back LJ Martin finished with 90 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries. Receiver Parker Kingston added to the offense with 112 all-purpose yards and two total touchdowns.

It was BYU’s first victory over West Virginia, which won the first two games in the all-time series back in 2016 and 2023.

USA TODAY Sports provided updates, scores and highlights from the game. Check it out:

BYU vs West Virginia: Score, schedule and result

BYU vs. West Virginia highlights

Final: BYU 38, West Virginia 24

West Virginia quarterback Scotty Fox Jr. completed a pass to Cam Vaughn for a 29-yard touchdown with 1:14 left in the fourth quarter. Kade Hensley made the PAT. The touchdown was not enough as BYU improved to 5-0 on the season.

BYU defense stops West Virginia

The BYU defense came up big with a stop on fourth-and-goal for West Virginia. Diore Hubbard was handed the ball out of the backfield but was unable to gain the one yard needed to score. The Mountaineers have nothing to show for a 12-play, 74-yard drive.

LJ Martin scores again

Running back LJ Martin scores his second touchdown of the night with a 1-yard score with 8:50 left in the fourth quarter.

3Q: BYU 31, West Virginia 17

Following a fumble recovery by the West Virginia defense, quarterback Khalil Wilkins ran for 6 yards to score with 37 seconds left in the third quarter. The run capped off a five-play, 22-yard drive.

BYU, West Virginia exchange turnovers

BYU safety Tanner Wall caught an interception off a pass thrown by quarterback Khalil Wilkins, after the ball bounced out of the hands of a West Virginia receiver.

Khalil Wilkins helps West Virginia close the gap

West Virginia quarterback Khalil Wilkins had a 6-yard run for a touchdown with 37 seconds left in the third quarter. Kicker Kade Hensley made the PAT. It was a five-play, 22-yard drive.

BYU adds to its lead

BYU kicker Will Ferrin made a 37-yard field goal to increase the lead to 31-10 with 6:53 left in the third quarter. Ferrin missed his first field goal attempt in the first half.

Halftime: BYU 28, West Virginia 10

Quarterback Bear Bachmeier scored on a 2-yard touchdown run in the final moments before halftime. The touchdown capped off a nine-play, 73-yard drive.

Bachmeier completed 10 of 14 passes for 249 yards with a touchdown and an interception in the first half. He also rushed for 17 yards and a touchdown on eight carries.

Receiver Chase Roberts had 140 yards on three catches for the Cougars. Receiver Parker Kingston scored a rushing and receiving touchdown in the first half.

West Virginia quarterback Khalil Wilkins completed just four of 10 passes for 20 yards and had an interception. He has 60 rushing yards on 13 carries in the first half. Running back Diore Hubbard had 20 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries.

West Virginia answers back

The Mountaineers continue to show some fight, converting a turnover into some late points in the first half. Fred Perry swatted BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier’s shovel pass attempt, resulting in a 12-yard loss and a fumble. Perry did manage to recover the ball and provided the West Virginia offense with good field position.

Diore Hubbard scored on a 3-yard run on the very next play for West Virginia with 1:58 left in the second half. It’s 21-10.

BYU is pulling away in first half

LJ Martin capped off a two-play, 89-yard drive for the Cougars. Martin scored a 4-yard touchdown to increase BYU’s lead to 21-3 with 5:17 left in the second quarter. Kicker Will Ferrin made the PAT.

Quarterback Bear Bachmeier started the drive, connecting with Chase Roberts for an 85-yard gain.

Kade Hensley scores for West Virginia

Kade Hensley put the Mountaineers on the scoreboard with a 45-yard field goal with 14:15 left in the second quarter.

1Q: BYU 14, West Virginia 0

Parker Kingston scored his second touchdown of the first quarter after being on the receiving end of a short pass by quarterback Bear Bachmeier with 3:41 left in the opening period. The short pass resulted in a 54-yard gain and the touchdown. Kicker Will Ferrin made the PAT.

BYU takes advantage of mistakes, scores first

BYU wide receiver Parker Kingston scored on a 1-yard touchdown run to give BYU the early lead over West Virginia with 9:09 left in the first quarter. Kicker Will Ferrin made the PAT.

West Virginia quarterback Khalil Wilkins threw an interception to defensive back Therrian Alexander III. Alexander returned the ball 47 yards to put his team in good field position. He nearly scored a touchdown before he was tackled by Wilkins, who was called for a penalty because of a horse collar tackle in the process.

