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South Korea lifts president's martial law decree after lawmakers reject military ruleBAKU, Azerbaijan (AP) — In the early hours Sunday at the United Nations climate talks, countries from around the world reached an agreement on how rich countries can cough up the funds to support poor countries in the face of climate change. It’s a far-from-perfect arrangement, with many parties still unsatisfied but some hopeful that the deal will be a step in the right direction. World Resources Institute president and CEO Ani Dasgupta called it “an important down payment toward a safer, more equitable future,” but added that the poorest and most vulnerable nations are “rightfully disappointed that wealthier countries didn’t put more money on the table when billions of people’s lives are at stake.” The summit was supposed to end on Friday evening but negotiations spiraled on through early Sunday. With countries on opposite ends of a massive chasm, tensions ran high as delegations tried to close the gap in expectations. Here’s how they got there: What was the finance deal agreed at climate talks? Rich countries have agreed to pool together at least $300 billion a year by 2035. It’s not near the full amount of $1.3 trillion that developing countries were asking for, and that experts said was needed. But some delegations said this deal is headed in the right direction, with hopes that more money flows in the future. The text included a call for all parties to work together using “all public and private sources” to get closer to the $1.3 trillion per year goal by 2035. That means also pushing for And it means, hopefully, that companies and private investors will follow suit on channeling cash toward climate action. The agreement is also a critical step toward helping countries on the receiving end create more ambitious targets to limit or cut emissions of heat-trapping gases that are due early next year. It’s part of the plan to keep cutting pollution with new targets every five years, which the world agreed to at the U.N. talks in Paris in 2015. The Paris agreement set the system of regular ratcheting up climate fighting ambition as away to keep warming under 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels. The world is already at 1.3 degrees Celsius (2.3 degrees Fahrenheit) and carbon emissions keep rising. What will the money be spent on? The deal decided in Baku replaces a previous agreement from 15 years ago that charged rich nations $100 billion a year to help the developing world with climate finance. The new number has similar aims: it will go toward the developing world’s long laundry list of to-dos to prepare for a warming world and keep it from getting hotter. That includes paying for the transition to clean energy and away from fossil fuels. Countries need funds to build up the infrastructure needed to deploy technologies like wind and solar power on a large scale. Communities hard-hit by extreme weather also want money to adapt and prepare for events like floods, typhoons and fires. Funds could go toward improving farming practices to make them more resilient to weather extremes, to building houses differently with storms in mind, to helping people move from the hardest-hit areas and to help leaders improve emergency plans and aid in the wake of disasters. The Philippines, for example, has been hammered , bringing to millions of people howling wind, massive storm surges and catastrophic damage to residences, infrastructure and farmland. “Family farmers need to be financed,” said Esther Penunia of the Asian Farmers Association. She described how many have already had to deal with millions of dollars of storm damage, some of which includes trees that won’t again bear fruit for months or years, or animals that die, wiping out a main source of income. “If you think of a rice farmer who depends on his or her one hectare farm, rice land, ducks, chickens, vegetables, and it was inundated, there was nothing to harvest,” she said. Why was it so hard to get a deal? Election results around the world that herald a change in climate leadership, a few key players with motive to stall the talks and a disorganized host country all led to a final crunch that left few happy with a flawed compromise. The ending of COP29 is “reflective of the harder geopolitical terrain the world finds itself in,” said Li Shuo of the Asia Society. He cited Trump’s recent victory in the US — with his promises to pull the country out of the Paris Agreement — as one reason why the relationship between China and the EU will be more consequential for global climate politics moving forward. Developing nations also faced some difficulties agreeing in the final hours, with one Latin American delegation member saying that their group didn’t feel properly consulted when small island states had last-minute meetings to try to break through to a deal. Negotiators from across the developing world took different tacks on the deal until they finally agreed to compromise. Meanwhile, activists ramped up the pressure: many urged negotiators to stay strong and asserted that no deal would be better than a bad deal. But ultimately the desire for a deal won out. Some also pointed to the host country as a reason for the struggle. Mohamed Adow, director of climate and energy think tank Power Shift Africa, said Friday that “this COP presidency is one of the worst in recent memory,” calling