how to win jili super ace philippines Biden's broken promise on pardoning his son Hunter is raising new questions about his legacy WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s decision to go back on his word and pardon his son Hunter wasn't all that surprising to those who are familiar with the president's devotion to his family. But by choosing to put his family first, the 82-year-old president has raised new questions about his legacy. Biden has held himself up as placing his respect for the American judicial system and rule of law over his own personal concerns. It was part of an effort to draw a deliberate contrast with Republican Donald Trump. Now, both his broken promise and his act of clemency are a political lightning rod. Some Democrats are frustrated over Joe Biden reversing course and pardoning his son Hunter ATLANTA (AP) — Already reeling from their November defeat at the polls, Democrats now are grappling with President Joe Biden's pardoning of his son for a federal felony conviction — after the party spent years slamming Donald Trump as a threat to democracy who operates above the law. The White House on Monday struggled to defend the pardon, claiming the prosecution was politically motivated — a page out of Trump's playbook. That explanation did not satisfy some Democrats who are angry that Biden’s reversal could make it harder to take on Trump. Hezbollah fires into Israel-held area after multiple Israeli strikes in Lebanon since truce began JERUSALEM (AP) — Hezbollah fired into a disputed border zone held by Israel after multiple Israeli strikes inside Lebanon since a ceasefire took hold last week. The militant group said the volley, its first during the truce, was a warning shot in response to what it called repeated Israeli violations. Israeli leaders threatened to retaliate, further straining the fragile U.S.- and French-brokered ceasefire. Israeli strikes in recent days, including a string of hits on Monday, have killed at least four people in Lebanon. U.S. officials said the ceasefire was largely holding. Key players in Syria's long-running civil war, reignited by a shock rebel offensive BEIRUT (AP) — Syria’s civil war has exploded back onto the world stage after insurgents poured out of their main bastion in northwestern Syria and seized large parts of nearby Aleppo, Syria’s largest city, and dozens of nearby towns and villages.. The insurgents offensive triggered the heaviest clashes in the country since a March 2020 cease-fire brokered by Turkey and Russia, who back rival sides in the conflict. Five countries have military presence in Syria including the U.S. that has troops deployed in the country’s east, Turkey that controls parts of northern Syria, Israel that has presence in the Golan Heights and Russia and Iran that have been a main backer of Syrian President Bashar Assad. Woman driving drunk who killed bride still in her wedding dress sentenced to 25 years in prison A woman who admitted to drinking and who was driving well over twice the speed limit when she smashed into a golf cart killing a bride who had just got married at a South Carolina beach has been sentenced to 25 years in prison. Jamie Lee Komoroski pleaded guilty Monday to reckless homicide and three felony driving under the influence charges. Police said the 27-year-old drank at several bars on April 28, 2023, and was driving 65 mph on a narrow Folly Beach road when she slammed into a golf cart leaving a wedding. The bride, 34-year-old Samantha Miller, died still wearing her wedding dress. Florida woman sentenced to life for zipping boyfriend into suitcase, suffocating him A 47-year-oldFlorida woman has been sentenced to life in prison for zipping her boyfriend into a suitcase and leaving him to die of suffocation amid a history of domestic and alcohol abuse. Circuit Judge Michael Kraynick imposed the sentence Monday in Orlando on Sarah Boone for the 2020 killing of 42-year-old Jorge Torres. A jury deliberated only 90 minutes Oct. 25 before convicting Boone of the second-degree murder of Jorge Torres after a 10-day trial. Boone had insisted she was herself a victim of domestic violence at the hands of Torres and had pleaded not guilty. Already buried under snow, Great Lakes region expected to see more stormy weather this week Some storm-weary residents of the Great Lakes region have seen continued snowfall and are facing the prospect of even more accumulations this week. Lake-effect snow continues to fall on parts of western New York that were already blanketed with a foot or more over the past four days. Lake-effect snow warnings are in effect through Tuesday night in parts of Ohio, New York and Pennsylvania. Snow fell in western Michigan overnight, and heavier, persistent snow of up to a foot was expected to follow into Monday. Meanwhile, Alaska's capital got more than a foot of snow over the weekend. The National Weather Service says the wintry weather is stronger than Juneau usually sees this time of year. Stock market today: Rising tech stocks pull Wall Street to another record NEW YORK (AP) — Technology stocks pulled Wall Street to another record amid mixed trading. The S&P 500 rose 0.2% Monday after closing November at an all-time high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.3%, and the Nasdaq composite gained 1%. Super Micro Computer, a stock that’s been on an AI-driven roller coaster, soared after saying an investigation found no evidence of misconduct by its management or the company’s board. Retailers were mixed coming off Black Friday and heading into what’s expected to be the best Cyber Monday on record. Treasury yields held relatively steady in the bond market. Cyber Monday shoppers expected to set a record on the year's biggest day for online shopping Consumers in the U.S. are scouring the internet for online deals as they look to make the most of the post-Thanksgiving shopping marathon on Cyber Monday. The National Retail Federation coined the term for the Monday after Black Friday in 2005. Even though e-commerce is now part and parcel of many people’s regular routine, Cyber Monday continues to be the biggest online shopping day of the year, thanks to steady discounts and a fair amount of hype. Several major retails actually started their Cyber Monday promotions over the weekend. Consumer spending for the online shopping days between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday provides an indication of how much shoppers are willing to spend for the holidays.Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs leaves game because of concussion

