NewsNio - Latest Top Stories, Sports Schedule and Technology News

Trump waits out grand jury as New York braces for protests

Uncategorized

DanielLara

March 21, 2023

Facing the possibility of criminal charges, Donald Trump waited it out in Florida on Tuesday as New York braced for disruptions that could follow an indictment. Republican contenders in the 2024 race sized up the impact a prosecution could have on a campaign in which the former president is a leading contender.

Trump over the weekend claimed without evidence that he would be arrested on Tuesday, but there was no indication that prediction would come true. A Manhattan grand jury did appear to take an important step forward on Monday by hearing from a witness favorable to Trump, presumably so prosecutors could ensure the panel had a chance to consider any testimony supporting his version of events.

The next steps were unclear, and it was uncertain if additional witnesses might be summoned. But a city mindful of the riot by Trump loyalists at the U.S. Capitol more than two years ago took steps to protect itself from any violence that could accompany the unprecedented prosecution of a former president.

Monday’s testimony from Robert Costello, a lawyer with close ties to numerous key Trump aides, appeared to be a final opportunity for allies to steer the grand jury away from an indictment. Costello was invited by prosecutors to appear after saying he had information to undercut the credibility of Michael Cohen, a former lawyer and fixer for Trump who later turned against him and then became a key witness in the Manhattan district attorney’s investigation.

“If they want to go after Donald Trump and they have solid evidence, then so be it,” Costello said. “But Michael Cohen is far from solid evidence.”

Responding on MSNBC, Cohen said that Costello was never his lawyer and “he lacks any sense of veracity.”

There were no signs that Costello’s testimony had affected the course of the investigation. Cohen had been available for over two hours in case prosecutors wanted him to rebut Costello’s testimony but he was told he was not needed, his attorney said.

The testimony came two days after Trump said he expected to face criminal charges and urged supporters to protest his possible arrest. In social media posts through the weekend, he criticized the investigation, directing particularly hostile rhetoric toward Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a Democrat.

New York officials have been monitoring online chatter of threats of varying specificity, but even as portable metal barricades were dropped off to safeguard streets and sidewalks, there were no immediate signs that Trump’s calls for protests were being heeded.

On Tuesday morning, Manhattan court proceedings were temporarily halted by a bomb threat called in via 911, according to a court spokesman. That delayed the start of a hearing in a separate case, the New York attorney general’s lawsuit accusing Trump and his company of a yearslong fraud scheme.

Costello briefly acted as a legal adviser to Cohen after the FBI raided Cohen’s home and apartment in 2018. At the time, Cohen was being investigated for both tax evasion and for payments he helped orchestrate in 2016 to buy the silence of two women who claimed to have had sexual encounters with Trump.

For several months, it was unclear whether Cohen, a longtime lawyer and fixer for the Trump Organization who once boasted that he would “take a bullet” for his boss, would remain loyal to the president.

Cohen ultimately decided to plead guilty in connection with the payments to porn actor Stormy Daniels and model Karen McDougal, which he said were directed by Trump. Since then, he has been a vociferous Trump critic, testifying before Congress and then to the grand jury.

Trump, who has denied having sex with either woman, has branded Cohen a liar.

As the New York investigation pushes toward conclusion, Trump faces other criminal probes in Atlanta and Washington that, taken together, pose significant legal peril and carry the prospect of upending his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination.

Some of his likely opponents have tried to strike a balance between condemning a potential prosecution as politically motivated while avoiding condoning the conduct at issue.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, an expected GOP presidential candidate, criticized the investigation but also jabbed at Trump.

“I don’t know what goes into paying hush money to a porn star to secure silence over some kind of alleged affair,” DeSantis said at a news conference in Panama City. “I can’t speak to that.”

Switching to criticism of the district attorney, he said, “What I can speak to is that if you have a prosecutor who is ignoring crimes happening every single day in his jurisdiction and he chooses to go back many, many years ago to try to use something about porn star hush money payments, that’s an example of pursuing a political agenda and weaponizing the office. And I think that’s fundamentally wrong.”

Spartans and Highlanders will take to the floor at Provident Credit Union

Uncategorized

admin

March 20, 2023

San Jose State vs. Radford: Free Live Stream, TV Channel, How to Watch. The San Jose State Spartans (21-13) will host the Radford Highlanders (20-14) after winning three straight home games.

In its most recent game, San Jose State defeated Southern Indiana on Saturday, 77-52. Alvaro Cardenas Torre scored a team-high 22 points (and chipped in two assists and two boards). In its most recent game, Radford topped Tarleton State on Sunday, 72-70 in OT. DaQuan Smith scored a team-high 20 points (and chipped in one assist and two boards).
When is San Jose State vs. Radford and when does it start?

This matchup between the Spartans and Highlanders is scheduled to tip off on Monday, March 20, 2023. You can expect the opening tip at 5:00 PM ET.
Where to Watch San Jose State vs. Radford

The Spartans and Highlanders will take to the floor at Provident Credit Union Event Center for this matchup on March 20, and if you want to see the action live, get your tickets now from Vivid Seats!
What channel is the game on?