it “one of the most poorly led and chaotic COP meetings ever.” The presidency said in a statement, “Every hour of the day, we have pulled people together. Every inch of the way, we have pushed for the highest common denominator. We have faced geopolitical headwinds and made every effort to be an honest broker for all sides.” Shuo retains hope that the opportunities offered by a green economy “make inaction self-defeating” for countries around the world, regardless of their stance on the decision. But it remains to be seen whether the UN talks can deliver more ambition next year. In the meantime, “this COP process needs to recover from Baku,” Shuo said. ___ Associated Press reporters Seth Borenstein and Sibi Arasu contributed to this report. ___ The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at . Melina Walling, The Associated Press21 poker game 。

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Rolling out new criminal laws CAA major tasks of MHA in 2024 New Delhi: Replacing the century-old criminal laws with a new set of legislations for introducing a modern and technology-driven criminal justice system, rolling out the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act and fire-fighting to check unabated violence in Manipur kept the Union home ministry busy in 2024. Assisting the Election Commission in holding the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir without major incidents and bringing down the violence in Naxal-affected states and northeastern region are the other key highlights of the country’s crucial ministry. While the population enumeration exercise Census continues to be on hold for past four years as no decision has been taken by the ministry as to when it will be carried out, the ministry created five year districts in Ladakh and renamed Port Blair in Andaman and Nicobar Islands as Sri Vijaya Puram during the year. The three new criminal laws — Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam — replaced the colonial-era Indian Penal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Indian Evidence Act of 1872 respectively. The new laws came into effect from July 1. Home Minister Amit Shah, who piloted the legislations, said the new laws would give priority to providing justice, unlike the colonial-era laws that gave primacy to penal action. “These laws are made by Indians, for Indians and by an Indian Parliament and marks the end of colonial criminal justice laws,” he said. Shah said the laws were not just about changing the nomenclature but bringing about a complete overhaul. “Soul, body and spirit of the new laws are Indian,” he said. The new laws brought in a modern justice system, incorporating provisions such as Zero FIR, online registration of police complaints, summonses through electronic modes such as SMS and mandatory videography of crime scenes for all heinous crimes. According to home ministry officials, the new laws have tried to address some of the current social realities and crimes and are going to provide a mechanism to effectively deal with these, keeping in view the ideals enshrined in the Constitution. The CAA, which was enacted in December 2019 for granting Indian nationality to persecuted Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Parsi and Christian migrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan who came to India on or before December 31, 2014, was rolled out in March and the first set of 14 people were granted Indian citizenship under the law in May. Shah termed the occasion of granting Indian citizenship under the CAA as a “historic day”, saying the decades-long wait of those who faced religious persecution in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan is over. After the enactment in 2019, the CAA got the president’s assent a few days later but the rules under which the Indian citizenship were supposed to be granted were issued only on March 11 after over a delay of four years. The passing of the CAA in 2019 sparked protests in different parts of the country with agitators terming it “discriminatory”. Over a hundred people had lost their lives during the anti-CAA protests or police action in various parts of the country. To allay fears of a section of Muslims and students regarding the CAA, the home ministry, a day after the CAA rules were issued, asserted that the Indian Muslims need not worry as the new legislation would not impact their citizenship and has nothing to do with the community which enjoys equal rights as their Hindu brethren. The ministry made it clear that “no Indian citizen would be asked to produce any document to prove his citizenship after this Act”. Intermittent violence continues to rock Manipur, where the first bout of ethnic clash between majority Meiteis and tribal Kukis was witnessed in May 2023. Even after the death of about 260 people, injury to hundreds and displacement of thousands of people, peace continues to be elusive in the northeastern state. Though there have been efforts from the central government to bring the warring communities into negotiating table, sporadic violence continues there. Members of the ruling BJP were also not spared. Mobs set fire to the residences of several BJP legislators, one of whom is a senior minister, and a Congress MLA in various districts of Imphal Valley in November besides making a foiled attempt to storm the ancestral house of Chief Minister N Biren Singh. Seeing the fragile situation, the Centre