Police are reporting a second incident of alleged extreme road aggression in a week. Black Friday Sale Subscribe Now! Login or signup to continue reading All articles from our website & app The digital version of Today's Paper Breaking news alerts direct to your inbox Interactive Crosswords, Sudoku and Trivia All articles from the other regional websites in your area Continue The latest clash happened early on Sunday evening at the car park at Pine Island Reserve. After it, a 46-year-old is to face court accused of assault and threatening to kill someone. In an unconnected confrontation last week, one angry driver carried another angry driver off on the back of his ute. In Sunday's incident, the police said that a man and a woman were sitting in a car when a 46-year-old man who was known to the woman approached the vehicle. The police said that "the man began banging on the window before pulling the man out of the vehicle, punching and kicking him several times. "Bystanders intervened and separated the pair before the man got into his vehicle and drove at the other man. "The victim took shelter behind a boulder which the man hit with his vehicle before he fled the scene." Police said the alleged aggressor was arrested at 10pm in Calwell. "He has been charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm, recklessly threatening to kill a person, and attempting to use an offensive weapon," ACT Policing said. In last week's angry confrontation, a driver got carried away - literally: he ended up being driven away on the back of the other truck in the confrontation . What seemed to have happened was that two drivers of trucks - a white Mazda B2600 ute and a white Toyota Hilux - stopped and confronted each other on Gundaroo Drive near the roundabout with the Barton Highway. ACT police arrested a man after he tried to run over another man in a car park. Picture by Keegan Carroll READ MORE COURT AND CRIME NEWS: Tradies find alleged pipe bomb in home of public servant who issued explosives threats Accused work Christmas party rapist claims he was only 'reaching for vape' Allegedly negligent truck driver charged over death of motorcyclist They shouted at each other and the driver of the Mazda then jumped on the back of the Hilux which then drove off with the driver's "opponent" on the back. The Hilux then stopped and the unwilling passenger had to walk back to his own truck. It is not known how far he had to trudge. "Both vehicles stopped and a short time later, the Toyota was seen travelling north along Gundaroo Drive with the driver of the Mazda in the tray of the Hilux," the police said. "The driver of the Toyota pulled over and the man in the tray exited the vehicle and began walking back towards the Barton Highway." Police wanted anyone who may be able to help with information to get in touch. "Anyone with information that can assist police, or who may have witnessed the incident, is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or via the Crime Stoppers ACT website . Information can be provided anonymously." Share Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Email Copy Steve Evans Reporter Steve Evans is a reporter on The Canberra Times. He's been a BBC correspondent in New York, London, Berlin and Seoul and the sole reporter/photographer/paper deliverer on The Glen Innes Examiner in country New South Wales. "All the jobs have been fascinating - and so it continues." Steve Evans is a reporter on The Canberra Times. He's been a BBC correspondent in New York, London, Berlin and Seoul and the sole reporter/photographer/paper deliverer on The Glen Innes Examiner in country New South Wales. "All the jobs have been fascinating - and so it continues." 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Q&A: AI is Big Business... Can Small Businesses Compete?UN General Assembly demands immediate Gaza ceasefireThere are two ways you can look at my relationship with Christmas. You could say that it brings out the giddy child within, reconnecting me to a simpler time, one before mortgage and relationship stress, and the stress of stressing about being too stressed. Or, you could say a rigid attachment to childish ideals of Christmas magic brings out the unlovable, uncompromising psychotic in me, putting a backlight to the faults and fissures of my adult personality. My family would probably choose the latter. I still have plans to inflict a fair amount of festive cheer on my family this year. Credit: iStock I love Christmas, even the parts that drive other people nuts: the panicked frenzy that descends as December 25 approaches, the endless rotation of jingle-bell jingles in shops, the corny movies, the total inescapability of the season. Even the sprawling shopping malls – anathema to my sensibilities 10 months of the year – transform into wonderlands of festive magic and possibility. My 11-year-old has the good sense to complain when the decorations appear in early October while I rejoice at the opportunity to stretch the season to its tautest limits of plausibility. I love Christmas so much, in fact, that I find it very difficult to enjoy. A family should be functional, if not thriving, for the festivity to register below surface level. Despite being too old to blame my mum, I blame my mum. Having endured a spartan, lonely upbringing herself, she went all out at Christmas for my brother and me. Every December, our lounge room was given over to a towering pine tree covered in delicate Polish glass baubles and fine German tinsel. She baked