BYU misses chance at early lead

BYU kicker Will Ferrin missed a 48-yard field goal attempt. Quarterback Bear Bachmeier helped lead the Cougars within field goal range on a seven-play, 57-yard drive.

What time does BYU vs. West Virginia start?  

  • Date: Friday, Oct. 3
  • Time: 10:30 p.m. ET
  • Where: LaVell Edwards Stadium, Provo, Utah

What TV channel is BYU vs. West Virginia on today?  

  • TV: ESPN
  • Streaming: FUBO (offers free trial)
  • How to watch online: Watch ESPN (here’s how to stream it live)

BYU vs. West Virginia game odds

All college football odds via BetMGM

  • Spread: BYU -18.5 (-115), West Virginia +18.5 (-105)
  • Money Line: BYU -1200, West Virginia +725
  • Over-Under: Over 47.5 (-110), Under 47.5 (-110)

BYU vs. West Virginia predictions

  • Riley Donald,College Sports Wire: BYU is a focused team taking on a West Virginia team traveling across multiple time zones without an answer on offense. Cougars, big.
  • Jeremy Cluff, Arizona Republic: The Cougars won their first close game of the season in Week 5 against Colorado. Can they move to 2-0 in the conference? We think so. Freshman QB Bear Bachmeier has moxie.

West Virginia schedule 2025

Here is West Virginia’s schedule and results.

  • Game 1: Win vs. Robert Morris Colonials, 45-3
  • Game 2: Loss vs. Ohio, 17-10
  • Game 3: Win vs. Pittsburgh, 31-24
  • Game 4: Loss to Kansas, 41-10
  • Game 5: Loss to Utah, 48-14
  • Game 6: at BYU (tonight)
  • Game 7: at UCF (Oct. 18)
  • Game 8:  vs. TCU (Oct. 25)
  • Game 9: at Houston (Nov. 1)
  • Game 10: vs. Colorado (Nov. 8)
  • Game 11: at Arizona State (Nov. 15)
  • Game 12: vs. Texas Tech (Nov. 29)

BYU schedule 2025

Here is BYU’s schedule and results.

  • Game 1: Win vs. Portland State, 69-0
  • Game 2: Win vs. Stanford, 27-3
  • Game 3: Win at East Carolina, 34-13
  • Game 4: Win at Colorado, 24-21
  • Game 5: vs. West Virginia (tonight)
  • Game 6: at Arizona (Oct. 11)
  • Game 7: vs. Utah (Oct. 18)
  • Game 8: at Iowa State (Oct. 25)
  • Game 9: at Texas Tech (Nov. 8)
  • Game 10: vs. TCU (Nov. 15)
  • Game 11: at Cincinnati (Nov. 22)
  • Game 12: vs. UCF (Nov. 29)
This post appeared first on USA TODAY

  • The Browns visited a primary school in England as part of their initiative to combat chronic absenteeism.
  • A teacher at the school, a lifelong Browns fan, was surprised with a new jersey and tickets to the team’s London game.
  • The ‘Stay in the Game’ program aims to keep students engaged in school through enriching activities.

Kevin Smith thought he would be a nervous wreck. He just wanted everything to go right for his students, especially since his favorite NFL team was visiting his school about two hours outside of London.

It turns out he was a part of the surprise visit as well.

Members of the Cleveland Browns visited Trapston Primary School in Northamptonshire, U.K. on Thursday, Oct. 2 to have an assembly and play an outdoor flag football game with students before their Week 5 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings on Oct. 5 in London

The visit is part of the Browns’ Stay in the Game! effort, which aims to combat chronic absenteeism, encouraging students to participate in enriching activities to influence attendance that can lead to graduation.

“When the email came through, saying ‘Would you like the Browns to visit your school on October 2nd? ‘I’m just like, Are you serious? Do I want my favorite football team to come to my school on my birthday? Yes. Wow. Fantastic,” said Smith, who turned 57 this week. “It was a great, great thing to happen.”

The Browns connected with Smith, a diehard Cleveland sports fan who was born in Findlay, Ohio, while his father was working with Marathon Oil. His family moved back to London a few weeks after he was born. When NFL games began broadcasting in Europe in the 80s, Smith knew there was only one team for him to support.

