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South Korea's leader prompts dismay by briefly declaring martial law. Here's what to knowSome of Bellator’s biggest names are becoming increasingly frustrated with the PFL’s lack of events since the promotional takeover last year. Bellator titleholders Patricio Pitbull, Patchy Mix, and Corey Anderson are a few of the latest big-name fighters to air grievances against PFL since the 2023 merger . Mix and Anderson both fought earlier this year but are becoming increasingly agitated with the PFL’s alleged lack of transparency in booking their returns. As of this writing, the next Bellator Champions Series event is scheduled for January, featuring a Usman Nurmagomedov vs. Paul Hughes headliner . The PFL made waves across mixed martial arts when they purchased Bellator last year, bringing two of the top MMA rosters under one roof. The initial excitement from fight fans, pundits, and fighters signaled a new era for MMA and a potential competitor to the UFC. But, things haven’t gotten off to a great start this year for the PFL-Bellator marriage. Several top names, including Gegard Mousasi, have spoken out against the PFL for alleged contract breaches and other issues. To cap off an up-and-down year for PFL and Bellator, three champions, including Pitbull, took to social media to share their experiences. READ MORE: Francis Ngannou bizarrely backs Jon Jones’ decision to not fight Tom Aspinall Bellator champs speak out against PFL’s fighter treatment and inactivity Pitbull, who was scheduled to return this month before the event’s cancelation, was among the first to recently speak out against the PFL. “I haven’t fought since February. I wanted to fight 3x this year, but I was told I’d have to wait until December 31st and found out online my opponent would fight someone else,” Pitbull shared on X. “Then they had a replacement, I bring people over, spend more money with the camp and there’s no fight... “This is wrong,” Pitbull continued. “We need answers, we need the fighters and fans to be respected. This is not a game or just some business, these are people’s lives we are talking about. A serious promotion would give fighters the chance to fight at least 3 times a year if they’re healthy.” Anderson, the Bellator light heavyweight champion, took a more tranquil approach to implore the PFL to get him a fight. “Aging like warm cheese over here waiting for [PFL] to give me a call. But don’t get it twisted.... we still ready to defend the strap against ANYBODY! Young or Old!!” Anderson posted on X . Mix, arguably the top bantamweight in MMA, is fed up with the PFL’s lack of communication since he defended his bantamweight title in May against Magomed Magomedov. “I’ve been training my ass off for the last half of year for nothing. This is frustrating in the prime of my career and I’ve had my fight in November cancelled?” Mix said on X . “Then now again I’m being told I’m off January Dubai card? I am the best in the world and I want to fight to prove it.” Mix is referring to the January Bellator Champions Series card featuring Nurmagomedov vs. Hughes. As of this writing, it’s uncertain why the PFL scratched its original plan to book Mix’s return for the event. READ MORE: Encouraging update on UFC Macau fighter’s health after head-kick KO left her on a stretcher PFL/Bellator merger hits another speed bump ahead of 2024 PFL Championship In fairness, there have also been some positive reviews from other Bellator standouts since the PFL merger. MMA legend and Bellator women’s flyweight champion Liz Carmouche recently praised the PFL season format in an exclusive interview with Bloody Elbow . As of this writing, founder Donn Davis and the other PFL heads haven’t released a statement on Pitbull, Anderson, and Mix’s social media posts. The scathing accusations from Mix and Pitbull, in particular, come just days before one of the biggest PFL cards of the year. The 2024 PFL Championship this coming weekend features an astounding 10 world title fights, featuring top names like former UFC fighter Taila Santos against surging prospect Dakota Ditcheva. As Dana White and others have pointed out, the PFL has a long way to go to cement itself as a legitimate competitor to the UFC’s juggernaut. Time will tell if Mix, Anderson, and Pitbull get their returns booked and have their grievances made up for. READ MORE: Dustin Poirier updates on UFC retirement fight as ‘fake news’ spreads about potential opponent
