Filipino boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao on Friday pulled out of a rematch with world champion Jeff Horn, leaving the Australian looking for another challenger in his title defence.
The Queensland state government, the fight's financial backers, made the announcement two months ahead of the scheduled November 12 bout.
"We have been advised today that Manny Pacquiao... cannot return to the ring on 12 November as proposed," Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said in a statement.
"I am advised Mr Pacquiao, who is also a Senator of the Philippines, will have other commitments at that time."
She said her government would continue to support Horn's WBO world welterweight title defence, whoever the challenger is.
The unheralded Australian stunned the boxing world with a unanimous 12-round decision over Pacquiao in Brisbane on July 2, a hotly contested result that triggered an outcry in the Philippines.
The World Boxing Organisation moved to quell the controversy by re-scoring the fight with a different set of judges - who found that Horn won by seven rounds to five.
Highlights from the fight
It ordered the scoring review at the request of the Philippines' Games and Amusements Board, which criticised the judges and the referee.
In the twilight of a 22-year pro career in which he won world titles in an unprecedented eight weight divisions, Pacquiao had initially called for a rematch despite US trainer Freddie Roach advising him to quit.
Also read:
John McAuley: Pacquiao should heed Roach's advice and call it a day
Pacquiao has not stopped an opponent in eight years and briefly quit boxing last year to pursue his long-held political ambitions and was elected senator.
But he quickly made a successful comeback against Jessie Vargas in November before losing to Horn.
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Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
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- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