You can catch this game live on FloS.
San Jose State Spartans vs. Radford Highlanders Game Preview
San Jose State Stats, Odds & Insights

San Jose State is outscoring opponents by 1.6 points per game with a +54 scoring differential overall. It puts up 67.8 points per game (276th in college basketball) and gives up 66.2 per outing (64th in college basketball).

The 67.8 points the Spartans average are just 2.7 more than the Highlanders allow.

San Jose State knocks down 7.6 three-pointers per game (155th in college basketball) at a 32.5% rate (272nd in college basketball), compared to the 6.9 its opponents make while shooting 34.5% from beyond the arc.

In home games, the Spartans are averaging 5.4 more points per game (70.5) than they are on the road (65.1).

San Jose State’s offense has been less effective over its last 10 games, racking up 67.0 points a contest compared to the 67.8 it has averaged this year.
Radford Stats, Odds & Insights

Radford has a +161 scoring differential, topping opponents by 4.7 points per game. It is putting up 69.8 points per game, 216th in college basketball, and is giving up 65.1 per contest to rank 41st in college basketball.

The Highlanders average 69.8 points, only 3.6 more than the 66.2 the Spartans give up. Radford hits 6.7 three-pointers per game (259th in college basketball) at a 36.3% rate (67th in college basketball), compared to the 6.4 its opponents make, shooting 33.9% from beyond the arc.

Biden issues first veto, defending Labor Dept. ‘ESG’ rule

Uncategorized

DanielLara

March 20, 2023

President Joe Biden on Monday issued the first veto of his presidency as he sought to block Republican-led efforts in Congress to overturn a Labor Department rule allowing retirement plans to consider environmental, social and governance factors when making investment decisions.

The Labor Department rule ended a Trump-era ban on managers of retirement plans considering factors such as climate change or pending lawsuits when making investment choices. Because suits and climate change have financial repercussions, administration officials argue that their predecessors were courting possible disaster.

Critics say ESG investments allocate money based on political agendas, such as a drive against climate change, rather than on earning the best returns for savers. Republicans in Congress who pushed the measure to overturn the Labor Department’s action argue ESG is just the latest example of the world trying to get “woke.”

US: War crimes on all sides in Ethiopia’s Tigray conflict

Uncategorized

DanielLara

March 20, 2023

The Biden administration announced Monday that it has determined all sides in the brutal conflict in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region committed war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The move carries no immediate U.S. policy implications but lends weight to calls for such allegations to be prosecuted.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the determination less than a week after he returned from a visit to Ethiopia during which he met with Ethiopian government and Tigrayan officials as well as victims of the conflict, but said little about the U.S. view of prospects for accountability.

His determination covers members of the Ethiopian and Eritrean national armies as well as the Tigray People’s Liberation Front and forces aligned with the Amhara region. Blinken said those responsible for atrocities must be held accountable.

He said after “careful review of the law and facts” he had determined that members of the Ethiopian National Defense Forces, Eritrean Defense Forces, Tigray People’s Liberation Front forces and Amhara forces committed war crimes during the conflict in northern Ethiopia.

ANTONY BLINKEN
US Secretary of State Blinken visits Niger on Africa tour
Blinken says Ethiopia must do more on Tigray peace deal
Blinken starts Africa tour with coffee in Ethiopia
Blinken to visit Ethiopia, Niger as US boosts Africa push
Blinken announced the determination as he rolled out the State Department’s annual global human rights reports, which cover 2022.

“I condemn the unspeakable violence against civilians and destruction that occurred in northern Ethiopia,” he said. “Recognizing the atrocities committed by all parties is an essential step to achieving a sustainable peace. Those most responsible for atrocities, including those in positions of command, must be held accountable.”

The formal determination is more measured than his assertion early in the two-year conflict that “ethnic cleansing” was taking place in parts of Tigray.

Last year, a United Nations commission of inquiry said it had turned up evidence of war crimes and crimes against humanity by Ethiopian government forces, Tigray forces and Eritrea’s military. But the commission also said Ethiopian forces had resorted to “starvation of civilians” as a tool of war and that Ethiopian and Eritrean forces were found to be responsible for “sexual slavery” — while Tigray forces were not.

The conflict, which ended with a peace deal in November, killed an estimated half-million civilians in Tigray alone, according to Ghent University researchers, a death toll echoed by U.S. officials.

Blinken called on all sides to respect the agreement and follow through on pledges “to implement an inclusive and comprehensive transitional justice process.”

Manchester United and Fulham will thrash it out on Sunday for a place

Uncategorized

admin

March 19, 2023

Manchester United vs Fulham live stream: how to watch FA Cup quarter-final online and on TV. Manchester United will try to maintain their winning streak when they host Fulham in a FA Cup quarterfinal clash at Old Trafford on Sunday. United already had one majestic win at Wembley Stadium as they got the better of Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup final and they could seal a return to Wembley with a win against the Cottagers. The Red Devils are still in the hunt for a treble this campaign and could boost their chances further.

