Latest news with #315
24-05-2025
- Business
SASSA grant payment dates for June 2025
The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) has released the grant payment dates for the month of June 2025. SASSA pays grant to various beneficiaries including the Childcare grant, Old age grant and Disability grant. Here are the SASSA payment dates for June 2025: Old age grant- Tuesday, 3 June 2025 Disabilty grant- Wednesday, 4 June 2025 Childcare grant- Thursday, 5 June 2025 SASSA warns the public of a fake job advertisement circulating on social media platforms. The advertisement says that SASSA is need of a grant administrator and the salary is R21 234. The social agency stated that individuals should visit their website for job vacancies and should avoid misinformation. The Department of Social Development (DSD) has outlined why the SASSA pension cannot be increased to R5000. This comes after the United South Africa (USA) leader Riyad Isaacs submitted a petition to the Minister of Social Development urging the government to raise the SASSA pension. In an open letter submitted to both Social Development Minister and Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana, Isaacs highlighted issues financial strains that pensioners face. However, the DSD said that the increase would not be feasible since the government has a set amount allocated to pay beneficiaries. 'Currently, approximately 19 million South Africans receive social grants. The government has allocated R284.7 billion for social grants for the 2025/26 financial year. Of these beneficiaries, 4.1 million are older persons who receive R2,315 per month (ages 60–74) or R2,330 per month (ages 75 and older),' explained the DSD. The Department further stated that if the grant is increased to R5000, it would mean that the government would have to allocate R246 billion for the 4.1 million pensioners, excluding other grant beneficiaries. Let us know by leaving a comment below or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
Time of India
11-05-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
UFC 315 co-main event: Valentina Shevchenko vs Manon Fiorot ends in retirement wager controversy
Photo byUFC 315 's co-main event may have delivered a thrilling title bout between flyweight queen Valentina Shevchenko and France's Manon Fiorot , but it also came with an unusual pre-fight stipulation: potential retirement. Both fighters teased the idea that the loser would walk away from the sport. In the aftermath of a razor-close five-round battle, Shevchenko emerged victorious but made it clear that the retirement chatter should stay exactly where it started — in the realm of pre-fight hype. Operation Sindoor Op Sindoor: IC-814 hijackers, Pulwama plotters among over 100 terrorists killed 'We lost 5 soldiers in Operation Sindoor,' says DGMO 'Pak Army lost 35 to 40 personnel': Takeaways from armed forces' briefing on Op Sindoor Shevchenko emphasized that she wants Fiorot to keep fighting, not to be bound by words meant to sell a fight. 'I completely don't want her to retire' - Valentina Shevchenko's message to Manon Fiorot after UFC 315 Valentina Shevchenko retained her flyweight title with a hard-earned unanimous decision victory over Manon Fiorot, winning all three judges' scorecards by 48-47. Despite the intense battle and competitive spirit, Shevchenko used her post-fight platform to address Fiorot directly — not as a rival, but as a fellow martial artist. 'To be very clear, before the fight Manon [suggested] that if she won, I retire,' Shevchenko explained. 'I responded to her, if I won, she retires. So I completely don't want her to retire. This is what I really don't want her to follow her words because I feel it's unfair for the fighter because someone put [the words] in her mouth to promote the fight or something like that and now she feels she has to retire? No, don't follow your words, please stay fighting.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Complete protection with iPru All-in-one Term Plan ICICI Pru Life Insurance Plan Get Quote Undo At 37, Shevchenko continues to defy age expectations, showcasing elite form and composure under pressure. She attributed much of her preparation for Fiorot's southpaw stance to years of training alongside her recently retired sister, Antonina, whose technique and power helped sharpen her timing and awareness. 'During my fighting career, my main partner, one of the main partners was my sister and she's southpaw,' said Shevchenko. 'Her kicks and her punches are incomparable. So the speed, the power, and everything and working with her during all these years is kind of like, now when Manon throws the kicks, I kind of see them from very, very far.' Also Read: Jack Della Maddalena shuts down 'Canelo hands' hype after UFC 315 win over Belal Muhammad With contenders like strawweight champ Zhang Weili and flyweight dark horse Natalia Silva lining up, Shevchenko's next move remains uncertain. But one thing is clear: she doesn't want to see Fiorot exit the sport. In her eyes, Saturday was about competition — not conclusions.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Following The Money! UFC 315 Betting Line Movements Tracker
