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Olympic snowboarder Sophie Hediger has died following an avalanche in Switzerland, the country's skiing federation has said. Hediger, 26 and a member of Switzerland's snowboard cross team at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, was in the mountain resort of Arosa when the incident occurred on Monday. Hediger competed at the Beijing Games in the women's snowboard cross and the mixed team version of the same event. She achieved her first two World Cup podium finishes in the 2023-24 season. Her best result was a second place in St Moritz in January. "We are shocked and our thoughts are with Sophie's family, to whom we offer our deepest condolences," said Swiss-Ski CEO Walter Reusser in a statement. Mr Reusser added Hediger grew up in Horgen, a town about 20 minutes by car from Zurich, and spent a lot of time in Arosa. He said she lost her life "tragically, brutally and far too soon".Brock Purdy will miss Sunday's game for the 49ers with a shoulder injury
President-elect Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he intends to nominate cryptocurrency advocate Paul Atkins to chair the Securities and Exchange Commission. Trump said Atkins, the CEO of Patomak Partners and a former SEC commissioner, was a “proven leader for common sense regulations.” In the years since leaving the SEC, Atkins has made the case against too much market regulation. “He believes in the promise of robust, innovative capital markets that are responsive to the needs of Investors, & that provide capital to make our Economy the best in the World. He also recognizes that digital assets & other innovations are crucial to Making America Greater than Ever Before,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. The commission oversees U.S. securities markets and investments and is currently led by Gary Gensler, who has been leading the U.S. government’s crackdown on the crypto industry. Gensler, who was nominated by President Joe Biden, announced last month that he would be stepping down from his post on the day that Trump is inaugurated — Jan. 20, 2025. Trump, once a crypto skeptic, had pledged to make the U.S. “the crypto capital of the planet” and create a “strategic reserve” of bitcoin. Money has poured into crypto assets since he won . Bitcoin, the largest cryptocurrency, is now above $95,000. And shares in crypto platform Coinbase have surged more than 70% since the election. Paul Grewal, chief legal officer of Coinbase, congratulated Atkins in a post on X. “We appreciate his commitment to balance in regulating U.S. securities markets and look forward to his fresh leadership at (the SEC),” Grewal wrote. “It’s sorely needed and cannot come a day too soon.” Congressman Brad Sherman, a California Democrat and a senior member of the House Financial Services Committee, said he worries Atkins would not sufficiently regulate cryptocurrencies as SEC chair. “He’d probably take the position that no cryptocurrency is a security, and hence no exchange that deals with crypto is a securities exchange,” Sherman said. “The opportunity to defraud investors would be there in a very significant way.” Atkins began his career as a lawyer and has a long history working in the financial markets sector, both in government and private practice. In the 1990s, he worked on the staffs of two former SEC chairmen, Richard C. Breeden and Arthur Levitt. His work as an SEC commissioner started in 2002, a time when the fallout from corporate scandals at Enron and WorldCom had turned up the heat on Wall Street and its government regulators. Atkins was widely considered the most conservative member of the SEC during his tenure at the agency and known to have a strong free-market bent. As a commissioner, he called for greater transparency in and analysis of the costs and benefits of new SEC rules. He also emphasized investor education and increased enforcement efforts against those who steal from investors over the internet, manipulate markets, engage in Ponzi schemes and other types of fraud. At the same time, Atkins objected to stiff penalties imposed on companies accused of fraudulent conduct, contending that they did not deter crime. He caused a stir in the summer of 2006 when he said the practice of granting stock options to executives before the disclosure of news that was certain to increase the share price did not constitute insider trading. U.S. Rep. Patrick McHenry, a North Carolina Republican and chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, said Atkins has the experience needed to “restore faith in the SEC.” “I’m confident his leadership will lead to clarity for the digital asset ecosystem and ensure U.S. capital markets remain the envy of the world,” McHenry posted on X. Atkins already has some experience working for Trump. During Trump's first term, Atkins was a member of the President’s Strategic and Policy Forum , an advisory group of more than a dozen CEOs and business leaders who offered input on how to create jobs and speed economic growth. In 2017, Atkins joined the Token Alliance, a cryptocurrency advocacy organization. Crypto industry players welcomed Trump’s victory in the hopes that he would push through legislative and regulatory changes that they’ve long lobbied for. Trump himself has launched World Liberty Financial, a new venture with family members to trade cryptocurrencies.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves told taxes will have to be hiked further to help stabilise public finances
