caine digital circus
caine digital circus
Uruguay's voters choose their next president in a close runoff with low stakes but much suspenseLAS VEGAS — If Texas coach Steve Sarkisian holds aloft the College Football Playoff trophy next month, that will be bad news for BetMGM Sportsbook. It would be similarly disappointing if any of the coaches at Boise State, Indiana or Arizona State end up celebrating a title with confetti falling all around them inside Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Wait, what? Texas has attracted a lot of money all season to go all the way, but those other schools provide the hope of a big payoff. The fifth-seeded Longhorns are the co-favorite at BetMGM with No. 1 and unbeaten Oregon at 7-2 odds; the other three are least 40-1, while Georgia is right behind Oregon and Texas as the next favorite. "These teams get hot and people just want to have a flyer on them," BetMGM trading manager Seamus Magee said. "They don't want to be standing there and not have a ticket on some of these long-shot teams." Expanding the playoff field from four to 12 teams this year meant more betting in general on college football and more varieties of wagering on the postseason. There were meaningful games played in the final month by not only Arizona State, Boise State and Indiana, but also SMU, Army and UNLV — a number of teams not always in the national title conversation. "It's one of the highest handles we've ever had on our national-championship market," Magee said. "We're in more states, for one, but the activity and the betting patterns we're seeing, it definitely feels a lot more than it has in years past." Magee said BetMGM has received action on both sides of the first-round game between 11th-seeded SMU and sixth-seeded Penn State, but the Mustangs have drawn notable action at DraftKings and Caesars Sportsbook. Money on SMU dropped Penn State from a 9-point favorite at DraftKings to 8 1/2. "Any time they've played a real good team, they've had trouble," Johnny Avello, DraftKings race and sports operations director, said of the Nittany Lions. "SMU shows that they're pretty good on both sides of the football and pretty resilient as a team. Always in the game. Always finds ways to fight back." Joey Feazel, who oversees football trading for Caesars, said much of the early betting in general was on underdogs. "Usually, you see the dog money for these teams come late, especially on the sharps' (professional bettors) side," Feazel said. Boise State, which as the third seed has a first-round bye, will be the underdog in its quarterfinal matchup with Penn State or SMU. The Broncos got into the field as the highest-ranked Group of Five champion, but Avello said that doesn't mean they are one of the nation's top 12 teams (they are ranked No. 8 by AP and No. 9 by CFP). Avello said BYU, Colorado and Miami — none of which made the playoff — all would be favored over them. "There are a lot of teams that aren't in the playoffs that would be favored," Avello said. "That's just not the way these playoffs work." Feazel said Boise State not being able to play at home on its blue carpet will be a notable disadvantage. Boise State's quarterfinal game will be at the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Arizona. "It will be all neutral," Feazel said. "It's a big step up in class for Boise." Instead of all the games being played in climate-controlled domes or warm-weather locales — as has been in the case in past postseasons — three of the four first-round matchups will take place in the Northeast and Midwest. While that might not make a difference when Notre Dame hosts in-state foe Indiana, Ohio State will be at home against Tennessee and SMU visits Penn State. BetMGM favors all four home teams by more than a touchdown. "You have to take the weather into account for some of these games," Magee said. "It's going to be really cool to see a team like Tennessee that will have to go up to Columbus, where it can get really cold. SMU has to go from Dallas to Happy Valley. That's definitely going to be one of the coldest games a lot of those kids have played in their lives." SMU was the last team in the field, getting the benefit of the doubt over Alabama. The Mustangs had one fewer defeat than the three-loss Crimson Tide, who did not appear in the SEC title game. SMU lost on a 56-yard field goal to Clemson in the ACC championship. The sportsbook operators said the Tide would be favored by 5-10 points if they met SMU on a neutral field. Get local news delivered to your inbox!