United secured a passage to the Europa League quarterfinals with a 1-0 win over Real Betis while Fuham were blanked 3-0 by Arsenal in the Premier League.

Erik ten Hag’s side have seemingly made cup competitions their priority this season and could be on course for a treble of them.

Carabao Cup champions and into the last eight of the Europa League, Fulham know they are facing a team with a stunning home record this season.

Still, Marco Silva’s side have enjoyed a brilliant time of things since winning promotion from the Championship and have little reason to fear the trip to Old Trafford.

Manchester United look to continue their fight to win all available trophies this season as they host Fulham in the FA Cup quarterfinals.

Having won the Carabao Cup in February and reached the last eight of the Europa League, the Red Devils are bidding to secure a place in the FA Cup semifinals at Wembley in June. They could yet win an unprecedented quadruple of trophies, although their chances of lifting the Premier League title are slim at best.

Standing in their way at Old Trafford are a Fulham side enjoying a fine season under Marco Silva. In ninth place in the league table and only three points outside the top six, the Cottagers have found themselves in an unlikely quest for Europe.

League matches might usually take priority, but the chance to progress to the FA Cup semifinals is one they will be desperate to seize.

Fulham fans are dreaming of a first ever domestic cup

Kick-off: Sunday, March 19, 4.30pm GMT / 12.30pm ET / 10pm IST / 3.30am AEDT

Man Utd face Fulham in the last of the FA Cup quarter-finals, and the tie comes at an interesting moment for both clubs. United have had a volatile few weeks, winning silverware but also suffering one of the most humiliating defeats in their entire history, while the Fulham team’s performance levels have fallen off a cliff.

The Cottagers have won plenty of silverware in recent years thanks to their exploits in the Championship, but they’ve never lifted either of the big domestic cups, coming closest in 1975 when they lost the FA Cup final to West Ham.

In recent weeks they’ve shown a handy knack for snatching results against the run of play, but it seems that Marco Silva’s men have dipped into their well of fortune once or twice too often. Back-to-back defeats to Brentford and Arsenal were perhaps overdue, and in order to turn things around they need their main man Aleksandar Mitrovic to start firing again.

The big Serb has scored one goal in 2023, right at the start of the year, and though others have stepped up during his barren spell, Fulham look so much more dangerous when Mitrovic is playing well. Could the return from suspension of inspirational midfielder Joao Palhinha make the difference?

The Portuguese powerhouse’s return coincides with the absence of Man Utd’s own midfield general Casemiro, who’s serving the first of a four-match domestic ban. Erik ten Hag’s men are unbeaten in three since that jaw-dropping 7-0 humiliation at the hands of Liverpool, and Marcus rashford aside, they’re yet to get back to the levels they were playing at last month, when they won the Carabao Cup.

The FA Cup Quarterfinals match between Manchester United and Fulham is going to be held on Sunday, March 19. Let’s see how you can enjoy the match in the US and Canada. Surprisingly, they are meeting only for the 10th time at the FA cup. As of now, Manchester United has celebrated seven victories. For Fulham, two games landed on a draw and three from this day remained non-victorious.

Manchester United and Fulham will thrash it out on Sunday for a place in the FA Cup semi-finals at Wembley.

The two teams are set to lock horns at Old Trafford in their respective final games before the international break. Erik ten Hag’s Red Devils – who come into this quarter-final clash on the back of Thursday’s 1-0 Europa League win at Real Betis – have already won one domestic competition this season, lifting the Carabao Cup in February after beating a spirited Newcastle side 2-0.

As for Marco Silva’s Fulham, their impressive form in the Premier League has evaporated in recent weeks, but the opportunity to reach the last four of the FA Cup will fuel a fresh desire within the Cottagers’ camp. United are the heavy favourites but will have to make do without midfield linchpin Casemiro, who begins his four-match suspension following his controversial red card against Southampton last weekend.

Arsenal have a massive chance to move further clear in the Premier League title

General News

admin

March 19, 2023

Arsenal vs. Crystal Palace live stream: How to watch Premier League online, prediction, TV channel, time, odds. Arsenal returns to Premier League action Sunday when the top side hosts Crystal Palace in a 10 a.m. EST match at Emirates Stadium. Hopefully, a dry and fan-filled Emirates Stadium.

Last Saturday, Arsenal shoved past Bournemouth 3-2 to advance to a league-best 66 points and current 5-point cushion over nearest chaser, defending EPL champ Manchester City, entering the weekend.

Then came Thursday’s leaky roof, causing fans to vacate their seats while the home team dropped out of its Europa League title pursuit with a loss to Sporting Lisborn on penalty kicks.