Centene scratches in-person investor meeting after UnitedHealthcare assassinationBrock Purdy will miss Sunday's game for the 49ers with a shoulder injuryNone
Keller: Is Trump's cabinet confirmation process showing checks on his power? For many of President-elect Donald Trump's critics, the election result raised a chilling question - what restraints would there be on his use of presidential power? WBZ-TV political analyst Jon Keller has more.Slate Market 2024 Size, Share, Growth Report 2032UnitedHealthcare CEO kept a low public profile. Then he was shot to death in New YorkBets on ‘Trump Put’ Send Stocks, Bitcoin Higher: Markets Wrap
New to the Street Show 614 Premieres Tonight on Bloomberg Television at 9:30 PM PST, Featuring HPB High Performance Battery AG With CEO Sebastian HeinzWARNING: DISTRESSING CONTENT The woman who is alleged to have murdered her husband and cut up his remains was subjected to years of abuse by him and other family members and reported hearing “angels” amid the mental scars of years of trauma, according to court documents. Nirmeen Noufl, 54, is accused of murdering her husband Mamdouh, butchering his body and then disposing of his remains across southwestern Sydney. The horrifying allegations levelled against Ms Noufl have been revealed in court documents, which also claim she had a tortured upbringing and detail her battle with mental illness. The documents reveal horror claims about the woman’s life, including that she was physically abused from a young age by her father and mother and was forced into an arranged marriage where she again experienced physical abuse. Mr Noufl, who was commonly known as Emad, was last seen in May last year before he was reported missing two months later. His remains have not been found and last month Ms Noufl, who has been charged with his murder, was denied bail by the NSW Supreme Court. 20 TO 30 RUBBISH BAGS The couple, who had eight children together, had been married for over 34 years, during which time they ran small businesses. Up until 2020, Mr Noufl ran a Newtown convenience store and she was a childcare provider and later owned an NDIS business. According to a police fact sheet tendered to the Supreme Court during Ms Noufl’s bail application, Mr Noufl travelled to Egypt in 2022 and became engaged to another woman. Police allege Ms Noufl found out about the other woman that year, causing “tensions” in their marriage. However, that assertion has been denied by her lawyers who said she had for several years been aware of his infidelity. Mr Noufl sent the woman 550,000 Egyptian pounds, or about $15,000, to “assist with setting up a new life together in Egypt”, according to the police. In April 2023, Mr Noufl sold a Condell Park investment property for $1.69m. On May 3 last year, Mr Noufl went to the Egyptian consulate with his wife and signed over power of attorney. That evening, he went to Burwood to go for a walk with an associate and arrived at his Greenacre home about 9pm. It’s alleged that he was killed sometime between arriving home and 2am during a physical altercation with his wife. Police say it’s unknown how Mr Noufl was killed but allege that Ms Noufl had minor facial injuries as a result of the altercation. According to the court documents, it’s alleged Ms Noufl placed plastic sheets on the floor and cut up her husband using kitchen knives and a drop saw before she put his body parts in 20 to 30 plastic rubbish bags. She is accused of cleaning the crime scene using chemicals and bleach over the following days and placing his body parts in residential and industrial bins across Bexley and Chullora. Police further alleged that the flooring in the home’s kitchen, living room and dining room was ripped up and replaced and she disposed of two leather lounges. THE MESSAGES It’s alleged that after his death, Ms Noufl took control of his phone and social media accounts, using them to make out that he was still alive. According to police, his family and friends “received messages from (Mr Noufl’s) mobile phone and social media accounts that were unusual and not typically how (Mr Noufl) communicated”. It’s alleged she also used his social media accounts to demand that his “female companion in Egypt” return money given to her by Mr Noufl. An exchange between Mr Noufl’s “female companion” and Mr Noufl’s Facebook account in Arabic is revealed in court documents. According to the police fact sheet tendered in court, Mr Noufl’s account sent a message saying: “Peace be with you. I urgently need money. Of the money you owe, transfer to me 550,000 (Egyptian pounds).” The account then sent through a bank account number and asked for a picture to confirm the transfer had been sent. The woman replied: “Peace be with you. Please, before I transfer the money, I need you to call me so I can be sure that it is you who is asking for it, and I assure you that I am holding it on trust, and you will take it for sure, but I think I have the right to be sure. “If you cannot call