Bashar al-Assad's government has been accused of carrying out torture, rape, summary executions and other abuses since since Syria's civil war started in 2011. UN investigators have said that accountability must be taken at the highest level after the downfall of the hardline ruler on Sunday. Here is what we know about the extent of the abuses committed: In 2013 a former Syrian army photographer known by the codename "Caesar" fled the country, taking with him some 55,000 graphic images taken between 2011 and 2013. The photos, authenticated by experts, show corpses tortured and starved to death in Syrian prisons. Some people had their eyes gouged out. The photos showed emaciated bodies, people with wounds on the back or stomach, and also a picture of hundreds of corpses in a shed surrounded by plastic bags used for burials. Assad's Syrian government said only that the pictures were "political". But Caesar testified to a US Congress committee and his photographs inspired a 2020 US law which imposed economic sanctions on Syria and judicial proceedings in Europe against Assad's entourage. In Germany and Sweden eight people suspected of crime against humanity were arrested in July in an operation codenamed "Caesar". Germany, the Netherlands and France have since 2022 convicted several top officials from the Syrian intelligence service and militias. UN investigators say they have lists with the names of 4,000 government officials and operatives responsible for abuses. Human Rights Watch (HRW) in 2012 spoke of a "torture archipelago" in which the "use of electricity, burning with car battery acid, sexual assault and humiliation, the pulling of fingernails, and mock execution" were practised in government prisons. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said in 2022 more than 100,000 people had died in the prisons since 2011. In 2023, the UN's top court, the International Court of Justice, ordered Syria to stop "inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment". In 2020, seven Syrian refugees filed a complaint in Germany saying that they had been victims of torture and sexual violence, including rape, electric shocks on the genitals, forced nudity or forced abortion between 2011 and 2013. The UN said in 2018 there had been systmatic rape and sexual violence against civilians by soldiers or pro-Assad militias. It said an investigation had found rebels had committed similar crimes, but fewer. On November 25, 2024, the Syrian Human Rights Network (SNHR) said there had been at least 11,553 incidents of sexual violence against women, including girls aged under 18, by the warring parties since March 2011. Some 8,024 could be blamed on the Assad government and the others mainly on the jihadist Islamic State. In 2016 UN investigators said Syrian authorities were responsible for acts which came down to "extermination" and could be compared to "crimes against humanity". It pointed to the Saydnaya prison outside Damascus, which was described in 2017 by Amnesty International as a human slaughter house carrying out a "policy of extermination". The United States said there was a "crematorium" at the prison which was used to dispose of the bodies of thousands of inmates. In 2022 the Syrian Observatory for Human Righs said around 30,000 people had been killed at Saydnaya, some of them after being tortured. In April 2020, the chemical weapons watchdog OPCW accused the Syrian army of chemical weapons attacks in Latamne in northern Syria in 2017. In November 2023 France issued international arrest warrants against Bashar al-Assad, his brother Maher and two generals on suspicion of complicity in the chemical attacks in August 2013 near Damascus, which according to US intelligence left 1,000 dead. Assad's forces have also been accused of using sarin gas on the rebel town of Khan Sheikhun in April 2017, and also of chlorine gas attacks. Assad's government denied using chemical weapons. Israel says it has staged strikes on some chemical weapons sites this week to stop supplies falling into the hands of extremists. acm-lc/jmy/tw
All Blacks to put one of rugby’s most iconic records on the line against Springboks in 2025
