best casino sites in the philippines
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Kaylene Smikle scored 16 points and made a couple key baskets down the stretch to help No. 10 Maryland hold off George Mason 66-56 in a matchup of unbeatens Saturday at the Navy Classic. The Terrapins (7-0) led by just two when Smikle stole the ball and made a layup while being fouled. The free throw pushed the lead to 58-53. Then a putback by Smikle put Maryland up by seven. The Terps won despite shooting 13 of 26 on free throws. George Mason (6-1) trailed by 10 at halftime before outscoring Maryland 18-7 in the third quarter. The Patriots' final lead was 49-48 in the fourth after a jumper by Kennedy Harris. Harris led George Mason with 26 points. Maryland is off to its best start since winning its first 12 games in 2018-19. George Mason: The Patriots have lost all nine meetings with Maryland, but it's been more competitive of late. The Terps won 86-77 last year, and this game was more competitive than the final score suggested. Maryland: After a down season by their standards, the Terps are off to a nice start, but the free-throw problems in this game nearly cost them. With the score 55-53, George Mason had a chance to tie, but the Patriots never really recovered after Smikle swiped the ball from Harris and went the other way for a three-point play with 3:08 remaining. Although Maryland was awful at the line, at least the Terps got there. George Mason was only 3 of 8 from the stripe, and the Terps held the Patriots to 32% shooting from the field. George Mason faces Navy in this event Sunday. Maryland takes on Toledo. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketballLululemon, UnitedHealth, HPE, Rubrik, Asana, AMC, Docusign, Ulta Beauty, and More Movers - Barron'sIt is a well-known fact there is a cartel of a few rice millers with regard to the purchase of paddy and sale of rice in the country. The whole blame for this development should rest solely on the previous dispensations. Those past governments created a situation where ample opportunities were made available to a few wealthy persons with close connections to some powerful politicians of the day, for purchasing paddy from the farmers at very low rates and later sell the milled rice to the consumers at exorbitant prices according to their whims and fancies. Those in authority turned a blind eye to this operation as they benefited from the rice millers. They weakened the state mechanism which had been introduced by the previous government for purchasing paddy and converting such stocks into rice and making available that rice to the people at affordable prices through CWE and the co-operative outlets. The previous governments deliberately sabotaged the operation of this mechanism to pave the way for a few politically and otherwise close rice millers to exploit the rice market in the absence of any competition. The Paddy Marketing Board was neglected by previous governments. Now this rice miller mafia has become a formidable force even the government cannot control. The moment the government steps in to remedy this situation, the rice miller mafia will go all out to thwart the government’s efforts at controlling the price of rice. These rice millers extend loans to the farmers at the commencement of paddy growing seasons and ensure that the latter sell their paddy only to them at the prices they fix. The indebted farmers have no alternative other than selling produce to those millers at very low prices stipulated by them. Now the PMB has neglected all its paddy stores and mills, and the government has no money to be released to the PMB for purchasing paddy. The vacuum created by non-involvement by the government in the purchase of paddy offered a golden opportunity to the rice millers to purchase paddy at the prices they desire. This is the sorry state of affairs now prevailing in the country. What would be the scenario if the government stepped in to solve this problem by using its power? It has neither money nor facilities for storing paddy and operational rice mills for milling the paddy. The rice miller mafia could ensure that there will be no rice in the market, at all. They can afford to do so. Therefore, I feel this is a very delicate issue that has to be handled diplomatically. The government should come to a compromise with the rice millers wherein the millers will be able to dispose of their stocks of rice in the market at a reasonable price in line with the expenses they have incurred in purchasing paddy. The government should be flexible in deciding the price of rice taking into consideration the expenses incurred in acquiring such stocks of paddy by the millers and persuade the millers to release the stocks of rice they now hold to the market at the revised prices. Retaining the current controlled price of rice will aggravate the situation. K. M. Suraweera Veyangoda
The Muppets will make way for Monsters as their time as a main attraction at Disney World in Orlando, Florida, comes to an end. While the Muppets may no longer appear on the south side of Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, the company plans to install the characters at a ride in the park and incorporate other elements of Muppets Courtyard in other ways. The Muppets have yet to appear as part of a ride at any Disney Park. Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster presently seats riders in stretch limousine-themed cars that play Aerosmith songs. The Muppets are currently used as meet-and-greet characters at Hong Kong Disneyland. Muppet*Vision 3D has been a fixture at Hollywood Studios since 1991. The general location also houses PizzeRizzo, a pizzeria named after the Muppets character Rizzo the Rat. The Muppets had an opening-day attraction in 2001 at Disney’s California Adventure, which closed in 2014 to make way for a “Frozen” sing-along. The Muppets Present...Great Moments in American History, a live performance show, last appeared at the Magic Kingdom in 2019. It’s still unclear when the last Muppet shows will take place or when they will appear on the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster. Disney did not return a request for comment by the time of publication. In a statement, Disney said “there’s still enough time to catch” the attractions “before their final curtain calls.” Construction on the “Monsters, Inc.” land is slated to begin in 2025. Excitement over Monstropolis was drowned out at the time by backlash from Muppets fans, who speculated the unannounced location would be the Muppets’ location, which includes two restaurants and a shuttered Muppets store. Disney said it is working on ways to reincorporate the Muppets. “As we move forward with these changes, we are having creative conversations and exploring ways to preserve the film and other parts of the experience for fans to enjoy in the future,” the Disney Parks Blog states. Disney purchased the IP from the Jim Henson Company, which is based in Los Angeles, in 2004. There have since been film reboots, such as 2011’s The Muppets and 2014’s Muppets Most Wanted, as well as 2021’s straight-to-streaming Muppets Haunted Mansion and two short-lived Disney+ streaming shows—The Muppets Mayhem and Muppets Now. Disney has also created social media accounts for several Muppets, including Big Bird and Kermit. In addition, Kermit and Miss Piggy made a comedic appearance at King Charles’s Coronation Concert in May 2023 outside Windsor Castle.