mince pies, strung the halls with garlands of cards, took us to view the Myer Christmas windows and for Santa photos at David Jones – going to great efforts to maintain the beautiful Santa lie (I was menstruating before I finally stopped believing). Every Christmas morning, I’d wake to an abundance of presents under the tree, wrapped with the care and expertise of a workshop elf. All this is to say, the bar was set high for me when I had my own children. When my daughters were little, I would borrow bags full of Christmas books from the library in late October, displaying them on every available surface, and inviting, or perhaps goading, my girls to acquaint themselves with the festive fantasies that I would never be able to fully realise for them. Because in trying to recreate the memories of my childhood, I often overlooked a few important facts. And to really enjoy Christmas as an adult, a few ducks need to be in a row. A family should be functional, if not thriving, for the festivity to register below surface-level. Bank accounts need to be robust, to prevent an eruption of irritable bowel syndrome every time your children mention their wish lists. And intimate relationships must be harmonious – nothing wilts the spirit more than a late-December frost in relations. These threads have rarely all come together at the same time for me. Life is a tightrope walk of expectation management, and it’s not a skill I would put on my CV. Every year, the same self-mandated Christmas rituals play out, and every year, they fall flat on their arse. Of course they do; I expect too much of them, and of the people participating. Visits to Christmas-light displays are punctuated by my yelps of “HOW MAGICAL IS THIS, GIRLS? CAN YOU FEEL THE MAGIC? ARE YOU ENJOYING THE MAGIC?” Any reaction less than extravagant wonder sends my spirits crashing. My insistence on a non-stop TV diet of Christmas movies is met with resistance, if not outright opprobrium. My youngest daughter is unable to brook any suggestion of onscreen sadness or tension. This rules out most Christmas films, in which there’s always an issue threatening to derail the festive joy. She is also allergic to pine needles. “Just keep your distance,” I advise, when the tree enters the house (during the second week of November), adopting the casual disregard for kids’ safety that characterised my 1980s childhood. But after the desultory experience of Christmas 2021, during which one relative doubled down on extreme right-wing conspiracies, political arguments dominated the lunchtime discourse (and not in the fun, lively way of my fantasy Bohemian family), and my youngest child finished the day with a 38.8-degree fever, I decided, while forking a midnight slice of fruit cake into my downturned mouth, that maybe this would be a good time to start adjusting my expectations. It’s a work in progress. I still have plans to inflict a fair amount of festive cheer on my family this year. But small gains have been made. I have accepted that a life lived messily 10 months of the year can’t suddenly be magicked into perfection come November 1. My 16-year-old will visit Melbourne’s iconic Ivanhoe Christmas lights display, but only if I buy her a case of Pepsi Max; she won’t enjoy the experience, but maybe she’ll look back on it fondly as an adult. Family members will very likely enter into a conversation over lunch about the “woke left” that will have me contemplating a return to immoderate drinking – but isn’t that actually the most authentic and universally understood experience of Christmas Day one can have? And there will be no backyard cricket after lunch, the kind that I have always observed in other people’s families with deep envy. But that’s OK. I’ve never really liked cricket, anyway. Get the best of Sunday Life magazine delivered to your inbox every Sunday morning. Sign up here for our free newsletter .

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ATLANTA (AP) — Even the woeful NFC South, where no team has a winning record, can't hide the Atlanta Falcons' offensive shortcomings. Three straight setbacks, including an ugly 17-13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, has left the Falcons 6-6 and feeling the pressure. Only a tiebreaker advantage over Tampa Bay has kept the Falcons atop the division. Now the Falcons must prepare to visit streaking Minnesota, which has won five straight . Veteran defensive tackle Grady Jarrett knows the Falcons must solve the flaws which have been exposed in the losing streak. “It’s now or never,” Jarrett said. “You have to flip the mindset fast.” Kirk Cousins threw four interceptions in the loss, matching his career high. Coach Raheem Morris said he didn't consider playing rookie Michael Penix Jr. against the Chargers and won't think about benching Cousins this week. Morris acknowledged the Falcons can't expect to win when turning the ball over four times. It was the latest example of Atlanta's offensive decline. In the three-game losing streak, Cousins has thrown six interceptions with no touchdowns. The Falcons were held under 20 points in each loss. If not for the rash of interceptions which has contributed to the scoring problems, more attention would be devoted to the surge of big plays on defense. The defense forced two fumbles and set a season high with five sacks, including two by Arnold Ebiketie. The Falcons ranked last in the league with only 10 sacks before finding success with their pass rush against Justin Herbert. Herbert was forced to hold the ball while looking for an open receiver, so some credit for the pass-rush success belongs to Atlanta's secondary. The Falcons gave up only two first downs in the second half and 187 yards for the game. Cousins, 36, was expected to be the reliable leader on offense after he signed a four-year, $180 million contract. The four interceptions were his most since 2014 with Washington. Cousins now will be in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons as he returns to Minnesota, his NFL home from 2018-23. Cousins has