Igor Severino returned with a win Sunday. Some fight fans might be left wondering who Severino is, and his career would likely be panning out very differently had he not been slapped with a ban from the world's market-leading MMA firm, the UFC , for biting an opponent earlier this year . It all went down in March, when Andre Lima and Severino fought their match largely on the ground. Inexplicably, Severino chomped down on Lima's biceps so hard that teeth marks could be seen on his flesh. The referee swiftly disqualified Severino, handing the win to Lima. UFC boss Dana White later said he was cutting Severino from the roster. Well, Severino's back fighting. Not only that, he seems to be playing up to his infamy in the fight game as he donned the mask of Hannibal Lecter — one of fiction's most famous cannibals — en route to victory at an Oktagon MMA show in Europe called OKMMA 65. Alex Pereira hit a sparring partner so cleanly it brought training to an abrupt end. Banned UFC Fighter Returns to MMA With a Win Walking to the Oktagon arena with his mask, and with pyrotechnics erupting behind him, Severino certainly looked home on a big stage — and, in Europe, few stages are bigger than the fast-rising Oktagon promotion. It was as if the UFC ban, and suspension from the Nevada State Athletic Commission were both firmly behind him. Fighting Jonas Magard on Sunday, the 29th of December, Severino and Magard combined for one of the more fan-friendly bouts on the main card, as they exchanged hurtful blows before Severino eventually took home a split decision win. Watch his controversial/iconic walk-out right here: With victory, Brazilian fighter Severino advanced his pro MMA record to 9-1-0. The Oktagon show also featured other high-profile fighters, including Irish stud Will Fleury who scored a unanimous decision win over Karlos Vemola in the co-main for the OKMMA light heavyweight title. Losene Keita defeated Ronald Paradeiser by elbow strikes in the second round for the OKMMA lightweight championship in the headline fight. Darren Till's next boxing opponent has been announced as ex-UFC star will fight Anthony Taylor.
President IlhamAliyev has signed a law on amendments to the Law of the Republic ofAzerbaijan “On non-cash settlements”, reports. According to the law, the words “from 30,000 manats” should bereplaced with the words “from 2 percent of turnover (including VAT)of goods, works and services submitted in the previous calendarmonth” and the second sentence of the following content is added toArticle 3.3: “In the case stipulated in the first sentence of this Article,if 2 percent of the turnover of goods, works and services presentedin the previous calendar month (including VAT) is less than thirtythousand manat, for the calculations made during the calendar monthfor the total amount of more than thirty thousand manat, and 2percent of the turnover of goods, works and services provided inthe previous calendar month (including VAT) is more than fiftythousand manat, payments on settlements exceeding one thousandmanat shall be made only in non-cash procedure”. This law comes into force from January 1, 2025.49ers make announcement about Week 12 status for Brock Purdy, Nick Bosa
London's leading shares in a pre-Christmas lift
ATLANTA (AP) — the peanut farmer who tried to restore virtue to the White House after the Watergate scandal and Vietnam War, then rebounded from a landslide defeat to become a global advocate of human rights and democracy, has died. . The Carter Center said the 39th president died Sunday afternoon, , at his home in Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife, who died in November 2023, lived most of their lives. The center said he died peacefully, surrounded by his family. As reaction poured in from around the world, President Joe Biden mourned Carter’s death, saying the world lost an “extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian” and he lost a dear friend. Biden cited Carter’s compassion and moral clarity, his work to eradicate disease, forge peace, advance civil and human rights, promote free and fair elections, house the homeless and advocacy for the disadvantaged as an example for others. “To all of the young people in this nation and for anyone in search of what it means to live a life of purpose and meaning – the good life – study Jimmy Carter, a man of principle, faith, and humility,” Biden said in a statement. “He showed that we are a great nation because we are a good people – decent and honorable, courageous and compassionate, humble and strong.” Biden said he is ordering a state funeral for Carter in Washington. A moderate Democrat, as a little-known Georgia