USA Update

LABOUR’S potential £3billion tax raid on gambling companies could ‘completely derail’ racing and threaten jobs, it has been warned.

Betting and Gaming Council CEO Grainne Hurst has laid bare the scale of the destruction a proposed hike in taxes could have on the country’s second most-attended sport.

The Times

The proposed tax hike could have dreadful consequences for punters[/caption]

Chancellor Rachel Reeves is considering doubling some of the taxes levied on online casinos and bookmakers to plug a £22bn blackhole.

The proposals being considered specifically call for bookmakers’ profits on sports betting to be doubled to 30 per cent.

This could prove a nightmare for punters, with bookies likely to offer much less value in markets, not to mention proving disastrous for the sport’s finances as a whole.

Betting and Gaming Council members already contribute £7.1bn to the economy, generating £4.2bn in tax and providing 110,000 jobs.

Hurst said if the powder-keg proposals are adopted the damage would be enormous, with £3bn already wiped off the value of the biggest bookies after reports of the hike were published.

She said: “I want to be very clear with Government, any further tax rises now will not only slam the breaks on growth for our sector, but it will threaten jobs and completely derail horseracing.

“Our industry is at a cross roads as we seek to implement the measures contained in the White Paper, measures that will cost our sector over £1bn.

“We also can’t ignore the new Levy on Research, Prevention and Treatment for problem gambling, which will raise £100m a year from bookmakers.

“After so many years of uncertainty, we need stability to deliver sustainable investment, not further change which threatens to undo that contribution.

“What is true for the BGC, is also true for horseracing.

“Any new taxes now risks giving a leg-up to the lurking menace of the black market, which is hoovering up disaffected customers with eye catching offers but none of the protections that are in place in the regulated market.

“Customers have been hit hard for years, with increasing pressure on the cash people have available to spend on the hobbies they enjoy, once bills and taxes are paid. Now is not the time to ramp up that pressure.

“Betting and gaming remains a hugely popular pastime in this country, with around 22.5m people having a flutter each month, and it is enjoyed safely by the overwhelming majority.

“Our members are a Great British export and genuine global leaders, delivering enormous economic good in city centers, on high streets and in the growing online sector.

“We want to partner with Government to see the right, proportionate regulations, and a stable tax regime, which doesn’t hit customers, doesn’t raise the attraction of illegal operators and doesn’t derail the horseracing industry, but instead delivers on the Government’s growth agenda.”

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Remember to gamble responsibly

A responsible gambler is someone who:

• Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
• Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
• Never chases their losses
• Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
• Gamcare – www.gamcare.org.uk
• Gamble Aware – www.gambleaware.org

Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.

MANCHESTER UNITED inserted a £16MILLION buy-back clause into Alvaro Carreras’ permanent move to Benfica.

And Benfica are worried that the Red Devils will activate it, according to reports.

United are reportedly considering making a huge transfer U-turn a mere FIVE MONTHS after sanctioning Carerras’ £5million move to Benfica.

Given the struggles at left-back, United may well regret their decision to let him depart and could be tempted to trigger their buy-back clause.

The 21-year-old left United without making a competitive appearance but has already established himself as a key player for his new club.

Carreras has gone from strength to strength since moving to the Portuguese capital, making nine appearances in all competitions this season.

He started both of Benfica’s Champions League games, including their 4-0 demolition of Atletico Madrid, where he kept Argentine World Cup winner Angel Correa and Frenchman Antonie Griezmann at bay.

United, however, will reportedly face competition for the left-back’s services from Barcelona, Real Madrid and Liverpool.

But the Spaniard’s release clause for all other clubs, bar United, is set at around £41million, according to Portuguese outlet Record.

Carreras spent the second half of last season with Benfica on loan, before making the move permanent in May.

FOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS

The Red Devils signed Carerras from Madrid in September 2020, pipping both Barca and Manchester City to his services.

He was named on the bench for several Premier League games under Erik ten Hag.