Meanwhile, Crystal Palace remains in search of its first EPL win over 2023. It’s last defeat came midweek vs. Brighton and Hove Albion in the M23 derby. It will be up to Wilfried Zaha and mates Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze to press through Arsenal’s back line.

What: English Premier League

Who: Arsenal (21-3-3, 66 points) vs. Crystal Palace (6-12-9, 27)

When: Sunday, March 19, 2023

Time: 10 a.m. EST

Where: Emirates Stadium, London, England

Channel: USA Network

Sunday’s sole Premier League game should have constituted a homecoming for one of north London’s favorite sons but Patrick Vieira will be nowhere to be seen at the Emirates Stadium after Crystal Palace abruptly sacked their head coach on Friday morning. The Eagles are winless in 2023, parting ways with their manager in light of a 1-0 loss to Brighton in midweek.

Arsenal, meanwhile, have won their last five Premier League games but return to action three days after a morale and energy sapping 120 minutes against Sporting CP in the Europa League, drawing 1-1 in normal time before losing in the resulting penalty shoot out. To make matters worse both William Saliba and Takehiro Tomiyasu limped out of the game, the latter departing the ground on crutches after an awkward slip.

Arsenal: The last time Mikel Arteta’s side exited a cup competition (losing to Manchester City in the FA Cup) it began their worst run of form of the season so far, picking up one point from their next three Premier League games to open the door for City to burst back into the title race. This weekend they instead have an opportunity to push eight points clear in the first of what so many in north London are terming 11 finals.

“We have to move forward now,” said captain Martin Odegaard after the defeat to Sporting. “We have to look to Sunday. It started already now in the changing room and we get ready. We just have to change the mindset again. I think everyone is disappointed, but we have to move forward and just be ready for Sunday.

“Every time we have lost this season we have learned something from it. Every time we have come back and changed the situation again. That is what we are going to do again and the next game comes quick, so it’s a good opportunity to strike back. We have to show [our new mentality] now. I think it is pretty straightforward for us now, it’s only the League. We just have to focus on every game. It’s 11 finals for us. Just come back on Sunday, that’s all that matters now.”

Crystal Palace: With Vieira departed, Under-21 head coach Paddy McCarthy stepped up to lead training on Friday and is expected to be in the dugout on Sunday, supported by what is likely to be a skeleton crew with three of the former manager’s coaching staff having left with him. Though the former France international departed with warm words from chairman Steve Parish, patience ultimately snapped due to Palace’s woeful run of form in front of goal, most notably a three game streak before Wednesday’s loss to Brighton where they failed to register a single shot on target and averaged 0.35 expected goals per game.

With 21 goals from 27 games, the Eagles have the division’s fourth worst offensive record, a disappointing return from a squad that includes Ebere Eze, Wilfried Zaha, Michael Olise and Odsonne Edouard, though injuries did rob Vieira of several of those players. His successor should be able to keep Palace up; they are only three points off the relegation zone but five teams sit between them and the drop zone and Sunday’s game brings an end to a brutal run of fixtures.

Arsenal have a massive chance to move further clear in the Premier League title race as they host managerless Crystal Palace in another key London derby this afternoon. With rivals Manchester City on FA Cup duty this weekend, the Gunners can extend their advantage at the top-flight summit to eight points going into the international break with a sixth successive league win.

Mikel Arteta will be looking for a swift reaction from his side after they were stunned by Sporting Lisbon in the Europa League on Thursday night, falling at home in the last-16 via the cruel lottery of a penalty shootout. They are heavy favourites to triumph here though and equal their entire points tally from last season with 10 games still to play, with Palace on their longest winless run since 2016.

The Eagles have still yet to win a league game in 2023 and sacked Gunners icon Patrick Vieira on Friday sitting just three points above relegation danger, with Under-21 coach Paddy McCarthy in temporary charge amid rumours over a shock return for Roy Hodgson.

The atmosphere is already building nicely around the Emirates, where there is such a fizzing buzz and sense of anticipation and expectation these days.

Palace are on an 12-match winless run across all competitions, with their last win coming against Bournemouth on New Year’s Eve.

It is their longest sequence without a win since they failed to pick up a victory in 14 consecutive games between December 2015 and April 2016.

They have scored just four goals in that time and are yet to net in the first half of any game in 2023, still sitting in 12th but now just three points above the relegation zone.

Quizzed by Sky Sports after Vieira’s sacking, Palace co-owner Steve Parish said: “The players are fine and everybody is looking forward to Sunday, really. The feeling is good. You know, everybody loved Patrick, genuinely. The players had all the time in the world for him. You saw from the performances he never lost the players at all, they were all running and playing for him.

British fighter Leon Edwards will be looking to seal a glorious homecoming

General News

admin

March 18, 2023

Leon Edwards and Kamaru Usman will complete their thrilling trilogy at UFC 286 in London tonight. Leon Edwards defends his welterweight title against Kamaru Usman tonight, in the main event of UFC 286 at London’s O2 Arena. UFC 286 live stream, Kamaru Usman vs Leon Edwards 3 actual fight time, odds, card results, ESPN Plus PPV cost, TV price, how to watch online (3/18/2023).