me, you may send a voice recording in which you ask for it. Thank you anyway.” Mr Noufl’s account replied: “You have no shame. You know that this money belongs to my wife Nirmeen.” After further exchanges, the woman sent through proof that the money had been forwarded to the account. Ms Noufl went to Egypt in May 2023 and returned in July with $US200,000 ($A154,000) in her possession, which was believed to be proceeds from the sale of one of Mr Noufl’s Egyptian properties. ‘INHERENT WEAKNESSES’ Ms Noufl is due to appear in Burwood Local Court next week and has yet to enter a plea. Last month, she asked to be released on bail to seek treatment for her mental illnesses, pointed to her strong community ties in Sydney and argued it was estimated that any trial would not take place until 2026. In court documents, her lawyers attacked the strength of the Crown case and described it as having “inherent weaknesses”. Her barristers, Greg James KC and Johnson Jiang, wrote in submissions to the court that there was evidence that Mr Noufl was violent towards Ms Noufl during their marriage, a claim that was supported by police having been called as well as statements made to her doctor. They further argued she had no motive to kill Mr Noufl, saying that she knew about the other woman in Egypt. “Whilst the police describe Mr Noufl to have engaged in an affair with a woman in Egypt and that this caused tension between (Ms Noufl) and Mr Noufl, Mr Noufl’s infidelities are a known quantity to (Ms Noufl) and her family and it would not come as any great shock so as to kill him,” her lawyers wrote. They further argued that she had a clean criminal history, was not known to be a violent person and had no financial motives. Her lawyers also said there was evidence “as to the violent nature of Mr Noufl”. The court has been told that Ms Noufl reported that Mr Noufl was abusive and in 2012 she told a medical practitioner that she was a victim of domestic violence. Police were also called in 2008 and 2009, the court was told, following reports of domestic violence. Police were called to their home in September 2009 after Mr Noufl and his wife argued over her request for a divorce. When police arrived she reported to officers a “long history of physical violence”. It was reported to police that he picked up a knife and told her: “I would rather see you dead than give you a divorce.” And when he put down the knife, she picked it up, but he took it from her grasp during a struggle, the court documents state. ‘SEVERE BEATINGS’ In an affidavit handed up to the court, Ms Noufl’s younger sister detailed how they were both subjected to domestic violence by their father when they were young. She also said they were beaten by their mother while they lived with her in Syria as young children, describing being forced into servitude. The sister claimed Ms Noufl was “stripped”, beaten “with an electric chord” and was forced to make coffee “as if Nirmeen was a slave”. She described their living arrangements as being like “captivity” and said she continually ran away. “The beatings we experienced in Syria haunt me till today and have affected me forever,” she said. They eventually returned to Australia to live with their father. The sister said Ms Noufl returned to Australia 21⁄2 years after her, and when she landed in Sydney, Ms Noufl looked like a “Holocaust survivor”, her sister said in her affidavit. “Extremely fragile, hardly speaking or eating,” she said of her sister’s appearance upon her return to Australia. “Her teeth were black, and she spent most of her days confined to her bedroom.” She said her father arranged for Ms Noufl, when she was about 18 or 19, to be married to Mr Noufl, who at the time was attempting to immigrate to Australia but repeatedly had his visa application refused. “I believe he sold Nirmeen and it was purely a money deal,” she said, adding that Nirmeen did not meet her husband until the day of their wedding. The sister said during the marriage, Mr Noufl “treated Nirmeen like a slave” and subjected her to physical abuse. “She endured severe beatings simply for wearing a T-shirt in the backyard,” the sister wrote. She also said her sister had “experienced mental breakdowns” and “always suffered from mental health conditions” as a result of their traumatic upbringing and abuse. She detailed how Ms Noufl would say: “I can see and hear the angels talking to me.” The sister said this occurred “frequently” after Ms Noufl was subjected to abuse and it “continued into adulthood”. The court was told last month that Ms Noufl had been diagnosed with a depressive disorder and PTSD, and a forensic psychiatrist had observed she had possible psychotic symptoms. Ms Noufl was arrested in October at Bankstown Hospital, where she had checked herself in as a mental health inpatient. Ms Noufl will appear in court again on December 11. Originally published as Inside story of horrific allegations against woman accused of butchering husband
Barely 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. 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: “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.” 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. “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 .