“On my birth certificate, it’s got district of Cleveland,” Smith said. “I follow basically all of the Cleveland team, so I’m big brands fan, big Guardian fan. So that’s how that came about.”

Smith teaches all subjects at his school, and runs the school’s physical education program, setting up soccer matches and recently starting a flag football team.

“We try and get all the children involved,” Smith said. “We split it along two lines: We have the line where we’re thinking we want to be successful and win, but we also have the line where we think we want to get as many children, representing the school and taking part in the tournaments because it gets them to buy into the school and they feel a pride in their school.”

Everyone in the school knows Smith is a big Browns fan, but he did not know he was also going to be surprised with a new jersey, a VIP invite to a team practice Friday and tickets for the London game. School principal Pauline Turner also received jerseys and tickets to the game, while one student, who will attend with her parents, will be get to pick up the kickoff tee during the game.

Former Browns tight end Gary Barnidge, who is co-founder of American Football Without Borders, attended the school assembly held for about 400 students, while 40 kids got to participate in a flag football game where they were cheered on by team mascot Chomps.

“I’ve taught for 25 years now, and every now and again, you have a win. This is a massive win. And it just makes me really proud to support that team that takes the effort to actually come over to our school,” Smith said. “They’re not just here to play a football game. They’re dealing with a global problem that needs to be dealt with, and they’re doing it in my community.”

After conversations with school superintendents in Ohio, Browns owner Dee Haslam discovered kids are 3.9 times more likely to read on grade level if they attend regularly, and three times more likely to graduate. Their findings inspired them to build a playbook to teach teachers and administrators what they can do to help keep the kids in school.

“Education is something that I care deeply about,” Haslam told USA TODAY Sports. “We recognize that any engagement from music, to theater, to science club or whatever – however you can keep kids engaged so they want to be in school. They can’t do those clubs or extracurricular things if they’re not there. So, every single day counts.”

Stay in the Game! is in at least 215 districts in Ohio, available to support 580,000 students across the state. The program says it has decreased chronic absenteeism by 10.3% since it began in 2019.

The Browns have partnered with MLS teams Columbus Crew (which the Haslams own) and FC Cincinnati to help schools around Ohio. Haslam hopes other sports teams in the U.S. will join their initiative in their respective areas.

Haslam also plans to meet Smith before the Browns take on the Vikings, to thank him for being a huge Cleveland sports fan and for doing his part to keep his students in school.

“We’re having an impact far beyond the districts we’re involved. And we believe that Kevin will have that same impact. There’s no telling how far this can go internationally, but this is encouraging, exciting, and so incredibly helpful for families,” Dee Haslam said.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

Skip Schumaker has officially been tasked with leading the Texas Rangers.

Schumaker was the 2023 National League manager of the year with the Miami Marlins, leading the team to an 84-78 record and rare playoff appearance. He and the Marlins parted ways, however, after they went 62-100 in 2024.

The 45-year-old has spent the last year as a special assistant with the Rangers under future Hall of Famer Bruce Bochy.

Bochy and the Rangers agreed he would not continue on as manager after three seasons that included the club’s first World Series title in 2023.

Schumaker inherits a team that went 81-81 in 2025.

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fastDownload for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

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LAS VEGAS WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert has denied commenting on Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark.

‘Obviously, I did not make those comments,’ Engelbert said on Friday ahead of Game 1 of the 2025 WNBA Finals, three days after Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier publicly criticized Engelbert in a scathing statement.

In Collier’s exit interview on Tuesday, she disclosed a private conversation she had with Engelbert, alleging the commissioner said Clark ‘should be grateful to make $16 million off the court, because without the platform that the WNBA gives her, she wouldn’t make anything’ when asked about increasing player’s salaries.

Engelbert said she was ‘disheartened by how Napheesa (Collier) characterized our conversation’ in a statement released on social media on Tuesday, but didn’t directly deny making the comments about Clark. Until Friday.

‘Caitlin has been a transformational player in this league. She’s been a great representative of the game. She’s brought in 10 of millions of new fans to the game,’ Engelbert said when pushed to clarify what exactly she said. ‘I’m not going to get into every point (and) counterpoint. It’s not productive here. … But yeah, as I said, there’s a lot of inaccuracies reported out there and I certainly did not say that.’

However, Engelbert stopped short of denying saying ‘players should be on their knees thanking their lucky stars for the media rights deal that I got them,’ as Collier said in her statement.