Will ‘Rocky’ make a triumphant return to the UK?

British fighter Leon Edwards will be looking to seal a glorious homecoming on Saturday as he defends his Welterweight title against Kamaru Usman as the headline act for UFC 286 at the O2 Arena in London.

The trilogy match-up comes just seven months on from Edwards knocking out the seemingly unbeatable “Nigerian Nightmare” to take the crown, with this fight his first defence.

The two fighters went head-to-head early in their UFC careers back in 2015, with Usman coming out on top that evening, only for Edwards to claim revenge a full seven years later.

Edwards will now look to prove that his shock win at UFC 278 was no one-off as he looks to seal his status as the undeniable talent at 170lb.

The first numbered UFC event to take place in the UK since 2016, Usman is likely to face a hostile crowd as he takes on the popular Jamaican born, Birmingham bred fighter.

The headline-act rematch may have a tough act to follow, however, with the co-main event being tipped as a fight of the year candidate with Justin Gaethje facing off against Rafael Fiziev in a much-anticipated lightweight clash.

The main card starts at 9pm GMT / 5pm ET. The Edwards vs Usman cagewalks are expected at around 10.30pm GMT / 6.30pm ET. Follow our guide below as we explain how to watch a UFC 286 live stream, so you can catch Edwards vs Usman and the rest in the Octagon.

Beyond the Trilogy-deciding title fight of the headline act, and the much anticipated co-main event between Justin Gaethje and Rafael Fiziev, UFC 286 also boasts Jack Shore’s long-awaited return to action. The Welsh star is set to make his debut at featherweight against Iranian-born Finnish fighter Makwan Amirkhani.

Main card

Leon Edwards (c) vs Kamaru Usman – Welterweight

Justin Gaethje vs Rafael Fiziev – Lightweight

Jennifer Maia vs Casey O’Neill – Women’s flyweight

Gunnar Nelson vs Bryan Barbarena – Welterweight

Marvin Vettori vs Roman Dolidze – Middleweight

Prelims

Jack Shore vs Makwan Amirkhani – Featherweight

Sam Patterson vs Yanal Ashmoz – Lightweight

Chris Duncan vs Omar Morales – Lightweight

Muhammad Mokaev vs Jafel Filho – Flyweight

Early prelims

Lerone Murphy vs Gabriel Santos – Featherweight

Christian Leroy Duncan vs Duško Todorović – Middleweight

Malcolm Gordon vs Jake Hadley – Flyweight

Joanne Wood vs Luana Carolina – Women’s Flyweight

Jai Herbert vs Ľudovít Klein – Lightweight

Juliana Miller vs Veronica Macedo – Women’s Flyweight

Jamaican-born Edwards knocked out Usman in stunning fashion in August, taking the belt from the Nigerian-American to become Britain’s second ever UFC champion.

For Edwards, the result also marked revenge for a points loss to Usman in 2015, meaning tonight’s main event will round out a trilogy between the pair.

In the co-main event, former interim lightweight champion Justin Gaethje takes on rising contender Rafael Fiziev, in a fight that is almost guaranteed to steal the show.

The UFC returns to London tonight as Leon Edwards faces off against Kamaru Usman once again inside the octagon. The pair will complete a stunning trilogy at the O2 Arena, with the UFC welterweight title on the line once more.

Birmingham native Edwards famously knocked the dominant Usman out with a brilliant spinning kick at UFC 278 back in August to avenge his initial loss to the ‘Nigerian Nightmare’ in 2015. Whether or not lightning can strike twice remains to be seen. Usman was on course to be considered one of the greatest ever before that loss and will be desperate for revenge tonight. Still, home support for Edwards could be a huge factor.

The fight game produces profound changes in the blink of an eye

Uncategorized

admin

March 18, 2023

UFC 286 start time — Leon Edwards vs. Kamaru Usman: Live stream, fight card, PPV price, prelims, TV channel. Leon Edwards and his thousands of hometown supporters welcome Kamaru Usman to their colosseum on Saturday night. Usman enters enemy territory at the O2 Arena in London, England in pursuit of the UFC welterweight championship.

Here’s everything you need to know to catch the UFC 286 event on Saturday in London

The fight game produces profound changes in the blink of an eye. In August, Usman was 56 seconds away from tying the all-time UFC win streak record and sweeping Edwards 2-0 in their series. Improbably, Edwards lulled Usman into a trap that changed the landscape of the welterweight division. Edwards, clearly down on the scorecards, uncorked a brilliant head kick that laid out Usman for good. Edwards brought a rare UFC championship home to England and must defend it against his greatest rival in their trilogy fight.

Saturday’s co-main event features two of UFC’s most exciting fighters regardless of weight class. Justin Gaethje absurdly averages one post-fight bonus per fight; meanwhile, Rafael Fiziev has earned a Fight of the Night or Performance of the Night in five of seven Octagon appearances. Their collision is likely to produce not only another fantastic fight but also a shortlisted contender in the lightweight division.