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By HALELUYA HADERO AP Business Writer A federal appeals court panel on Friday unanimously upheld a law that could lead to a ban on TikTok in a few short months, handing a resounding defeat to the popular social media platform as it fights for its survival in the U.S. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit denied TikTok’s petition to overturn the law — which requires TikTok to break ties with its China-based parent company ByteDance or be banned by mid-January — and rebuffed the company’s challenge of the statute, which it argued had ran afoul of the First Amendment. “The First Amendment exists to protect free speech in the United States,” said the court’s opinion, which was written by Judge Douglas Ginsburg. “Here the Government acted solely to protect that freedom from a foreign adversary nation and to limit that adversary’s ability to gather data on people in the United States.” TikTok and ByteDance — another plaintiff in the lawsuit — are expected to appeal to the Supreme Court, though its unclear whether the court will take up the case. “The Supreme Court has an established historical record of protecting Americans' right to free speech, and we expect they will do just that on this important constitutional issue,” TikTok spokesperson Michael Hughes said in a statement. “Unfortunately, the TikTok ban was conceived and pushed through based upon inaccurate, flawed and hypothetical information, resulting in outright censorship of the American people,” Hughes said. Unless stopped, he argued the statute “will silence the voices of over 170 million Americans here in the US and around the world on January 19th, 2025.” Though the case is squarely in the court system, its also possible the two companies might be thrown some sort of a lifeline by President-elect Donald Trump , who tried to ban TikTok during his first term but said during the presidential campaign that he is now against such action. The law, signed by President Joe Biden in April, was the culmination of a years-long saga in Washington over the short-form video-sharing app, which the government sees as a national security threat due to its connections to China. The U.S. has said it’s concerned about TikTok collecting vast swaths of user data, including sensitive information on viewing habits, that could fall into the hands of the Chinese government through coercion. Officials have also warned the proprietary algorithm that fuels what users see on the app is vulnerable to manipulation by Chinese authorities, who can use it to shape content on the platform in a way that’s difficult to detect — a concern mirrored by the European Union on Friday as it scrutinizes the video-sharing app’s role in the Romanian elections. TikTok, which sued the government over the law in May, has long denied it could be used by Beijing to spy on or manipulate Americans. Its attorneys have accurately pointed out that the U.S. hasn’t provided evidence to show that the company handed over user data to the Chinese government, or manipulated content for Beijing’s benefit in the U.S. They have also argued the law is predicated on future risks, which the Department of Justice has emphasized pointing in part to unspecified action it claims the two companies have taken in the past due to demands from the Chinese government. Friday’s ruling came after the appeals court panel, composed of two Republican and one Democrat appointed judges, heard oral arguments in September. In the hearing, which lasted more than two hours, the panel appeared to grapple with how TikTok’s foreign ownership affects its rights under the Constitution and how far the government could go to curtail potential influence from abroad on a foreign-owned platform. On Friday, all three of them denied TikTok’s petition. In the court’s ruling, Ginsburg, a Republican appointee, rejected TikTok’s main legal arguments against the law, including that the statute was an unlawful bill of attainder or a taking of property in violation of the Fifth Amendment. He also said the law did not violate the First Amendment because the government is not looking to “suppress content or require a certain mix of content” on TikTok. “Content on the platform could in principle remain unchanged after divestiture, and people in the United States would remain free to read and share as much PRC propaganda (or any other content) as they desire on TikTok or any other platform of their choosing,” Ginsburg wrote, using the abbreviation for the People’s Republic of China. Judge Sri Srinivasan, the chief judge on the court, issued a concurring opinion. TikTok’s lawsuit was consolidated with a second legal challenge brought by several content creators - for which the company is covering legal costs - as well as a third one filed on behalf of conservative creators who work with a nonprofit called BASED Politics Inc. Other organizations, including the Knight First Amendment Institute, had also filed amicus