in November reimposed the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act in Manipur’s six police station areas, including the violence-hit Jiribam. On December 24, the Centre appointed former union home secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla as new Manipur governor, in an apparent bid to help itself find a lasting peace. However, it is to be seen how Bhalla will walk through the difficult terrain of the sensitive state. Jammu and Kashmir witnessed a relatively peaceful assembly elections, which was held after a gap of 10 years. According to a presentation given by the home ministry to a parliamentary panel, there has been over 70 per cent decline in terror-related incidents in Jammu and Kashmir since 2019, when Article 370 was scrapped and the erstwhile state was bifurcated into two Union Territories — Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. The ministry said in 2019, as many as 286 terror-related incidents were reported in Jammu Kashmir and the number came down to just 40 in 2024 (till first week of November). In 2019, as many as 50 civilians were killed in terror-related incidents and the casualty figure came down to 14 so far this year. On attacks on security forces, the home ministry said a total of 96 such incidents were reported in 2019 and it went up to 111 in 2020 but since then there has been a steady decline and the number of such attacks came down to 95 in 2021, 65 in 2022 and 15 in 2023 and five so far in 2024. About casualties of security forces, the ministry said altogether 77 security personnel were killed in various incidents in 2019. In 2020, 58 personnel were killed, 29 in 2021, 26 in 2022, 11 in 2023 and seven so far in 2024. Violence perpetrated by Naxals also witnessed a decline. There has been 72 per cent less violence by Maoists while the country has seen an 86 per cent decline in deaths by Naxals in 2023 as compared to 2010. In a recent visit to Naxal-affected Bastar region of Chhattisgarh, Shah appealed to the Naxals to give up the arms and join the mainstream and said otherwise they will have to face the strong action of security forces. He said the rehabilitation of the surrendered Naxals is the responsibility of the government. Shah said the government is committed to make India Naxal-free by March 31, 2026 as a comprehensive three-pronged strategy is being adopted to free all affected areas in the country from the menace. The work for India’s much-delayed decadal census and the exercise to update the National Population Register (NPR) has not started yet, thus changing the future census cycle completely. Since 1951, the country’s census was conducted at a gap of every 10 years but the census work in 2021 could not be carried out due to the COVID-19 pandemic. So far no formal announcement has been made on its next schedule. Last month, the home ministry made it clear that any NGO which is involved in anti-developmental activities, religious conversion, incite protests with malicious intentions, has linkage with terrorist or radical organisations will face cancellation of its Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 (FCRA) registration. According to the law, all NGOs receiving foreign contributions have to be registered under the FCRA or else is not allowed to accept foreign funding. The home minister last week started the process of rehabilitation of Bru tribal community members in Tripura following a quadripartite agreement signed on January 16, 2020. The pact was signed among the governments of India, Tripura, Mizoram and representatives of Bru organisations for the permanent rehabilitation of Bru migrants in Tripura. As many as 6,935 families with a population of 37,584 are being rehabilitated in 12 villages in Tripura. The Bru tribals were displaced from Mizoram following ethnic violence in lst 1990s and early 2000s. Continuing its thrust on comprehensive development of villages located in remote areas along the border with China, the government allocated Rs 1,050 crore for 2024-25 under the Vibrant Villages Programme (VVP) that will benefit select villages in 19 districts in Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh. The central government has approved the VVP as a centrally sponsored scheme on February 15, 2023, with financial outlay of Rs 4,800 crore for the financial year 2022-23 to 2025-26 for comprehensive development of the select villages in 46 blocks in 19 districts abutting the northern border.Shares of Gabelli Growth Innovators ETF ( NYSEARCA:GGRW – Get Free Report ) traded down 1.4% during mid-day trading on Friday . The company traded as low as $30.27 and last traded at $30.50. 674 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 75% from the average session volume of 2,682 shares. The stock had previously closed at $30.94. Gabelli Growth Innovators ETF Trading Down 1.4 % The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $30.06 and a 200 day moving average price of $28.50. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.10 million, a PE ratio of 43.63 and a beta of 1.23. Gabelli Growth Innovators ETF Company Profile ( Get Free Report ) The Gabelli Growth Innovators ETF (GGRW) is an exchange-traded fund that mostly invests in total market equity. The fund is an actively managed, non-transparent fund that seeks growth of capital and income by targeting US-listed companies with high future earnings potential relative to their current market value and considered to be innovative in their industry. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Gabelli Growth Innovators ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Gabelli Growth Innovators ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .AMMO Deadline: POWW Investors Have Opportunity to Lead AMMO, Inc. Securities Fraud Lawsuit