The full-back was highly-rated at the club, winning the Under-23s player of the season award in 2022.

And United’s defensive injury crisis could see them move back in for Carreras.

Ten Hag’s side have endured their worst ever Premier League start and left-back has been a problem position amid injuries to Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia.

Natural right-back Diogo Dalot has started every game on the left-hand side of defence this term – but has endured some horror shows, particularly in United’s 3-0 pummelling by Spurs.

Meanwhile, new full-back Noussair Mazraoui will be sidelined for a few weeks after undergoing a minor procedure after experiencing heart palpitations.

The Red Devils have ONE full-back available for selection in Dalot or may have to call up 17-year-old Harry Amass for his first Prem minutes.

Harry Maguire has also been ruled out for a few weeks after pulling his calf against Aston Villa.

STRICTLY Come Dancing viewers reckon Katya Jones and Wynne Evans’ excuse over ‘hand-gate’ doesn’t add up.

Footage of Katya, 35, pushing away 52-year-old Wynne’s hand from her midriff caused controversy this weekend.

After backlash from fans, the pair issued an apology insisting it was an “inside joke”.

However, having analysed the viral videos, fans are asking: “If it’s a joke, why is nobody laughing?”

Show bosses say they will not be looking into the situation further after Katya and Wynne were checked on by the welfare team.

One unsatisfied viewer said: “Katya again insisting it was ‘all a joke’. But why would Wynne Evans ‘joke’ about groping, when there’s a live investigation supposedly going on into inappropriate behaviour on #Strictly? And why does Katya have to apologise for Wynne’s behaviour?”

Another said: “Are we meant to think Katya and Wynne had a hilarious inside joke about how far he could grope her before she stopped him?”

Someone else said: “The way they’re handling this is so weird.

“I mean I kind of get it if Katya doesn’t really think it’s that big of a deal/felt like it was dealt with in the moment but I feel like rather than the whole ‘it’s a joke’ thing, it would’ve been better for them to just say they’d spoken about it privately and it was all good.

“Most people would’ve dropped it then, instead they’re just adding more speculation.”

Someone else insisted: “I don’t think it was an inside joke. I think Katya is just the type of woman who is more confident batting away male advances.

“To her it isn’t a HR thing. It’s a ‘I can handle this myself and get on with the show’ thing.

“Wynn needs to be careful. If I slid my hands across a colleague’s stomach in work there’d be consequences. There seems to be some very relaxed rules on what’s ok on the show at times!”

Speaking out about the fallout today, Wynne said: “I’m absolutely heartbroken by the things that have been written about me in the last day.”

He added: “It’s not nice to live in that time, but basically Katya and I are really, really close and we’re really good friends, and on Saturday night we made a stupid joke.

“It was a stupid joke that went wrong, OK? We thought it was funny. It wasn’t funny. It has been totally misinterpreted.”

Apple has unveiled its iPhone 16 series, introducing notable updates to both the standard and Pro models. Historically, the iPhone Pro series has outshone its non-Pro counterparts, but this year blurs that line. With similar processors, camera capabilities, and even shared features like the Action Button and Camera Control buttons, potential buyers might find it ... Read more

The post iPhone 16 vs. iPhone 16 Pro: Comparison appeared first on AiTechtonic - Informative & Entertaining Text Media.

BRITS who shop at Aldi have been urged to check their cupboards for tins which could pose a serious health risk.

Hundreds of tins of tuna after being recalled as they contain an allergen not listed on the back of the product, the Food Standard Agency (FSA) has said.

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null[/caption]

Aldi

Aldi Food Recall https://www.food.gov.uk/news-alerts/alert/fsa-aa-48-2024[/caption]

“Our supplier is recalling The Fishmonger Soy and Ginger Fusions Tuna because the product contains an undeclared allergen (wheat),” Aldi said in a notice to customers.

Wheat contains gluten which is dangerous to those with a gluten intolerance or have coeliac disease.