briefs supporting TikTok. “This is a deeply misguided ruling that reads important First Amendment precedents too narrowly and gives the government sweeping power to restrict Americans' access to information, ideas, and media from abroad,” said Jameel Jaffer, the executive director of the organization. “We hope that the appeals court’s ruling won’t be the last word.” Meanwhile, on Capitol Hill, lawmakers who had pushed for the legislation celebrated the court’s ruling. “I am optimistic that President Trump will facilitate an American takeover of TikTok to allow its continued use in the United States and I look forward to welcoming the app in America under new ownership,” said Republican Rep. John Moolenaar of Michigan, chairman of the House Select Committee on China. Democratic Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, who co-authored the law, said “it’s time for ByteDance to accept” the law. To assuage concerns about the company’s owners, TikTok says it has invested more than $2 billion to bolster protections around U.S. user data. The company has also argued the government’s broader concerns could have been resolved in a draft agreement it provided the Biden administration more than two years ago during talks between the two sides. It has blamed the government for walking away from further negotiations on the agreement, which the Justice Department argues is insufficient. Attorneys for the two companies have claimed it’s impossible to divest the platform commercially and technologically. They also say any sale of TikTok without the coveted algorithm - the platform’s secret sauce that Chinese authorities would likely block under any divesture plan - would turn the U.S. version of TikTok into an island disconnected from other global content. Still, some investors, including Trump’s former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and billionaire Frank McCourt, have expressed interest in purchasing the platform. Both men said earlier this year that they were launching a consortium to purchase TikTok’s U.S. business. This week, a spokesperson for McCourt’s Project Liberty initiative, which aims to protect online privacy, said unnamed participants in their bid have made informal commitments of more than $20 billion in capital. —The Associated PressGauteng Emergency Medical Services (EMS) responded to over 48,000 emergency calls in the province since 1 December. The EMS responses have surpassed the 43 000 recorded during the same period last year. Gauteng MEC for Health and Wellness, Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko, revealed this information on Tuesday during an oversight visit to the EMS Operation Centre. EMS preparedness for festive season Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko assessed the effectiveness of medical emergency responses during the festive season, especially with Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve approaching, during her visit to the centre. According to the incident analysis report, over 23 000 of the calls were medical-related, followed by 13 941 interfacility transfers, 7 533 trauma cases, 2 791 accidents, and 963 suicide cases. ALSO READ: Gauteng health adjusts procedures after 9 000 serious adverse events reported in 21 months The MEC attributed the EMS response increases to improvements made in call response times. Nkomo-Ralehoko said the newly launched Provincial Health Operation Centre has enhanced the EMS’s operational capabilities. This includes establishing the institutional and technical capacities for efficient resource management and deployment, monitoring and assessing the district’s strengths for managing hospital diverts and identifying red zones, and putting the EMS Surveillance Programs and the District Health Information System (DHIS) into place for real-time data monitoring. Improvements in call response times With the expected increase in emergency cases for the remainder of the festive season, the MEC voiced confidence in the EMS team’s preparedness. She also highlighted the positive impact of the newly hired interns, who have contributed to the overall efficiency of the EMS operations. ALSO READ: Lesufi promises capacity boost to cancer patients “The call centre department is fully resourced to handle the expected surge in cases. I am happy to see our interns making a meaningful difference in ensuring that we are prepared to provide timely and effective medical assistance to those in need,” Nkomo-Ralehoko said. The MEC also praised recent advancements made by the Provincial Health Operation Centre, which functions as Gauteng EMS’ nerve hub. “Leveraging technological innovation to develop a comprehensive dashboard has proven to improve service delivery and emergency response rate,” she said. Improve service delivery “The PHOC monitors the incoming calls and dispatching of ambulances, monitors major incidents and alerts, hospital diversions, vehicle tracking, and capacity of the human response to ensure smooth operation.” Meanwhile, Wednesday marks the second anniversary since the tragic Boksburg gas explosion. ALSO READ: Gauteng Health sued over unused R784 million cancer treatment funds The MEC paid tribute to the lives of health workers who died during the incident, saying the department’s safer festive season campaign theme, “Beyond The Call Of Duty—Responding to Emergencies, Preserving Lives,” signals their preparedness to minimise casualties when responding to emergencies.How to Watch Top 25 Women’s College Basketball Games – Saturday, November 23