Total Monthly Digital Colocation Revenue grew 111% Y/Y in November 2024 Total Current Operating Hash Rate (EH) of about 4.98 EH/s, with current total operating capacity of 129 MW and expected to grow to 153 MW upon Ohio facility completion MIDLAND, Pa., Dec. 10, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mawson Infrastructure Group Inc. MIGI ("Mawson" or "the Company"), a publicly-traded technology company focused on digital infrastructure platforms for artificial intelligence (AI), high-performance computing (HPC), and digital assets markets, today announced its unaudited business and operational update for November 2024. Rahul Mewawalla, CEO and President said, "We are pleased to deliver another month of growth across our businesses with our total monthly revenue increasing year-over-year and month-over-month, highlighted by significant growth in our digital colocation revenue of 111% year-over-year. Following our recent honor of ringing the NASDAQ Closing Bell in celebration of the Company's transformation, we continue to advance our innovative approach to providing digital infrastructure platforms and solutions. Our synergistic business portfolio and our enhanced strategic, operational, and technological capabilities are expected to continue to be a competitive advantage for us moving forward." Unaudited financial and operational highlights for November 2024: Monthly Digital Colocation Revenue was up 111% Y/Y, growing from $1.98 million in November 2023 to about $4.18 million in November 2024. Total Monthly Revenue of about $4.91 million, up 2% Y/Y from November 2023 and up 0.5% M/M from October 2024; Monthly Energy Management Revenue of $0.33 million and Monthly Digital Assets Mining Revenue of $0.40 million. Current Total Operating Capacity of 129 MW and expected to grow to 153 MW upon full completion of Ohio facility. Combined Total Current Operating Hash Rate (EH) of about 4.98 EH/s (includes colocation and self-mining) 1 . Mawson supports innovative, agile, efficient, and scalable approaches to AI infrastructure and compute, and invites AI/HPC ecosystem companies to discuss opportunities to collaborate on artificial intelligence, high-performance and accelerated computing solutions. Conferences and Events Update Mawson has planned for its CEO and President, Rahul Mewawalla to participate in the following upcoming conferences and events. Please contact IR@Mawsoninc.com for further information. Northland Capital Markets Growth Conference - December 12, 2024 Axios Artificial Intelligence (AI) Summit – December 16-17, 2024 in San Francisco ICR Conference 2025 – January 13-15, 2025 in Orlando Pacific Telecommunications Council - January 20-22, 2025 in Honolulu About Mawson Infrastructure Mawson Infrastructure Group MIGI is a technology company that offers digital infrastructure platforms for AI, HPC, and digital assets. The Company's digital infrastructure platforms can be used to operate computing resources for a number of applications, and are offered across digital assets, artificial intelligence (AI), high-performance computing (HPC) and other computing applications. Our innovation, technology, and operational expertise enables us to operate and optimize digital infrastructure to accelerate the digital economy. The Company has a strategy to prioritize the usage of carbon-free energy sources, including nuclear energy, to power its digital infrastructure platforms and computational machines. For more information, please visit: https://www.mawsoninc.com . CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS The Company cautions that statements in this press release that are not a description of historical fact are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words referencing future events or circumstances such as "expect," "intend," "plan," "anticipate," "believe," and "will," among others. Because such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based upon the Company's current expectations and involve assumptions that may never materialize or may prove to be incorrect. Actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements as a result of various risks and uncertainties. More detailed information about the risks and uncertainties affecting the Company is contained under the heading "Risk Factors" included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on April 1, 2024, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on May 15, 2024, August 19, 2024, November 14, 2024, the Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on December 4, 2024, and in other filings that the Company has made and may make with the SEC in the future. One should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they were made. Because such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update such statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made, except as may be required by law. For more information, visit us at https://www.mawsoninc.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mawsoninc/ Twitter: Mawson (@Mawsoninc) / X (twitter.com) Facebook: Mawson Inc | Pittsburgh PA | Facebook YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/MawsonInc Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/mawsoninc Investor Contact: Investor Relations Team IR@mawsoninc.com Partnerships Contact: Partnerships Team Partnerships@mawsoninc.com Media and Press Contact: Media Relations Team mediarelations@mawsoninc.com Share this press release Twitter LinkedIn ___________________________ 1 Current Operating Hash Rate is based on the nameplate hash rate of the miners currently deployed. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
List of compromised VCE exams revealedSQUEEZING a bright-blue piping bag with my right hand, I attempt to disgorge an ornate ring of forest green buttercream around the base of my vanilla sponge cake. For the last 90 minutes, my friend James and I have been mixing cake batter, folding buttercream, and getting creative with fondant icing as if we’re contestants on the hit Channel 4 show, The Great British Bake Off. 3 Hope gets creative mixing cake batter and folding buttercream Credit: Supplied 3 Hope shows off her finished cake before the head baker's inspection Credit: Supplied Thankfully, Paul Hollywood won’t be carving our vanilla sponge to smithereens because we’re on a day out at The Big London Bake East, in Haggerston, East London. Here, you can tackle Bake Off-style challenges with friends or colleagues, under the watchful guidance of an expert baker. Creative fun, no experience required. Ideal for birthdays, work days out or other occasions. Our Christmas theme is a Festive Wreath Cake. READ MORE ON BAKE OFF butter up Great British Bake Off bosses issue major update on Channel 4 show’s future she's off Shock Moment Alison Hammond suffers awkward fall on Bake Off leaving fans stunned Sponge layers But the first challenge was finding the elusive tent. Its entrance is hidden behind a retro fridge door, leading to a bar where we enjoy a festive cocktail before the main event. Inside the main baking tent, which looks just like the one on TV, are 12 baking stations, each equipped with every baking utensil a baker could wish for. Pine garlands decorated with fairy lights hang from the walls, while a Christmas playlist gets us properly into the festive spirit. Most read in Best of British JINGLE BELLES Inside UK's 'poshest train' as it gets set to arrive in Glasgow for Christmas FEELING FESTIVE Scots Xmas market named Europe's most beautiful & tops another festive list WANDER-FUL Idyllic 4.5-mile walk between two of Scotland's most beautiful seaside villages INN LOVE Inside the stunning hotel with exquisite food and a Treetop Spa All our ingredients have been pre-weighed and we’re given a comprehensive list of instructions – there’s no room for any Christmas miracles here. Easy air fryer bakes with Lucy Parissi After our head baker gives us a rundown of what we’re producing that day, we’re left to bake. While making the cake batter and buttercream icing is simple enough, the real fun is had in Creation Corner. As the name suggests, one corner of the room is filled with cake-decorating supplies – liquid flavourings and decorative toppings like crushed Oreo , ground Biscoff, tiny pretzels, chocolate-covered nuts and dried fruits. Every so often our head baker – channelling the TV show’s vibe as created by Paul Hollywood and fellow judge Prue Leith , as well as hosts Alison Hammond and Noel Fielding – tells us how long is left on the clock. But despite the time pressure, it’s all about fun here and we order another cocktail to our station using the QR code on the bench. We harness the festive feeling in the room to give our cake its finishing touches – adding the charming Christmas characters my friend James has crafted using fondant. Even though it feels like it has all passed in a flash, our time is then up and our cakes are to be judged and a winner decided. The head baker cuts into each cake , commenting on the sponge layers, buttercream and decoration. Our sponge and buttercream are both complimented, which leaves me pleased. We aren’t named star bakers, but the fact we get to take our scrumptious cake home is reward enough. Read more on the Scottish Sun COMIC'S CASTLE Still Game star takes £150,000 hit to offload luxury £4m Scots castle HITTING THE HIGH NOTES Much-loved pub named best music bar in Scotland We feel like winners, regardless. Christmas Bake Specials at The Big London Bake East from £49.90pp. Also available at their London South, Manchester and Birmingham venues. See thebigbakes.com. 3 The Big London Bake East, in Haggerston, East London, is a great day out Credit: Supplied