NoneDerek Robertson throws for school-record 536 yards and Monmouth surprises Stony Brook 55-47NEW DELHI: Uddhav Thackeray 's bold decision to challenge the BJP in 2019 and form an alliance with the Congress and NCP has resulted in a significant electoral setback in the Maharashtra assembly elections, where his Shiv Sena (UBT) secured only 20 out of 95 contested seats. He expressed surprise at the electorate's dramatic shift in preference, considering their rejection of the BJP-led alliance merely five months ago in Lok Sabha elections. The political journey of Bal Thackeray's reserved son has been notable. He successfully overcame challenges from Narayan Rane and his cousin Raj Thackeray, eventually becoming Maharashtra's chief minister in November 2019 after dissolving the long-standing BJP alliance post-assembly elections. During the Covid-19 crisis, Uddhav established a strong connection with the public through social media platforms like Facebook live, presenting himself as a reassuring leader. Despite receiving acclaim for his pandemic management, he failed to recognise growing dissatisfaction within his party regarding the alliance with former ideological opponents. Maharashtra Jharkhand Maharashtra Alliance View i Party View Seats: 288 L + W Majority: 145 BJP+ 229 MVA 47 OTH 12 Leads + Wins : 288 / 288 BJP+ WON Jharkhand Alliance View i Party View Seats: 81 Results Majority: 41 INDIA 56 NDA 24 OTH 1 Results : 81 / 81 INDIA WON Source: PValue Eknath Shinde 's rebellion in June 2022 resulted in his government's collapse and a party split. Nevertheless, Uddhav maintained his criticism of the BJP, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and those he termed "traitors" who aligned with Shinde. His party's performance in the Lok Sabha elections was modest, winning nine out of 21 contested seats. Critics have pointed out his limited accessibility, with even ally Sharad Pawar commenting on his tendency to work from home during his chief ministership. However, Uddhav gained support from previously distant communities, including Muslims and Dalits, and developed his own distinctive speaking style, different from his father's but equally sharp. Following the BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP alliance's decisive victory, chief minister Eknath Shinde declared it settled the question of Shiv Sena's legitimate leadership. The 64-year-old Uddhav and his son Aaditya now face the task of maintaining their remaining support base and challenging Shinde's claim to Bal Thackeray's legacy, while defending their alliance with the 'secular' Congress and NCP. Will he be able to make a comeback from this? (With PTI inputs)
UNITED NATIONS: Israeli airstrikes hit Yemen's main airport as a civilian Airbus 320 with hundreds of passengers on board was landing and a UN delegation was waiting to leave, the UN's top humanitarian official in Yemen said Friday. Julien Harneis told UN reporters that the most frightening thing about the two airstrikes on Thursday wasn't their effect on him and about 15 others in the VIP lounge at the international airport in Yemen's capital, Sanaa, including the head of the UN World Health Organisation. Rather, it was the destruction of the airport control tower as a Yemenia Airways plane was taxiing in after touching down. “Fortunately, that plane was able to land safely and the passengers were able to disembark, but it could have been far, far worse,” said Harneis, who was with WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in the lounge. He said one airstrike landed approximately 300 metres (330 yards) south of the VIP lounge and another about 300 metres to the north around 4:45 pm, while about five members of the UN team were outside the building. “Not only obviously did we have zero indication of any potential airstrikes, but we cannot remember the last time there were airstrikes in Sanaa during daylight hours,” Harneis said in a video news conference from Sanaa. The UN said at least three people were killed and dozens injured in the strike. Among the injured was a crew member from the UN Humanitarian Air Service, which was about to fly the UN delegation of some 20 people out of Sanaa. He suffered a serious leg injury from shrapnel and lost a lot of blood, Harneis said. Immediately after the airstrikes, Harneis said, UN security officials moved the delegation out of the VIP building and into five armoured cars where they waited for approximately 40 minutes to ascertain what happened and help the injured crew member. He was taken to a hospital in Sanaa and underwent four hours of surgery while the rest of the delegation spent the night in a UN compound, Harneis said. The UN plane with Tedros and the UN team, including the injured crew member, was able to depart for Jordan on Friday afternoon – without an operating control tower. The United Nations said the injured crew member was taken to a hospital in Jordan, and Tedros was heading back to