UFC 315 headliner Jack Della Maddalena. | Photo byUFC 315 takes place this weekend (Sat., May 10, 2025) inside Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The pay-per-view (PPV) main event sees UFC's Welterweight title on the line with Belal Muhammad vs. Jack Della Maddalena. Advertisement UFC 315's co-main event is Valentina Shevchenko vs. Manon Fiorot for Shevchenko's UFC Flyweight title. The main card also has Jose Aldo vs. Aimann Zahabi, Benoit Saint Denis vs. Kyle Prepolec (not Joel Alvarez) and Alexa Grasso vs. Natalia Silva. UFC 315's 'Prelims' are headlined by Mike Malott vs. Charles Radtke. The undercard also has Jessica Andrade vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius and Modestas Bukauskas vs. Ion Cutelaba. I've been watching the lines (see them here) for all the fights on UFC 315 and tracking the changes to see which fighters the betting public are siding with. Below, you'll find all the line movement info since the odds were released (per Best Fight Odds). UFC 315 PPV Main Card Line Movement Tracker Belal Muhammad attempts his first title defense at UFC 315. Belal Muhammad (-188 +6.3%) vs. Jack Della Maddalena (+152 -9.5%) Muhammad opened as the -230 favorite for this fight, with Della Maddalena at +176. The public think this fight is a little closer than that and these lines have started to creep toward each other. If you like the challenger in this match-up, get on him now before that shrinks anymore. If you like the champion, wait until fight time and you might get him around -150. Advertisement I agree with the public that this a close one and I'm really on the fence about it. I picked Della Maddalena with the point spread in my earlier betting post. This line is an odd one for Muhammad. He's been the public's favorite underdog for awhile now. Vegas keeps giving him opening lines at plus money and the public keep betting those down, though not enough to make him a favorite. Against Leon Edwards he opened at +240 and closed at +225. Against Gilbert Burns, he opened at +140 and closed at +135. Against Vicente Luque he opened at +180 and closed at +170 and against Stephen Thompson he opened at +210 and closed at +195. Muhammad, of course, won all these fights. The last time he opened as a favorite was against Sean Brady. He opened at -225 and the public faded him enough to make him close at +126. Muhammad then went out and KO'd Brady (I don't think that happens again if they rematch, though). Advertisement The public have a good track record with Della Maddalena. He opened at +105 when he fought Burns, but then closed at -155. He then brutalized Burns in a way we'd never seen before. The public were also right with his fight with Kevin Holland, where he opened at +136 and closed at -155. The public have been right on most Muhammad and Della Maddalena fights. And they are projecting a close one here. Might be worth avoiding a winner and instead looking at some round props for this one. Valentina Shevchenko might be facing her last legit challenger at UFC 315. Valentina Shevchenko (+107 +6.5%) vs. Manon Fiorot (-130 -4.8%) Shevchenko opened at -107 for the first title defense of her latest reign as UFC Flyweight champ. The line has changed a little, giving her slightly plus odds. On May 5, her line jumped up to +128 and then sharply came back down. Advertisement Shevchenko also opened at -107 for her last fight with Alexa Grasso. She closed at +110 for that fight, which she then totally dominated. Fiorot, meanwhile, opened at -117 for this fight. She's got some public backing here, but it's not dramatic. The public, and Vegas, were wrong before her victory over Erin Blanchfield. For that fight she opened at +120 and closed at +180. The public were wrong about her before her win over Rose Namajunas, too. She opened at -200 for that fight, but her line came up to -185. This feels like another fight that will be very close and will very likely go the distance. I like Shevchenko and her takedowns, personally. Aiemann Zahabi has been gifted a big name in his own backyard. Jose Aldo (-202 -2.5%) vs. Aiemann Zahabi (+165 +9.4%) The Featherweight G.O.A.T. Aldo opened -188 and has had public backing, bring that line down to -202. Something similar happened in his last fight with Mario Bautista, where he opened at +130 and closed at +110. Aldo lost that fight by split decision (though, I scored it for the King of Rio). Advertisement Before that public were mostly fading Aldo. He opened at -107 against Jonathan Martinez and closed at +150. He then took a pretty comfortable decision over Martinez, in Rio. That was his first fight back since his stint in boxing. Prior to all that, he opened as a -170 favorite to Merab Dvalishvili. The public rightly thought that was off, though. They forced that line to close at +145 before the future champ, Dvalishvili, for the win. Zahabi opened at +140 for this bout. But, his odds are lengthening, despite this fight being in his backyard. Zahabi has seen some pretty wild swings on his betting lines lately. He opened at +115 versus Pedro Munhoz. But, that line closed at -188 (a massive 45.9% swing). Zahabi then beat Munhoz for the best win of his career. Advertisement Before that, Zahabi saw his line against Javid Basharat balloon from +164 to +700. Zahabi won that by decision, possibly 'fraud checking' the previous undefeated Afghan (who would then get lit up by Ricky Simon). Another big swing with Zahabi was before his fight with Aoriqileng. He opened at +190 for that and closed at +125 (42.9 percent swing). He then finished Aoriqileng in the first round. Natalie Silva could jump up the rankings with a win at UFC 315. Alexa Grasso (+207 +18.6%) vs. Natalia Silva (-257 -10.8%) I really think this line needs to be a lot closer than it is. Vegas thought so, too, opening with Grasso at +150 and Silva at -186. However, the public has different ideas. Their bets have Grasso as a pretty decent-sized underdog now. Advertisement That's the opposite of what they did in her last fight, as champion versus Valentina Shevchenko — she opened at -117 there and closed at -125. Silva's line had been slowly shortening until, on May 3, it fell off a cliff into the territory we find it at now. This shortening is pretty standard for her. Before her win over Jessica Andrade her line shifted from -148 to -275. And before her win over Viviane Araujo her line shortened from -275 to -320. Kyle Prepolec is a massive underdog at UFC 315. Benoit Saint Denis (-1089 +0.8%) vs. Kyle Prepolec (+686 +4.6%) Given that this is a short notice fight there hasn't been much time for it to change much. Advertisement There has been some up-and-down action on Prepolec's line, though. He opened at +650 and went down to +625 immediately. Then he spiked at +725 before dropping to +660 and back to where it is now. That might be a sign that a few folks have put some bets down on the big underdog (probably just because he's a big underdog). UFC 315 Late 'Prelims' Line Movement Mike Malott will enjoy a friendly crowd at UFC 315. Mike Malott (-168 +6%) vs. Charles Radtke (+137 -5.5%) The public think this fight will be closer than Vegas initially forecast. Malott opened at -200 and Radtke opened at +150. This is the first time Malott's line has moved this way in UFC. Against Trevin Giles, Neil Magny and Adam Fugitt his line has shortened, though not by a dramatic amount. The public were right on all those except the Magny fight, which Magny won via late comeback technical knockout. Jessica Andrade is coming into UFC 315 off a loss. Jessica Andrade (+248 +13.8%) vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius (-320 -4%) Andrade is being faded, big time, by the public. She opened at +200 for this fight with Jasudavicius, but that is now rising. That's a pretty familiar pattern for Andrade. The public have faded her in her recent fights with Natalia Silva, Marina Rodriguez, Mackenzie Dern and Tatiana Suarez. They were only right to do that in the Silva and Suarez fights. Advertisement Jasudavicius opened at -275 for this fight. In her last fight, with Mayra Bueno Silva, she had a big shift in her line. She opened at +100 for that and closed at -245. She then took a convincing win over Bueno Silva. Modestas Bukauskas looked great last time out. Modestas Bukauskas (-104 +2.7%) vs. Ion Cutelaba (-117 +1.2%) Vegas has this pegged as a close fight and the public is fine with that. I agree, too. I think there's going to be a finish here, though. I think Bukauskas will be the hammer and Cutelaba the nail. However, Cutelaba has showed a few times now that you can never count him out of a fight. Ivan Erslan is looking for his first UFC win at UFC 315. Navajo Stirling (-322 -6.8%) vs. Ivan Erslan (+260 +21%) Erslan is one of the biggest movers at UFC 315. His line has skyrocketed from +175. This signals that the public really fancy Stirling in this fight. They did in Stirling's last fight, too, taking his opening line of -450 against Tuco Tokkos and turning it into -800. Stirling then won a pretty ho-hum decision in what was his proper UFC debut. UFC 315 Early 'Prelims' Line Movement Bruno Silva needs a win at UFC 315. Marc-Andre Barriault (-154 -1.1%) vs. Bruno Silva (+128 +7.9%) This is a close fight between two guys who really need a win. Vegas has Barriault as the slight favorite over Silva and the public seem mostly fine with that. The public faded Barriault in his last two fights, both of which ended with him in the shadow realm. Jeong Yeong Lee lost a fire fight last time out. Daniel Santos (+109 +18.7%) vs. Jeong Yeong Lee (-124 -22.9%) This is our only flip on the card! Advertisement Santos opened at -143, but you can now get him at plus money, while Lee opened at +116 for this one. Santos has been out a while and has had fights fall through on an Ian McCall level in his UFC career. In his last fight, against Johnny Munoz Jr., he opened at +155, but the public hammered his line. He ended up closing at -200 (76.3% swing!). Santos then won a decision. That was back in 2023, though. The unheralded Bekzat Almakhan has a big opportunity at UFC 315. Brad Katona (+129 -4.8%) vs. Bekzat Almakhan (-158 +6.2%) This line hasn't changed much. The public are more or less fine with Katona being the slight underdog in his home country. Almakhan was a big underdog in his last fight, his debut opposite Umar Nurmagomedov. Jeong Yeong Lee's betting line has had the most drastic movement at UFC 315. UFC 315 Biggest Line Movements TLDR: Here are the biggest line