The supermarket is has anyone who bought the tins to return them to their nearest Aldi store return it for a full refund.

The recall covers all 80g tins with the barcode: 4088600300276.

“We apologise that this product did not meet our normal high standards and thank you for your co-operation,” it added.

Around one per cent of Brits have coeliac disease but only 36 per cent are diagnosed, according to Coeliac UK.

The charity estimates around half a million people in the UK are currently undiagnosed.

Coeliac disease causes the immune system to attack the body’s own tissues when you eat gluten, which is found in wheat, barley and rye.

This damages the gut, preventing the body from taking in nutrients properly.

Symptoms include diarrhoea, tummy pain and bloating, as well as indigestion, constipation, tiredness, weight loss, an itchy rash, infertility or nerve damage.

Patients who continue to eat gluten over time can suffer long-term gut damage, weakening of the bones and iron deficiency.

Many other conditions including non-coeliac gluten sensitivity also need a gluten free diet and it is now estimated that at least 10 per cent of UK consumers are following this diet.

The FSA issues alerts if there is a problem with food products which should not be sold.

This could be because it has been contaminated with something, such as mould or metal, or it carries an incorrect ‘use-by‘ date.

A HEZBOLLAH terror tunnel has been found under the gaze of the UN’s watchtower that sits a mere few yards away.

Within viewpoint from the tower, a rusty metal trapdoor sits visible on the rocky ground – opening to reveal a Hezbollah attack position entrance.

X/@Doron_Kadosh

The tunnel appears to be visible from the UN watchtower[/caption]

Reuters

The tunnel is in southern Lebanon’s Naqoura region near the border with Israel[/caption]

X/@Doron_Kadosh

A mere few yards from the discovered tunnel is a UN watchtower[/caption]

X/@Doron_Kadosh

The tunnel was discovered during an IDF operation[/caption]

The Israeli military believe the terror tunnels would have taken years to build – all under the eyes of the UN watchtower.

And it’s even claim the site is where Hezbollah was responsible for firing anti-tank missiles at civilians across the border for the past year.

Some visitors of the tunnel have claimed it seems “incomprehensible” that the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) didn’t know about the tunnel that appears to be visible from the buildings windows.

And due to the ground being solid rock, the Israeli military believe equipment would have had to be used to dig such a tunnel.

IDF General Yiftach Norkin told the Telegraph: “To build a tunnel like this you need a lot of equipment.

“You can’t hide it. It’s very odd to us that the UN didn’t see these activities.”

The two tunnels are a mere 10 metres apart and are said to have served two different purposes to Hezbollah, the IDF claims.

One was used as a terror observation post – littered with cameras used to slyly collect intelligence on Israeli villages across the border.

While the other was to launch brutal anti-tank missiles at Israeli villages – until the Israeli army invaded the south-west of Lebanon last week.

But inside the tunnels IDF soldiers found explosive devices, boots and helmets among other various equipment – which the army believes were to be used to invade the Israeli border, the Telegraph reports.

General Norkin claims the army is coordinating with UN troops who are still in the watchtower.

He added: “I want to emphasise that the UN isn’t our enemy. Sometimes we make mistakes and we investigate the incidents.”

But the UN later said in a statement that two Israeli tanks had broken through the UN base gates.

In response, the Israeli military released a statement to say a Merkava tank had been attempting to evacuate injured soldiers and accidentally backed into the UNIFIL post.

It comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu demanded peacekeepers evacuate from Lebanon’s “danger zone”.

Directly addressing the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Netanyahu warned: “Your refusal to evacuate the UNIFIL soldiers makes them hostages of Hezbollah.

“Mr Secretary-General, get the UNIFIL forces out of harm’s way. It should be done right now, immediately.”