‘I think obviously a lot of reporting and a lot of inaccuracy about what I said or what I didn’t say,’ Engelbert said when asked to clarify. ‘I have been in touch with Napheesa (Collier), we’ve exchanged texts. We’re talking next week. … I highly respect the players. There’s a lot of emotion and passion going on right now because we’re in collective bargaining, we’re in the WNBA Finals and so I’ll leave it there.’

The criticism of Engelbert highlights the growing divide between players and league leadership amid ongoing contract negotiations as the current collective bargaining agreement (CBA), which was signed into effect in January 2020, shortly after Engelbert took over as commissioner in 2019, is set to expire on October 31, 2025 after the WNBPA opted out. Engelbert was asked if she believed she was the right person to lead the negotiations.

‘I’ve never been a quitter, never shied away from tough situations,’ Engelbert said. ‘I think leadership, the cream always rises to the top and I’ve always been someone who believes in the fact that we have, if there’s things we need to fix, we’re going to fix ’em. If there’s things the players have a perspective on that they don’t like that we’re doing or I’m doing, we’ll fix’

Many WNBA superstar players and coaches backed Collier’s sentiments. Clark said Collier ‘said it all,’ while the Las Vegas Aces four-time MVP A’ja Wilson said she was ‘honestly disgusted by the comments that Cathy made.’

If both sides don’t reach an agreement before the CBA expires, the league could experience a work stoppage and temporarily shut down until a contract is signed. A lockout could result in the 2026 season being delayed or canceled, a growing possibly and concern for the players.

‘We continue to meet and have important conversations with the players association,’ Engelbert said on Friday. ‘I want to reiterate that we want much of the same things that the players want. We want to significantly and I mean significantly increase their salary and benefits while also supporting the long term growth and viability of the WNBA… We’ll continue to negotiate in good faith until we get a transformative deal done.’

‘I hope we got a league,’ Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell said on Wed, Oct. 1 in her exit interview. ‘I hope that when it’s all said and done … we can have a season, period.’

Engelbert said she’s ‘confident that we can get a deal done, but if not, I think we could do an extension’ and said she remains the right person to lead the league through the next CBA.

The WNBA has never experienced a lockout in its 28-year history, although the 2003 WNBA draft and preseason were postponed before a new CBA was reached in 2003. It’s worth noting that the WNBA expansion drafts for the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire are tentatively set for December and could be affected by a stoppage.

‘Whether it’s a lockout or strike, there’s deadlines and there’s extensions that could be done,’ Engelbert said. ‘You want to make sure you’re capitalizing on all this momentum that we’ve built up over the last five years or so and that are really driving viewership into our game and fandom… this is all the important stuff of why we need to get this transformational CBA done as soon as we can because that’s where you see the potential for the future of this game.’

During the 2025 WNBA All-Star weekend in July, Engelbert said she had ‘confidence we can get something done by October,’ although she wouldn’t ‘put an exact date on it.’ She added, ‘Would we like to get it done? Yes. Does it have to be done exactly on that date? We’ve got some room to continue negotiations if we’re close at that point.’

But the latest controversy shows just how far the players and the league remain on a deal as the clock ticks.

‘I feel confident that we can repair any loss of trust,’ Engelbert added. ‘I hope all the players will engage and know what proposals we put on the table. And I think now’s the time to do that as we get up to the end of the season and then into the end of this calendar year. So yeah, we will dialogue with players. I mean one-on-one relationships, groups of relationships.’

Another point of contention in the league has been officiating and the growing physicality of the game, topics that were renewed during the postseason. Coaches and players from various teams have publicly pleaded for reform, including Aces head coach Becky Hammon, Indiana Fever head coach Stephane White and Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve, who were all were swiftly met with fines.

“The officiating crew that we had tonight, for the leadership to deem those three people semifinals playoff worth is f—ing malpractice,” Reeve said in an expletive-filled rant after being ejected for arguing a non-call in the Lynx’s Game 3 semifinal loss to the Phoenix Mercury, resulting in a $15k fine and a one-game suspension for Game 4. Reeve called for a “change of leadership at the league level when it comes to officiating.’

Engelbert said she’s had ‘a lot of conversations’ with the league’s officials on consistency.