Ontario Provincial Police have charged a 70-year-old driver who was allegedly going the wrong way on Highway 401 Sunday. Police say they received numerous 911 calls shortly after 6 p.m. reporting a driver in a silver SUV travelling eastbound in the westbound lanes of the highway in Loyalist Township. The driver entered the highway at Camden East Road and continued for approximately seven kilometres before exiting at Wilton Road, police said in an email to CTV News. Callers reported the driver was "veering around other traffic" at highway speeds of 100 km/h, reducing to 50 km/h at times. No collisions were reported. OPP and local police located the driver, a 70-year-old man from Etobicoke, parked in a neighbourhood in Kingston. Police were able to find him after a family member reported him as a missing person at the time of the incident. A cell phone ping for the driver provided a general location of his whereabouts, police said. The motorist was charged with dangerous operation and stunt driving. He will appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Napanee at a later date. Lennox and Addington OPP are seeking any witnesses of the incident or anyone who may have dashcam video. Anyone with information is asked to call 1-888-310-1122, reference number E241694379. Correction Police previously described the suspect as a 70-year-old female. That was later corrected to a 70-year-old male. Shopping Trends The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us. Editor's Picks Here Are All The Best Amazon Boxing Day Deals You Can Find On Beauty Products In Canada These Walking Pads Will Help You Get 10,000 Steps Every Day (And They're On Sale In The Name Of Boxing Day) 10 Family Calendars And Planners That'll Help You Keep Track Of Everything In The New Year Home If You're Headed Somewhere Warm On Vacation, Don't Forget To Pack These 16 Things Our Guide To The Best Snow Shovels In Canada In 2024 (And Where To Get Them) 14 Of The Best Home Security Devices You Can Find Online Right Now (And They've Got The Reviews To Prove It) Gifts The Clock Is Ticking — Shop These 25 Last-Minute Amazon Prime Gifts Now If You Have An Amazon Prime Account, These 70+ Crowd-Pleasing Gifts Will Still Arrive Before Christmas If You Have An Amazon Prime Account, These 50 Brilliant Stocking Stuffers Will Still Arrive Before Christmas Beauty 20 Products Your Dry, Dehydrated Skin Will Thank You For Ordering 14 Hydrating Face Masks That’ll Save Your Skin This December 12 Budget-Friendly Products To Add To Your Winter Skincare Routine Deals 11 Bestselling Coffee Makers And Espresso Machines You Can Get On Sale Right Now Don’t Walk, Run! These LEGO Kits Are On Sale For Boxing Day 2024 The Waterpik Advanced Water Flosser Will Make Cleaning Your Teeth So Much Easier — And It's 41% Off For Boxing Day Ottawa Top Stories Man, 70, charged with stunt driving after going wrong way on Hwy. 401 BREAKING | Jimmy Carter, a one-term president who became a globe-trotting elder statesman, dies at 100 4.1 magnitude earthquake in western Quebec felt in Ottawa and Montreal Bell Capital Cup debuts sledge hockey division for children with disabilities Eastern Ontario farm wants your Christmas trees to feed its animals: ’They do like the fresh needles’ FOG ADVISORY | Environment Canada warns of 'near-zero' visibility as fog blankets Ottawa Eastern Ontario police arrest Scarborough resident found with nearly $50K of cocaine Two taken to hospital following basement fire in Centretown West CTVNews.ca Top Stories Trudeau, Biden, Trump, other world leaders remember former U.S. president Jimmy Carter Former U.S. president and Nobel Peace Prize winner Jimmy Carter died Sunday at the age of 100. Upon news of his death, political figures and heads of state from around the world gave praise to Carter, celebrating his faith and time both in office and afterwards. BREAKING | Jimmy Carter, a one-term president who became a globe-trotting elder statesman, dies at 100 Former U.S. president Jimmy Carter, a Georgia peanut farmer who vowed to restore morality and truth to politics after an era of White House scandal and who redefined post-presidential service, died Sunday at the age of 100. 'Pretty limited' options for Liberal MPs calling for leadership change As calls mount within the federal Liberal Party for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to step down as leader, one political analyst says there’s little his detractors can do to force his hand. Possible explosion at Metro Vancouver strip mall under investigation Police and firefighters were called to the scene of a potential explosion at a Metro Vancouver strip mall Sunday morning. Eastern Ontario police arrest Scarborough resident found with nearly $50K of cocaine Police in eastern Ontario charged a Toronto resident who was allegedly in possession of hundreds of grams of cocaine earlier this month. 2 teenagers arrested, 1 suspect at-large after attack involving bear spray, machete A pair of teenaged boys have been charged with aggravated assault after police said they attacked a man with bear spray and a machete Friday evening. Plane crashes and bursts into flames while landing in South Korea, killing 179 A jetliner skidded off a runway, slammed into a concrete fence and burst into flames Sunday in South Korea after its landing gear apparently failed to deploy. All but two of the 181 people on board were killed in one of the country’s worst aviation disasters, officials said. Online child exploitation spiked during lockdowns. Police worry it's here to stay Online predators are becoming increasingly resourceful in trolling media platforms where children gravitate, prompting an explosion in police case loads, said an officer who works for the RCMP Integrated Child Exploitation Unit in British Columbia. 4.1 magnitude earthquake in western Quebec felt in Ottawa and Montreal The earth moved in the Maniwaki area this Sunday morning. No damage was reported after a 4.1 magnitude earthquake rattled the Maniwaki area in western Quebec, according to Earthquakes Canada. Atlantic TSB investigating airplane landing incident at Halifax airport The Transportation Safety Board of Canada says they are investigating an aircraft incident at the Halifax Stanfield International Airport that caused temporary delays to all flight operations Saturday night. BREAKING | Jimmy Carter, a one-term president who became a globe-trotting elder statesman, dies at 100 Former U.S. president Jimmy Carter, a Georgia peanut farmer who vowed to restore morality and truth to politics after an era of White House scandal and who redefined post-presidential service, died Sunday at the age of 100. N.B. entrepreneur honours memory of mother with 'thank you' note legacy N.B. entrepreneur Emily Somers honours her mother with 'thank you' notes. Toronto Pedestrian taken to hospital after hit-and-run in Mississauga A pedestrian has been taken to the hospital following a hit-and-run in Mississauga Sunday. Suspect charged after woman found dead at Niagara Falls home A suspect has been charged after a woman was found dead inside her Niagara Falls home. BREAKING | Jimmy Carter, a one-term president who became a globe-trotting elder statesman, dies at 100 Former U.S. president Jimmy Carter, a Georgia peanut farmer who vowed to restore morality and truth to politics after an era of White House scandal and who redefined post-presidential service, died Sunday at the age of 100. Montreal BREAKING | Jimmy Carter, a one-term president who became a globe-trotting elder statesman, dies at 100 Former U.S. president Jimmy Carter, a Georgia peanut farmer who vowed to restore morality and truth to politics after an era of White House scandal and who redefined post-presidential service, died Sunday at the age of 100. Grocery prices to rise in 2025, report says Canadians are bracing for higher grocery bills in 2025, with a new report projecting food prices will increase by 3 to 5 per cent nationwide—and up to 5 per cent in Quebec. Here's how you can watch CTV News Montreal at Six on Sundays during the NFL season With CTV broadcasting NFL football games on Sundays this season, CTV News Montreal at Six will be broadcasting live on our website and the CTV News App. Northern Ontario Mississauga tow truck driver charged for impersonating a cop in northern Ont. A southern Ontario resident has been charged for allegedly impersonating a peace officer during a towing incident in northwestern Ontario. BREAKING | Jimmy Carter, a one-term president who became a globe-trotting elder statesman, dies at 100 Former U.S. president Jimmy Carter, a Georgia peanut farmer who vowed to restore morality and truth to politics after an era of White House scandal and who redefined post-presidential service, died Sunday at the age of 100. 'Pretty limited' options for Liberal MPs calling for leadership change As calls mount within the federal Liberal Party for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to step down as leader, one political analyst says there’s little his detractors can do to force his hand. Windsor Crews battle two apartment fires in under two hours Windsor Fire and Rescue responded to two calls at Ouellette Avenue apartment buildings Sunday morning. 