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I'm A Celeb star Tulisa is 'refusing to take part' as she fails to appear on the spin-off Unpacked for 'personal reasons' after deleting all trace of her jungle experience on social media Have YOU got a story? Email tips@dailymail.com By DOLLY BUSBY IN QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA Published: 09:56 AEDT, 4 December 2024 | Updated: 10:45 AEDT, 4 December 2024 e-mail 34 shares 57 View comments Tulisa Contostavlos is said to be refusing to take part in the show and has not appeared on the I'm A Celebrity ... Unpacked sofa today. The news that the N-Dubz star had failed to appear on the spin-off show came hours after deleting all of her Instagram posts about her time on the ITV show. Joel Dommett announced to viewers, 'Tulisa won't be joining us on the sofa tonight, but former Queen of the Jungle, Jill Scott is here instead to give us all her Jungle insights.' MailOnline understands that Tulisa, 36, excused herself from the TV appearance citing 'personal reasons' and her whereabouts is currently unknown - but she is rumoured to be flying back to the UK. Evicted celebrities are expected to stay in Australia and stay at the Marriott Hotel until the show is over this Sunday but It is believed the NDubz star has walked away from her duties after she was voted off on Monday night. According to sources, nobody has seen Tulisa in the hotel so far today, adding to the mystery over her location. Tulisa Contostavlos has not appeared on the I'm A Celebrity ... Unpacked sofa today after deleting all of her Instagram posts about her time on the ITV show Joel Dommett announced to viewers, 'Tulisa won't be joining us on the sofa tonight, but former Queen of the Jungle, Jill Scott is here instead to give us all her Jungle insight Celebrities usually appear on the aftershow hosted by Joel Dommett, Sam Thompson and Kemi Rodgers the day after they leave the Jungle but Tulsia has not shown up. It comes after she mysteriously deleted all of her Instagram posts about her time in the Jungle after she was visibly surprised to be the third star voted off the show. She told hosts Ant and Dec it was 'hard in there' but she was excited to have some wine and eat some pizza - admitting she had packed her Playstation for the trip. She appeared on Lorraine on Tuesday morning and was in Australia, but it is rumoured she is flying back home. Tulisa deleted all traces of her time on I'm A Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here! from her social media account - just a day after being voted out of the Jungle. She was the third campmate to be evicted on Monday night's show but hasn't wasted time erasing the ITV series from her feeds after getting her phone back. These now-vanished posts included her being announced for the show last month and the documenting of her time in Australia by who was controlling her account while she was gone. Eagle-eyed fans also spotted that she doesn't follow Barry McGuigan on Instagram - the only campmate she isn't digital friends with. Tulisa has deleted all traces of her time on I'm A Celebrity from her social media account - just a day after being evicted from the Jungle The N-Dubz star, 36, was the third campmate to be evicted on Monday night's show but hasn't wasted time erasing the ITV show from her feeds after getting her phone back (the top of her feed is seen) Celebrities usually appear on the aftershow hosted by Joel Dommett, Sam Thompson and Kemi Rodgers the day after they leave the Jungle but Tulsia has not shown up. ITV has been contacted by MailOnline for comment. It comes after on Lorraine on Tuesday morning she talked about how her co-stars played up to the cameras, as well revealing who her favourite campmate was amid rumours of a romance between her and Coronation Street 's Alan Halsall. Speaking on the show after her exit, Tulisa said that she wants former Strictly Come Dancing professional Oti Mabuse to be the next Queen of the Jungle. 'I don't know who will win but I would love to see Oti win,' she said, before gushing over her other friendships in the jungle. 'Oti, Alan, Melvin, Maura - they were like my soul family in there.' But while she said she had found 'friendships for life', Tulisa admitted the 'real test starts when you're out'. She said: 'You know, people for the cameras are all pally pally but it's - will you send those text messages, will you do the four-hour drive - and so the test of the friendships begin now, or in a week's time.' Speaking about her love for dancer Oti, Tulisa added: 'Oti is just the most beautiful human. Really hard to come across someone so genuine, so pure, I loved her. 