‘Everybody has their opinion on officiating in every sport … but yeah, certainly something we’re talking about,’ she added. ‘The officials are evaluated. Every … non-call and call is evaluated for every game during the season. This isn’t something we blow off. They’re evaluating every call and no-call. So think about that. That’s every play in every game. Film is reviewed, there’s training, there’s officiating, there’s points of emphasis obviously. So we continue to have those discussions with officiating crews even here.’

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LAS VEGAS — The Las Vegas Aces took care of home court.

The No. 2 seed Aces defeated the No. 4 seed Phoenix Mercury 89-86 in Game 1 of WNBA Finals on Friday at Michelob ULTRA Arena, taking a 1-0 lead in the first best-of-seven championship series in league history.

Aces guard Dana Evans was the unlikely hero of Game 1, finishing with 21 points in 26 minutes off the bench, shooting 8-of-13 from the field including 5-of-6 from the 3-point line. She added four steals, three assists and two rebounds.

‘I feel like I feed off my defense,’ Evans said of her performance. ‘I feel like I got some early steals, early on, I got to the basket. I saw the ball going in and I just kept being aggressive.’

The Mercury had a chance to take the lead with 24.6 seconds left, but forward Alyssa Thomas missed both of her free throw attempts. Aces guard Jackie Young knocked down both of her free throws to extend the Aces’ lead to three points with 13.5 seconds remaining.

Mercury forward Satou Sabally had a final look at an equalizer, but she missed a 3-point attempt with 2.4 seconds remaining. Jackie Young got the rebound and dribbled the ball out for the win.

‘We ran a play to get Kahleah (Cooper) a look,’ Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts said of the final possession. ‘They did a good job of switching out. We had one more option … I probably should have ran out and called a TO with six seconds to go.’ 

Aces center A’ja Wilson finished with 21 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. Young finished with 10 points and five assists. Jewell Loyd had 18 points and four rebounds off the bench.

The Mercury were outscored 22-15 in the final quarter. Phoenix had five players in double figures lead by Copper with 21 points. Thomas was an assist short of a triple-double with 15 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists.

‘It’s a game of runs,’ Copper said. ‘I think we did a pretty good job of understanding and handling the runs but down the stretch, they made the plays and we didn’t. this is something to learn from.’ 

The WNBA Finals continue with Game 2 on Sunday (3 p.m. ET, ABC) at Michelob Ultra Arena.

Follow along as USA TODAY Sports provides live updates, highlights and recaps Game 1 of the WNBA Finals:

Satou Sabally in foul trouble

Sabally picked up her fifth personal foul with 8:23 remaining in the game. To add insult to injury, she was also called for a technical foul for slamming the ball down in the direction of the official after the call. Sabally went to the bench, exiting with 19 points, four rebounds and three assists.

End of 3Q: Mercury 71, Aces 67

Kahleah Copper has 21 points, Alyssa Thomas is closing in on a double-double with 10 points and nine assists. Satou Sabally has 16 points, three assists and three rebounds.

A’ja Wilson is the only Aces starter to reach double digits with 15 point, six rebounds and four assists, one steal and one block. Jewell Loyd added 15 off the bench, while Dana Evans is up to 12 points.

Sami Whitcomb returns to bench

Mercury guard Sami Whitcomb was helped to the locker room by two staffers after appearing to injure her lower body with 1:58 remaining in third quarter. She sprinted out the tunnel to start the fourth quarter.

Chelsea Gray exits with ankle injury after flagrant foul 

Mercury guard Kahleah Copper was called for a personal foul on a reckless closeout on Aces guard Chelsea Gray, who landed on Copper’s foot and tweaked her right ankle on a 3-point attempt with 5:37 remaining in the third quarter. The foul on Copper was upgraded to a flagrant 1. Gray remained down on the court in visible pain. Eventually, the veteran got to her feet and knocked down all three free throws before running back for the locker room. She exited with three points and five assists in 21 minutes. Gray got her ankle taped and returned with 3:04 remaining in the third quarter.

Halftime: Mercury 50, Aces 45

Game 1 of the WNBA Finals has been as close as it gets so far with the Mercury holding a five-point advantage after a first half that featured seven lead changes and six ties. 

Mercury guard Kahleah Copper was red-hot in the first half, recording a game-high 19 points shooting 6-of-7 from the field and 5-of-6 from the 3-point line. Alyssa Thomas has 10 points, six assists and two rebounds, while Satou Sabally added nine points and three assists. The Mercury are shooting an impressive 52.9% from the field and 8-of-17 from the 3-point line, but Phoenix has turned the ball over seven times. The Aces have scored 15 points off Mercury turnovers. 