thrown 13 interceptions, one shy of his career high set in 2022. His passer rating of 90.8 is his lowest since his 86.4 mark as a part-time starter in 2014 with Washington. “Certainly when you haven’t played at the standard you want to a few weeks in a row, you know, you do want to change that, turn it around,” Cousins said. Running back Bijan Robinson had his busiest day of the season, perhaps in an attempt to take heat off Cousins. Robinson's 26 carries set a career high. He ran for 102 yards with a touchdown, his third 100-yard game of the season. He also was heavily involved as a receiver with six catches for 33 yards. With 135 yards from scrimmage, Robinson has eight games this season with more than 100 yards combined as a rusher and receiver, the second-most in the league. Tight end Kyle Pitts had no catches on only two targets. He has only six catches in the last four games after appearing to establish momentum for a big season with two seven-catch games in a span of three weeks in October. Morris noted the Falcons have “so many people that we've got to get the ball to” but noted he'd like to see Pitts more involved. Younghoe Koo's hip issues were such a concern that kicker Riley Patterson was signed to the practice squad on Friday and added to the active roster Saturday. Patterson was on the inactive list as Koo was good on two of three field goals, missing from 35 yards. Koo has made 21 of 29 attempts this season. He did not have more than five misses in any of his first five seasons with Atlanta. 70 — WR Drake London had nine receptions for 86 yards, giving him 70 catches for the season. London, a 2022 first-round draft pick, is the first player in team history with at least 65 receptions in each of his first three seasons. While Ray-Ray McCloud III led the team with a career-best 95 yards on four catches against the Chargers and Darnell Mooney has had some big games, London has been the most consistent receiver. The Falcons face a difficult test Sunday in their visit to Minnesota (10-2), which has five straight wins and is 5-1 at home. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nflWhen Claire realised she needed protection from a former partner, the warning she received was stark. Black Friday Sale Subscribe Now! Login or signup to continue reading All articles from our website The digital version of Today's Paper Breaking news alerts direct to your inbox All articles from the other regional websites in your area Continue "If you go down this pathway, don't be surprised if the abuse gets worse. Don't be surprised if his behaviour towards you gets worse," she says police and lawyers told her about starting civil proceedings. "But you know, just call us. We're only a phone call away." The feeling of security a court-issued family violence order initially gave her was fleeting. "It doesn't really give you any safety. It's just words at the end of the day. So, you just are living in this constant state of fear," she tells ACM. Like Claire, Olivia's order doesn't make her feel any safer from a man she fears so much she has fled the ACT multiple times during civil and criminal proceedings. "What it did was made me feel like that was now the highest risk time," she says about the order being served. Thousands marched to Parliament House in April in the wake of Australian women dying at the hands of men. Picture by Keegan Carroll, Shutterstock Claire and Olivia's cases are, in many ways, similar examples of family violence. The pair have feared for the safety of their children and shared crisis services, and both describe the court orders purportedly protecting them as "just a piece of paper". They are also both referred to using pseudonyms for their safety and because identifying parties involved in protection order proceedings is illegal in the ACT. Messages, threats, murder Family violence order breaches are frequent in the territory and range from overt to surreptitious. They can be frighteningly creative, intimidating and, in some cases, fatal. Acts of violence, letters, stalking, deliveries, threats, notes, phone calls, bank transfer messages, or even a Spotify playlist have all been used to terrify victims who sought a legal form of security. One such order failed to stop a man from sending his ex-partner almost 1000 messages and threatening her life with a hunting knife . Another local abuser ignored the order his ex-wife obtained when he sent her 290 messages in one day and threatened to share a video of the pair having sex. In August, a serial perpetrator was sentenced in the ACT Supreme Court for raping his former partner only hours after being released from jail. Justice David Mossop described the NSW apprehended domestic violence order in place designed to protect that territory victim as "completely ineffective". An order also didn't stop a man from sending his ex-partner pipe bomb and napalm-related threats, or an image of himself defiantly burning the legal document. Nor did the court's protection prevent Marcus Rappel from forcing his way into Tara Costigan's home and murdering her with an axe as she fed their newborn baby . A judge found the horrific attack was his retaliation to the interim order granted the previous day. Tara Costigan, who was murdered a day after being granted a family violence order. Picture supplied On the frontline, ACT police attended 3352 family violence incidents last financial year. Of the 1053 related apprehensions made, being any action commencing legal proceedings by charging someone, about 40 per cent of those people had been previously apprehended for family violence. This two-part series gives a voice to those whose accounts of abuse have been heard and vindicated by the courts but who feel let down, marginalised and left to fend for themselves by the criminal justice system. 