governor with a broad grin, effusive Baptist faith and technocratic plans for efficient government. His promise to never deceive the American people resonated after Richard Nixon’s disgrace and U.S. defeat in southeast Asia. “If I ever lie to you, if I ever make a misleading statement, don’t vote for me. I would not deserve to be your president,” Carter said. Carter’s victory over Republican Gerald Ford, whose fortunes fell after pardoning Nixon, came amid Cold War pressures, turbulent oil markets and social upheaval over race, women’s rights and America’s role in the world. His achievements included brokering Mideast peace by keeping Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin at Camp David for 13 days in 1978. But his coalition splintered under double-digit inflation and the 444-day hostage crisis in Iran. His negotiations ultimately brought all the hostages home alive, but in a final insult, Iran didn’t release them until the inauguration of Ronald Reagan, who had trounced him in the 1980 election. Humbled and back home in Georgia, Carter said his faith demanded that he keep doing whatever he could, for as long as he could, to try to make a difference. He and Rosalynn co-founded in 1982 and spent the next 40 years traveling the world as peacemakers, human rights advocates and champions of democracy and public health. Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002, Carter helped ease nuclear tensions in North and South Korea, avert a U.S. invasion of Haiti and and Sudan. By 2022, the center had monitored at least 113 elections around the world. Carter was determined to as one of many health initiatives. the Carters built homes with Habitat for Humanity. The common observation that he was better as an ex-president rankled Carter. His allies were pleased that he lived long enough to see biographers and historians and declare it more impactful than many understood at the time. Propelled in 1976 by voters in Iowa and then across the South, Carter ran a no-frills campaign. Americans were captivated by the earnest engineer, and while an election-year Playboy interview drew snickers when he said he “had looked on many women with lust. I’ve committed adultery in my heart many times,” voters tired of political cynicism found it endearing. The first family set an informal tone in the White House, carrying their own luggage, trying to silence the Marine Band’s traditional “Hail to the Chief" and enrolling daughter, Amy, in public schools. Carter was lampooned for wearing a cardigan and urging Americans to turn down their thermostats. But Carter set the stage for an economic revival and sharply reduced America's dependence on foreign oil by deregulating the energy industry along with airlines, trains and trucking. He established the departments of Energy and Education, appointed record numbers of women and nonwhites to federal posts, preserved millions of acres of Alaskan wilderness and pardoned most Vietnam draft evaders. , he ended most support for military dictators and took on bribery by multinational corporations by signing the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. He persuaded the Senate to ratify the Panama Canal treaties and normalized relations with China, an outgrowth of Nixon’s outreach to Beijing. But crippling turns in foreign affairs took their toll. When OPEC hiked crude prices, making drivers line up for gasoline as inflation spiked to 11%, Carter tried to encourage Americans to overcome “a crisis of confidence.” Many voters lost confidence in Carter instead after the infamous address that media dubbed his “malaise" speech, even though he never used that word. After Carter reluctantly agreed to admit the exiled Shah of Iran to the U.S. for medical treatment, the American Embassy in Tehran was overrun in 1979. Negotiations to quickly free the hostages broke down, and then eight Americans died when a top-secret military rescue attempt failed. Carter also had to reverse course on the SALT II nuclear arms treaty after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan in 1979. Though historians would later credit Carter's diplomatic efforts for hastening the end of the Cold war, Republicans labeled his soft power weak. Reagan’s “make America great again” appeals resonated, and he beat Carter in all but six states. Born Oct. 1, 1924, James Earl Carter Jr. in 1946, the year he graduated from the Naval Academy. He brought his young family back to Plains after his father died, abandoning his Navy career, and . Carter reached the state Senate in 1962. After rural white and Black voters elected him governor in 1970, he drew national attention by declaring that “the time for racial