'Pretty limited' options for Liberal MPs calling for leadership change As calls mount within the federal Liberal Party for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to step down as leader, one political analyst says there’s little his detractors can do to force his hand. Woman with outstanding warrant arrested in Chatham One person has been arrested after Chatham-Kent police officers conducted a traffic stop Saturday in Chatham. London Fatal crash in Middlesex County Middlesex County OPP attended the scene of a fatal motor vehicle collision in Strathroy-Caradoc early Sunday morning. New Year’s Eve in London’s Victoria Park You can ring in 2025 this Tuesday night at London’s free New Year’s Eve in the Park celebration. Can you help solve this cold case in Sarnia? Sarnia police are seeking the public’s help in finding any new leads for a cold case from over 20 years ago. Kitchener Are fluctuating temperatures here to stay this winter? Waterloo Region residents traded snow boots for raincoats this weekend as temperatures soared above seasonal norms. Portion of Highway 6 closed following collision in Ennotville, Ont. A portion of Highway 6 is closed Sunday evening following a collision in Ennotville, Ont., just north of Guelph. Police, coroner investigating two deaths at Brantford, Ont. encampment An investigation is underway into the deaths of two people at an encampment in Brantford, Ont. Barrie Deluxe taxi goes up in flames in Barrie parking lot Some locals were quick to pull out their cellphones and capture a minivan as it went up in hot flames in a Barrie parking lot. Region under rainfall warning, fog advisory Many areas across Simcoe Muskoka, upper York Region and Grey County are under rainfall warnings and fog advisories as of Sunday morning. $47K in drugs seized, man arrested in alleged domestic assault Police in Owen Sound made one arrest and seized a ‘large’ quantity of multiple drugs after responding to an alleged domestic assault on Saturday. Winnipeg Stolen vehicle chase ends in arrest, drug seizure A Winnipeg man has been charged with several offences after a police chase involving a stolen vehicle and hundreds of dollars worth of drugs. Fifth night of Hanukkah celebrated ahead of Manitoba Moose hockey game As Jewish people around the world mark the fifth night of Hanukkah, members of Winnipeg’s Jewish community brought the celebration to Canada Life Centre. Winnipeg hotel fire forces residents to evacuate A fire at a Winnipeg hotel forced residents to leave the building Sunday morning. Calgary 1 man hospitalized after being shot in leg near Calgary’s Drop-In Centre One man was taken to hospital after a shooting downtown Saturday night. ‘Eternal optimists’: Southern Alberta farmers wary of drought conditions look to prairie skies for comfort Mcgrath farmer Sean Stanford has lived through too many dry summers to be completely hopeful about the coming growing season in southern Alberta, but he sees signs that the summer of 2025 might be better for farmers than the last few years. Canadian float celebrating Coding for Veterans to participate in Rose Bowl Parade A Canadian parade float will be featured in the Rose Bowl Parade in Pasadena next week. Edmonton 2 vehicles fall through ice at Sylvan Lake, promoting police warning RCMP issued a warning Saturday after two vehicles fell through the ice on Sylvan Lake. Ducks come from behind to beat visiting Oilers Ryan Strome scored the go-ahead goal at 17:24 of the third period, and the Anaheim Ducks rallied from a two-goal deficit for a 5-3 home-ice win over the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday. Edmonton to start up cold weather response plan Monday morning The City of Edmonton is activating its extreme weather response plan with the weather forecast calling for cold temperatures over the next eight days. Regina Regina police charge 2 youths in city's 6th homicide of 2024 Two Regina teens are facing murder charges in connection to the death of a Regina man on Boxing Day. Hockey talent showcased in Regina for Male U15, Top 160 tournament The last weekend of 2024 saw Saskatchewan's best hockey players under 15 years of age showing off their skills at the Co-operators Centre in Regina. Regina man showcases local bead supply business Jeramy Hannah recently began selling beading supplies, after he realized the beaders in his life were struggling with a lack of local vendors, prompting him to create a business called Bead Bro. Saskatoon U18 provincials curling tournament underway in PA Teams from across Saskatchewan are in Prince Albert for the U18 curling provincials. Police made two arrests following a shooting in Saskatoon A swift response from Saskatoon police led to the arrest of a man and woman following a reported shooting Friday afternoon. Saskatoon fire crews battle house fire Saskatoon firefighters responded to a house fire on the 100 block of Klassen Crescent Friday afternoon. Vancouver Trudeau, Biden, Trump, other world leaders remember former U.S. president Jimmy Carter Former U.S. president and Nobel Peace Prize winner Jimmy Carter died Sunday at the age of 100. Upon news of his death, political figures and heads of state from around the world gave praise to Carter, celebrating his faith and time both in office and afterwards. Possible explosion at Metro Vancouver strip mall under investigation Police and firefighters were called to the scene of a potential explosion at a Metro Vancouver strip mall Sunday morning. 2 shot during fight outside Surrey pub Two people were injured in a shooting outside of a Surrey pub in the early hours of Sunday morning, according to authorities. Vancouver Island Victoria police seek witnesses, additional victims after hit-and-run spree A woman is facing seven charges after allegedly committing multiple hit-and-run crashes in a stolen vehicle while impaired, according to police in B.C.'s capital. Online child exploitation spiked during lockdowns. Police worry it's here to stay Online predators are becoming increasingly resourceful in trolling media platforms where children gravitate, prompting an explosion in police case loads, said an officer who works for the RCMP Integrated Child Exploitation Unit in British Columbia. Vancouver man defrauded Chinese developers of US$500K, court rules A Vancouver man has been ordered to pay more than US$500,000 after a B.C. Supreme Court judge found he had defrauded the would-be developers of a real estate project in China of that amount. Kelowna B.C. team building 100 beaver 'starter homes' in the name of wetland preservation More than 70 manmade beaver dams have been installed in Interior waterways since the B.C. Wildlife Federation project launched last year with the goal of building 100 dams by the end of 2025. B.C. man charged with drug trafficking and weapons offences after CBSA investigation A resident of B.C.'s Interior has been charged with weapon and drug trafficking offences after an investigation launched by border agents at Vancouver International Airport earlier this year. B.C woman awarded nearly $750K in court case against contractor A B.C. woman has been awarded nearly $750,000 in damages in a dispute with a contractor who strung her along for a year and a half and failed to complete a renovation, according to a recent court decision. Stay ConnectedNone
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The wrong people are having to answer for Ohio State’s fourth-straight loss to Michigan and that’s part of the problem. Cody Simon had no problem stepping into his role as a captain and facing the media to answer for a loss. Even if the defense wasn’t even close to being the reason for the loss. That unit held off the Wolverines for as long as it could constantly getting red zone stops such as Jack Sawyer’s interception. It even gave the Buckeyes a favorable field position numerous times, ne of which being a result of Caleb Downs getting his first interception of the season. Yet Simon didn’t shy away in the postgame having to be the spokesperson for his teammates to the best he could. “I can’t speak for everybody else but I feel like I let you guys down,” Simon said. “I let down all of Buckeye Nation. I think there’s more we could’ve done. We just could’ve done more. I let you guys down, I’m sorry.” Will Howard took accountability for what was clearly his worst game as a Buckeye completing just 19 of 33 passes for 175 yards for a touchdown while throwing two bad interceptions. He stood up there and faced the music even if you could see him trying his hardest to fight back tears as he felt the same pain his teammates have felt for the last three years. He apologized too, despite fighting his way back onto the field after a head injury. “I’m sorry man, Howard said. “I’m blessed to have the opportunity to be a Buckeye. I’m sorry I couldn’t get this one done.” Latest Ohio State Buckeyes news Ohio State’s seniors came back to beat a down Michigan team — and they fell short again Ohio State, Michigan football fight: Police issue statement after brawl Watch Ohio State football’s Skull Session ahead of game vs. Michigan (video) Maxwell Roy, 4-star defensive lineman: Ohio State Signing Day 2025 player profile Howard also refused to put any of the blame on the people who actually deserve it most. He wasn’t perfect against the Wolverines, but he’s also not the person putting himself in a position to not be at his best. That’s on head coach Ryan Day, offensive coordinator Chip Kelly and the rest of the offensive coaching staff. Once again another Michigan game has come around and once again the one unit that is supposed to be the foundation of this program failed to be just that. “Yeah, I’m sorry,” Howard said. “I’m gonna stay away from that right now.” During this four-year span, Ohio State is averaging 40.7 points per game against its non-Michigan opponents. That number drops down to 21 points per game in games against the Wolverines. The latest of those is the worst of the bunch meaning only 10 points and none of them come in the second half. In fact, only 31 of the 84 points scored in those losses have been in the second half. The offense is supposed to be the thing that wins you these games. It’s supposed to be the reason why we believe OSU is a national title contender. Fixing the defense is supposed to be the bonus. It was done so that you didn’t have to worry about it getting in the way of your success. That didn’t happen the first two seasons hence allowing 42 and 45 points. But Jim Knowles fixed those issues in the past two seasons. They gave up 30 last year — with seven being a direct result of the offense’s pitfalls — then allowed just 13 on Saturday. Yet every time the defense got better in this game, the offense made it even harder for the defense to succeed. So why didn’t those guys come to the stand to take accountability for the role the offense keeps playing in not playing up to its standard and expectation? Instead, you allowed your players to answer for you as they stood at a microphone trying their hardest to hold back tears knowing they’ll forever be known as the Buckeyes who couldn’t beat Michigan. This coaching staff needs to answer for its failures. It also needs to figure out how to get over what is a clear mental hurdle they’ve set the standard for and watched it fester down into their players. Losing to national-championship caliber Michigan teams is one thing. It’s still not going to go over well with the fanbase but at least the reasoning for those losses is one that isn’t crazy to suggest. But a loss to a 6-5 Wolverine team whose entire motivation coming into this weekend was simply ruining your season is unacceptable. That’s a systematic flaw. How to one fix that? “I don’t know,” Day said. “I can probably go off of this game and what’s gone on in this game right now. I think each game is a bit different and unique to itself. But the results the results. As hard as that is to say, we came up short again today. Not easy to swallow at all.” Players are apologizing for once again failing a fanbase by losing the game they’re not supposed to lose. But that responsibility should fall on the coaches who keep finding ways to fumble away chances to win this game. And failing their players in the process. The same players who then have to answer for their failures.Wicked star Ariana Grande says she and Cynthia Erivo were ‘insufferable’