Christian McCaffrey’s backup lands on IR as 49ers lose 2 running backs in roller-coaster seasonMultiplicity is a software KVM for Windows 10 and 11 built with robust functionality and modern encryption to support enterprise workloads. PLYMOUTH, Mich. , Dec. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Stardock released Multiplicity 4 1.0 today, a powerful application that allows you to control multiple PCs with a single mouse and keyboard. Known as a software KVM, Multiplicity 4's innovative new features to let you use any Windows laptop as a native secondary display, stream multiple monitors at the same time, and introduces support for ARM devices. Powered by our proprietary ControlStreamTM v4 technology, Multiplicity 4 can stream multi-monitor configurations to the primary device within a single viewing window. And with the advanced compression technology that can easily be configured, Multiplicity 4 is designed to provide a full fidelity experience but can also be optimized to preserve bandwidth with a single setting. New with Multiplicity 4 is Seamless DisplayTM, a feature that makes it simple to use a laptop or other Windows PC as a native secondary display with Windows. With this feature, you can make a laptop, tablet, or other Windows PC act as a secondary monitor that functions as a native display – this enables the ability to drag apps and windows to the secondary device as if it was plugged directly into your computer. Seamless, a powerful feature that lets you move effortlessly between multiple devices, has been enhanced to support resolution-aware monitor placement to improve movement across multiple devices and displays with improved precision. "Multiplicity is trusted by emergency call centers around the globe and is used extensively by our manufacturing partners," said Brad Sams , General Manager of Stardock Software. "With this release, Multiplicity 4 will help our partners use a single solution for all of their KVM and remote desktop needs for the modern workplace." With the 1.0 release, Multiplicity 4 is now ready for corporate deployments and takes advantage of Stardock's deployment tooling and the license key management portal. Multiplicity 4 is available today starting at $29.99 and is also included as part of Object Desktop , the award-winning suite of applications from Stardock that includes productivity and personalization applications. Screenshots: ( 1 ) ( 2 ) ( 3 ) ( 4 ) ( 5 ) Please contact press@stardock.com for all media inquiries. About Stardock: Stardock Software is the world's leading developer of desktop enhancements. For over 30 years, Stardock has developed software including Fences ® , Start11TM, WindowBlinds ® , Groupy ® , DeskScapes ® , Multiplicity ® , and more. View original content: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/stardock-releases-multiplicity-4-with-seamless-display-arm-support-and-more-302330679.html SOURCE Stardock SoftwarePairings for the Isleta New Mexico Bowl were announced Sunday and one of the entrants is just two years removed from playing for the national championship. TCU, which lost to Georgia in the College Football Playoff title game following the 2022 regular season, has accepted a bid to face Louisiana on Jan. 28 at University Stadium in Albuquerque. The Horned Frogs (8-4) finished in a tie for fifth place in the Big 12, just a game shy of the four teams who tied for first. They won five of their last six games to finish 6-3 in their conference. TCU is coached by Sonny Dykes, but their head coaches from 1998 through 2021 had direct ties to the state of New Mexico. Dennis Franchione took over the Horned Frogs in 1998 after spending six years as the head coach at New Mexico. His successor, Gary Patterson, was the Lobos' defensive coordinator under Franchione and took over the Frogs in 2000 when Franchione was hired by Alabama. Finally, Jerry Kill was TCU's interim coach in 2021 after Patterson resigned before the end of the season. Kill went on to coach at New Mexico State through last season, leading the Aggies to the 2023 New Mexico Bowl — a 37-10 loss to Fresno State. Louisiana (10-3, 7-1 Sun Belt) won 10 games for the first time in three years and finished as the runner-up in the Sun Belt. It’s the program’s seventh straight trip to a bowl game. The Ragin’ Cajuns scored 30 or more points in nine of their 13 games. They will be the first team from the Sun Belt to play in the New Mexico Bowl. “We are incredibly excited about this matchup and can’t wait to welcome these two teams and their fan bases to New Mexico”, said Jeff Siembieda, executive director of the ESPN-owned Isleta New Mexico Bowl. “I think we have put together what should be a really good game. TCU, with a great fan base not only in Texas, but here in New Mexico, on a three-game winning streak and playing well, against ten-win Louisiana who earned a spot in the conference championship game with a very exciting brand of football.” This will be the first appearance for either team in the New Mexico Bowl, which dates back to 2006 when it was created to pair teams from the Mountain West against the Western Athletic Conference. The Mountain West did not have enough bowl-eligible teams to send an entrant to New Mexico; only five of its 12 teams won the requisite six games during the regular season. TCU is one of nine teams from the Big 12 in a postseason game. That includes conference champion Arizona State in the College Football Playoff and the unusual all-Big 12 matchup of Colorado and BYU in the Valero Alamo Bowl.
