Latest news with #domesticViolence
News.com.au
42 minutes ago
- Business
- News.com.au
NSW cops could be reallocated to combat illicit tobacco trade as Premier Chris Minns throws down gauntlet on excise
NSW Police could be redeployed from tackling domestic violence and youth crime to tackle the booming illicit tobacco trade – with Premier Chris Minns branding the situation as 'intolerable'. Mr Minns on Tuesday threw down the gauntlet with the federal government over the tobacco excise, amid budget considerations about rolling out resources to tackle the statewide scourge. Part of this includes whether NSW Police focus more on the tobacco war. The Premier said he was worried 'as a constituent and a father' about the number of tobacconists propping up around Sydney, but said he wondered if state and federal leaders needed to take a step back and rethink the tobacco excise. 'I think that that's important. I'm not arguing that the public health benefits of putting an exercise on tobacco. 'But, the massive increase (in the excise) has exploded the illicit tobacco marketplace. 'It's meant that many people who would go near any illegal behaviour ordinarily are buying illicit tobacco almost daily, almost from every street. 'We need to look at how big this excise is and how its driving illegal tobacco sales'. Currently, illicit tobacco sales are investigated by NSW Health. Mr Minns said he wanted those officials 'running hospitals, not conducting criminal investigations' and that police would instead have to decide whether they would allocate police to tobacco 'at the expense of every other crime in NSW'. He asked: 'Is there a better way?' 'The massive excise has meant people haven't stopped smoking, it just transferred their sales into illegal tobacco sales. 'The current situation is intolerable. 'We can't have every to-rent shop on every high street in Sydney in Sydney being taken over by a tobacco company when rate of tobacco has remained stable'. Mr Minns said the 'biggest supporters' of the excise were organised criminals. When asked if he'd put his feelings to the federal government, he said: 'I have now'. The excise on tobacco in Australia increases twice per year in March and September under law. Despite the excise, the revenue made from those sales by the federal government has tanked, according to the most recent federal budget. The federal government expects to earn $7.4bn in revenue from the tobacco excise in this financial year. That's down sharply from $12.6bn in 2022–23, and an earlier peak of $16.3bn in 2019–20. The downward trend is expected to continue.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Ducks go on sale Monday for 37th Annual Duck Race benefiting the Center for Prevention of Abuse
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — The countdown is on for one of Central Illinois' most anticipated summer fundraisers. Ducks officially go on sale June 2nd for the Center for Prevention of Abuse's 37th Annual Duck Race. From now through August, supporters can purchase ducks for $5 each online through the CFPA website. Volunteers will also be selling ducks at various locations across the area throughout the summer. The race is scheduled for Saturday, August 23 at 1 p.m. at Eastside Center in East Peoria. Thousands of rubber ducks will be released, racing toward the finish line in hopes of winning big for their ticket holders. The grand prize? A $10,000 cash award for the first duck to cross the finish line. The first 15 ducks to finish will all win prizes, making the race a fun and rewarding way to support a vital cause. All proceeds from the event go toward the Center for Prevention of Abuse, helping fund services for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, and elder abuse. For more information or to purchase a duck, visit their website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
South China Morning Post
a day ago
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
What does Hong Kong's obsession with ‘Mr and Mrs Ho' say about society?
Hong Kong's appetite for gossip-driven news such as reports on the drama-filled life of internet couple 'Mr and Mrs Ho' reflects residents' disinterest in politics and the allure of hot-button topics such as differences in the ages of married partners. Advertisement The couple first garnered media attention last year during a whirlwind romance that saw the 77-year-old Mr Ho tie the knot with the 44-year-old Mrs Ho within a month of meeting each other. Their television appearances and lavish displays of affection put them on the radar of both residents and government officials, whose eyebrows were raised over their eligibility for public housing. Most recently, their relationship took a darker turn when police arrested the couple over a domestic violence dispute that resulted in knife injuries to the back of Mrs Ho's head. Mr Ho was bitten on a finger. Polytechnic University's Daniel Shek Tan-Lei said stories related to the couple, one of whom was a younger divorcee from mainland China, connected with residents and made them want to chime in with their opinions. Advertisement 'The case is an age-gap romance with an older husband and a younger wife, which has its attraction to the public who are eager to gossip,' the chair professor of applied social sciences said.