The Aces bench has scored 25 points, led by 13 points from Jewell Loyd in 18 minutes of action and 10 points from Dana Evans in 10 minutes of play. A’ja Wilson has nine points and six rebounds, while Jackie Young has eight points. 

End of Q1: Mercury 21, Aces 21

Phoenix Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts said it was critical for his team to have a great start against the Aces in Game 1. The Mercury did just that, jumping out to a 10-2 lead, but Las Vegas responded and closed the first quarter on a 19-11 run to tie it up. 

Kahleah Copper leads the Mercury with seven points, while Alyssa Thomas and Satou Sabally have six points apiece. 

Jewell Loyd leads the Aces with eight points in seven minutes off the bench. A’ja Wilson added six points, four rebounds and two assists. 

Mercury jump out to early 10-2 lead

Game 1 of the WNBA Finals is underway at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas. The Mercury jumped out to a 10-2 lead with 6:39 remaining in the first quarter, led by six points by Mercury forward Satou Sabally. The Aces are struggling to find their offensive rhythm so far and opened the contest shooting 1-of-8 from the field and 0-of-2 from the 3-point line. A’ja Wilson has the only two points for the Aces.

Cathy Engelbert speaks about Napheesa Collier’s remarks

WNBA commissioner answered questions about Napheesa Collier’s callout at Minnesota Lynx exit interviews. Collier openly criticized WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert and the ‘tone-deaf and dismissive approach that our leaders always seem to take’ in governing the league.

Las Vegas Aces active roster

Phoenix Mercury starting lineup

Head coach: Nate Tibbetts

  • 0 Satou Sabally | F 6′ 4′ – Oregon
  • 2 Kahleah Copper | G 6′ 1′ – Rutgers
  • 4 Natasha Mack | C 6′ 4′ – Oklahoma State
  • 8 Monique Akoa Makani | G 5′ 11′ – Cameroon
  • 25 Alyssa Thomas | F 6′ 2′ – Maryland

Phoenix Mercury injury report

Las Vegas Aces starting lineup

Head coach: Becky Hammon

  • 0 Jackie Young | G 6′ 0′ – Notre Dame
  • 1 Kierstan Bell | F 6′ 1′ – Florida Gulf Coast
  • 3 NaLyssa Smith | F 6′ 4′ – Baylor
  • 12 Chelsea Gray | G 5′ 11′ – Duke
  • 22 A’ja Wilson | C 6′ 5′ – South Carolina

What time is Mercury vs. Aces Game 1?

Game 1 of the WNBA Finals between the No. 2 seed Las Vegas Aces and No. 4 seed Phoenix Mercury is scheduled to tip off at 8 p.m. ET on Friday, Oct. 3 at Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas.

How to watch Mercury vs. Aces in WNBA Finals: TV, streaming for Game 1

  • Date: Friday, Oct. 3
  • Time: 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT)
  • Location: Michelob Ultra Arena (Las Vegas)
  • TV: ESPN
  • Stream: Fubo, ESPN Unlimited

Stream Mercury-Aces series on Fubo (free trial)

USA TODAY at the WNBA Finals

Phoenix Mercury arrivals

Alyssa Thomas leads the way.

Satou Sabally with a cute little bag.

Las Vegas Aces arrivals

A’ja Wilson ready for the moment.

Cheyenne Parker-Tyus dressed to the nines.

Dane Evans with the heels.

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Valeura Energy Inc. (TSX:VLE, OTCQX:VLERF) (‘Valeura’ or the ‘Company’) has been ranked No. 1 on the Report on Business magazine’s 2025 ranking of Canada’s Top Growing Companies, as published on September 26, 2025.

Valeura achieved the top position among 400 candidate companies across all sectors, based on three-year revenue growth. The Company’s revenue increased from US$3 million in 2021 to US$689 million in 2024, representing a 20,064% increase. This recognition follows the Company’s No. 8 ranking in 2024, reflecting sustained momentum in value creation and operational execution.

Dr. Sean Guest, President and CEO commented:

‘We are honoured to receive this exceptional recognition from the Report on Business magazine. Achieving the No. 1 position among 400 companies across all industries validates our disciplined approach to creating value through growth.