By Chibuike Oguh NEW YORK (Reuters) - Shares of Facebook-owner Meta Platforms hit a record high on Friday after a U.S. appeals court upheld a law requiring China-based ByteDance to divest its popular short video app TikTok by early next year or face a ban. The decision is a devastating blow to ByteDance, whose social media app is used by 170 million Americans. It affirmed a law, which was passed by Congress with bipartisan support and signed by President Joe Biden, that gives the U.S. government sweeping powers to ban other foreign-owned apps that could raise concerns about collection of Americans' data. TikTok and ByteDance had argued that the law is unconstitutional and violates Americans' free speech rights. Meta Platforms shares rose to an all-time record high of $629.78, and were last up 2.7% at $625.37. Meta's social media platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, compete with TikTok for users and advertising. Shares of Alphabet, which owns YouTube and the dominant Google search engine and also competes in online ads, were up 1.1% at $174.68. Trump Media & Technology, which operates the Truth Social social media platform and is majority-owned by President-elect Donald Trump, rose 3.4% to $34.89. The appeals court ruling is likely to be appealed to the full appeals court panel or the U.S. Supreme Court by ByteDance and TikTok. (Reporting by Chibuike Oguh in New York; Editing by Bill Berkrot)MALAGA, Spain (AP) — No. 1-ranked Jannik Sinner won matches in singles and doubles to lead defending champion Italy to a 2-1 comeback victory over Argentina on Thursday, earning a return trip to the Davis Cup semifinals. “I’m here trying to do the best I can in the singles,” Sinner said. “If they put me on the court in doubles, I’ll also try my best.” On Saturday, Italy will face Australia in a rematch of last year's final, but this time it will only be for a chance to play for the championship. Australia eliminated the U.S. 2-1 earlier Thursday to reach the final four at the team competition for the third consecutive year. The other semifinal, to be contested Friday, is the Netherlands against Germany. The Dutch got past Rafael Nadal and Spain in the quarterfinals earlier in the week, sending the 22-time Grand Slam champion into retirement. Italy fell behind 1-0 in the quarterfinals when Argentina’s Francisco Cerúndolo defeated Lorenzo Musetti 6-4, 6-1 on an indoor hard court at the Palacio de Deportes Jose Maria Martina Carpena in southern Spain. But then in stepped Sinner, whose season already includes two Grand Slam trophies — at the Australian Open and U.S. Open — plus the title at the ATP Finals last weekend in Turin, Italy. First he overwhelmed Sebastián Báez 6-2, 6-1. Then Sinner teamed with 2021 Wimbledon runner-up Matteo Berrettini in the deciding doubles match to win 6-4, 7-5 against Andres Molteni and Maximo Gonzalez. “He carried me today,” Sinner said about Berrettini. After arriving late to Malaga from Turin, Sinner did not get a chance to practice on the Davis Cup competition court before taking on Báez and stretching his streak to 22 sets won in a row. “In three minutes, he was perfectly comfortable on court,” Italy captain Filippo Volandri said. “He’s a special one.” Volandri swapped out his original doubles team, Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori, for Sinner and Berrettini, and the change paid dividends. Australia, the Davis Cup runner-up the last two years, advanced when Matt Ebden and Jordan Thompson beat the surprise, last-minute American pairing of Ben Shelton and Tommy Paul 6-4, 6-4 in that quarterfinal's deciding doubles match. The Shelton-Paul substitution for Paris Olympics silver medalists Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram was announced about 15 minutes before the doubles match began. Ebden and John Peers beat Krajicek and Ram in the Summer Games final in August. The Australians broke once in each set of the doubles. In the second, they stole one of Shelton’s service games on the fourth break opportunity when Ebden’s overhead smash made it 5-4. Thompson then served out the victory, closing it with a service winner before chest-bumping Ebden. The 21st-ranked Shelton made his Davis Cup debut earlier Thursday in singles against 77th-ranked Thanasi Kokkinakis, who emerged from a tight-as-can-be tiebreaker by saving four match points and eventually converting his seventh to win 6-1, 4-6, 7-6 (14). No. 4 Taylor Fritz , the U.S. Open runner-up, then pulled the Americans even with a far more straightforward victory over No. 9 Alex de Minaur , 6-3, 6-4. When their match finally ended, on a backhand by Shelton that landed long, Kokkinakis dropped onto his back and pounded his chest. After he rose, he threw a ball into the stands, then walked over to Australia’s sideline, spiked his racket and yelled, before hugging captain Lleyton Hewitt. “I don’t know if I’ve been that pumped up in my life. I wanted that for my team,” said Kokkinakis, who won the 2022 Australian Open men’s doubles title with Nick Kyrgios. “It could have gone either way, but I kept my nerve.” AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
Wicked star Ariana Grande says she and Cynthia Erivo were ‘insufferable’BRAINERD — Ridgewater’s trio of DeAndre Holloway, Tyrese Mayo and Aiden Wichmann couldn’t be slowed down on Sunday night. The Warriors’ men’s basketball team opened the Central Lakes Classic with a 97-80 victory over host Central Lakes College. The win moves Ridgewater to 8-4 overall. Central Lakes is 6-7. Holloway, a 6-foot-7 freshman forward from Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg, led all scorers with 17 points on 10 of 15 shooting. He also had 12 rebounds, four blocks and four steals. Mayo, a 5-11 freshman guard from Winter Haven, Florida, added 25 points and six rebounds. Wichmann, a 6-3 sophomore guard from Russell-Tyler-Ruthton, had 21 points, seven rebounds and three assists. The Warriors shot 52.2% from the field. Makieth Deng paced the Raiders with 18 points. Deng is a 6-8 sophomore forward from Coon Rapids. Ridgewater takes on Northland Community and Technical College at 1 p.m. Monday back in Brainerd. Men’s Ridgewater 97, Central Lakes 80 Women’s Northland 80, Ridgewater 51 Led by Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa grad Tiyana Schwinghammer, Northland Community and Technical College came up with a win over Ridgewater at the Central Lakes Classic at Brainerd. Schwinghammer, a 6-foot sophomore guard from Brooten, scored a game-high 16 points on 7 of 13 shooting. She also had seven assists and six rebounds. Five Pioneers finished in double figures. Leslie Murken, a sophomore guard from Minnewaska, put up six points for Northland. Lily Dean and Julia Hines both had 13 points for the Warriors. Dean, a sophomore from BOLD, also had eight assists and six rebounds. Hines, freshman from Randolph, had a pair of steals. Ridgewater continues the CLC Classic at 3 p.m. Monday against host Central Lakes College.Jimmy Carter Passes Away With One Final Parting Gift for Trump
NoneNASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Clara Strack scored 24 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, Teonni Key had 16 points and 13 rebounds and No. 14 Kentucky defeated Arizona State 77-61 on Tuesday in the Music City Classic to remain unbeaten. Kentucky nearly had four players with double-doubles as Georgia Amoore added 20 points and nine rebounds and Amelia Hassett had eight points and nine rebounds for the Wildcats (6-0), who shot 42% and scored 13 points off 14 Arizona State turnovers. Jalyn Brown scored 16 points and Nevaeh Parkinson added 12 points and nine rebounds for the Sun Devils (3-3). Arizona State shot just 30%. The Sun Devils cut a 19-point deficit to 11 after three quarters but a 6-0 burst with baskets by Key, Amoore and Strack built the lead back to 15 midway through the fourth. Kentucky led 42-23 at halftime after outscoring the Sun Devils 27-9 in the second quarter, scoring the first 13 points of the period with Struck putting in the final seven in the run. A couple ASU free throws later, the Wildcats went on an 11-2 run capped by a Hassett 3 and the lead was 20. Strack scored 14 points and Key 10 in the half. The teams continue play in the Music City Classic on Wednesday with Kentucky playing No. 19 Illinois and Arizona State facing South Dakota. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketballTrump threatens 100% tariff on the BRIC bloc of nations if they act to undermine US dollar
No. 22 Xavier faces South Carolina St., eyes rebound from lone loss