AFP

A picture from 2019 during a tour with the Israeli army shows the interior of a tunnel at the Israeli side of the border with Lebanon in northern Israel[/caption]

Alamy

An Israeli soldier stands inside a Hezbollah tunnel on the border between Israel and Lebanon in northern Israel in 2019.[/caption]

AFP

Israeli soldiers have been effective on the years in finding Hezbollah tunnels[/caption]

UNIFIL has refused these requests so far.

Nearly 10,000 peacekeepers from around 50 countries are station in Lebanon.

Since 1978 they have patrolled the area between the Litani River and the boundary between Lebanon and Israel dubbed the “Blue Line”.

The Blue Line is the de facto border between Israel, Lebanon and Golan Heights.

Israel has asked UNIFIL in the past to withdraw north by 5km.

It comes as four Israeli soldiers have been killed in a Hezbollah drone strike on an army base.

Sergeant Omri Tamari, Sergeant Yosef Hieb, Sergeant Yoav Agmon and Sergeant Alon Amitay, all 19, died in the attack near Binyamina in central Israel.

Hezbollah said it had targeted a base belonging to the IDF’s Golani Brigade with a “swarm of drones”.

It is the deadliest strike by the terror group since Israel launched its ground invasion of Lebanon nearly two weeks ago.

Israel’s military said 61 were wounded – with seven severely injured.

The drone strike hit shortly before 7pm on Sunday, hitting a packed dining hall inside the base, according to local reports.

IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said: “The IDF has full operational control over the incident.

“We will investigate how a UAV can breach without warning and hit a base.

“We are required to provide better protection. We will investigate this incident, learn from it and improve.”

Hezbollah said the attack was retaliation for Israeli strikes on Beirut last Thursday that left 22 people dead.

Rex

The Golani Brigade continues to conduct limited, localized, targeted raids in southern Lebanon[/caption]

Rex

During these operations soldiers have located weapons storage facilities and operational tunnel shafts, eliminated terrorists, and conducted raids[/caption]

WALMART shoppers can grab themselves a Thanksgiving meal that won’t see their wallets squeezed too much.

The package will hit store shelves today and costs less than $7 per person.

Getty

Bosses say that it will help shoppers lay out their tables without compromising on their Thanksgiving favorites.

Walmart chiefs announced the deal in mid-September, allowing shoppers to plan ahead to maximize budgets, as reported by Food and Wine.

“We know many of our customers are beginning to prepare for their holiday celebrations early, and we’ve adapted our approach to best meet their needs,” Latriece Watkins, the executive vice president and chief merchandising officer at Walmart US, said.

The meal includes all the traditional Thanksgiving items – ranging from turkey, which is being sold at less than $1 per pound, to the trimmings.

And desserts will also be thrown into the package.

The hamper can feed up to 10 people and contains 28 items, according to Walmart.

However, the chain has not revealed all the items as part of the holiday meal.

The meal will be sold at a lower price than last year’s feast, according to the company.

And, bosses have boasted inflation has been removed from the price.

Shoppers can buy the meal in-store or online, and it’s available between October 14 and December 25.

Customers can also order Thanksgiving meals for family and friends anywhere in the US.

The Thanksgiving meal package was also offered to shoppers in 2022 and 2023.

The offer runs until Christmas, but shoppers will not be able to buy the package from a Walmart store on Thanksgiving.

This is because all stores will be closed so workers can mark the fall holiday with their families.

It will be the fifth consecutive year that Walmart stores will be closed for Thanksgiving.

Walmart supermarkets had been open for Thanksgiving since the late 1980s, but the company departed from tradition in 2020.

Stores have been closed for the holiday ever since.

Walmart is not the only retailer that is closed on Thanksgiving.

Target, Costco, and Sam’s Club bosses also close their respective stores to mark the fall holiday.

Thousands of Walmart stores will reopen their doors for Black Friday.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES coach Nick Sirianni was seen yelling at a group of fans during Sunday’s 20-16 win over the Cleveland Browns.

Boos rang around Lincoln Financial Field late in the game amid frustrations with the Eagles‘ offense.