Since launching our growth strategy in 2020, our team has demonstrated top tier operational and financial performance. At the same time, we have remained highly discerning in selecting which opportunities to pursue. Our revenue growth of 20,064% over three years underscores the fact that our strategy is working.

As we continue to actively pursue organic and inorganic opportunities to create value for all stakeholders, I extend my sincere gratitude to the many individuals who have supported our journey.’

About the Ranking

The Report on Business magazine is published by The Globe And Mail, widely regarded as Canada’s foremost news media company. Their annual editorial ranking of Canada’s Top Growing Companies measures businesses on three-year revenue growth. The complete 2025 ranking is listed here.

About the Company

Valeura is a Canadian public company engaged in the exploration, development and production of petroleum and natural gas in Thailand and in Türkiye. The Company is pursuing a growth-oriented strategy and intends to re-invest into its producing asset portfolio and to deploy resources toward further organic and inorganic growth in Southeast Asia. Valeura aspires toward value accretive growth for stakeholders while adhering to high standards of environmental, social and governance responsibility.

Additional information relating to Valeura is also available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.

For further information, please contact:

Valeura Energy Inc. (General Corporate Enquiries)
+65 6373 6940
Sean Guest, President and CEO
Yacine Ben-Meriem, CFO
Contact@valeuraenergy.com

Valeura Energy Inc. (Investor and Media Enquiries)
+1 403 975 6752 / +44 7392 940495
Robin James Martin, Vice President, Communications and Investor Relations
IR@valeuraenergy.com

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities in any jurisdiction, including where such offer would be unlawful. This news release is not for distribution or release, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States, Ireland, the Republic of South Africa or Japan or any other jurisdiction in which its publication or distribution would be unlawful.

Neither the Toronto Stock Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Toronto Stock Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

Source

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Adam Rozencwajg, managing partner at Goehring & Rozencwajg, discusses the factors driving gold’s current price run and why he thinks it will continue.

‘I think that this rally is sustained. I think that it’s going on until I see otherwise,’ he said.

Securities Disclosure: I, Charlotte McLeod, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

Perth, Australia (ABN Newswire) – Locksley Resources Ltd (ASX:LKY,OTC:LKYRF) (FRA:X5L) (OTCMKTS:LKYRF) is pleased to provide a market update on activities across the Mojave Critical Minerals Project in California, where the Company is rapidly advancing numerous parallel workstreams.

Highlights

– Plan of Operations approval for upsized drilling program at Desert Antimony Mine (DAM), subject to receipt of bond

– Locksley has secured a drill contractor for El Campo rare earths drilling in Q4 and is in the process of finalising the expanded drill programactivities and timeline at DAM

– Lidar surface and underground survey completed at DAM, providing detailed 3D mapping of adits and stopes to guide drill targeting and mine design

– Underground sampling program planned at DAM to validate historical grades and support resource definition

– Regional exploration advancing across newly acquired claims, extending coverage to over 40 sq km of the Mojave corridor

– Multiple parallel workstreams reinforce Locksley’s fast-track mine-tomarket strategy for U.S. antimony supply

Locksley has received approval from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) expanding the Plan of Operations for the Desert Antimony Mine, which will become effective upon completion of the bond payment and receipt of a letter from the BLM that the bond has been accepted, this process is underway.

Following the announcement on 15th September, which outlined a significant enlargement of the exploration program at the Desert Antimony Mine (‘DAM’), Locksley has moved quickly to initiate onground activities across the broader Mojave Project.

Exploration Workstreams

– Drilling: Locksley has secured a drilling contractor for the upcoming exploration program planned for Q4 2025. The drilling at the El Campo rare earths project is designed to target the steeply dipping, structurally controlled mineralised horizon in five locations along the interpreted 860m long NW-SE striking El Campo ‘lode’. This lode hosts elevated REE, as delineated from high-grade rock chip sampling conducted during 2023. The first planned drillhole is designed to target the down-plunge El Campo outcrop dipping to the SW.

– LiDAR Surveying – DAM: A comprehensive LiDAR survey of underground adits and stopes has been completed, providing data to inform both program drilling design and future mine planning.

The underground LiDAR survey will expand Locksley’s knowledge of historic antimony production. It will also provide a 3D wireframe model of the historic underground mine, which will assist with future drill targeting aiming to delineate un-mined high-grade antimony mineralisation along strike from the historic stopes. The LiDAR survey team deployed an Elios 3 with the Rev7 LiDAR payload to map the internal spaces of the underground mine, while the team also operate the DJI M350 RTK drone equipped with the L2 LiDAR payload to capture imagery for surface mapping.