Beth Dooley | (TNS) The Minnesota Star Tribune The holidays loom large. Parties, gift-shopping, school programs, recitals, family gatherings — there’s really no time to cook. Related Articles Restaurants Food and Drink | Roasted orange delivers big flavor in this smoky chicken traybake Restaurants Food and Drink | Winter can be a time of culinary abundance. Experts share tips on eating nutritiously Restaurants Food and Drink | Holiday beers in Philly region help heighten the spirit of the season Restaurants Food and Drink | Recipe: How to make Peanut Butter Dog Biscuits your pup will love Restaurants Food and Drink | Simple fixes give after-dinner cocktails some holiday flair. Here are 5 recipes from the pros But there is! Here are three quick and easy recipes you can hustle to the table in 30 minutes or less. Relax, take a deep breath and know that dinner is served. Serves 4. Making grilled cheese for more than one can be tricky. Here, the sheet pan does the work; the sandwiches are ready all at once. Try our suggested fillings or just enjoy them plain in all their gooey deliciousness. From Beth Dooley. Directions Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper. Spread the butter to the edge of 4 slices of bread. Place the slices butter-side down on the sheet pan. Top with the sliced cheese and add a layer of the filling, then top with the remaining slices of bread. Put the pan in the oven and cook until the butter is thoroughly melted and bottom slices are turning golden and the cheese is melting, about 8 to 10 to minutes. Flip the sandwiches. Continue cooking until the top layer of bread begins to turn golden and the cheese is melted. Turn the oven to broil and toast the top layer, watching closely, this goes quickly, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Flip the bread and toast the other side, about 15 to 20 seconds or so. Remove, cut and serve. Quick Skillet Chicken with Lemon, Tahini and Warm Spices will come together quickly and can be served on a bed of greens or pasta. (Ashley Moyna Schwickert/For the Minnesota Star Tribune) Serves 4 to 6. A simple marinade of pantry staples — lemon, tahini, olive oil and a little honey — keeps the chicken moist and becomes the sauce for finishing the dish. Serve on a bed of dark greens or cooked rice. From Beth Dooley. Directions In a large bowl, whisk together the lemon, tahini, honey and olive oil. Measure out 1⁄2 of the mixture into a separate bowl. This is to sauce the chicken after it’s cooked. If it seems too thick, whisk in a little water. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and pound with the flat edge of a knife to even out the width a bit. Put the chicken into the bowl of marinade and turn to coat. Film a heavy skillet with more oil and set over high heat. When the oil begins to ripple, add the chicken, reduce the heat to medium and cook, flipping after about 5 to 7 minutes, and continuing, until cooked through, about 10 to 15 minutes. (The chicken should reach 165 on an instant-read thermometer when done.) Remove the chicken from the skillet, set on a cutting board to rest for about 10 minutes. Slice the meat in long strokes against the grain. Serve on a bed of greens or rice, garnished with a drizzle of sauce, chopped herbs and a few thinly sliced lemons. Pass additional sauce on the side. One-Pot Pasta with Sausage, Tomato and Spinach is a quick but hearty meal for busy, chilly nights. (Ashley Moyna Schwickert/For the Minnesota Star Tribune) Serves 4 to 6. You only need one pot for this simple pasta. The sausage adds the seasoning, the onions turn sweetly golden, cherry tomatoes burst into a luscious sauce. A squeeze of lemon at the end livens things up. From Beth Dooley. Directions Film a large heavy pot or Dutch oven with the oil and set over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until it turns limp and golden, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the sausage, breaking apart with a spatula until it crumbles, about 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and the stock, scraping up the bottom of the pan to release browned bits that stick to the bottom. Bring to a boil. Add the pasta, stirring well and continue boiling for about 4 to 5 minutes. Turn the heat down to a brisk simmer, stirring to keep the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pot. If the sauce becomes too thick and the pasta begins to stick, stir in water, about 1⁄4 cup at a time. Simmer until the sauce is mostly absorbed and the pasta is tender, about 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the spinach, then stir in the cheese. Add lemon juice to taste. Serve garnished with the chopped parsley. Beth Dooley is the author of “The Perennial Kitchen.” Find her at bethdooleyskitchen.com. ©2024 The Minnesota Star Tribune. Visit at startribune.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.ARNE SLOT was furious with his Liverpool players - despite them continuing their perfect Champions League record. Mo Salah’s second half penalty against Girona made it six wins from six for the Reds and means they look certain to finish the top eight and avoid a play-off round in February. But Liverpool's Slot, who welcomed back keeper Alisson from injury, slammed his team for not being “aggressive” enough in Spain . He said: “I’m really pleased with the first five games, but I’m far from pleased about this performance. Especially two things. “If you play against a team that has such a good idea about football and knows how to bring the ball out from the back like some of the teams we’ve played recently, like City or Real Madrid , you need to be so intense if you want to make it difficult for them. “But we were so easily outplayed and then this team can cause you a lot of problems. “They showed this in their games, in all of the Champions League this season, except PSV Eindhoven . “I almost feel sorry for them as they deserve so much more points than the three points they have. “The other part is every time we lost the ball, we were not aggressive enough so every time we lost the ball, they could go almost all the way to our goal and have a shot. “We had hardly any control at all over the game. Maybe the second half was a bit better – I’m trying to be positive.” FOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS Brazilian keeper Alisson had been sidelined for over two months with a hamstring injury but made five key saves before Salah struck from the spot after VAR flagged up a foul by Donny van de Beek on Luis Diaz . Slot joked: “We have to thank Alisson that we kept a clean sheet. “Maybe his team-mates wanted to make sure if he was really fit, to give him a little work. “Of course that was not the idea but he showed today why he is so important for us. I said so many times that he is our first goalkeeper. “That has nothing to do with Caoimhin Kellher, as he did so so well, but Alisson has been so important for this club for so many years and showed why he is one of the best or in my opinion, the best in the world. “Let’s hope he can keep on putting these performances in and even more that he can stay fit.” Kelleher, who has made it known he wants to leave Merseyside, was forced to sit on the bench here in northern Spain despite helping his team storm to the top of the table. Despite Kelleher’s fine displays — his only blip was against Newcastle six days earlier — Alisson was always going to be parachuted back into the team. And he now finds himself back in a team who have still lost only once all season. Four points clear in the Premier League and now looking certain to finish in the top eight of the Champions League. This means they will miss the two-legged play-offs in February. Crucially, the second leg of the games will be played before Liverpool’s scheduled Premier League trip to face Manchester City on February 23. While Slot’s team will be able to put their feet up in that week, City — potentially — have a play-off match. Nevertheless, it looks like City are out of the title race and Liverpool are going to take some stopping in all competitions . Slot also has the added bonus that he will be able to rest any players with aches and strains for the remaining league-stage clashes against Lille and PSV Eindhoven in January. Yet the Dutchman will be mildly concerned about his team’s performance. In a crowd of about 10,000 — restricted while the ground is being renovated — there were just 492 Liverpool fans. To qualify with points, supporters had to have been to 27 European away matches including Spartak Moscow in September 2017. Talk about dedication. One player making his 235th Liverpool appearance was Joe Gomez and, remarkably, he is still looking for his first goal. He was denied the moment he must be dreaming of in the fourth minute when Paulo Gazzaniga , who had stints at Spurs and Southampton among others, showed good reactions to push a header over the bar. Gazzaniga also kept out a well-hit drive from Darwin Nunez, who was then guilty of wasting a couple of other chances in the first half, particularly one before the break. It was exactly the sort of performance from Nunez which makes him such a frustrating player. And Slot admitted that the Uruguayan, is struggling as he made it five games without scoring. He added: “Every striker around the ball has a period where every ball goes in and sometimes he has a period when he tries so hard and it doesn’t go in. “We have other players who can score and Mo did today. “We would love to see Darwin score because every striker needs goals and that is why I kept him in for such a long time but unfortunately he couldn’t score.” The best chance of the game — until the goal — came in Girona’s first attack. Unfortunately for the home team, it fell to Daley Blind — although it will come as no surprise to Manchester United fans he completely missed the ball from six yards. LIVERPOOL maintained their 100 per cent start with victory over Girona. Check out the incredible stats behind their season so far... Alisson saved the follow-up from Alejandro Frances and then threw out a desperate arm to avoid being beaten at his near post by Miguel Gutierrez. The Brazilian stopped an effort from an offside-looking Bryan Gil . But his finest moment came before the break when he used both his hands to save a decent strike from former Watford midfielder Yaser Asprilla. Just seconds into the second half, Alisson was at it again, denying Arnaut Danjuma this time. Girona’s defence certainly had few problems dealing with the Liverpool attack, who looked to have run out of ideas when Diaz fell to the ground after tangling with Van de Beek. French referee Benoit Bastien told Diaz to get up as he thought it was a dive. Yet after Andy Robertson’s shot had been saved for a corner, VAR checked over the clash. Bastien was called over to the screen and did not take long before pointing to the spot — and Salah stuck away the penalty by sending the keeper the wrong way. Liverpool avoided any late dramas to record an 18th win in 21 matches for Slot. When he landed on Merseyside, at no stage did he think it would be this easy.