'She is just pure to the bone and people like her are really hard to come across. Really special.' Tulisa branded Alan one of her closest pals in jungle - amid rumours of a romance between the pair. Rumours began to swirl when Tulisa first entered the jungle, which saw her jump out of a helicopter and pick Alan to complete the first challenge of the series. Eagle-eyed fans also spotted that she doesn't follow Barry McGuigan on Instagram - the only campmate she isn't digital friends with Barry and Tulisa are seen on the show together On Lorraine on Tuesday morning she talked about how her co-stars played up to the cameras in camp Proven they are the dream team, Alan and Tulisa won the race which meant they could sleep in the hideout together as camp leaders. For more than three days the duo spent some alone time and slept in luxury, a short distance away from their camp mates. Tulisa's best friend also hinted at a romance between the pair, admitting she'd 'love to find the one' after the singer claimed on the show she's been celibate for three years. The singer, who was widely tipped to reach the latter stages of this year's competition, was a surprise choice for elimination ahead of bookies favourites Barry McGuigan, Alan Halsall and Melvin Odoom. Leaving the jungle to join hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly , she said: 'I'm not going to lie, it is tough in there.' Asked what she learnt about herself during her time on the show, she added: 'I don't know, I guess just stay strong with your convictions and remain you.' While Tulisa found herself in the bottom two with Oti Mabuse , she insisted the professional dancer is still her winner. 'She is one of the most beautiful people I have ever met in my life,' she said. 'She is my soul sister.' Appearing on spin-off show I'm A Celeb Unpacked after her eviction the star discussed her time in the competition as she reflected on the awful Fright Bus challenge. She explained: 'I knew after the night bus they had rumbled me as a screamer, I had seven huntsman spiders on me at one point.' Adding that she forgot she was even on TV at times she continued: 'I think I was completely myself, I just did me and I was completely relaxed by the end of it. 'I forgot I was on a TV show.' Speaking to Lorraine on Monday after her exit, Tulisa said that she wants former Strictly Come Dancing professional Oti Mabuse to be the next Queen of the Jungle 'I don't know who will win but I would love to see Oti win,' she said, before gushing over her other friendships in the jungle The singer also teased N-Dubz will be back with another new tour in the near future as she confessed she hates hearing her voice. Tulisa was heard singing several times in camp, but she admitted: 'Aw no you heard me sing. I hate my voice! But we're coming back with a new tour very soon.' Read More Tulisa accuses camp mates of being 'pally for the camera' and reveals her jungle 'soul family' to Lorraine as her surprise eviction sparks claims of a 'fix' Getting stuck into the Bushtucker Trials during her time in camp , Tulisa and Reverend Richard Coles were left 'shedding tears' while eating dishes that taste like 'a volcano of death' during the Jungle TV Dinners challenge on Saturday. Dished varied from names such as 'Love Eye-land', 'Britain's Snot talent', 'Reek-y blinders', 'Made in Hell-Sea' and 'Line of Booty' on the menu in the horrific trial. The rapper was left shedding tears while Rev Richard described a dish as 'death and then a volcano of death in your mouth'. While Tulisa took her eviction well, her army of fans reacted poorly to the decision as they took to social media platform X, formerly Twitter , shortly after her name was announced. In a series of furious tweets viewers blasted the show, with some accusing ITV producers of orchestrating her exit to allow others a better chance of winning. 'This is beyond fixed... our Tulisa is braver than the marines omg I am fuming at this!!!!!!' raged one. 'She deserved to win out of everyone in there it's bloody cruel.' A second added: 'What's wrong with the public? Tulisa should still be in there.' Tulisa branded Alan one of her closest pals in jungle - amid rumours of a romance between the pair Elsewhere, a third added: 'Tulisa is my winner. She doesn't care about screen-time, she's there to change the cruel media narrative that's been around for years. 'The hate she gets for her face, without anyone trying to understand what she's gone through is disgusting.' Another raged: 'WE LOST TULISA THIS EARLY ON??!!' Meanwhile another fan wrote: 'i refuse to believe that she got less votes than melvin'. ITV Joel Dommett Barry McGuigan Oti Mabuse Share or comment on this article: I'm A Celeb star Tulisa is 'refusing to take part' as she fails to appear on the spin-off Unpacked for 'personal reasons' after deleting all trace of her jungle experience on social media e-mail 34 shares Add comment

Good Samaritan finds two infant girls abandoned in ditch after car theft near Indiana home

The Latest: Hunt for the gunman who killed UnitedHealthcare’s CEO heads into its third dayPHILADELPHIA (AP) — Saquon Barkley normally would have tossed his game-used cleats to the kid who asked for the pair as the star Philadelphia Eagles running back ran off the field and back to the locker room. Sorry, kid. Not today. Barkley kept his mucked-up cleats for good reason — he became the ninth running back in NFL history to top 2,000 yards rushing in a season, reaching the milestone with a 23-yard run in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 41-7 win over the Dallas Cowboys. That rush gave Barkley 2,005 yards with one game left and stuck him exactly 100 yards from Eric Dickerson's record of 2,105, set in 1984 for the Los Angeles Rams. Barkley left the game after the run that got him past 2,000, finishing with 167 yards on 31 carries. “We definitely knew what