In case you missed the first culture war of Australia Day 2025 on Monday, Australia’s second-largest hospitality group pledged not to celebrate the day , before backtracking after receiving a considerable response from Coalition politicians and punters. Liberal senator Jane Hume called the move “absolute nonsense”, while Nationals senator Matt Canavan called on the pub group to “drop the moral grandstanding”. Australian Venues Co, which operates 200 pubs and restaurants around the country, mostly in Queensland and Victoria, told staff at the weekend there would be no festivities to mark the national holiday in 2025. The ban would have affected pubs and hotels all over Brisbane and Queensland. Credit: Catherine Strohfeldt In a statement on Monday, a spokesman said issues had been raised by staff and patrons because of the “sadness” the day caused for some members of their community. But after the considerable media attention on the decision, Australian Venues Co walked back its decision, remarking that its original comments caused “concern and confusion”. “We sincerely regret that. Our purpose is to reinforce community in our venues, not divide it,” a spokesperson said. “It is not for us to tell anyone whether or how to celebrate Australia Day. We acknowledge that and we apologise for our comments. It certainly wasn’t our intention to offend anyone. “Whether you choose to celebrate Australia Day or not, everyone is welcome in our pubs, always.” The sale of Boost Mobile will deliver a significant payday to its co-founder, former prime minister Paul Keating. The Australian Financial Review reports that Keating will pocket at least $40 million in the sale of the budget mobile business to Telstra, in a deal to acquire the carrier for just under $140 million cash. Former prime minister Paul Keating is set for a financial boost. Credit: Oscar Colman Keating holds a 29 per cent stake in Boost Mobile, which he co-founded in 2000 with businessman Peter Adderton, who holds 32 per cent. In the acquisition, expected to be completed this month, Boost Mobile employees would be integrated into Telstra and there would be no changes for Boost’s thousands of prepaid customers. Boost’s prepaid plans are cheaper than Telstra’s but don’t offer access to the full Telstra network. The companies have been partnered for 13 years, with Telstra responsible for most of the operational parts of Boost’s business, including network access and customer service, while Boost has been responsible for its branding and marketing. Several streets around the RNA Showgrounds will be closed for five days from Thursday for the Good Things music festival. The council has advised that sections of Gregory Terrace, King Street and Alexandria Street will remain closed from December 5 to 10, and has advised motorists to seek alternative routes. The parking lane on Costin Street, between Gregory Terrace and Carriage Street, will also be closed. The annual Good Things festival started in 2018 and this year’s line-up features Korn, Violent Femmes and Sum 41. Already reeling from their November defeats, Democrats are now grappling with President Joe Biden’s pardoning of his son Hunter for federal crimes after the party spent years slamming Donald Trump as a threat to democracy who disregarded the law. “He believes in the justice system, but he also believes that politics infected the process and led to a miscarriage of justice,” said White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, who along with Biden and other White House officials insisted for months that Hunter Biden would not get a pardon. President Joe Biden accompanied by his son Hunter Biden in Nantucket over the Thanksgiving holiday. Credit: AP That explanation did not satisfy some Democrats, angry that Biden’s reversal could make it harder to take on Trump, who has argued that multiple indictments and one conviction against him were a matter of Biden and Democrats turning the justice system against him. “This is a bad precedent that could be abused by later presidents and will sadly tarnish his reputation,” Colorado Governor Jared Polis wrote of Biden on the social media platform X. Arizona congressman Greg Stanton said on X: “This wasn’t a politically motivated prosecution. Hunter committed felonies and was convicted by a jury of his peers.” Certainly, the president has plenty of Democratic defenders who note Trump’s use of presidential powers to pardon a slew of his convicted aides, associates and friends, several for activities tied to Trump’s campaign and administration. “Trump pardoned