discrimination is over.” Carter published more than 30 books and remained influential as his center turned its democracy advocacy onto U.S. politics, monitoring an audit of Georgia’s 2020 presidential election results. After Carter said he felt “perfectly at ease with whatever comes.” “I’ve had a wonderful life,” “I’ve had thousands of friends, I’ve had an exciting, adventurous and gratifying existence.” Sanz is a former Associated Press reporter.Bears general manager Ryan Poles was granted a reprieve complete with a second swing at hiring a head coach in Chicago. Poles will interview candidates and select a replacement for Matt Eberflus, who was fired Friday after the Bears' sixth consecutive loss and fourth of the season decided on a final play. "Ryan Poles is the general manager of the Chicago Bears, and he will remain the general manager of the Chicago Bears," president and CEO Kevin Warren said Monday. "Ryan will serve as the point person of our upcoming search for a head football coach. We will closely, we will work together on a daily basis to make sure we have the right person as our head football coach." Warren said the McCaskey family provided "all the resources" to build a championship environment. He confirmed that Thomas Brown, who a month ago was passing game coordinator before replacing Shane Waldron as offensive coordinator, will serve as interim head coach and shift from the press box to the sideline starting this week. Warren did not say whether Brown would automatically receive an interview for the full-time coaching position, which he said "will be the most coveted head coaching job in the National Football League." Poles said consideration will be given to candidates with the plan to develop rookie No. 1 pick Caleb Williams, but there are no set plans to involve the quarterback in the interview process. He said the Bears showed great progress through two seasons but couldn't sustain growth. "At the end of the day, we just came up short too many times," Poles said of firing Eberflus, his pick to be the Bears' head coach in January 2022. Brown promoted wide receivers coach Chris Beatty to interim offensive coordinator on Monday and announced that defensive coordinator Eric Washington will be the defensive play caller, a role Eberflus previously held. Trailing 23-20 on Thanksgiving Day, the Bears were within field-goal range when quarterback Caleb Williams was sacked. With 32 seconds remaining, Eberflus elected not to use his final timeout as Williams heaved an incompletion down the right sideline as time expired. "When you look at the end-of-the-game situations, detailing to finish in some of those moments. We all know a lot of games come down to those critical moments where we weren't able to get over the hump," Poles said. Eberflus said after the game that everything was handled properly and held a press conference via Zoom on Friday voicing confidence he'd have the team ready to play the 49ers this week. But three hours later, he was fired. Warren admitted the franchise could've handled the timing better, but clarified there was no decision on Eberflus' status at the time of his media session. "The decision was made to terminate the employment of head coach Matt Eberflus," Warren said 72 hours later. "We try to do everything in a professional manner. That decision was made on Friday." "Coach Eberflus had his press conference, we had not made a final decision. I think you know me, you know Ryan you know George McCaskey. One thing we stand for is family, integrity, doing it the right way. In retrospect, could we have done it better? Absolutely." Eberflus, 54, went 14-32 in two-plus seasons. The Bears (4-8) travel to San Francisco (5-7) in Week 1. --Field Level Media
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Ball security, rebounding key for CU Buffs in rematch against No. 3 Iowa StateAn interesting item from Bloomberg (gated) discussing how Chinese authorities have propped up the country's equity markets but slammed the yuan as an unintended consequence: record dividend payouts ("dividend bonanza") lead to currency outflows Between January and March, interim dividends from Hong Kong-listed Chinese companies are expected to hit a record level for the first quarter of US$12.9 billion, following a strong $16.2 billion in the fourth quarter, up 47% year-over-year. These payouts, primarily in Hong Kong dollars but earned in yuan, require currency conversions, increasing demand for foreign currencies and contributing to yuan depreciation. This puts pressure on China's central bank to balance short-term market stability with long-term economic goals, as the yuan nears one-year lows. Chinese