NoneDas quits as Odisha guv, returns to J’khand to join active politicsMiddle East latest: Israeli raid and airstrikes in West Bank kill at least 8 Palestinians
On Saturday night, Donald Trump announced he intends to appoint Kash Patel as director of the FBI. The news sparked an immediate frenzy from establishment figures across media and politics. Legal and national security “experts” were deployed to the Sunday morning news shows to characterize the move as evidence that Trump intends to politicize the FBI and use it as a weapon against his many political opponents. The political establishment’s concerns about what a Trump FBI could do mirror a lot of what we’ve heard from the right in recent years as they found themselves in the Bureau’s crosshairs. But almost all of these complaints and warnings have operated under the assumption that—with maybe the exception of a few bad episodes in the 1960s—the FBI has long been an essential crime-fighting force that has only recently become—or threatens to become—corrupted by politics. In truth, the FBI has always been used as a weapon against political movements and rivals of the established political class. That’s the reason it was created. At the end of the 1800s, left-wing anarchists were attacking heads of state all across Europe. In a few short years, the king of Italy, the prime minister of Spain, the empress of Austria, and the president of France were all assassinated by anarchists. While no communist or anarchist movement had yet to take over a country, the tenacity of these activists and revolutionaries was seriously concerning those in power in the United States. Then, in 1901, President William McKinley was shot and killed by an anarchist while attending a meet-and-greet in Buffalo, New York, which brought his vice president, Theodore Roosevelt, into office. It was President Roosevelt who tapped his Attorney General Charles Bonaparte—the grandnephew of Napoleon—to create the FBI. The AG was required by law to get congressional approval before creating this new “investigative” service of special agents within the Department of Justice. In the spring of 1908, Bonaparte officially requested the money and authority to create the FBI. Congress came back with an emphatic no. Members of the House saw through the innocuous language of the request and figured out exactly what the president and AG were doing—creating a secret police force that was answerable only to them. House Democrats like Joseph Swagar and John J. Fitzgerald and Republicans like Walter I. Smith and George Waldo all loudly condemned the proposal, saying it called for a “system of espionage” comparable to the Tsar’s secret police in Russia that stood in stark contrast to the very principles at the heart of the American system. Congress explicitly forbade the AG from creating this new Bureau. So what did Bonaparte do? He waited for Congress to break for the summer and then went ahead and created the FBI anyway. Congress was only notified about the new federal police force half a year later when Bonaparte included a quick throw-away line at the end of his annual report: “It became necessary for the department to organize a small force of special agents of its own.” So, the FBI was not created in response to out-of-control crime; its creation was a crime. Immediately, the new Bureau was unleashed on anyone and everyone who was perceived as a threat to those in power. That started with left-wing anarchists but quickly expanded to include many antiwar activists as President Wilson pulled the country into World War I. From the outset, the FBI operated primarily as a domestic intelligence agency—recruiting spies within groups they were targeting and breaking into offices and homes, intercepting mail, and tapping the phones of anyone they considered a threat. As the years wore on—like most other executive agencies—the Bureau evolved away from serving the direct interests of whoever happened to sit in the Oval Office to instead serve its own interest and the interest of the broader entrenched, permanent power structure in Washington. In the ‘50s, ‘60s, and ‘70s, the FBI conducted covert operations aimed at inciting violence between domestic groups, breaking up political organizations it disapproved of, and, perhaps most famously, collecting blackmail on Martin Luther King Jr. that they then tried to use to drive him to commit suicide. Related Articles Commentary | A new Legislative