The dataset will enable the contractors to accurately integrate and geospatially align all underground scans, ensuring a comprehensive and precise 3D model of the Desert Antimony mine site.

– Underground Sampling – DAM: Systematic sampling of underground workings at DAM will commence in the near term, designed to further evaluate grade continuity and confirm historical production records.

An adit located ~50m to the south-east of the historic Desert Antimony smelter will be used to conduct UG mapping and sampling which will progress Locksley’s understanding of subsurface stibnite bearing quartz-carbonate vein orientation, grade and continuity. Two stopes crosscutting the main orientation of the adit still contain timber beams and ladders that were used for mining during the late 1920’s and 1930’s.

Evidence of sheeted massive to semi-massive stibnite bearing quartz-carbonate veining is observed to be dipping sub-vertically to the west and north-west and run parallel to the orientation of the stopes.

– Broader Exploration Activities:

o Field sampling: Regional reconnaissance and claim wide sampling will commence later this month, extending coverage across the newly acquired tenure and prospective corridors.

o Geophysics: Locksley is currenting reviewing the optimal geophysical methods to evaluate its expanded land position. Technics including airborne magnetic, radiometric surveys, Induced polarization, gravity survey and passive seismic are being evaluated. Airborne geophysics has the potential to provide additional REE anomalies that may be associated with REE-bearing carbonatite intrusions, similar to the Mountain Pass REE deposit.

o Stream sediment and rock chip sampling: Wide-spread regional stream sediment and rock chip sampling are planned across the entire North-western Block, South Block, and areas of the newly expanded North Block using coarse fraction stream sediment sampling methodology. Ongoing mapping coinciding with outcrop rock sampling will also assist in providing potential REE, antimony and base metal geochemical anomalies within the Mojave Project’s land tenure.

Kerrie Matthews, Chief Executive Officer of Locksley Resources, commented:

‘Since commencing as CEO, my focus has been on advancing Mojave through multiple, parallel workstreams. The exploration team is rapidly progressing technical programs, from securing a drill rig to underground sampling and Lidar surveys at the Desert Antimony Mine. With the Plan of Operations now approved pending bond finalisation, we are commencing activities to prepare for the initial drilling at the El Campo REE target. The team and I are extremely focused on our fast-track mine-to-market strategy and it positions Locksley to deliver near-term U.S. antimony supply into critical defense and energy supply chains.’

About Locksley Resources Limited:

Locksley Resources Limited (ASX:LKY,OTC:LKYRF) (FRA:X5L) (OTCMKTS:LKYRF) is an ASX listed explorer focused on critical minerals in the United States of America. The Company is actively advancing exploration across two key assets: the Mojave Project in California, targeting rare earth elements (REEs) and antimony. Locksley Resources aims to generate shareholder value through strategic exploration, discovery and development in this highly prospective mineral region.

Mojave Project

Located in the Mojave Desert, California, the Mojave Project comprises over 250 claims across two contiguous prospect areas, namely, the North Block/Northeast Block and the El Campo Prospect. The North Block directly abuts claims held by MP Materials, while El Campo lies along strike of the Mountain Pass Mine and is enveloped by MP Materials’ claims, highlighting the strong geological continuity and exploration potential of the project area.

In addition to rare earths, the Mojave Project hosts the historic ‘Desert Antimony Mine’, which last operated in 1937. Despite the United States currently having no domestic antimony production, demand for the metal remains high due to its essential role in defense systems, semiconductors, and metal alloys. With significant surface sample results, the Desert Mine prospect represents one of the highest-grade known antimony occurrences in the U.S.

Locksley’s North American position is further strengthened by rising geopolitical urgency to diversify supply chains away from China, the global leader in both REE & antimony production. With its maiden drilling program planned, the Mojave Project is uniquely positioned to align with U.S. strategic objectives around critical mineral independence and economic security.

Tottenham Project

Locksley’s Australian portfolio comprises the advanced Tottenham Copper-Gold Project in New South Wales, focused on VMS-style mineralisation

Source:
Locksley Resources Limited

Contact:
Locksley Resources Limited
T: +61 8 9481 0389
E: info@locksleyresources.com.au

News Provided by ABN Newswire via QuoteMedia

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