Roger Stone, Steve Bannon, Michael Flynn and Paul Manafort, as well as his son-in-law’s father, Charles Kushner — who he just appointed US ambassador to France,” wrote prominent Democratic fundraiser Jon Cooper on X. “Sorry, but Biden was right to pardon his son Hunter to protect him against Kash Patel’s weaponised FBI,” Cooper concluded, referring to Trump’s apparent plan to oust FBI Director Christopher Wray in favour of a loyalist who has talked of going after political opponents and journalists. First Lady Jill Biden said on Monday from the White House: “Of course I support the pardon of my son.” A man has been jailed for five years over his knife-wielding attack on two police officers who made a split-second decision not to open fire. Paul Gali, 32, pleaded guilty in the Brisbane District Court to one count of unlawful wounding with intent to resist lawful detention, and one count of obstructing a police officer with an offensive instrument. Crown prosecutor Melissa Wilson said police had been called to Gali’s home at Rothwell, north of Brisbane, the morning of May 1, 2023, in response to him threatening family members with a knife. Judge Carl Heaton was shown bodycam footage that showed Gali, dressed in a yellow high-visibility shirt, climb over a police vehicle’s bonnet and roof before charging at the officer with a knife raised. “The officer repeatedly told [Gali] to drop the knife. He was in the process of holstering his firearm and drawing his Taser when [Gali] jumped down and ran at him,” Wilson said. Wilson said the officer was retreating and attempting to strike Gali with the Taser when he was stabbed in a shoulder area that was not covered by his protective vest. In the footage, blood could be seen dripping onto the road as the officer called for back-up and told his partner, who had his firearm drawn, not to shoot Gali. Gali told officers to shoot him throughout his attack and performed an act of self-harm during the standoff. He surrendered shortly after when reinforcement officers arrived and also pointed their firearms at him. Wilson said the wounded officer spent two days in hospital but had suffered ongoing psychological effects that had taken away the happiness and sense of purpose he took in police work. Gali was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment and ordered immediately eligible to apply for parole, having spent 19 months in custody. We’re in for another cloudy summer’s day in Brisbane, with a top of 30 degrees. And the days to come are looking similar, with barely a chance of showers and top temperatures similar for the rest of week. Here’s the outlook: Stories making the rounds beyond Brisbane this morning include: The Reserve Bank is being accused by some of the nation’s top economists of putting the employment of hundreds of thousands of Australians at risk by keeping interest rates too high in order to reduce inflation. Longtime Neighbours star Ian Smith has been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. Sex offenders will be kicked out of the Australian Defence Force and potential leaders tested for emotional intelligence under a sweeping overhaul to combat the crisis of military personnel taking their own lives at alarming rates. Laurie Daley is back for a second stint in charge of the Blues, but the game has changed dramatically in his time away . “In finalising his cabinet,” writes author Nick Bryant , “Donald Trump has come to resemble an American Caligula, the Roman emperor rumoured to have considered appointing his beloved stallion as consul. So unorthodox have been the president-elect’s appointments that I half expected him to nominate his golf cart as the new transportation secretary.” Good morning, thanks for joining us for Brisbane Times’ live news blog. It’s Tuesday, December 3, and we’re expecting a partly cloudy day and a top temperature of 30 degrees. In this morning’s local headlines: One of Brisbane’s top music venues is appealing Brisbane City Council’s approval of a $1.5 billion Newstead project, warning its future residents could inundate them with noise complaints. We rely on essential workers to keep Brisbane running. But can they afford to live here? As the city’s housing squeeze continues, we look at the occupations where people would struggle to even rent a place on their own. A parliamentary inquiry into the LNP government’s proposed changes to youth justice laws has drawn heavy criticism from youth advocates and peak organisations, with concerns the legislation violates human rights and disregards evidence-based approaches.