movements at UFC 314: Advertisement Jeong Yeong Lee : From +116 underdog to -124 favorite (-22.9 percent) (B) Ivan Erslan : From +175 underdog to +248 underdog (+21 percent) (A) Daniel Santos : From -143 favorite to +109 underdog (+18.7 percent) (D) Alexa Grasso: From +150 underdog to +220 underdog (+18.6 percent) (A) Jessica Andrade: From +200 underdog to +248 underdog (+13.8 percent) (A) Since I've been tracking line movements on UFC PPVs, a few early trends have started to develop. A: Fighters who opened with plus odds and whose odds have then lengthened are 5-25. B: Fighters who opened with plus odds and whose odds have then shortened, enough to give them minus odds, are 10-9. C: Fighters who opened with plus odds and whose odds have then shortened, yet they remain at plus odds, are 1-6. D: Fighters who opened with minus odds and whose odds have lengthened, enough to give them plus odds, are 5-4. E: Fighters who opened with minus odds and whose odds have shortened are 2-2. F: Fighters who opened with minus odds and whose odds have lengthened, though they remain at minus odds are 0-0. Charles Radtke comes to Montreal as an underdog. UFC 315 Best Underdogs Bets There's a lot of underdogs I like on this card. I'm picking both Della Maddaena and Shevchenko in the main and co-main. I'm more confident in my Shevchenko bet, though. Other underdogs I like the look of are Radtke, Silva and Katona. Advertisement Of those, I probably like Silva the most. I think he's too durable for Barriault to put away. Enough about me, though, which of these underdogs do you like the most? Remember that will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 315 fight card right here, starting with the ESPN/ESPN+ 'Prelims' matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. ET, before the main card start time at 10 p.m. ET (also on ESPN+). To check out the latest and greatest UFC 315: 'Muhammad vs. Della Maddalena' news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here. More from
Time of India
07-05-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Belal Muhammad gets the heat as the welterweight champion is mocked amid UFC 315 sellout struggle
UFC 315. Image via UFC/X UFC 315 sale of the tickets lower count of ticket sales Belal Muhammad UFC 315 witnesses a stall in the sale of tickets, fans speculate theories dragging in UFC executives and welterweight champion Belal Muhammad is just days away, scheduled for May 10, 2025, to be held at the Bell Centre , Montreal, Canada. Over the past few months, there have been debates going on around the cards scheduled for the event to be decisive of the future course of shakeups anticipated across the divisions of the UFC. However, much to the dismay of the promotion executives, thefor the event has not been satisfactory. Fan theories have led to several reasons being behind the, which even includes the speculation of the main card being a less attractive one, thereby targeting the welterweight championUFC 315 will feature two title bouts in its main card events. The first bout will witness welterweight champion Belal Muhammad defend his title against Jack Della Maddalena , while the second title bout will see women's flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko defend hers against Manon Fiorot. Since the past couple of months, ever since Islam Makhachev announced his desire to move up to the welterweight division, fans across the internet have speculated about a bout between Makhachev and his long-time training partner, Muhammad, for the division's championship. However, with both fighters dismissing the rumor, all eyes were on the UFC 315 main card event, as this would decide the fate of the Dagestani fighter in the welterweight division of the all the hype, much to the dismay of the promotion's executives, the ticket sales for the event have not been satisfactory up until now. A recent post on X by a fan showcases a large chunk of the stadium being empty, which was not expected, considering the decisive factor associated with the event post generated an immediate reaction from the fans pondering on the probable factors that might have created a hindrance in generating a sufficient number of audience for the live event. Some even believed that the lower turnout is one of the major reasons why the UFC boss, Dana White, ventured into the world of boxing. One of the users wrote, 'Prob why Dana switched over to boxing'Another user wrote on how White would still somehow highlight the event as one of the successful ones by the UFC, 'Somehow Dana will announce that it's the 2nd largest gate at the venue, 4th largest gate in UFC history for a card outside of the U.S & it was completely sold out and packed to the gills.'A section of fans believed that the cards were not that attractive and targetted Belal for the lower turnout count, 'Belal has no appeal'Also read: UFC star's son creates online buzz with surprise M&M gift to Jack Della Maddalena - 'Pretty cute man' With a few more days left to go for the extravagant UFC 315, executives of the promotion can still expect some kind of improvement in the sale of the tickets. Only time will tell, if the event succeeds in generating enough attraction from the fans of the sport.