Below is all the information you need to catch UFC 286 on Saturday night.
How to watch UFC 286 prelims

Date: March 18 | Location: O2 Arena — London
Time: 3 p.m. ET (1 p.m. ET for early prelims)
Channel: ESPN 2 | Stream: fuboTV (Try for free)
How to watch UFC 286 main card

Date: March 18 | Location: O2 Arena — London
Time: 5 p.m. ET
Stream: ESPN+ PPV | Price: $79.99

On Saturday night, Kamaru Usman and Leon Edwards meet in a rubber match for the welterweight championship in the main event of UFC 286. Their previous meeting saw Usman dominate the fight before Edwards scored a knockout with a head kick in the final minute of Round 5, ending Usman’s long reign as champion.

Usman has been the better fighter throughout their previous two meetings, winning nearly every moment of both fights, but it is the Edwards head kick that is the moment that truly stands out in their rivalry.

In the night’s co-main event, Justin Gaethje looks to maintain his status as one of the UFC’s elite lightweights when he takes on rising star Rafael Fiziev. The fight promises to be an exciting all-action fight between two heavy-hitting fighters with the ability to end the fight at any moment.

‘Rocky’ and ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ get their trilogy fight today for Edwards’ welterweight title — here’s how to watch the fight live online

The two first clashed in 2015 when Usman beat Edwards by unanimous decision. Then, at last year’s UFC 278, Edwards made a spectacular comeback by knocking out Usman securing the title. Today, Usman hopes to retake the belt and settle the fighters’ longstanding rivalry.

UFC 285 Main Card
Kamaru Usman vs. Leon Edwards — Edward’s UFC welterweight championship
Rafael Fiziev vs. Justin Gaethje — Lightweights
Gunnar Nelson vs. Bryan Barberena — Welterweights
Casey O’Neill vs. Jennifer Maia — Women’s flyweights
Marvin Vettori vs. Roman Dolidze — Middleweights

UFC 285 Prelims
Jack Shore vs. Makwan Amirkhani — Featherweights
Omar Morales vs. Chris Duncan — Middleweights
Sam Patterson vs. Yanal Ashmoz — Lightweights
Muhammad Mokaev vs. Jafel Filho — Flyweights

UFC 285 Early Prelims
Lerone Murphy vs. Gabriel Santos, — Featherweights
Christian Leroy Duncan vs. Dusko Todorovic — Middleweights
Jake Hadley vs. Malcolm Gordon — Flyweights
Joanne Wood vs. Luana Carolina — Women’s flyweights
Ludovit Klein vs. Jai Herbert — Lightweights
Julianna Miller vs. Veronica Macedo — Women’s flyweights

Given the fact that Edwards and Usman both have a win over the other, it’s no surprise that oddsmakers are predicting a very close fight. Usman is the favorite with moneyline odds of -260 against the champ’s +196.

In their first meeting, Usman out-fought Edwards to win by decision, and their second meeting last year initially looked like a repeat with Usman landing more strikes and dominating on the ground. Then, of course, Edwards flipped the script in a second by landing a killer head kick to knock out Usman. Neither fighter has been in the octagon since then, leaving Usman with a record of 20-2 and Edwards with 20-3-1, which also some insight into Vegas’ choice of Usman as the favorite.

The main event of UFC 286 will feature a long-awaited rematch between welterweight champion Leon Edwards and Kamaru Usman, the former champion of the division.

Edwards stunned Usman with a knockout head kick in the final minute of their UFC 278 fight in August 2022, ending Usman’s streak of 15 consecutive UFC victories and claiming the belt for the first time.

UFC 286 marks the third meeting between the two fighters. Usman defeated Edwards in his debut UFC match back in 2015. Edwards will be on his home turf fighting in London’s D2 Arena, but Usman remains the betting favorite as the fight approaches.

Trump says he expects to be arrested, calls for protest

Uncategorized

DanielLara

March 18, 2023

Donald Trump claimed on Saturday that his arrest is imminent and issued an extraordinary call for his supporters to protest as a New York grand jury investigates hush money payments to women who alleged sexual encounters with the former president.

Despite no evidence that Manhattan prosecutors have given any official notice to him or his lawyers, Trump declared in a post on his social media platform that he expects to be taken into custody on Tuesday. The message seemed designed to preempt a formal announcement from prosecutors and to galvanize outrage from his base of supporters in advance of widely anticipated charges. Within hours, he sent a fundraising email to supporters while influential Republicans in Congress issued statements in his defense.

In a later post that went beyond simply exhorting loyalists to protest about his legal peril, the 2024 presidential candidate directed his overarching ire in all capital letters at the Biden administration and raised the prospect of civil unrest: “IT’S TIME!!!” he wrote. “WE JUST CAN’T ALLOW THIS ANYMORE. THEY’RE KILLING OUR NATION AS WE SIT BACK & WATCH. WE MUST SAVE AMERICA!PROTEST, PROTEST, PROTEST!!!”