Despite boasting some incredible talent, the Eagles have averaged just 18 points in the last four games.

Sirianni has been the subject of serious criticism as a result.

The 43-year-old was booed in the late stages of Sunday’s game, with some fans even chanting “Fire Nick” at downs.

His frustrations eventually boiled over and he appeared to confront the crowd.

Sirianni was seen yelling and gesturing towards the group of fans.

It prompted Fox Sports commentator and ex-NFL linebacker Jonathan Vilma to say: “I frankly don’t know why the Eagles fans are booing.”

Sirianni was asked about his reaction after the game.

He said: “We thrive off the crowd when they cheer for us. That’s all I’ll say.

“We hear them when they boo. We don’t necessarily like it. I don’t think that’s productive for anybody. But when they cheer for us and when we’ve got them rolling, we love it.”

The coach went on to add: “I was having fun. And I kind of got some feedback from the guys, the sense of like, ‘We need you back, Nick. We need your energy. We need your focus.’

“I’ve gotten that from a couple players. When I’m operating and having fun, I think that breeds to the rest of the football team.

“If I want the guys to celebrate and be themselves after big plays, then I should probably do that myself, right?

“Now there’s times for that and times not for that. I have to have wisdom and discernment of when to do that and when not to do that.”

The Eagles next face the New York Giants next Sunday at MetLife Stadium.

THE deadline is looming for Americans to claim a chunk of a $115 million payout due to privacy concerns.

It comes after a class action lawsuit was filed against cloud applications provider Oracle America, Inc. in California in 2023.

Alamy

Oracle has agreed to pay $115 million after a class action lawsuit was filed in California regarding privacy concerns (stock image)[/caption]

Getty

Eligible claimants can apply for a chunk of the money but there are only a few days left to do so (stock image)[/caption]

The complaint alleges that the company illegally collected personal information and sold it to third parties for advertising purposes.

“Oracle improperly captured, compiled, and sold individuals’ online
and offline data to third parties without obtaining their consent,” the class action notice claims.

Web activity, purchases made online, geolocation and other personal information were reportedly collected and sold by the company.

Oracle collaborates with the likes of Uber, AMC, and MGM Resorts.

While agreeing to a $115 million settlement, Oracle admits no wrongdoing.

COMPENSATION

Under the terms of the agreement, claimants will receive an equal share of the settlement fund.

It is not currently known how much money each claimant will receive as the net settlement fund will be impacted by how many eligible claims are received.

As well as monetary compensation Oracle is also changing some of its operations in the wake of the lawsuit.

The company will review its privacy systems and will no longer collect user information from forms and referrer websites on its own site.

Those who are eligible for payment will have had their personal information collected and/or sold since August 19, 2018.

Data that was sold may have been made available through ID Graph, Data Marketplace, or another advertising product used by Oracle since the above date.

However, those who believe they are eligible have just four days left to file a claim.

To do so, eligible members are urged to visit the settlement website where they will be directed to a claim form submission portal.

KEY DATES

The final date to submit a form is October 17 with those wishing to object or exclude themselves from the settlement also asked to appeal by this date.

Those who exclude themselves from the settlement will not receive any money but will retain their right to sue Oracle in the future regarding the same complaint.

Meanwhile, eligible claimants who do nothing will not receive any money and will forfeit their legal rights.

A final approval hearing is scheduled for November 14.

This is where a judge will review the settlement and its terms and decide how much money each claimant will receive after various deductions.

Meanwhile, thousands of Americans are eligible for part of a $29.5 million settlement involving Citibank.

Each claimant could get a payment of up to $850 if they were impacted by calls regarding credit card balances between August 15, 2014 and July 31, 2024.

However, the deadline is looming for Citibank customers to take action.

Twenty-eight years after scoring a supporting actress Oscar nomination for 'Secrets and Lies,' the British actress stars in the director's new movie that gets its U.K. premiere at the BFI London Film Festival.