Step Finance, a pioneering dashboard for Solana blockchain users, has unveiled its strategy to bring tokenized trading of popular stocks, such as Nvidia and Tesla, to the decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem. This initiative follows the acquisition of Moose Capital, an early-stage startup specializing in financial licensing and infrastructure. Step Finance aims to launch these services by the first quarter of 2025, positioning itself as a trailblazer in integrating traditional financial instruments with blockchain technology. The acquisition is poised to address critical regulatory challenges associated with tokenized stocks, a burgeoning sector that links conventional equities to blockchain. By leveraging Moose Capital’s expertise, Step Finance intends to secure the necessary permissions to operate within compliant frameworks. This marks a significant step toward bridging the gap between mainstream financial markets and decentralized platforms. Tokenized stocks have gained momentum for their potential to democratize access to equity trading, enabling users to buy fractional shares of major companies without requiring traditional brokerage accounts. Step Finance’s entry into this domain could enhance Solana’s appeal as a high-speed, low-cost blockchain, particularly in the DeFi space. The platform is already known for aggregating Solana transactions, serving as a comprehensive interface for managing portfolios. The move aligns with a broader trend of DeFi platforms exploring interoperability with traditional finance. Solana, recognized for its scalable infrastructure, has seen increasing adoption among developers and investors seeking alternatives to Ethereum, which faces challenges with network congestion and high transaction fees. Step Finance’s plan could further cement Solana’s position as a leading blockchain for financial innovation.A multi-agency operation targeting small businesses and cross-border transporters involved in smuggling and unethical practices has led to the impounding of dozens of vehicles, including buses and haulage trucks, and the confiscation of illicit goods such as foodstuffs and second-hand clothes. The operation, spearheaded by a high-level task force established by the Cabinet, is a response to the growing threat smuggling poses to local industries, consumer welfare, and government revenue. The task force, led by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, includes the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra), the Zimbabwe Republic Police, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ), and the Consumer Protection Commission, among others. The crackdown has seen the establishment of 24-hour roadblocks along major highways leading to cities. Teams comprising law enforcement and regulatory bodies are inspecting vehicles suspected of carrying smuggled goods, while retail outlets are undergoing surprise inspections to verify the legality of their stock. Businesses unable to provide proper documentation risk hefty fines and the seizure of goods. The operation is set to intensify during the festive season, a period notorious for increased smuggling activities. Returning expatriates, often bringing undeclared goods, have been identified as a significant factor exacerbating challenges faced by local manufacturers. Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion, Professor Mthuli Ncube, emphasized the importance of the operation in protecting Zimbabwe's economy and local businesses. "This is a critical issue, and we want to deal with the smuggling which is negatively impacting local businesses. The government is losing revenue, and this cannot be allowed to continue," he said. Industry and Commerce Minister Mangaliso Ndlovu echoed similar sentiments, highlighting the operation's role in promoting ethical business practices and safeguarding the local manufacturing industry. "Business malpractices, including smuggling, currency manipulation, and the sale of counterfeit goods, undermine consumer welfare and threaten job creation. This task force is a proactive measure to restore order and ensure compliance with laws and regulations," said Minister Ndlovu. Zimra has warned that all travellers and cross-border traders must declare goods at ports of entry, stressing that failure to comply could lead to severe penalties, including fines, imprisonment, and confiscation of goods. "The roadblocks are part of a post-clearance audit process to ensure customs compliance. Non-declaration contributes to revenue losses and disrupts market stability," Zimra said in a statement. In his 2025 National Budget presentation, Prof Ncube decried the prevalence of smuggling, noting its impact on public health, safety, and the economy. "Smuggling undermines local production, discourages investment, and creates an uneven playing field. The government is committed to reviewing anti-smuggling strategies, including the introduction of drones at ports of entry and complementary measures to curb this illicit activity," he said. Authorities have also raised concerns over the safety of smuggled goods, particularly food items, medicines, and alcohol, which evade health and safety checks. The government has pledged to enforce strict measures to protect consumer welfare, including confiscating expired and fake products during inspections. The multi-agency task force plans to sustain its momentum to ensure long-term compliance. Businesses are urged to adhere to established laws and regulations to avoid disruptions, while consumers are encouraged to report any unethical practices to the authorities. "Forewarned is forearmed," Minister Ndlovu emphasized, urging all stakeholders to treat the matter with the seriousness it deserves.