the number was to at least get 2,000,” Barkley said. “We weren't leaving this field without at least accomplishing that. That's not the words from me, that's the words from the guys up front.” Whether Dickerson likes it or not — and the Hall of Famer made clear last week he does not — Barkley is coming for the record next weekend against the New York Giants. Well, maybe. The Eagles have clinched the NFC East and least the No. 2 seed in the conference, making that game mostly meaningless. Coach Nick Sirianni could opt to rest Barkley to protect him from injury ahead of the playoffs. “Whatever his decision is, I'm all for it,” Barkley said. “If his mindset is, go out and try it, we'll go out and try it. If his mindset is, let's rest and get ready for this run, I'll all for it, too.” Sirianni simply said, “we'll see.” His backward hat askew, Barkley laughed when asked if he wanted to break the record in a delicious twist against his old team. “I'm not overly trying to go get it,” Barkley said. “I'm not scared to. I would love to. But at the end of the day, we've got bigger things we're focusing on.” Barkley gets a shot at the record thanks to a 17th game of the season that Dickerson and the NFL did not have in 1984. Derrick Henry was the last running back to exceed 2,000 yards. He had 2,027 for the Tennessee Titans in 2020. Minnesota running back Adrian Peterson ran for 2,097 yards in 2012, the second most in an NFL season. Barkley, who left the Giants to sign a three-year deal with the Eagles for $26 million guaranteed, also set the NFL mark Sunday for most yards rushing in a player's first season with a new team. He ran for 176 yards and a touchdown in his first career game against the Giants. “I didn't come here or sign here just to rush for 2,000 (yards) and break a record,” Barkley said. “I'm here to do something special.” Barkley was drafted out of Penn State with the No. 2 overall pick in 2018. He was an instant success with New York and ran for 1,307 yards his rookie season. Barkley ran for 5,211 yards and 35 touchdowns and had 288 receptions for 2,100 yards and 12 TDs in six years with the Giants. He hit free agency after the Giants elected not to put a franchise tag on him. “I was in the dark,” Barkley said. “You don't know what's going to happen, you don't know where you're going to be. Everything is kind of up in the air.” His mission is clear — win a Super Bowl and maybe take down Dickerson. Sporting his trademark goggles and Jheri curl, Dickerson had seven straight 1,000-yard seasons in the 1980s, and the Hall of Famer is widely considered one of the best running backs ever. Dickerson finished with 13,259 yards, the ninth most in NFL history. Emmitt Smith holds the career record with 18,355 yards. “I don’t think he’ll break it. But if he breaks it, he breaks it,” Dickerson told the Los Angeles Times . “Do I want him to break it? Absolutely not. I don’t pull no punches on that. But I’m not whining about it. He had 17 games to do it? Hey, football is football.” In 1984, Dickerson topped 100 yards rushing 12 times to break O.J. Simpson’s 1973 record of 2,003 yards rushing in a season. Simpson set his record in 14 games for the Buffalo Bills before the NFL expanded to 16 in 1978. The NFL moved to 17 games in 2021. “The way football is right now, it’s kind of hard to rush for 2,000 yards in 14 games,” Barkley said. "So, whether it’s 16, whether it’s 17, it’s a feat that you can never take away from what I was able to do with the O-line. And only eight other players did it, so it’s a special moment.” AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

MongoDB Announces Expansion of the MongoDB AI Applications Program

1. An Apple Airtag so you never have to wonder again, "Where the heck is my luggage?" Just connect this nifty gadget to your "Find My" app on your iPhone and track where your stuff is. It's also great to attach to your keys or slip in your wallet too, so you never lose the essentials again! Promising review: "A few months back I went to leave for work. My keys were nowhere to be found. Upon checking my phone, I found that my keys had been taken to my aunt's house. Without this AirTag I would’ve never known that. I love that I keep track of my things without a hassle. Definitely will be buying more." — Bre Price: $24.99 (originally $29.99) 2. An adjustable olive green baseball cap embroidered with a tiny mushroom because you wanna keep the sun out of your eyes while you're picking out a Christmas tree. Promising review: " I have so many of these hats. They are so cute!! I have a small to average size head and they are perfect for me." — Kitty S. Price: $15 3. A faux-pearl embellished claw clip that'll add a glamorous touch to any winter-weather outfit. Who knew a messy bun could look so fancy? Promising review: "This is a beautiful faux-pearl hair clip that is also very functional. It holds all of my long, thick hair up nicely. This is very cute and I would highly recommend it." — Mgaffney248 Price: $5 4. And a pack of six mini flower-shaped claw clips to add a playful vibe to your look and help you switch up your typical ponytail or half-up hairdo. Promising review: "My daughters love these and it’s fun looking up different styles to try with these! Super cute colors." — KC1303 Price: $5.49 for a 12-pack 5. A Popsocket magnetic phone grip so you can scroll for hours and hours without your hands getting sore (please don't scroll for hours). Also, you can use