POLITICS
Election conspiracy movement grinds on as 2024 approaches
Bank failures: Anger in Congress, but division on what to do
Pro-Moscow voices tried to steer Ohio train disaster debate
Haley, Ramaswamy among those taking on ‘woke ideology’ in SC
District Attorney Alvin Bragg is thought to be eyeing charges in the hush money investigation, and recently offered Trump a chance to testify before the grand jury. Local law enforcement officials are bracing for the public safety ramifications of an unprecedented prosecution of a former American president.

But there has been no public announcement of any time frame for the grand jury’s secret work in the case. At least one additional witness is expected to testify, further indicating that no vote to indict has yet been taken, according to a person familiar with the investigation who was not authorized to publicly discuss the case and spoke on condition of anonymity.

That did not stop Trump from taking to his social media platform to say “illegal leaks” from Bragg’s office indicate that “THE FAR & AWAY LEADING REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE & FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, WILL BE ARRESTED ON TUESDAY OF NEXT WEEK.”

A spokesperson and a lawyer for Trump said his Truth Social post was based on media reports — though they did not say which ones — rather than any actual update from, or communication with, prosecutors. The district attorney’s office declined to comment Saturday.

Should Trump be indicted, he would be arrested only if he refused to surrender. Trump’s lawyers have previously said he would follow normal procedure, meaning he would likely agree to surrender at a New York Police Department precinct or directly to Bragg’s office.

It is unclear whether Trump’s supporters would heed his protest call or if he retains the same persuasive power he held as president. Trump’s posts on Truth Social generally receive far less attention than he used to get on Twitter, but he maintains a deeply loyal base. The aftermath of the Jan. 6 riot, in which hundreds of Trump loyalists were arrested and prosecuted in federal court, may also have dampened the passion among supporters for confrontation.

The indictment of Trump, 76, would be an extraordinary development after years of investigations into his business, political and personal dealings.

Even as Trump pursues his latest White House campaign — his first rally is set for Waco, Texas, later this month and he was scheduled to make a public appearance Saturday evening at the NCAA Division I wrestling championships in Tulsa, Oklahoma — there is no question an indictment would be a distraction and give fodder to opponents and critics tired of the legal scandals that have long enveloped him.

In addition to the hush money inquiry in New York, Trump faces separate criminal investigations in Atlanta and Washington over his efforts to undo the results of the 2020 election.

A Justice Department special counsel has also been presenting evidence before a grand jury investigating Trump’s possession of hundreds of classified documents at his Florida estate. It is not clear when those investigations will end or whether they might result in criminal charges, but they will continue regardless of what happens in New York, underscoring the ongoing gravity – and broad geographic scope – of the legal challenges facing the former president.

Trump’s post Saturday echoes one made last summer when he broke the news on Truth Social that the FBI was searching his Florida home as part of an investigation into the possible mishandling of classified documents.

News of that search sparked a flood of contributions to Trump’s political operation, and on Saturday, Trump sent out a fundraising email to his supporters that said the “MANHATTAN D.A. COULD BE CLOSE TO CHARGING TRUMP.”

After his post, Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy decried any plans to prosecute Trump as an “outrageous abuse of power by a radical DA” whom he claimed was pursuing “political vengeance.” Rep. Elise Stefanik, the third-ranking House Republican, issued a statement with a similar sentiment.

The grand jury has been hearing from witnesses, including former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen, who says he orchestrated payments in 2016 to two women to silence them about sexual encounters they said they had with Trump a decade earlier.

Trump denies the encounters occurred, says he did nothing wrong and has cast the investigation as a “witch hunt” by a Democratic prosecutor bent on sabotaging the Republican’s 2024 campaign. Trump also has labeled Bragg, who is Black, a “racist” and has accused the prosecutor of letting crime in the city run amok while he has focused on Trump. New York remains one of the safest cities in the country.

Bragg’s office has apparently been examining whether any state laws were broken in connection with the payments or the way Trump’s company compensated Cohen for his work to keep the women’s allegations quiet.

Porn actor Stormy Daniels and at least two former Trump aides — onetime political adviser Kellyanne Conway and former spokesperson Hope Hicks — are among witnesses who have met with prosecutors in recent weeks.

Cohen has said that at Trump’s direction, he arranged payments totaling $280,000 to Daniels and Playboy model Karen McDougal. According to Cohen, the payouts were to buy their silence about Trump, who was then in the thick of his first presidential campaign.

Cohen and federal prosecutors said Trump’s company paid him $420,000 as reimbursement for the $130,000 payment to Daniels and to cover bonuses and other supposed expenses. The company classified those payments internally as legal expenses. The $150,000 payment to McDougal was made by the then-publisher of the supermarket tabloid National Enquirer, which kept her story from coming to light.