Geneva, where WHO is based, Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels, who control Sanaa and much of the country's north, have gone after Israel since it started attacking Gaza following the Oct 7, 2023 attacks by Gaza's Hamas militants on southern Israel. The Houthis have attacked ships in the Red Sea, disrupting one of the world's main maritime routes, and recently stepped up missile and drone attacks on Israel. Israel has escalated its response. The Israeli army said it wasn't aware that the WHO chief or UN delegation were at the Sanaa airport on Thursday. Israel said it bombed the airport because it is used by the Houthis and Iran. Harneis responded, stressing that the airport is civilian, not military, and is used for transporting UN and other humanitarian workers, and for one civilian flight — Yemenia to and from Amman, Jordan. The flight operates as a result of an international agreement, and thousands of Yemenis have used the flight to get advanced medical treatment abroad, he said. Yemen is the Arab world's poorest nation and has been engulfed in a 10-year civil war between the Houthi rebels, who control Sanaa and much of the country's north, and the internationally recognised government forces in the south. Tedros was in the country to discuss its worsening humanitarian crisis and to seek the release of about 50 people detained by the Houthis since June from the UN, nongovernmental organisations and civil society. Harneis said 18 million Yemenis — about half the country's population — need humanitarian assistance this year, and the UN expects the number to increase to 19 million next year because of the worsening economy. In addition to airstrikes on the Sanaa airport, Israel has been attacking the country's key port of Hodeida, in western Yemen. Harneis said Yemen relies on imports through Hodeida for 80% of its food and more than 90% of its medical supplies to the north. A recent Israeli airstrike destroyed two tugboats and is estimated to have reduced the harbor's capacity by 50%, the UN official said, while damage from Thursday's airstrikes hasn't been assessed yet. As for the detainees, Harneis said he joined the WHO chief at meetings with the Houthi prime minister, foreign minister and a member of the group's Supreme Political Council. He said they received commitments on the detainees' possible release and a pathway to it, and on conditions under which they are being held.GRAIL Announces Inducement Grants Under NASDAQ Listing Rule 5635(c)(4)
South Korea's leader prompts dismay by briefly declaring martial law. Here's what to know
Grassley: Trump’s pick for attorney general ‘well-qualified’
NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump’s lawyers formally asked a judge Monday to throw out his hush money criminal conviction, arguing continuing the case would present unconstitutional “disruptions to the institution of the Presidency.“ In a filing made public Tuesday, Trump’s lawyers told Manhattan Judge Juan M. Merchan that dismissal is warranted because of the extraordinary circumstances of his impending return to the White House. “Wrongly continuing proceedings in this failed lawfare case disrupts President Trump’s transition efforts,” the attorneys continued, before citing the “overwhelming national mandate granted to him by the American people on November 5, 2024.” Prosecutors will have until Dec. 9 to respond. They have said they will fight any efforts to dismiss the case but have indicated openness to delaying sentencing until after Trump’s second term ends in 2029. Following Trump’s election victory last month, Merchan halted proceedings and indefinitely postponed his sentencing, previously scheduled for late November, to allow the defense and prosecution to weigh in on the future of the case. He also delayed a decision on Trump’s prior bid to dismiss the case on immunity grounds. Trump has been fighting for months to reverse the conviction, which involved efforts to conceal a $130,000 payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels, whose affair allegations threatened to disrupt his 2016 campaign. He has denied any wrongdoing. Trump takes office Jan. 20. Merchan hasn’t set a timetable for a decision. A dismissal would erase Trump’s historic conviction, sparing him the cloud of a criminal record and possible prison sentence. Trump is the first former president to be convicted of a crime and the first convicted criminal to be elected to the office. Merchan could also decide to uphold the verdict and proceed to sentencing, delay the case until Trump leaves office, wait until a federal appeals court rules on Trump’s parallel effort to get the case moved out of state court or choose some other option.