it as a little kickstand to prop your phone up for optimal show-watching. Promising review: "Love this! Bought this style to replace one that I lost. The magnet is super strong. I don’t need that little adapter thing it came with, I just stuck it to my case and voila. The only time I remove my pop socket is at night, when I put my phone on my magsafe charging stand. Highly recommend!" — ESV Price: $14.99 (originally $29.99, available in eight patterns) 6. A pair of bow stud earrings you're going to feel so smug telling people you got from Target because of how high-end they look. Plus, they're nickel-free and safe for sensitive ears! Promising review: " I love these earrings! They feel so feminine and cute. Comfy and not too heavy. They elevate any outfit I wear." — Natasha Price: $12.99 7. A pair of lettuce-edge socks for adding a little whimsy to your favorite pair of ballet flats or dress up your go-to sneakers. These are designed to fit women's sizes 4–10. Promising review: "These are so cute. I’ve had my eyes on them for a while, and I thought I had lost my chance when they went out of stock. Luckily, there was a restock, and I was able to snag them. I love having several options for socks, a bold color can really pull an outfit together with minimal effort. I’ll definitely be on the lookout for more colors in the future. Great job, Target!" — Rue Bee Price: $9 for six pairs (available in four color combos) 8. A hot and cold gel bead eye mask you can throw in the fridge or microwave for relaxing temperature therapy on the super delicate skin around your eyes. I have one of these and love keeping it in the freezer, so after a night out with friends, I can use this to help de-puff my under-eye area. Promising review: "As someone who has a lot of eye strain and pain, I find that this is an amazing product to use for relief in the evenings. The warming option is very soothing, and it's nice to have around for relaxation time after a long day at work." — PartywithKarti Price: $8.79 9. Some “bust dust” anti-boob-sweat powder formulated with soothing lavender and chamomile to absorb sweat because there is nothing worse than a swampy bra situation when you're just trying to exist. Promising review: “ This has become a summertime staple for me! Living in humid south Florida, that means May–October. A little shake, a little spray, a little pat, and I'm good to go for the day. It helps so much! I have sensitive skin and haven't had any adverse effects.” — Cate Price: $15.99 10. A pair of elegant, expensive-looking oval sunglasses for blocking out the eggnog haters who are trying to yuck your yum. Promising reviews: "Literally so chic I am shooketh they cost under $20." — Sky "SUPER CUTE and fashionable!!! Love these glasses so much. I highly recommend to anyone because these go with any outfit and are comfortable plus affordable." — D Price: $15 11. An Olive & June nail polish designed to last just as long as gel polish, so you can save time *and* money by skipping the bi-monthly salon visit. Promising review: "I normally avoid painting my own nails because it never turns out well. However, this nail polish is very easy to use. I love the shape of the brush. It makes for a mess-free application. I used two coats to get the look I was going for with a light purple." — Murr Price: $8.99 (available in eight colors) 12. A cute hardcover notebook with lined pages you can use as a journal, a space for to-do lists, future goals, or just a free-writing space to get the creative juices flowing. Promising review: "It’s a very good little notebook. The pages are nice and sturdy; the cover is too. Probably one of the best notebooks I’ve had. It’s really good quality for such a low price." — Courtneyacbdc Price: $4.99 13. A fizzy floral-scented bath bomb — there's a small prize inside (either a cute charm or ring) to please the adult in you who needs to unwind *and* your inner child who just wants a special little treat. Promising review: "I love these bath bombs , and it always makes taking a bath extra enjoyable!! So cute." — Carly Price: $5.49 14. A makeup primer if you spent hours getting your makeup juuust right for the holiday party and don't want your face melting off by your third glass of eggnog. It features hyaluronic acid to add an extra dose of moisture. Promising review: "This has been the best primer I’ve ever bought. I didn’t really know how good a primer was supposed to be until I tried this one. I come home after my serving shift, and my makeup is still on as if I just recently applied it. It doesn’t let me sweat, which is great because oils eat up my makeup! I recommend! ❣️" — Emiliana Price: $10 15. A refreshing facial mist from La Roche-Posay that utilizes thermal spring water full of antioxidants and minerals to help hydrate heat-flushed skin with just a quick spray! Promising review: “Was skeptical to buy at first because I thought it’s just water in a can, but upon using it, I found it leaves my face feeling and looking TOTALLY different than it does with tap water. It’s so soothing and refreshing! I like to use it as a toner. Because me and my skin love this so much, I’ll continue to repurchase it the price is worth it to me.” — Courtney Price: $13.99 16. Physicians Formula Murumuru Butter Bronzer if you want to maintain your summer glow all year round. With this, you can always look like the beachy fairy you are! Plus, it works just as well as the more expensive stuff. Promising