IOL News
06-05-2025
- Business
- IOL News
South African gold miners grapple with rising costs despite record prices
For Gold Fields, which operates the South Deep mine in South Africa, all-in-costs have been spiking. All-in-costs for South Deep AIC increased by 6% to R1,032,462 per kilogram in the March 2025 quarter from R974,315 per kilogram in the December 2024 quarter. Tawanda Karombo South African gold miners are being weighed down by elevated costs, with the Minerals Council of South Africa saying on Tuesday that the sector recorded the highest increase in input costs. This comes as Gold Fields recently said all-in-costs for the 2025 March quarter grew by 6%. Bullion prices have been surging to record highs in the past few weeks although South African producers of the precious metal have largely not raised production due to higher costs. Andre Lourens, an economist with the Minerals Council said the gold sector has been experiencing higher input cost inflation. 'In March, the gold sector recorded the highest average increase in input cost inflation, although benefiting from strong market prices - with gold averaging $2 986 per ounce. This underscores the ongoing cost pressures linked to mining deep-level, lower-grade ore bodies,' said Lourens. For Gold Fields, which operates the South Deep mine in South Africa, all-in-costs have been spiking. All-in-costs for South Deep increased by 6% to R1 032 462 per kilogram in the March 2025 quarter, up from R974 315 per kilogram in the December 2024 quarter. Gold Fields attributed this to 'lower gold sold in the current quarter, partially offset by lower capital' expenditure. Total capital expenditure for the South Deep operation fell by 42% to R431 million in the March 2025 quarter from R741m in the December 2024 quarter. 'The main expenditure items relate to a decrease in major component spend, UG mobile equipment replacement and refurbishments, surface infrastructure maintenance and new UG Infrastructure and maintenance,' said the company. Its production for the quarter decreased by 8% to 2 244kg due to ore phasing and lower volumes processed despite an increase in mined volumes. It was not just the gold sector that experienced higher mine input costs as the Minerals Council said South Africa's overall mining input costs rose by 3.6% in the first quarter of 2025. 'The increase in mining input costs moderated to 3.4% year-on-year in March, down from 3.8% in February, marking a continuation of the downward trend that began late last year,' said Lourens. 'While this is higher than the subdued 2.7% recorded in the fourth quarter of 2024, the outcome is unsurprising given volatility in both the domestic and global economy, much of which has intensified since January.' This comes as a 'complex set of pressures continues to shape the cost landscape' including global trade frictions, pressure on the rand, and fluctuating Brent crude oil prices, which have all raised input cost volatility. On the domestic front, 'political and economic uncertainty have further dampened sentiment, weighing on capital markets and prompting the South African Reserve Bank to maintain a cautious monetary stance,' necessitating a delay in much-needed interest rate relief. Chemical prices and intermediate industrial inputs also stayed high relative to last year, reflecting persistent pricing pressure in key upstream supply chains, explained the Minerals Council. Other mining sectors that took a big input cost include the chrome sector, with the third-highest increases recorded in iron ore, manganese, and other metallic minerals. Nonetheless, the coal sector experienced the lowest input cost inflation of the major commodities - offering some relative stability in the cost of producing coal. BUSINESS REPORT