Laser Photonics CleanTech Technology Being Utilized for Airplane Hangar MaintenanceBarely hours after the fairytale finish to this year’s Melbourne Cup, corporate bookmaker Ladbrokes launched a PR blitz to trumpet the fortunes of a lucky punter who had won $3.2 million for a $100 bet. For the married mother of two, it was a life-changing event. She had cobbled together four numbers for a first four and, against the odds, they landed – Knight’s Choice (No.11), Warp Speed (No.4), Okita Soushi (No.12) and Zardozi (No.14). Robbie Dolan rides Knight’s Choice to victory in this year’s Melbourne Cup. Credit: Getty Images The first four dividend paid $728,015.70 and she had it four times. It was like winning the lotto. “When Ladbrokes called to confirm I’d won over three million, my husband literally fell to the floor. He was just sobbing,” the woman said, revealing the windfall would pay off their previously daunting mortgage. Ladbrokes was equally chuffed. “We always strive to give our customers unforgettable experiences,” a spokesman for the bookmaker said. “This is a life-changing win and we’re thrilled to be part of this incredible story and to have played a role in helping this family secure their future.” But this is not the sort of “unforgettable” experience that everyone has with a corporate bookmaker when their luck runs hot. Instead, there is a growing group of disgruntled professional punters who say the betting companies have closed down their accounts simply because they win too often. Others have had big payouts capped – reduced to a smaller amount under the small print of the bookmaker’s terms and conditions – while others’ betting activities have been severely restricted. It was a point made on a pro punting podcast two days after the Melbourne Cup. “I think if one of us on this show had got the [$3.2 million first four] collect, I don’t think it would have made the news, and we might have got caught up in the T&Cs of a maximum payout of $500,000,” one of the pros said. Another agreed: “They made sure they got their PR’s worth ... being a once-in-a-year Melbourne Cup punter, I think they [Ladbrokes] got their mileage out of the extra payment through good will and mileage in the press. That would have been a per-customer decision.” ‘The amount of winners who are voided is insane’ Luke MacDonald is a pro punter who has become so tired of waging an online war with the corporates that he has all but given up. “The amount of winners who are voided is insane,” he says. “And it shows how predatory in nature these big companies are, that they only have losers on their books.” MacDonald claims the “corporates” have a number of strategies for cutting punters off. He claims they accuse punters of working for a rival bookmaker, say your betting does not suit their operation, or use anti-money laundering or counter-terrorism funding laws. MacDonald says he knows of examples of bookmakers shutting down an account after a client has had a win and then demanding payslips and unredacted bank accounts as proof of identity before they agree to pay out winnings. That process that can take months, even years. Loading MacDonald says he has previously shared six months of bank statements with online bookmakers, only for his private information to be leaked on social media. “A piece of information about where we shopped got leaked on Twitter,” he says. “It was too hard for me to pinpoint which operator it was and try to hunt down the staff member. But that information was used against me to try to publicly shame me, which I didn’t care about, but I just thought, ‘geez, that’s pretty bad’. “People can find out a lot about you by having six months of your bank statements. My kids’ daycare stuff is on there.” Frank Pangallo, an independent member of South Australia’s Legislative Council, wants to stop corporate bookmakers from banning or restricting punters simply because they win. South Australian politician Frank Pangallo. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen He has introduced a bill to the South Australian parliament calling for the strategy to be outlawed. Under Pangallo’s Authorised Betting Operations (User Bans) Amendment Bill 2024, betting companies would: No longer be allowed to ban, refuse or restrict punters simply because they win or have a certain betting strategy; No longer be allowed to change the odds on specific players just to save their own bottom line; Need to give written reasons why they have refused or placed restrictions on a punter’s betting; and, Not be able to exploit minimum payout or withdrawal limits to hold on to a customer’s winnings. “They enter the market willingly, and pocket billions of dollars from losers willingly – so they cannot cry poor when it comes time to pay out a winner,” Pangallo said. Pangallo believes other states will follow suit if the bill is supported in South Australia when he brings it to a vote in February. “But my concern is that governments are intoxicated by gambling taxes that they receive, and seem to be reluctant to move on issues that are trying to protect gamblers,” he said. ‘They play dumb’ Ronny* has not been able to bet with big online bookmakers for the past three years after he and a friend tapped into a successful betting system in which they outlaid about $10,000 to win $40,000 across two months. While living in Sydney, the pair had a link to a private equity firm that focused on racing algorithms that would suggest bets on “roughies”. At the time, Ronny had a separate mobile phone and SIM card that was solely connected to a 3G or 4G network so that the bookmakers could not track him to a specific IP address. “If you connect to Wi-Fi, they can immediately track it and they restrict anything that comes from that IP address,” he said. Ronny said the algorithm would feed you a message that said, “in 40 seconds this race is about to start and this horse is likely to win, or place – it is currently at 10-1 and it should be at 4-1”. “So you would put $50 to $100, sometimes $150, on the horse, and you end up with probably four bets where you lose – so, you lose $400 in four races – and then suddenly the fifth horse wins at 12-1 and you get back $1200,” he said. He said they would go through two new betting companies every “week or two”. “They are all linked, and once one betting agency realises they don’t like the way you are betting, they will ban you or restrict you betting at all,” he said. Ronny said their gambling was not without risk – “I could have lost it all” – but he was still shut down for good. Now he can’t bet with mates. “I have got a screenshot here from Sportsbet from this year after trying to join a $50 buy-in bet-with-mates group and the response is ‘you are unable to join a group, please call us to help resolve the issue’, and then you call them and they play dumb and they say, ‘sorry, we don’t have an answer for you’. “So if I want to have a bet, it is either going into a TAB or I might have to use my partner’s account occasionally to put a $50 bet on.” Laying a bet on someone else’s account, a practice called using a “bowler account”, is banned by online bookmakers under their terms and conditions. If bookmakers discover you are betting on behalf of a third party, they will refuse to pay out winnings. Punter bowled over Last month, a punter failed in his quest to have Ladbrokes release $30,000 in winnings from his account because the betting giant claimed he was operating a “bowler account”. Ladbrokes’ terms and conditions state “You must not permit another person to access your account and you must not use your account on behalf of or for the benefit of another person.” The betting giant used “variations in speech patterns” from phone calls to support its case before the Northern Territory Racing and Wagering Commission – Ladbrokes.com.au is registered in the NT. During the October hearing, the gambling giant said it had refused to release the cash in December 2022 because the account holder was unable to complete its “two-factor authentication” – a process triggered by a text message. The punter claimed he could not access the text because he was overseas and did not have the right phone number. He later tried to register a new phone number with the bookmaker, but it was found to be connected to another Ladbrokes account. Ladbrokes told the commission that during several follow-up phone conversations “it was most likely not the complainant who engaged with Ladbrokes, but a person identifying himself as the complainant instead”. That is why it closed his account. The commission found in Ladbrokes’ favour, agreeing that on the “balance of probabilities” a third party had been involved, but it said it could “not be confirmed with absolute certainty” that the voice on the phone did not belong to the account holder. MacDonald said there would not be an issue with bowler accounts if winning punters were allowed to continue betting under their own names. “There is no reason for anyone to have to come in the back door, if they are allowed to go in and bet under their own name,” he said. “A lot of issues in the industry that have been created are on the back of restrictions.” He said if authorities really cared about anti-money laundering or counter-terrorism financing laws, they would stop online bookmakers restricting or banning winning punters, which would eliminate the need for bowler accounts. ‘Totally amoral’ Another pro-punter, Brandon*, says he restricts himself to betting in person with on-course bookmakers at city race meetings on Wednesdays and Saturdays. “It’s better value, I can get on quickly and it’s a more sociably enjoyable environment than sitting in a room with a