Federal prosecutors agreed not to prosecute the Enquirer’s corporate parent in exchange for its cooperation in a campaign finance investigation that led to charges against Cohen in 2018. Prosecutors said the payments to Daniels and McDougal amounted to impermissible, unrecorded gifts to Trump’s election effort.

Cohen pleaded guilty, served prison time and was disbarred. Federal prosecutors never charged Trump with any crime.

Senior police officer Suhail Sukhera who is leading the operation in a Lahore

General News

admin

March 18, 2023

Police in Pakistan stormed former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s residence in the eastern city of Lahore on Saturday and arrested 30 people amid tear gas shelling after someone opened fire from the roof of the building, officials said.

Senior police officer Suhail Sukhera who is leading the operation in a Lahore upscale neighborhood, said police moved to remove encroachments and a blockade erected by Khan’s Tehreek-e-Insaf party and his defiant supporters.

He said baton-wielding Khan supporters attempted to resist police by throwing stones and petrol bombs, but the officers moved on until a man on the roof of Khan’s residence opened fire. No one was hurt.

Sukhera said that police broke open the main door of Khan’s residence and found masks, petrol-filled bottles, iron rods and batons used in attacks on police during the week. Sukhera said that inside the sprawling residence, illegal structures were erected to shelter those who have been involved in attacks on police that have injured dozens of officers.

Witnesses said police attempted to disperse Khan supporters by firing tear gas and chased them to several homes in the upscale neighborhood of Zaman Park. Khan was expected to appear in an Islamabad court on Saturday after a top court Friday suspended his arrest warrant, giving him a reprieve to travel to Islamabad and face charges in a graft case without being detained.

Subscribe to Continue Reading

Khan has been holed up at his home in Lahore since Tuesday, after failing to appear at an earlier hearing in the case. His supporters hurled stones and clashed with baton-wielding police for two days to protect the former premier from arrest.

Khan, during his road trip to Islamabad, said in a video message that the government had planned his arrest despite his travel to a hearing. He said police had broken into his residence in Lahore while his wife was alone at the home. He condemned the action and demanded those responsible are punished under law.

Khan, now in the opposition, was ousted in a no-confidence vote in Parliament last April. He is accused of selling state gifts while in office and concealing assets. It’s one in a string of cases that the former cricket star turned Islamist politician has been facing since his ouster.

Donald Trump said in a social media post that he expects to be arrested Tuesday as a New York prosecutor is eyeing charges in a case examining hush money paid to women who alleged sexual encounters with the former president. Trump provided no evidence that suggested he was directly informed of a pending arrest and did not say how he knew of such plans.

But in a Saturday morning message on his Truth Social network, Trump noted “illegal leaks” from the Manhattan district attorney’s office that he said indicate “THE FAR & AWAY LEADING REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE & FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, WILL BE ARRESTED ON TUESDAY OF NEXT WEEK.”

Danielle Filson of the district attorney’s office said prosecutors “will decline to confirm or comment” on questions pertaining to Trump’s post, as well as potential charges. A Trump spokesman did not immediately respond to calls for comment.

The indictment of Trump, 76, would be an extraordinary development after years of investigations into his business, political and personal dealings. It is likely to galvanize critics who say Trump, a 2024 presidential candidate, lied and cheated his way to the top and to embolden supporters who feel the Republican is being unfairly targeted by a Democratic prosecutor.

In his social media post, Trump repeated his lies that the 2020 presidential election he lost to Democrat Joe Biden was stolen and he urged his followers to “PROTEST, TAKE OUR NATION BACK!” That language evoked the message from the then-president that preceded the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, when his supporters broke through doors and windows of that building and left officers beaten and bloodied as they tried to stop the certification of the election.

Law enforcement officials in New York have been making security preparations for the possibility that Trump could be indicted.

There has been no public announcement of any time frame for the grand jury’s secret work in the case, including any potential vote on whether to indict the ex-president.

Trump’s posting echoes one made last summer when he broke the news on Truth Social that the FBI was searching his home as part of an investigation into the possible mishandling of classified documents.

The grand jury in Manhattan has been hearing from witnesses, including former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen, who says he orchestrated payments in 2016 to two women to silence them about sexual encounters they said they had with Trump a decade earlier.

Manhattan Dist. Atty. Alvin Bragg’s office has apparently been examining whether any state laws were broken in connection with the payments or the way Trump’s company compensated Cohen for his work to keep the women’s allegations quiet.

Porn actor Stormy Daniels and at least two former Trump aides — onetime political advisor Kellyanne Conway and former spokesperson Hope Hicks — are among witnesses who have met with prosecutors in recent weeks.

Cohen and federal prosecutors said the company paid him $420,000 to reimburse him for the $130,000 payment to Daniels and to cover bonuses and other supposed expenses. The company classified those payments internally as legal expenses. The $150,000 payment to McDougal was made by the then-publisher of the supermarket tabloid National Enquirer, which kept her story from coming to light.