session: Time for pocketbook pragmatism Commentary | Climate activists should pivot from costly pipe dreams to realistic solutions Commentary | Privacy agency oversteps authority, jeopardizes California’s opportunity to lead in AI Commentary | Newsom’s wrongheaded special session is a misuse of gubernatorial power Commentary | Scott Horton: Can Trump actually fend off the war hawks and bring peace? Although today’s FBI acknowledges and publicly disavows these past activities, they are still carrying out egregious operations that always seem to benefit the political class. The Bureau has taken up a kind of sting operation where, over and over again, agents find isolated, gullible, often mentally-handicapped young men, pretend to be political radicals or higher-ups in a terrorist organization, and then convince the young men to plan and carry out a terrorist attack with FBI-funds and resources. Agents then step in at the end and act like they heroically stopped a real plot. The FBI did this relentlessly with young Muslim men after 9/11. The arrests helped prolong the perception that the global war on terror and extreme measures like the Patriot Act were necessary. In recent years, the FBI has conducted a number of similar schemes with right-wing groups—advancing the establishment’s narrative that Donald Trump is radicalizing “uneducated” middle Americans and turning them into violent insurrectionists. And then there are, of course, all the ways the FBI directly tried to undermine and hinder Trump’s first term. Right-wingers are correctly deriding the establishment for panicking about Trump’s FBI doing to them what they have tried to do to him. But many—on both sides—go wrong when they present the Bureau as only recently, or imminently, being corrupted into serving the interests of those in power. That’s been its role since the beginning. Connor O’Keeffe ( @ConnorMOKeeffe ) produces media and content at the Mises Institute. This commentary is republished from the Mises Institute.PALERMO, Calif. (AP) — Two children were wounded Wednesday in a shooting at a tiny religious K-8 school in Northern California and deputies arrived to find the gunman on the ground near the playground, dead after apparently shooting himself, sheriff’s officials said. The children were taken to nearby hospitals and their conditions were not immediately known. One was airlifted to a nearby hospital. Officials did not share information about their ages nor genders. The shooting occurred at about 1 p.m. at the Feather River School of Seventh-Day Adventists, a private school in Palermo with fewer than three dozen students. Palermo has about 5,500 people and is about 65 miles (104 km) north of Sacramento. It was the the latest among dozens of school shootings across the U.S. in recent years, including especially deadly ones in Newtown, Connecticut ; Parkland, Florida ; and Uvalde, Texas . The shootings have set off fervent debates about gun control and frayed the nerves of parents whose children are growing up accustomed to doing active shooter drills in their classrooms. But school shootings have done little to move the needle on national gun laws. Firearms were the leading cause of death among children in 2020 and 2021, according to KFF, a nonprofit that researches health care issues. “My heart is breaking for everyone impacted by this tragedy,” Assemblyman James Gallagher, whose area includes Palermo, said in a statement. “As a community, we’ll all be hugging our loved ones closer today as we pray for the victims and try to make sense of something so senseless.” Related Articles National News | 3 US Army soldiers arrested on human smuggling charges along the border with Mexico National News | White House says at least 8 US telecom firms, dozens of nations impacted by China hacking campaign National News | Powell: Fed’s independence from politics is vital to its interest rate decisions National News | US senators grill airline officials about fees for seats and checked bags National News | California ranks No. 9 for economic ‘balance’ between bosses and workers Butte County Sheriff Kory L. Honea said the shooter did not appear to have a connection to the school, and the motive was not immediately known. They were working to identify him. Near the school’s slide and other playground equipment was the shooter’s body, covered in a blue tarp, as officers stood nearby to secure the scene. The school abuts ranchland where cattle graze. Honea said 911 calls reported “an individual on campus who had fired shots at students.” When deputies arrived they found the gunman on the ground, dead after apparently shooting himself, Honea said. Authorities rushed students off the grounds and to the Oroville Church of the Nazarene to be reunited with their families, the sheriff’s office said. Representatives for the Northern California Conference of Seventh-day Adventists could not immediately be reached for comment. The school has been open since 1965, according to its website.