computer screen in front of you all day,” he said. Some punters say they are unable to bet online after winning big. Credit: Jenny Evans “I find the corporates are just a blight on the industry. They’re leeches, and their business model is amoral. “You are encouraged to lose, you are promoted to lose, and you are discouraged and restricted from winning. “If you are a registered loser, and you consistently lose, they will bet you any amount. They give you free bets, they give you deposit matches, all sorts of things. To me that’s totally amoral.” Ladbrokes told this masthead it “is a company that does not ban winners”. A spokesperson for the betting giant said it adhered to the minimum bet limits required by the racing codes. In reference to capping payouts, Ladbrokes highlighted its $3.2 million payout last month to the lucky punter who landed the Melbourne Cup first four, saying “we are not afraid to pay someone if they win big”. The spokesperson said Ladbrokes sets its own betting markets, and was not reactive to what other bookmakers were doing. “If other bookies want to copy our prices that’s not something we can control,” the spokesperson said. The company said it had an obligation under legislation to clamp down on “bowler accounts”. Brandon said “bookmakers are not bookmakers any more”. He said they are not taking risks, but using algorithms and strategies to analyse punters instead. “They do form on their punters,” he said. “They say this bloke is losing 11 per cent per annum, so we can bet him to a certain amount. “This bloke’s only just losing, he is losing only 1 per cent, so we will restrict him a little bit. “This bloke is winning 3 per cent in NSW, so we won’t bet him in NSW, or he is winning 5 per cent on dogs, but losing 12 per cent on horses so we will restrict him on dogs. “So they analyse the client, not the outcome of the event. That’s how they work, so it needs to go back to how it was.” MacDonald said he knew of a case in which every member of a punters’ club had their winning bets voided by an online bookmaker 16 minutes after a race. They had all bet to win $5000. “The bet won, the bookmaker paid out the bet, and then they voided the winnings (removed the payouts from their accounts) and returned the stake,” he said. “Only one of them has received an email so far as to why the bets were voided. Everyone else has just got radio silence.” Sportsbet told this masthead that it “does not ban customers just because they are winning”. “Every customer is able to bet with us, in their own name, as defined by respective minimum bet laws set by the racing bodies,” a Sportsbet spokesperson said. “Our terms and conditions are in place to ensure a fair go for all customers, as is the case across many other industries. We responsibly manage customer accounts for regulatory, compliance and safer gambling reasons.” Minimum bets Sergio* is a full-time punter who bets on harness racing. He said he was able to get by because of minimum bet laws introduced by Harness Racing Victoria in January 2018. The laws mean online bookmakers “must stand to lose a maximum of $500 for a fixed-odds win bet” on country races from no later than 10am on a race day. The amount increases to $1000 for metropolitan races. “A lot of big punters sign up with 10-12 different accounts if they want to have a real crack because the corporates will only bet you to win $500,” Sergio says. “To win thousands, you need multiple accounts.” Some punters claim they are not paid out for big wins with some bookmakers. Credit: Nathan Perri He said it took careful planning because all the bookmakers were linked. “All of the corporates have algorithms for their odds,” he said. “They actually don’t employ someone to set the odds, do the markets, they are just copying what the main bookies have. “For example, if I hit the TAB first [with a bet], all of the other bookies will roll the odds down, following the TAB, without actually taking a bet. “So, I have got to hit them in order – smallest bookies to biggest bookies. A lot of them have algorithms but TAB, for example, won’t give a stuff if I hit something at one of those smaller bookies. “But if I go the other way around, the smaller bookie will react straight away to the TAB price.” Racing Victoria introduced a minimum bet limit for thoroughbred racing in October 2016, which applies after the final acceptances deadline. Wagering service providers have to allow punters to win up to $2000 on a metropolitan win bet and $1000 on a non-metropolitan win bet. But there are no minimum bet laws in place for betting on sports such as AFL, tennis or basketball. “Legally, they don’t have to take any money on sports bets,” Sergio said. ‘Against our policy’ Brandon said he broke with his routine recently when he tried to have a $1000 cash bet on a horse at $3.50 using an electronic betting terminal, or EBT, at a Melbourne pub TAB. “I went up to the EBT, and there was a sign on there saying, ‘no cash in this machine, please see the bar attendant for a voucher’,” he said. But when he approached the bar, he was told by a staff member there was a “limit of $200”. When he asked for five $200 vouchers in exchange for his $1000, he was told it was “against our money laundering policy”. One punter claimed he could not make a cash bet at a TAB in a pub. Credit: Louie Douvis “I couldn’t get on,” he said. “I wanted to have a cash bet and couldn’t get on. I thought, ‘no wonder the turnover is suffering’.” A TAB spokesman said: “TAB venue staff are trained in responsible gambling practices and can refuse to issue vouchers where they believe it is in the customer’s best interest not to.” The betting organisation said it did not cap payouts to punters - “as highlighted by a punter who collected $728,000 from a $24 mystery bet on the Melbourne Cup” - but it did cut off or restrict losing punters. “We are introducing new technology to detect changes in customer behaviour faster so we can intervene sooner to protect customers from gambling harm,” the spokesman said. Taxing the punter Increases in taxes have become another bugbear for punters. They say, ultimately, these extra costs are worn by the customers. From January 2019, the state government introduced a point of consumption tax to replace the wagering and betting tax structures. It was a way for the state to properly tax online bookmakers who are often licensed outside of Victoria. Both Ladbrokes.com.au and Sportsbet.com.au are licensed in the Northern Territory. Ladbrokes is owned by Entain, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange, while Sportsbet is part of the Flutter Entertainment Group, which is a worldwide online gambling operator with headquarters in Dublin. “Because they [the corporate bookmakers] were eluding taxes, the governments and tax authorities said, ‘we are not getting our whack out of this’, so they introduced all these taxes,” Brandon said. “But the corporates responded by just putting up their percentages. They used to bet to 110 per cent [for a market], now they bet to 125 per cent. To the point where the turnover is now dropping.” Loading The Victorian point of consumption tax jumped from 10 per cent to 15 per cent in July, with half of the income guaranteed to be funnelled back to all racing codes. In other words, the Victorian racing industry is now welded to an income from the online bookmaker model. “The government and racing bodies are taxing the industry to death,” MacDonald said. “When they are increased, it is passed on to the punters. When the online bookmakers have poorer margins, they have to cut down on the winners. “But winners are a big part of the game. If more winners are allowed, it would make the margins sharper. So losers would lose at a slower rate. “It is a cycle of poor management. Governments and sports administrations want greater returns from tax, but they are losing revenue.” Racing Victoria said gambling revenue fell 10 per cent last financial year, and is already down nine per cent this year. The other side effects, MacDonald said, was that more and more gamblers were turning to the black market. Political mission Whether Pangallo’s bill can start a chain reaction remains to be seen. But he is determined to make a difference. “The conglomerates who own these companies – like Flutter Entertainment (Sportsbet) or Entain Group (Neds and Ladbrokes) – have resources in the billions of dollars,” he said. Loading “Their algorithms pick up on every tiny detail – from the way you swipe on your phone application to the IP address you use when making bets. “But advances of technology have seen a new genre of smart and well-resourced gamblers attempting to improve their chances of landing winners. Some punters are just really good at analysis, while others utilise complex computer algorithms. “As a result, these greedy betting companies have wised up and devised their own way to ensure they still hold the upper hand – by simply banning the punter. “In any other industry, that would be unconscionable, if not illegal conduct.” *Names changed to protect privacy. News, results and expert analysis from the weekend of sport are sent every Monday. Sign up for our Sport newsletter . Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. License this article Online gambling Horse racing For subscribers Danny Russell is a racing writer for The Age. Most Viewed in Sport Loading
Biden is considering preemptive pardons for officials and allies before Trump takes office
If the world wasn't already put on notice, Raiders' Brock Bowers did it vs. Chiefs by breaking several records againAustralia's House of Representatives passes bill that would ban young children from social media