Everyone will love this Marry Me chicken budget mealCHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — Mitch Mascari's 22 points helped Drake defeat Florida Atlantic 75-63 on Friday. Mascari shot 6 for 9 (6 for 8 from 3-point range) and 4 of 4 from the free-throw line for the Bulldogs (5-0). Bennett Stirtz scored 17 points and added six assists. Tavion Banks had 12 points and shot 2 of 5 from the field and 8 of 10 from the free-throw line. The Owls (4-3) were led in scoring by Leland Walker, who finished with 14 points and five assists. Matas Vokietaitis and Tre Carroll each scored 10 points. Drake entered halftime up 32-28. Mascari paced the team in scoring in the first half with 11 points. Drake took the lead for what would be the final time on Banks' free throw with 14:22 left in the second half. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .
PETER VAN ONSELEN: The rot at the core of Team Albo has been exposed by these shady last minute acts - including a startling admission about the misinformation bill By PETER VAN ONSELEN, POLITICAL EDITOR FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA Published: 18:46 EST, 24 November 2024 | Updated: 18:48 EST, 24 November 2024 e-mail 6 View comments The poor priorities and inconsistencies of Anthony Albanese 's government are nearly summed up by the political manoeuvres taking place as we enter the final parliamentary sitting period before the summer break. They are tangible evidence for why Labor is floundering in the polls in just its first term in power. On the one hand, Labor spent months telling us its misinformation bill was a vital reform aimed at stamping out... you guessed it, misinformation in public discourse. Yet Labor dumped the bill once a united front lined up against it - the Coalition, the Greens, a plethora of crossbenchers representing the right and the left. But it didn't just walk away from what it once claimed was so important in the here and now. It has promised not to pursue the changes even after the election - assuming it is victorious - with Special Minister of State Don Farrell saying: 'That's the end of it'. I guess what was proposed can't have been that important after all. In truth the proposed laws were highly subjective, badly drafted, lacked consultation and transparency in their development, impinged on free speech, and even if you liked the idea of muzzling opinion they didn't go far enough to satisfy supporters. So they have been thrown in the policy garbage bin, as they should be. Anthony Albanese's government spent months telling us its misinformation bill was a vital reform aimed at stamping out misinformation. It has now promised not to pursue the changes even after the election, assuming it is victorious. I guess it mustn't be so important, after all Submissions for public comment on the misinformation bill closed back in September. However they have never been uploaded and made public. I suspect the government wanted them hidden from view because they were so scathing. It is so ironic that when Labor walked away from the misinformation bill its political spin to justify doing so was littered with untruths. They claimed, for example, that the Coalition and the Greens were in cahoots - even though their opposition to the bill was for diametrically opposing reasons. The Greens said the bill didn't do enough to stop misinformation, while the Coalition said it was an attack on free speech. The government's approach to its planned social media laws that ban under 16s from accessing platforms such as TiKTok and Reddit is equally shady. The government opened public comments on the bill for just a single day. That's not how good government takes consultation seriously. Labor will be successful rushing its youth social media bans through the parliament because the Coalition came up with the idea before the government did, and it plans to support the changes. Communications Minister Michelle Rowland is now pushing her bill to ban under 16s from social media. The government is likewise employing shady tactics to ram it through It will likely do the same when it comes to election donations reforms , which haven't even been sent to a parliamentary committee for consultation and public feedback. So much for good policy process on that front. Meanwhile, there won't be legislation forthcoming to curb online gambling or gambling ads, as had previously been promised. Why? Probably because Labor doesn't want to upset big media organisations who enjoy streams of revenue from its advertising. So what excuse have they used to justify the inaction and the broken promise? 