'Just a piece of paper' Before splitting up with her high school sweetheart, Claire believed she was in a good marriage with a supportive and loving man. Looking back, she says: "I was 100 per cent in an abusive - emotionally abusive, financially abusive - relationship." "I see it now clear as day." After they separated, his communication turned into abusive text messages, berating calls and veiled threats. "The mask came off," she says, and she was eventually granted a family violence order after presenting the man's conduct to a court. The ACT Magistrates Court. Picture by Karleen Minney It would take police nearly two months to serve the order due to inter-jurisdictional complications. "Obviously I felt a bit of relief when I had the [order] granted. It was the first time I'd ever been in a situation like that and I thought, 'OK, I will feel safe from now on'," Claire recalls. "But of course, that's not the case. At the end of the day, it's just a piece of paper. It really doesn't do much in terms of stopping the behaviour. "More often than not they know that, they understand that, and they continue to do it." But despite the order being granted, Claire claims her ex-husband frequently breaches its conditions or purposefully hovers around its edges. "There have been occasions where he's been only a couple of metres away from me and he thinks it's quite funny," she says. "He will regularly staunch or stare at me or intimidate me, flex his muscles during drop off. And he does this in front of our kids - they've commented on it before." Claire believes it's the man's way of showing he can still scare and control her despite a court finding that type of behaviour warranted protection. ACT Magistrates can deal with dozens of family violence cases in a day. Picture by Karleen Minney "Breach left, right and centre - each time that has happened and nothing has been done. It emboldens the perpetrator," she says. "They already believe they're untouchable, and they can do whatever they want, and there are no consequences." 'You're on your own' Claire says police haven't taken alleged order breaches seriously and, for example, told her the man "could spin that and say that's not what actually happened". She recalls an occasion when her child joked about killing her if she didn't read them a book. The child told her they heard the chilling words from her ex-husband and been asked if they, too, wanted to "kill mummy". But it was the man's word against hers, Claire says police told her, and their child was too young to be considered a credible witness. April's National Rally Against Violence in Canberra. Picture by Keegan Carroll More recently, her ex-husband walked by her at an after-school event against the distance terms of the order and in sight of a witness who provided a supportive statement. But Claire says an officer told her they couldn't charge the man with a breach because he had simply taken "the most logical" route to his car. "This is the simplest example of why women don't trust police and why [orders] mean nothing," she says. "The overwhelming conclusion I have gotten from the court system - from the child protection systems, from the family violence systems, from the policing systems - is that unless you're experiencing the absolute worst of the worst, and even then, we probably won't help you." Claire was fortunate to be supported, both emotionally and financially, by her family. But she says many women aren't so lucky and "are essentially dropped on their asses and have to start over". "I think a lot of people start the process and go, 'This is f---ed, there's no point'," she says. "There is no point because nobody actually does anything and you're kind of left on your own to figure it out." 'Psychological torture of waiting' Like Claire, Olivia is disillusioned with the system after her former partner was convicted of multiple breaches of a protection order. It took police over a week and a half to serve him with that order and for it to take effect. Olivia acknowledges demands on the system but says the anxiety of waiting was unbearable during a time of extreme stress, change and uncertainty. The victim had already fled interstate by the time her former life partner was served, an action she was warned would increase her risk. The ACT Magistrates Court, where family violence orders are sought. Picture by Karleen Minney "The psychological torture of waiting, knowing that your risk could go through the roof at any minute, and you're expecting it ASAP," she says. "Every day you're just waiting for the phone call and you don't know when it's going to come." Olivia says the only thing the order being served did was give her more official recourse and force police to take her seriously if the man did something that was "not lethal". "But when your fear is that it's going to be lethal, it doesn't exactly do much for that. Does it?" she says. She escaped the relationship after making a startling and confronting discovery about her partner. "I went to the lawyer, and they called in [the Domestic Violence Crisis Service], and I didn't go home again," she says. "And then [my child] didn't go home again, so we didn't get to bring anything with us. We had what we were wearing when we left and then we went into hiding, effectively." An application form for an ACT family violence order. Picture supplied Olivia was later forced to wait multiple days before she could make a formal statement about the order's breaches and the man could subsequently be arrested. Coercive control Since leaving her former partner, Olivia and her child have been frequently displaced. "Relocating permanently, relocating temporarily, is all part of the considerations with safety planning and a very real aspect impacting people in this situation," she says. "[People incur] additional expenses with travel or the disruption to your life, to children's lives, to education, to your social connections, to your family, to your pets, to your home." According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 38 per cent of clients using specialist homelessness services in 2022-23 had experienced family and domestic violence. But Olivia says there is another part of her experience not getting enough coverage in the national