review: "Hands-down the best bronzer I’ve ever used. It’s lasted me so long. It blends like a dream, and it smells even better. Don’t waste your money on high end. This is worth every penny." — Sg Price : $13.49 (available in five shades) 17. A mini first aid kit that comes with 18 colorful bandages in two sizes, three antiseptic packets, and three hand sanitizer packets for any little accidents that may come up while you're on the go. Promising review: "Great quality! This item was the perfect size for travel. I bought it in case I ended up getting blisters on my heels." — AM01 Price: $6.99 18. A 10-pack of Lip Smackers made with moisturizing castor oil and beeswax featuring classic flavors like blue raspberry, mango, and vanilla if you're looking for a little childhood nostalgia that'll have your pout looking (and smelling) absolutely divine. Promising review: "Best product of all time!!! Lip Smackers are extremely moisturizing and keep your lips hydrated better than anything else I have tried." — Soft Lips Price: $10.99 19. A Fuji film camera that prints out your pictures instantly, so you'll be able to actually frame all your beloved memories instead of just letting them sit on your phone. There's even a selfie mirror so you can snap some pics of yourself, too! Get the film for $8.99 . Promising review: "I’m not a professional photographer by any means. I just like instant photos and taking pictures with my smartphone. I found it was really easy to use, and it may take a few instant photos to get comfortable with where to look and what angles look best. But it’s still very fun! It would be a cute graduation gift or birthday gift for someone who likes to take photos." — Kovi Price: $69.99 (originally $79.99, available in five colors) 20. And a pack of mini faux-succulent magnets if you plan on taking tons of cute pictures this holiday season and want to hang them on your fridge with pride. Promising review: "These are my favorite! I always give them for friend’s birthdays or thank-you gifts. And I’ve got a few on my own fridge. Love the look and the magnets are strong. Can’t go wrong. Buy these for yourself!" — target fan Price: $5.99 21. A 100% mulberry silk pillowcase that provides a smooth surface while you snooze to reduce friction on your hair and skin, so you wake up looking (and, more importantly, feeling) well-rested. I exclusively sleep with a silk pillowcase, and I can tell you, bedhead is now a thing of the past. Promising review: "I really like 100% mulberry pillowcases and nothing else on my pillow. This pillowcase stays cool while sleeping. My hair did not seem as dry and messy in the morning." — Agie Price: $48.99+ (available in three sizes and five colors) 22. A vitamin C resurfacing face mask packed with lactic, glycolic, and salicylic acid and enzymes to help brighten up dull skin and leave your face feeling fresh and glowy in just 2–3 minutes. Promising review: "Don’t walk to Target, RUN, and buy this mask. From the first use, you will see your skin’s surface more even, your acne (hyperpigmentation) will start clearing right away, and your skin will brighten. This is the only product that has helped my hormonal acne and huge pores. I love it and will continue to use it forever!" — Beautiful Collection Price: $18.99 23. And a vegan niacinamide serum that can help reduce the appearance of enlarged pores, refine uneven texture, and balance excess oil production so your skin can look *and* feel its best. Promising review: "Only been using this for a week, but I really feel like it has made my skin look so much better. I’m way less oily, my skin texture is better, and I feel like it’s helping with milia as well. I had no reaction to it." — S Price: $16.99 24. A super sheer SPF 30 sunscreen — it has a slightly green tint so you can also use it as a primer to cancel out redness. And since it's lightweight and mineral-free, you don't have to worry about a cakey white cast left behind. Promising review: "I'm the one always saying 'put sunscreen on your face' in the morning. What follows is usually much complaining from my family. THIS, however, goes on without a cast and is lightweight, and the complaining has just...stopped. Poof." — Anonymous Price: $19.99 25. A pair of Pacifica vitamin C eye patches made with a 100% vegan formula because you want to look like you got a full eight hours of sleep even if you only got five (oops). The vitamin C helps brighten while marine plant extracts boost hydration. Just pop them on for 10–20 minutes, then remove and pat in remaining serum. Promising review: "I love these vitamin C spot serum masks. They really do what they say. And they give my eyes the extra oomph that they need on days that I wasn't able to get as much sleep." — iambecki0922 Price: $4.99 26. And a mini jade roller for a little at-home spa moment that'll promote drainage and help ease any facial tension. Pro tip: leave it in the fridge for maximum de-puffing power! Promising review: "This roller really helps my TMJ facial tightness! I use this on my jaw, temples, and brows almost every day for a deep massage in my face, and, wow, has this helped! Buying a second one as a backup just in case. Very sturdy for pushing HARD on tight jaw muscles; I also use the bottom to target knots!" — Biff Price: $9.99 Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.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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