companies, especially state-owned enterprises (SOEs), have been increasing dividend payouts since April’s capital-market reforms, which encourage higher shareholder returns and better corporate governance. In 2024, total dividends paid are expected to reach $118 billion. Despite a strong rally in SOE shares earlier this year, the focus on boosting dividends is exacerbating the yuan’s weakening, with regulators stressing the need for consistent cash distributions. Economists suggest that Beijing may take steps to guide dollar inflows to support the yuan as dividend payouts continue to rise.49ers Per Matt Maiocco , 49ers CB Charvarius Ward ’s game status for Monday night has been downgraded to out due to a personal matter, with HC Kyle Shanahan mentioning that it is due to something good happening. Cardinals Cardinals QB Kyler Murray felt like the team was going to secure the victory in the fourth quarter, but noted he wasn’t feeling as down as usual after the loss: “I mean, it felt like for sure we were going to win that game. I can think of a couple of games I played where we drove all the way down and felt like we were for sure going to win the game, dating back to probably Green Bay in 2021. Like that feeling of we drove down the field, there’s nothing that the defense really could do with us. We kind of have it our way and just at the end, it was kind of a shitty turn of events. That’s just kind of what it comes down to right there. Just, unlucky. Unlucky.” ( Josh Weinfuss ) Murray on the future of the team: “I’m going to choose to be positive about it and, look, I see a light at the end of the tunnel. I think we’re a couple of plays away. A couple of plays away from being a 10-win team or right where we want to be. Like I said, going to the playoffs or winning the division, and again, I don’t think anybody thought we’d be in this position, not that that matters, but I agree with what J.G.’s saying, what he’s preaching. I’m excited.” (Weinfuss) Rams Rams QB Matthew Stafford isn’t concerned with the team winning the division even after their victory over the Cardinals. He did add that he is proud of the resilience that the team has shown so far this season. “But sitting here doing this at 1-4 to where we are right now, I sure am proud of this group,” Stafford said, via Pro Football Talk . “Got a lot more football to play and a lot more to earn. But we’ve earned the opportunity to be where we are. And whatever that is, that is at the end of the weekend. But I’m proud of this group and the way we’ve battled back. A lot of people doubting us, a lot of people writing us off at 1-4, and being able to sit here with our record is what it is right now, I feel proud of this group.” This article first appeared on NFLTradeRumors.co and was syndicated with permission.
Syrian prime minister says he is ready to hand over the government to the opposition
Randy Moss reacts to Patriots’ on-field tribute after cancer diagnosisNoneEntertainment News | Sandhya Theatre Tragedy: Dil Raju Assures Support as Victim's Son Recovers
NORMAN, Okla. — Jalen Moore scored 20 points to lead No. 21 Oklahoma past winless Alcorn State 94-78 on Saturday night. Freshman guards Jeremiah Fears and Dayton Forsythe each had 14 points and seven assists for the Sooners (9-0), who finished with five players in double figures. Omari Hamilton scored 16 points and Davian Williams added 13 points and seven assists for Alcorn State (0-10), which made 10 of 20 3-pointers but committed 18 turnovers leading to 27 OU points. Alcorn State jumped out to a 25-18 lead before the Sooners went on a 31-16 run to lead 49-41 at halftime. Oklahoma shot 54.7% from the field but just 32.4% from beyond the arc. Takeaways Alcorn State: The Braves came out shooting and made their first seven 3-point shots. But Alcorn State was sloppy with the ball and gave the Sooners several fast-break opportunities. Oklahoma: The Sooners started slowly but started to click in all phases of the game to open up a big lead against a team that looked like they could pull off the upset early on. Key moment Oklahoma led 49-41 at halftime and started the second half on a 19-7 run that featured four steals — two by Duke Miles — and two dunks to open up a 68-48 advantage with 14:40 remaining. Oklahoma guard Duke Miles, left, celebrates after a basket during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Alcorn State, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024, in Norman, Okla. Credit: AP/Kyle Phillips Key stat The Sooners 43 bench points included 12 each from Brycen Goodine and Mohamed Wague. Up next Oklahoma hosts Oklahoma State on Dec. 14, and Alcorn State visits Rice on Dec. 16.