conversation around violence. She believes there is a poor community understanding of coercive control, a pattern of abusive behaviour designed to undermine another person's autonomy. "I spent years in this relationship asking, 'Is this coercive control?' I know logically and rationally it is," she says. "But you don't trust your judgement." Olivia says perpetrators like her ex can hide their abuse from everyone outside the relationship, including police. ACT Policing says while coercive control is not criminalised in the ACT, it acknowledges it as a 'concerning behaviour and a risk factor'. Picture by Karleen Minney "He will present as very polite, very agreeable. And then he will manipulate that," she says. While a protection order can be sought over the controlling conduct in the ACT, the jurisdiction has not yet made coercive control a standalone criminal offence. Some local advocates believe the territory government should wait for greater community understanding before introducing laws , while others say the ACT is needlessly falling behind . But for Olivia, the "law is not good enough" and the territory government needs to criminalise coercive control as soon as possible because "lives are at stake". Based on her experience, the victim questions whether those working in the justice system are appropriately trained. "I just don't know that the police understand the perpetrator could completely believe they're the victim, wholeheartedly, genuinely believe they're the victim," she says. "They're going to behave like a victim, in a sense. But it's only with the specialist knowledge around coercive control you're going to pick up things in the way they present their victim side." An ACT Policing spokesperson said all new officers undertake an extensive domestic and family violence training package delivered with the assistance of external non-governmental organisations and academics. "This package educates new police on coercive control and equips police to identify and respond to coercive control in domestic and family violence situations," they said. Police are preparing to launch a new domestic and family violence investigations unit . "New investigators, amongst other things, will also receive training on trauma-informed policing methodologies," they said. "ACT Policing expects to take this opportunity to further enhance the training it provides all police on misidentification." 'Low risk' But Olivia also believes a lack of information about her experience and the nuances around coercive control affected the community-based jail sentence her perpetrator received. "The court deemed him low risk of reoffending," she says, also noting the magistrate's focus on the man's lack of criminal history. "I was horrified by that. On what planet could someone possibly make that comment?" DVCS chief executive officer Sue Webeck. Picture by Sitthixay Ditthavong Earlier this year, Domestic Violence Crisis Service chief executive Sue Webeck said she hoped the territory was listening to those harmed by the justice system. "There is a really big disconnect at the moment between what we as a society hope happens to keep people in our community safe versus what the courts and policing do and respond to," she told this masthead. "You cannot change an institutional culture from within the institution. "You need to bring outside frontline expertise into the conversation." Support is available for those who may be distressed. Phone Domestic Violence Crisis Service 6280 0900; Lifeline 13 11 14; MensLine 1300 789 978; 1800-RESPECT 1800 737 732. Share Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Email Copy Tim Piccione Court reporter Tim is a journalist with the Canberra Times covering the ACT courts. He came to the nation's capital via the Daily Advertiser in Wagga. Contact: tim.piccione@canberratimes.com.au. Tim is a journalist with the Canberra Times covering the ACT courts. He came to the nation's capital via the Daily Advertiser in Wagga. Contact: tim.piccione@canberratimes.com.au. More from Court and Crime 'Just a piece of paper': Domestic violence orders don't make Claire and Olivia safe 54m ago Young people being targeted by sexual harassment predators Yes, a small number die from vaccines. We can't let it play into anti-vax hands Man caught on CCTV allegedly robbing Manuka Coles during minute of silence Parents' joy as mementoes of dead son are returned after grave theft Racism sadly reminiscent of my experience finally called out

West Ham's Antonio in hospital after road traffic incidentOTTAWA — Billionaire Elon Musk called Canada’s prime minister an “insufferable tool” on his social media platform today. Musk’s comments were in response to Justin Trudeau likening Kamala Harris’s defeat in the U.S. presidential election to an attack on women’s rights and progress. This afternoon, Trudeau met with provincial and territorial premiers to discuss Canada’s approach to negotiations with the U.S. Canada is facing a threat of a 25 per cent tariff hike from incoming president Donald Trump, who defeated Harris in the November election. Earlier this week, Trump taunted Trudeau on social media, referring to the prime minister as the governor of what he called the “Great State of Canada.” The post was an apparent reference to a joke Trump cracked at his dinner with Trudeau at his Mar-a-Lago estate nearly two weeks ago, where the president-elect teased that Canada could join the U.S. as its 51st state. Speaking on Tuesday night at an event hosted by the Equal Voice Foundation — an organization dedicated to improving gender representation in Canadian politics — Trudeau said there are regressive forces fighting against women’s progress. “It shouldn’t be that way. It wasn’t supposed to be that way. We were supposed to be on a steady, if difficult sometimes, march towards progress,” Trudeau said, adding he is a proud feminist and will always be an ally. “And yet, just a few weeks ago, the United States voted for a second time to not elect its first woman president. Everywhere, women’s rights and women’s progress is under attack. Overtly, and subtly.” In a post on X on Wednesday, Musk responded to a clip of Trudeau’s remarks, saying, “He’s such an insufferable tool. Won’t be in power for much longer.” This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 11, 2024. Nick Murray, The Canadian Press