'This is a very difficult and complex piece of work that simply cannot be finalised in the remaining week that we have of parliament this year', according to minister Murray Watt. Yet so are changes to social media usage and laws designed to curb misinformation. As are adjustments to political donations. Yet Labor found ways to rush these law making processes when it suited them. Such inconsistency is equally evident when you listen to Labor's rhetoric about concern for young Australians as it moves towards social media bans. But the sound of crickets is all you hear when asking the same politicians why they won't act to curb online access to violent and graphic pornography for minors. Be the first to comment Be one of the first to comment Comments Now have YOUR say! Share your thoughts in the comments. Comment now All of the above highlights the policy-making failures of this government. It's proof positive that it is a bad government unworthy of re-election. Which is not to say it won't win re-election. No first term federal government has lost a re-election attempt since 1931, so history favours Albo's chances of securing a second prime ministerial term. While social policy scripts such as those referred to above are dominating the final sitting period, voters could be forgiven for wondering why Labor's priorities are focused in that direction and not on the economy. On Wednesday we'll get updated monthly CPI figures. We already know inflation is higher than in other western nations and there are no guarantees interest rates will fall in the first half of next year. That's despite anaemic economic growth and falling real living standards. You would have thought Labor wanted the optics of its final sitting week to be all about the economy and its plans to address cost of living concerns hurting so many Australians. Yet that isn't the focus at all, probably because Labor can't say anything too positive on that front because it's fiscal policy settings - spending too much - are grinding up against the RBA's monetary policy advice. Reddit TikTok Anthony Albanese Share or comment on this article: PETER VAN ONSELEN: The rot at the core of Team Albo has been exposed by these shady last minute acts - including a startling admission about the misinformation bill e-mail Add commentMacron to name new French PM Friday after days of deadlock
Multiplicity is a software KVM for Windows 10 and 11 built with robust functionality and modern encryption to support enterprise workloads. PLYMOUTH, Mich. , Dec. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Stardock released Multiplicity 4 1.0 today, a powerful application that allows you to control multiple PCs with a single mouse and keyboard. Known as a software KVM, Multiplicity 4's innovative new features to let you use any Windows laptop as a native secondary display, stream multiple monitors at the same time, and introduces support for ARM devices. Powered by our proprietary ControlStreamTM v4 technology, Multiplicity 4 can stream multi-monitor configurations to the primary device within a single viewing window. And with the advanced compression technology that can easily be configured, Multiplicity 4 is designed to provide a full fidelity experience but can also be optimized to preserve bandwidth with a single setting. New with Multiplicity 4 is Seamless DisplayTM, a feature that makes it simple to use a laptop or other Windows PC as a native secondary display with Windows. With this feature, you can make a laptop, tablet, or other Windows PC act as a secondary monitor that functions as a native display – this enables the ability to drag apps and windows to the secondary device as if it was plugged directly into your computer. Seamless, a powerful feature that lets you move effortlessly between multiple devices, has been enhanced to support resolution-aware monitor placement to improve movement across multiple devices and displays with improved precision. "Multiplicity is trusted by emergency call centers around the globe and is used extensively by our manufacturing partners," said Brad Sams , General Manager of Stardock Software. "With this release, Multiplicity 4 will help our partners use a single solution for all of their KVM and remote desktop needs for the modern workplace." With the 1.0 release, Multiplicity 4 is now ready for corporate deployments and takes advantage of Stardock's deployment tooling and the license key management portal. Multiplicity 4 is available today starting at $29.99 and is also included as part of Object Desktop , the award-winning suite of applications from Stardock that includes productivity and personalization applications. Screenshots: ( 1 ) ( 2 ) ( 3 ) ( 4 ) ( 5 ) Please contact press@stardock.com for all media inquiries. About Stardock: Stardock Software is the world's leading developer of desktop enhancements. For over 30 years, Stardock has developed software including Fences ® , Start11TM, WindowBlinds ® , Groupy ® , DeskScapes ® , Multiplicity ® , and more. View original content: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/stardock-releases-multiplicity-4-with-seamless-display-arm-support-and-more-302330679.html SOURCE Stardock Software
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