European natural gas prices trimmed their weekly drop on Friday as heat blankets the continent’s south and risks

Traders moved to price in further interest rate cuts by the Bank of England next year, after a

Democratic Sen. Jon Tester failed to fulfill multiple promises he made in a public ethics pledge during his first Senate campaign in 2006, including a vow to publicly post meetings between members of his Senate staff and lobbyists.

Business sentiment among big Japanese manufacturers improved in July-September for the second straight quarter, according to a central bank survey

Many in the Muhammad Ali business believe that the boxer never fully recovered from his comedy fight with a wrestler in Tokyo. It was the summer of 1976; Ali was the world heavyweight champion, and some men in Japan came up with a financial package for Ali to meet renowned wrestler, Antonio Inoki. It was scheduled for 15 rounds of three minutes, and it was for the ‘heavyweight martial arts championship of the world’ belt. Sound familiar? It was, trust me, not the joke you thought it was. For a start, it was meant to be a fix, a rigged encounter with blood, comedy, action and a classic wrestling twist. Ali got wind of the fix and refused to attend rehearsals. The plan was simple: Ali would beat Inoki senseless for six or seven rounds, the wrestler was prepared to cut himself with razor blades and then, because of all the blood, it would be stopped in Ali’s favour. At that point, with Ali’s hand raised and 20,000 Japanese fans howling, Inoki was meant to jump on Ali’s back and pin him. Glorious stuff – Ali rejected it. It came at a crucial time in Ali’s career. He had just stopped Richard Dunn in Munich to retain his heavyweight title; Dunn was dropped repeatedly, and they were the last knockdowns Ali ever scored. He fought seven more times, in six world title fights, but never dropped another man. He met men like Ken Norton, Leon Spinks, Larry Holmes and Earnie Shavers in that period; everybody in the Ali business came to regret each awful fight during that time. The hidden injuries from the Inoki farce added to the decline. The Inoki circus was conceived and sold as a safe way to make $6million and not get hurt; neither thing happened. At a ‘contract-signing’ event the night before, which was available to fans at a price, they agreed it would be winner-takes-all. Ali also had four suites and 31 rooms at the best hotel in Tokyo; this was not a joke. “I can’t let boxing down,” Ali said before the fight. “He’s not used to taking hard shots to the head. The moment I go upside his head, it’s over.” Ali’s assessment is true, but the rules were not made clear. Inoki dropped to his back and chased Ali for 15 rounds from that position on the canvas. In total, Ali threw six punches and connected twice; it was repetitive and dull, with Inoki on his back kicking out at Ali. At the end, it was declared a draw. There was no grandstand wrestling moment and there had certainly not been a single quality moment of boxing. Ali’s legs were cut, bleeding and damaged from Inoki’s hard wrestling boots and the dozens of kicks he had sustained. It was the eyelets on the boots that caused the superficial damage; the real damage was hidden as ruptured blood vessels formed. Ali was told to rest the leg and get it treated before leaving Tokyo, but he had commitments in Korea and Malaysia; when he got back to America, he was hospitalised with blood clots and muscle damage. His left leg remained damaged until the end of his boxing career. Ali finished with about $2.2m dollars for the event; Inoki had been guaranteed $2m, but was paid just a fraction of that total. In Tokyo, in that ring, nobody won. It would be funny if the martial arts championship of the world belt was found and given to Tyson Fury in Saudi Arabia in October. That would be cool. Incidentally, the fight was being shown all over the world on closed-circuit screens. In New York, outdoors at Shea Stadium, it was part of the night when Chuck Wepner, the inspiration for Rocky, met Andre the Giant in a wrestling ring. The Ali and Inoki fight was shown on big screens. What a time to be a fan. Anyway, back in 1976, Ali limped on, fighting from memory for too many people and for far too long, and Inoki, well, he became a genuine mixed martial arts pioneer and icon. The big lad was in front of all curves. Inoki died last year and fought for the last time in 1998 when he was close to 60. The man who busted Ali’s legs was far more than just a novelty act on the wrestling circuit. Read More Why Fury vs Ngannou may tarnish the Gypsy King’s legacy forever ‘Nonsense’: Anthony Joshua reacts to Fury vs Ngannou fight announcement Francis Ngannou to earn more in Tyson Fury fight than entire UFC career, says rep Why Fury vs Ngannou may tarnish the Gypsy King’s legacy forever The Independent’s pound-for-pound boxing rankings Don’t be fooled by Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte’s calm reunion

By Asif Shahzad ISLAMABAD (Reuters) -The International Monetary Fund's board approved a $3 billion bailout programme for Pakistan which will

Tanya Roth is an academician with a PhD and her area of interest is the women in the US military during the Cold War, as per her profile

Addison Rae's latest video 'Shake It' evokes nostalgia with 2000s vibes

The Backyard Brawl rivalry between Pitt and West Virginia is one of the best in college football. Here's how both teams have fared in the iconic matchup historically.

In recent times, we’ve become accustomed to the Trump family making headlines for all the wrong reasons. Now, the internet is talking about Ivanka Trump for possibly one of the oddest reasons – the length of her neck. Interest in her lengthy neck occurred as she gave testimony in court at her father Donald Trump’s fraud trial, at which her presence being requested was enough to enrage her father. After her appearance on 8 November, pictures from inside the courtroom began to circulate on social media with people questioning if her neck was always that long. In court, she wore a navy blue suit and a white t-shirt with her blonde hair worn down in a loose curl. On X/Twitter, one user shared a picture of her taken from the court appearance and asked in the caption, “Is it me, or does Ivanka Trump have an extra long neck? Not photoshopped or doctored.” Someone else said, “Now I've seen how long Ivanka Trump’s neck is, I can’t unsee it”. Others turned the length of her neck into a joke, suggesting that, unlike the fictional character Pinocchio, whose nose grows longer when he lies, Ivanka Trump’s neck grows longer instead. Another joked: “Ivanka Trump: also distancing her head from the rest of her body. Because what in the brontosaurus is up with her neck?” In her testimony, Ivanka Trump said she could not “recall” many things she was being questioned about, namely her involvement with the valuation of her father’s assets. Donald Trump, along with his sons Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr, and other execs from the Trump Organization are being sued for defrauding banks and investors by overvaluing the former president’s net worth and assets – allegations they deny. How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel Sign up to our free indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

A little over a decade ago, ND Stevenson dreamt up a spunky shapeshifter with short

CALGARY, Alberta--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov 1, 2023--