News.com.au
2 days ago
- General
- News.com.au
Sister's move for niece after young mum allegedly killed by partner in suspected murder-suicide
The sister of a mother who was allegedly killed by her husband in a suspected murder suicide is raising money to support the couple's child, now in her care following the tragedy. The bodies of Krystel and James Paul, both aged 41, were found after emergency services were called to a Cairns home about 7.15pm on Tuesday to conduct a welfare check. When officers arrived at the Mount Sheridan home on Verbena Dr they found both bodies with gunshot wounds. Those close to Ms Paul said she was allegedly planning to leave her husband, The Cairns Post reported. Mr Paul was reportedly a registered gun owner who kept multiple firearms at the home. Ms Paul's sister, Jasmin Bolt, has set up a fundraiser to support the couple's child, who had sought help from a neighbour on Tuesday evening. More than $10,000 has been raised on the Go Fund Me page, with Ms Bolt writing she would be looking after he niece, along with her mother, following her sister's death. 'I need to make sure (her niece) is financially secure for her future, to help with schooling moving forward,' Ms Bolt wrote on the fundraiser. 'Thank you everyone for your kind words and support.' Cairns' Police Detective Acting Inspector Alina Bell earlier told media the couple's nine-year old daughter had gone to neighbour Danna Lancini's home to seek help on Tuesday evening. 'We provided an immediate response due to the concerns of the welfare of the occupants of that house, and unfortunately upon arrival, both male and female were located deceased,' Acting Inspector Bell said. Ms Lancini said the young girl told her 'dad sent me here because (my mum) is dead', the Cairns Post reported. '(Her dad) told her to run to (my) house and then ring her grandma and tell her that the mum's dead,' Ms Lancini said. 'I didn't believe it …(but) he must've rung the ambulance because when I looked out, the police was there. 'It happened all at one … the daughter was in shock, and the police didn't really say anything.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Four disturbing claims from lawsuit accusing Zion Williamson of years of rape and abuse
New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson is accused of rape and domestic violence spanning several years, according to a new lawsuit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Friday. The woman, identified as Jane Doe, alleges a years-long pattern of abuse by the former No. 1 pick. The suit claims the two began dating while Williamson was a freshman at Duke University in 2018. Their relationship allegedly continued through June 2023. Here are some of the most disturbing claims detailed in the lawsuit, reported by The lawsuit states that Williamson first raped the woman in September 2020. A second incident allegedly took place the following month after she told him she wanted to visit a friend, which reportedly made him angry. According to the suit, Williamson was often high on cocaine or drunk during many of the alleged assaults. 'The lawsuit said the abuse and rape continued to happen across multiple states and goes on to list 17 examples of acts it said were done by Williamson, many times while he was drunk or on cocaine,' Defector reported. 'The list in the lawsuit included: sexually and physically assaulting Doe multiple times, confining her after a rape or assault multiple times, strangling her to the point she feared for her life and lost consciousness multiple times, suffocating or smothering her multiple times…' The woman claims in the lawsuit that Williamson threatened multiple times to have his security guard 'shoot Doe in the head while the guard was there and carrying a loaded gun, and threatening to have his security guard kill Doe's parents multiple times after telling her he knows where they live,' reported Defector. In one incident detailed in the lawsuit, Williamson allegedly pointed a gun at her head while in Louisiana in 2002. The suit also accuses him of filming her without consent and threatening to release nude images when she attempted to end the relationship in California and Louisiana. Williamson's attorney, Michael A. Balascio, called the allegations 'categorically false and reckless,' claiming the two had a 'consensual, casual relationship' that ended years ago. He told Defector that after the relationship ended, the woman began demanding millions of dollars from Williamson. Balascio also said Williamson had reported the woman to law enforcement and that a warrant had been issued 'in connection with that report.' Williamson reportedly plans to file a countersuit. The Pelicans have not yet commented on the lawsuit. Williamson was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. Despite two All-Star selections, his career has been limited by injuries — appearing in just 214 games over six seasons. He holds career averages of 24.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game and has yet to appear in a playoff game. Related Headlines NHL Games Today: 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs Schedule, Dates, Times, and Results WNBA games today: WNBA schedule 2025, how to watch the WNBA NBA games today: Game 6 of New York Knicks vs. Indiana Pacers MLB games today: 15 games on Saturday's MLB schedule, including Yankees vs. Dodgers on Fox