Best Bets for NCAA Basketball Picks Against the Spread for Sunday, November 24Valladolid loses again and Getafe ends winless run in La LigaA parting of ways between Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets is considered imminent. Watch an average of 3 games each week during the regular season, plus every game of the NFL Postseason including the Super Bowl, LIVE on ESPN with Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free trial today > According to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini , the 40-year-old future Hall of Fame quarterback would like to play on next season, but not for the Jets — whose downward spiral this season has seen the dismissals of head coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas. Rodgers, whose 3-8 Jets are tied with New England for last place in the AFC East, has reportedly had a ‘strained’ relationship with owner Woody Johnson for multiple months. Russini said in her report: “It appears increasingly likely that the four-time MVP, who is banged up, could be placed on injured reserve or even benched in the coming weeks, signalling the end of his disastrous time with the Jets.” Russini came to the conclusion Rodgers ‘still wants to play’ in the NFL in 2025, but not with New York. “Without Joe Douglas (and) without Robert Saleh there — the two men largely responsible for bringing him from Green Bay to New York — now, his future is even more in question (in terms of) whether or not he will be back in New York,” ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter said of the situation. “First, Aaron Rodgers will have to answer whether he wants to play, whether he wants to play for the New York Jets, and clearly, with that organisation taking on a whole new direction right now, there is every possibility that Rodgers will be moving on — whether that’s to another team or another line of work.” The former Green Bay Packers legend’s 2,442 passing yards this year sits 11th in the league, while his QBR of 50.9 ranks a lowly 25th among qualified players. He has thrown 17 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 11 games. The 20-year veteran signal-caller signed a three-year, $112.5 million contract with the Jets ahead of the 2023 season, having arrived in New York in April of that year as a marquee trade addition. However, a season-ending Achilles injury in his Jets debut in Week 1 delayed what the franchise’s stakeholders hoped would be a return to winning relevance. Instead, despite Rodgers’ availability this season, the Jets have again disenfranchised fans with poor play and an apparent absence of in-house alignment. The Jets remain plagued by a 14-year playoff drought; the longest in the major North American professional sports leagues.
UConn quarterback Joe Fagnano threw for two touchdowns and the Huskies' defense overwhelmed North Carolina for a 27-14 victory in the Fenway Bowl on Saturday in Boston. Mel Brown ran for 96 yards and the Huskies (9-4) reached the nine-win level for the third time in program history. It was a miserable day for the Tar Heels (6-7), who are in transition as they await Bill Belichick, who now takes over as head coach. Freddie Kitchens served as interim coach on Saturday following Mack Brown's departure at the end of the regular season and had praise for his team despite the loss. "I commend them for everything they've done the last three weeks. We didn't really catch any breaks today," Kitchens told reporter after the game. "You've got to make your own breaks sometimes. These guys just kept fighting." North Carolina's Chris Culliver returned a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown and backup quarterback Michael Merdinger threw for 86 yards. Six of the team's 10 first downs came in the final 11 minutes. Fagnano finished 16-for-23 for 151 yards for the Huskies, who were limited to a field goal in the second half after rolling up a 24-7 haltime lead. North Carolina lost starting quarterback Jacolby Criswell to an apparent shoulder injury on the team's second offensive series. The Tar Heels, who were without running back Omarion Hampton (going into NFL draft), didn't pick up a first down until less than 30 seconds remained in the first half, and that was followed by an interception. UConn's first points came on Chris Freeman's 32-yard field goal. Then, with 3:45 left in the quarter, Fagnano connected with Skyler Bell on a 38-yard touchdown. The Huskies led 10-0 before Culliver's ensuing kickoff return, the only glitch for UConn in the first quarter. Fifty seconds into the second quarter, Fagnano hit Alex Honig with a pass for a 4-yard touchdown. The final first-half touchdown came on running back Cam Edwards' leap into the end zone to complete a fourth-and-2 snap. That capped a 14-play drive that consumed almost six minutes. "I feel like a proud father towards this team," UConn head coach Jim Mora Jr. "We ran for 210 yards. That's how you win a football game." North Carolina, which lost its fifth consecutive bowl outing, was credited with 1 rushing yard in the first half. The Tar Heels drove 98 yards on eight plays to score on running back Caleb Hood's 17-yard pass to John Copenhaver with 6:46 left in the game. Hood rushed for a team-high 78 yards. UConn had gone 0-3 against teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference this season, but it had no trouble in snapping that streak against the Tar Heels. --Field Level Media