Police officers stand near a body covered by a tarp outside of Feather River Adventist School after a shooting Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024, in Oroville, Calif. (Michael Weber/The Chico Enterprise-Record via AP) Police officers stand near a body covered by a tarp outside of Feather River Adventist School after a shooting Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024, in Oroville, Calif. (Michael Weber/The Chico Enterprise-Record via AP) Emergency personnel state outside the Feather River Adventist School after a shooting Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024, in Oroville, Calif. (Michael Weber/The Chico Enterprise-Record via AP) Police tape blocks a road outside the Feather River Adventist School after a shooting Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024, in Oroville, Calif. (Michael Weber/The Chico Enterprise-Record via AP) Police officers stand near a body covered by a tarp outside of Feather River Adventist School after a shooting Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024, in Oroville, Calif. (Michael Weber/The Chico Enterprise-Record via AP) PALERMO, Calif. (AP) — Two children were wounded in a shooting Wednesday at a small religious K-8 school in Northern California and the shooter died from a suspected self-inflicted gunshot, sheriff’s officials said. The children’s conditions were not immediately known. The shooting occurred Wednesday afternoon at the Feather River School of Seventh-Day Adventists, a private, K-8 school in Palermo, a community of 5,500 people about 65 miles (104 km) north of Sacramento. Related Articles National News | Abandoned mines in the US pose dangers to people and property when land gives way National News | Dog food recalled in 7 states for salmonella risk after puppy litter gets sick, FDA says National News | White House says at least 8 US telecom firms, dozens of nations impacted by China hacking campaign National News | A shooter kills UnitedHealthcare’s CEO in an ambush in New York, police say National News | Powell: Fed’s independence from politics is vital to its interest rate decisions Butte County Sheriff Kory L. Honea said the 911 calls reported “an individual on campus who had fired shots at students,” and said that the shooter did not appear to have a connection to the school. The motive was not immediately known, he continued. One student was flown to a nearby hospital, Honea said. Authorities rushed students to the Oroville Church of the Nazarene to be reunited with their families, the sheriff’s office said. The school has been open since 1965 and caters to fewer than three dozen children, according to its website. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Click to share on X (Opens in new window) Most Popular A shooter kills UnitedHealthcare’s CEO in an ambush in New York, police say A shooter kills UnitedHealthcare’s CEO in an ambush in New York, police say The latest business openings and closings in Hampton Roads The latest business openings and closings in Hampton Roads German restaurant Deutsche Ecke opens in Newport News German restaurant Deutsche Ecke opens in Newport News Amazon same-day delivery center opens in Hampton — the 1st of its kind in Hampton Roads Amazon same-day delivery center opens in Hampton — the 1st of its kind in Hampton Roads Here are the top 50 high school football recruits in Hampton Roads’ Class of 2025 Here are the top 50 high school football recruits in Hampton Roads’ Class of 2025 Williamsburg Christmas parade to feature Commanders marching band Williamsburg Christmas parade to feature Commanders marching band No arrests made in Newport News triple shooting as police continue investigation No arrests made in Newport News triple shooting as police continue investigation Newport News retiree warns of losing access to doctors under city’s insurance provider Newport News retiree warns of losing access to doctors under city’s insurance provider Hampton Mayor Donnie Tuck says great things lie ahead in his final State of the City address Hampton Mayor Donnie Tuck says great things lie ahead in his final State of the City address Langley Speedway to honor late employee with benefit at track on Saturday Langley Speedway to honor late employee with benefit at track on Saturday Trending Nationally Tijuana once again sets up additional checkpoint at border crossing Fox News contributor Dr. Kelly Powers dead at 45 Disneyland offers discount tickets for Southern California residents in 2025 UK rock band robbed at gunpoint outside Bay Area coffeehouse Florida axes Boy Scouts and other low-selling specialty license plates