Once again, the winter holiday season is upon us! I am sure I have said this before, but I never cease to be amazed at the seemingly endless varieties of holiday plants available. This year, I planned on not buying any holiday plants, but one trip to two local greenhouses changed my mind immediately. If one plant could exemplify the season, it would be the Poinsettia. Although red and white Poinsettias have been the standard for many years, there are a lot of really neat colors available if you look hard enough. One of my all-time favorites is orange. I used to grow this variety when it first came out, and could never stock enough of them. In the old days, you needed to set it next to a red one to tell the difference, but fast forward many years, and the orange is now much more intense and can stand alone in all its glory. If I had to pick just one favorite Poinsettia , it would be the yellow. It just looks so unusual and unlike anything else. I first saw it years ago in small quantities in a big box store, but now they are much more common. The regular white has a slight yellow tint to it, but there is a super bright white that looks as pure as freshly fallen snow. Another new favorite is called “Christmas Mouse,” and has rounded leaves that resemble mouse ears in contrast to the normal pointed ones. Of course, there are also Poinsettias that are actually spray painted with a plant-safe paint. These plants usually also have glitter sprinkled onto them. Even though these are artificial looking, they are beautiful works of art in their own right. There are new varieties of cyclamen around too. These are characterized by interestingly shaped flowers that are more open. Some of the varieties even have the flowers turned upright. The colors are amazing and range from dark maroon reds to almost neon pink. Another plant I am really excited to see this year is the Amaryllis. These have been around an extremely long time, but what changed is the number of places carrying many different varieties for sale. I like when I can just buy the bulb and pot it up on my own. This is less expensive and allows me to buy more varieties. There are even some places selling the bulbs with a type of paint coating on them which is said to eliminates the need for watering. I prefer a bulb in a pot as I think it looks more natural, but that is a matter of opinion. What I have seen a lot less of this year is the Christmas Cactus. While they are still around, their numbers are not nearly as plentiful as in the past. The Amaryllis and Christmas cactus are the two plants you can keep long term. They each have special care routines that you will need to follow to get them to bloom again the following year. The Christmas cacti need a certain lighting (or darkness) period, and the Amaryllis need a dry dormant period. Wherever you are going for the holidays, I suggest bringing one of these festive plants to the host as a gift. There is nothing more cheerful than a brightly colored plant during the dark days of winter. On that note, why not buy some for yourself and enjoy them all season? Either way, I suggest you make the most of things with a nice new plant variety that you never had before. There certainly are plenty from which to choose. For your gardening questions, feel free to contact us, toll-free, at the UConn Home & Garden Education Center at (877) 486-6271, visit our website at www.ladybug.uconn.edu or contact your local Cooperative Extension center.

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‘Tis the season for CT holiday plants. It’s not just about poinsettias

Pfizer: Peer-Leading Dividend And Potential Substantial Shareholder ReturnsDrake’s Legal Filings Claim the Music Game Is Rigged. Sound Familiar?

Even by the standards of a litigious business, Drake’s recent legal actions against Universal Music Group and other companies look like odd filings. On Nov. 25, Drake filed an action accusing UMG and Spotify of acting to “artificially inflate” the popularity of Kendrick Lamar ’s “Not Like Us”; the next day, he made a similar filing against UMG and iHeartRadio , alleging that UMG’s release of the song could also constitute defamation. The basic idea seems to be that “Not Like Us,” Lamar’s diss track against Drake, became so successful because it was rigged. “UMG did not rely on chance, or even ordinary business practices,” Drake’s lawyers wrote in the first filing. “It instead launched a campaign to manipulate and saturate the streaming services and airwaves.” The filings accuse UMG and its partners of acting in ways that are fraudulent, including using “bots” and payola, but little proof is provided — a “whistleblower,” an “inside source known to petitioner” and an assertion that Drake “learned of at least one UMG employee making payments to an independent radio promoter” who had agreed to pay stations. (The company has said in a statement to Billboard that “the suggestion that UMG would do anything to undermine any of its artists is offensive and untrue.”) These filings aren’t lawsuits, but rather legal attempts to get information that might provide the basis for them. And since Lamar’s success doesn’t really come at the expense of Drake’s — at least any more than any artist becomes popular at the expense of any other — it’s hard not to wonder if Drake is just upset that, with “Not Like Us,” Lamar seems to have won the long-running feud between them. That’s a long story — well-summarized here — but Drake and Lamar basically traded diss tracks for hip-hop fans until Lamar’s scathing “Not Like Us” topped the Billboard Hot 100. Drake is essentially claiming that UMG — for which both rappers record under different labels — cheated on Lamar’s behalf. It was rigged. Quick: What other famous person does this remind you of? Hints: When he wins, he revels in his success; when he loses, he blames it on unfairness and litigates. Yes, I’m going there: Drake has become Trumpian . Before Team Drizzy throws bottles of Virginia Black Whiskey by Drake, Drake is a skilled rapper, a compelling performer, and a fantastic Drake — it’s hard to compare him to other artists, both because he doesn’t fit neatly into a genre and because his greatest talent is being Drake. (Drake the artist seems to be an exaggerated version of Drake the person, with the soap operatic conflict amped up and the more mundane parts edited out.) Both Drake and Trump thrive on success and fandom — their fans root for them because they win and they win because their fans root for them. (Trump the politician seems to be an exaggerated version of Trump the person, with the cultural conflict amped up and the boring parts edited out.) Neither gets a ton of respect from critics, but they are both popular beyond belief, and they love to win and then show off that they did. Drake’s feud with Lamar became so compelling because each was a champion in his own way — Drake the unmatched entertainer, Lamar the iconic old-school lyricist. By scoring a No. 1 single with a diss track, an unusual achievement, Lamar essentially beat Drake at his own game. Is this why Drake is filing legal actions? Most people file litigation for financial restitution, to get an injunction to stop something, or to win negotiating leverage. In this case, the first would be hard to calculate, the second involves practices that would be hard to prove and the third seems unlikely — why would Drake want out of the UMG deal he signed in 2021 , which includes publishing and merchandise rights and was described as “Lebron sized.” The only thing we know about Drake’s motive is that his second filing says he “brings this action for a discrete and specific purpose: to understand whether, and how, UMG funneled payments to iHeartRadio and its radio stations as part of a pay-to-play scheme.” Perhaps, like Trump, he simply can’t imagine the possibility that he would lose a fair fight. Does Drake have a case? If UMG really had the power to make any song a hit, wouldn’t it do so more frequently? If anyone thinks Drake hasn’t received enough marketing or promotion — and I have yet to meet such a person — it’s worth considering that some Spotify subscribers found the service’s promotion of Scorpion so extensive that they asked for a refund . This, too, has political echoes: If U.S. elections are as unfair as Trump claims, how can he trust the one in November? Like Trump, Drake loves the one-upmanship drama of competition — but only, apparently, when he wins. Trump ran several campaigns based partly on the politics of insult comedy — his dog-whistle racism was obviously far worse — but he doesn’t like to be on the receiving end of it. (The kind of thin skin that would be a personal fault in most is terrifying in the U.S. president.) If rappers could pursue defamation claims for diss tracks, much less against the labels that release them, hip-hop never would have made it out of the Bronx. Lamar called Drake a certified pedophile, which is an ugly accusation, and a pun on Drake’s Certified Lover Boy , but not an actual thing; the reason Drake looks bad isn’t because people believe it but because “Not Like Us” is catchier and wittier than his own diss tracks. Drake certainly has the right to ask about music promotion practices — even in a legal filing. If no evidence of this emerges, though, he will need to seek satisfaction the old-fashioned way — by releasing a more compelling single.

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The Dallas Cowboys ended five weeks of frustration with a 34-26 win at Washington in a Sunday decision overflowing with both hilarious and historic moments. And one guy who obviously feels he's earned an at-least temporary last laugh? Micah Parsons, who not once but twice last week in the buildup for this game proclaiming that his Cowboys are a "damn good football team.'' They came into this game with a five-game losing streak and a 3-7 record and the organization quite obviously (no matter what they say) keeping one eye on the Tankathon. And they come out of it - after somehow topping old pal Dan Quinn, the former Dallas defensive coordinator now in charge in D.C. - feeling there might be a turnaround in store. Said Parsons via social media: "Like I said, we ain’t done.'' And in the postgame locker room? "I just wish we finished better at the end,'' he said . "Letting 'em get that touchdown at the end, that really bothered me. ... But we're on our way to being a team that we want to be." Washington’s standout rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels eventually showcased his dual-threat ability with 274 passing yards, two touchdown passes and a rushing touchdown. Daniels also led the team on the ground with 74 rushing yards. But costly mistakes - many of them forced by Micah and the defense - overshadowed his efforts. Related: Cowboys Shock Commanders in All-Time Wild Finish Parsons recorded two sacks in this one, and Dallas had four total. The Cowboys defense also stole a pair of interceptions here. ... and so yes, with Dallas QB Cooper Rush playing "elite bus driver,'' there is reason to understand why Micah has some optimism. The Cowboys' upcoming slate includes have-nots in the Giants, the Bengals and the Panthers. While the franchise might benefit from tanking, it's the job of the players and coaches to attempt to win. They deserve credit for accomplishing that and more here. "Ending the losing streak is good, but what are you gonna do the next couple weeks?" said Parsons, already turning his attention to Thanksgiving's visitor. "You can do it one time but, consistency, so do it again against the Giants." Related: 'Special' Cowboys Stun Commanders; Top 10 Whitty Observations

Davis Rea LTD. Has $26.44 Million Stock Holdings in Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN)