A man has been arrested following an assault at a Palmerston North Park this afternoon, Wednesday 29 January.
About 1pm, Police responded to a park on Dogwood Way following reports one person had received injuries consistent with a stab wound following an unprovoked assault.
One person was transported to Palmerston North Hospital in a serious condition where they are receiving medical treatment.
Police would like to thank the members of the public who were delayed while Police responded to the incident.
A 25-year-old man is due to appear in the Palmerston North District Court tomorrow, Thursday 29 January, on charges of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
This was a callous and unprovoked attack which we will not tolerate in our community.
If you witness any unlawful activity, please contact Police on 111 if it is happening now or 105 either online or over the phone if it is after the fact.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
DETROIT – A Houston, Texas resident and leader of the violent Jackson street gang the “Thorough Bread Family,” Tamarious “Poogi” Faulkner, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute over 400 grams of fentanyl, Acting United States Attorney Julie A. Beck announced today.
Beck was joined in the announcement by James Deir, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Detroit Field Division, Colonel James F. Grady, II, Michigan State Police, Director Elmer J. Hitt, Jackson Police and Fire Services, and Sheriff Gary Schuette, Jackson County Sheriff’s Department.
Tamarious Faulkner, 28, of Houston, Texas, was the leader of the Thorough Bread Family (TBF), a violent street gang that primarily operated in Jackson, Michigan. In his plea, Faulkner admitted that he was the leader of the conspiracy and that he and his co-conspirators distributed large amounts of fentanyl in Jackson. According to court documents, the fentanyl sold by the gang had a unique texture and coloring. Unlike most fentanyl, typically sold in powder form, TBF’s fentanyl was sold in a rock-like crystalline form, and was often colored yellow, purple, or blue, rather than the usual white. Faulkner and his fellow gang members also possessed firearms and machineguns in furtherance of the fentanyl trafficking conspiracy.
Six other co-conspirators have already been sentenced as follows:
Demond Johns, age 27 of Jackson: 128 months’ prison
Dominque Faulkner, age 33 of Jackson: 126 months’ prison
Zaire Faulkner, age 26 of Jackson: 120 months’ prison
Demarquan Smith, age 23 of Jackson: 120 months’ prison
Tommy Owens, age 33 of Jackson: 87 months’ prison
Mario Murguia, age 24 of Jackson: 60 months’ prison
“As is so often the case when drugs and gangs intersect, TBF wreaked havoc on a community by peddling poison and protecting their drug business with violence. The United States Attorney’s Office, in coordination with our federal, state, and local partners, will aggressively investigate and prosecute individuals, groups, and gangs like TBF who do so much to corrode public safety and the well-being of a community,” Acting U.S. Attorney Beck said.
“Today’s guilty plea is a huge win for the Jackson community. The Thorough Bred gang and Dominque Faulkner let their greed and desire for power guide their violent pathway straight into prison like a yellow brick road,” said James Deir ATF Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Division. Like Dorothy and Toto, they are not in Kansas anymore; their cyclone of gun violence has blown them straight into federal prison for an extended period of time. To be clear: There is no place in our community for people who use illegal firearms to carry out fear, intimidate others, or facilitate drug dealing. Our community deserves better than Mr. Faulkner and his merry gang of thugs.”
Tamarious Faulkner is scheduled to be sentenced on April 29, 2025,before Judge Stephen J. Murphy, III. Faulkner faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison with a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with the Michigan State Police, Jackson Police Department, and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew R. Picek, Matthew Roth, and Craig Welkener.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
CS celebrates Chinese New Year with community (with photos) CS celebrates Chinese New Year with community (with photos) ***********************************************************
The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, today (January 29), on the Chinese New Year’s Day, wishes the country to thrive vigorously, for Hong Kong to have harmony and prosperity, and every success to the community. He paid a visit to the Lo Wu Control Point this morning to learn about the various arrangements and operations of relevant departments to cope with the increase in inbound and outbound passenger traffic during the Chinese New Year period. During the visit, he extended his New Year greetings to the staff on duty, and expressed his gratitude to them for performing their duties with dedication during the holidays. Along the way, he took the opportunity to extend his Chinese New Year greetings to the citizens and travellers he met. Accompanied by the Secretary for Security, Mr Tang Ping-keung; the Director of Immigration, Mr Benson Kwok; and the Commissioner of Customs and Excise, Mr Chan Tsz-tat, Mr Chan inspected the Lo Wu Control Point and met the frontline staff of the Immigration Department (ImmD), the Customs and Excise Department (C&ED) and the Hong Kong Police Force on duty. He learned about the arrangements and operation conditions for customs clearance, diverting passenger movements, public order maintenance, etc at the control point during the Chinese New Year period. Mr Chan was pleased to note that the relevant government departments have been in close co-ordination and liaison with stakeholders of transport, tourism and other sectors for making good preparation for receiving visitors during the Chinese New Year Golden Week of the Mainland, and ensuring the orderly operation of boundary control points. Relevant departments have minimised leave for frontline officers during the Chinese New Year period, to enable flexible deployment of manpower, and operation of additional counters and channels with a view to diverting passenger and vehicular flow. The Inter-departmental Joint Command Centre set up by the Police, the ImmD, the C&ED, and other relevant departments; and the Emergency Transport Co-ordination Centre of the Transport Department will both operate 24 hours a dayduring the Golden Week, to closely monitor the situation of various control points and traffic conditions, and take prompt measures to ensure the smooth operation of various aspects in receiving visitors. Mr Chan expressed his heartfelt gratitude to colleagues of the Government and practitioners of various industries for their hard work during the Chinese New Year period. Mr Chan also appealed to visitors arriving in Hong Kong during the Chinese New Year holidays to plan ahead for their itineraries. He encouraged them to stay overnight after participating in various local celebratory activities for the Chinese New Year and to make reference to the ultimate guide to Chinese New Year in Hong Kong launched by the Hong Kong Tourism Board to fully enjoy the rich and diverse celebratory activities to be held across various districts in the city and experience Hong Kong’s unique city charm. At the same time, he instructed relevant departments to collaborate with various stakeholders, including public transport operators, to strengthen information dissemination including the situation at various boundary control points, details of celebration events and transport arrangements to enable residents and visitors to plan their itineraries according to the latest situation. On January 27, Mr Chan participated in year-end caring visits in 18 districts co-ordinated by the Home Affairs Department. He visited elderly singleton and elderly doubleton grassroots families living in Po Lam Estate, Tseung Kwan O, and distributed blessing bags to them to express the Government’s heartfelt wishes. He engaged in warm exchanges with the residents to let them feel the care and support of the community. He also attended the Yau Tsim Mong Presents – The Year of The Snake: Countdown Celebration at the Yau Ma Tei Community Centre Rest Garden yesterday (January 28) to share with the public the joys and blessings of the festive season and welcome the Year of the Snake.
Ends/Wednesday, January 29, 2025Issued at HKT 12:15
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) advises State Highway 15 between Maungatapere and Otaika will remain closed overnight as NZ Police investigations into the unexplained death of a motorcyclist continue.
Detours remain in place via State Highway 14 and State Highway 1 for those traveling between Maungatapere and Otaika. Those traveling from Otaika to Maungatapere should take the same route, in reverse.
Motorists are asked to drive with care along the detour route, with increased traffic volumes and students having returned to schools in the area this week.
Locals who need to access their properties along the stretch of State Highway 15 between Maungatapere and Otaika should approach uniformed staff at the cordon.
The road is expected to remain closed into tomorrow afternoon and people are encouraged to visit the Journey Planner website (journeys.nzta.govt.nz(external link)) for up to date information on the closure and detour route before they travel.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi thanks everyone for their patience.
Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
The Northern Territory Police Force have arrested a 53-year-old man in relation to historic child abuse offending committed in Western Australia in 2014.
The man failed to appear in the Perth Magistrates Court in 2018 before travelling to the Northern Territory.
On 29 January 2025, the Northern Territory Police Sex Crimes Unit located the man in Casuarina and arrested him for the outstanding matter.
Western Australia Police are currently in the process of extraditing him back to Perth.
Northern Territory Police are committed to working with other law enforcement agencies to ensure offenders are held accountable for their actions, regardless of where they attempt to evade responsibility.
Members of the public who have any information about people involved in child abuse and exploitation are urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or https://crimestoppers.com.au/.
You can also make a report online by alerting the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation via the ‘Report Abuse’ button at www.accce.gov.au/report.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife agents inspect a shipment of reptiles at the Port of Miami.U.S. GAO
When people think of wildlife trade, they often picture smugglers sneaking in rare and endangered species from far-off countries. Yet most wildlife trade is actually legal, and the United States is one of the world’s biggest wildlife importers.
New research that weanda team of colleagues published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shows that, over the last 22 years, people in the U.S. legally imported nearly 2.85 billion individual animals representing almost 30,000 species.
Some of these wild animals become pets, such as reptiles, spiders, clownfish, chimpanzees and even tigers. Thousands end up in zoos and aquariums, where many species on display come directly from the wild.
The largest number of imported species are birds – 4,985 different species are imported each year, led by Muscovy ducks, with over 6 million imported. Reptiles are next, with 3,048 species, led by iguanas and royal pythons. These largely become pets.
Not all wildlife are wild
We found that just over half of the animals imported into the U.S. come from the wild.
Capturing wildlife to sell to exporters can be an important income source for rural communities around the world, especially in Africa. However, wild imported species can also spread diseases or parasites or become invasive. In fact, these risks are so worrying that many imported animals are classed as “injurious wildlife” due to their potential role in transmitting diseases to native species.
Captive breeding has played an increasingly dominant role in recent years as a way to limit the impact on wild populations and to try to reduce disease spread.
However over half the individual animals from most groups of species, such as amphibians or mammals, still come from the wild, and there is no data on the impact of the wildlife trade on most wild populations.
Sustainable wildlife trade is possible, but it relies on careful monitoring to balance wild harvest and captive breeding.
Data is thin in many ways
For most species in the wildlife trade, there is still a lot that remains unknown, including even the number of species traded.
With so many species and shipments, wildlife inspectors are overwhelmed. Trade data may not include the full species name for groups like butterflies or fish. The values in many customs databases are reported by companies but never verified.
Macaques, used in medical research, are the most-traded primates globally, according to an analysis of U.S. Fish and Wildlife data. Davidvraju, CC BY-SA
In our study, we relied on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Law Enforcement Management Information System, a wildlife import-export data collection system. However, few countries collate and release data in such a standardized way; meaning that for the majority of species legally traded around the world there is no available data.
For example, millions of Tokay geckos are imported as pets and for medicine, and are often reported to be bred in captivity. However, investigators cannot confirm that they weren’t actually caught in the wild.
Why tracking the wildlife trade is important
Biodiversity has a great number of economic and ecological benefits. There are also risks to importing wildlife. Understanding the many species and number of animals entering the country, and whether they were once wild or farmed, is important, because imported wildlife can cause health and ecological problems.
The most-traded mammals worldwide are minks, which are valued for their fur but can spread viruses to humans and other species. About 48 million minks are legally traded annually, about 2.8% wild-caught and the majority raised, according to U.S. Fish and Wildlife data. Colin Canterbury/USFWS
Species that aren’t native to the U.S. may also escape or be released into the wild. Invasive species can cause billions of dollars in damage by consuming and outcompeting native wildlife and spreading diseases.
We believe better data on the wildlife trade could be used to set management goals, such as harvest quotas or no-take policies for those species in their country of origin.
What’s next
The researchers involved in this study come from institutes around the world and are all interested in improving data systems for wildlife trade.
Some of us focus on how e-commerce platforms such as Etsy and Instagram have become hotspots of wildlife trade and can be challenging to monitor without automation. Esty announced in 2024 that it would remove listings of endangered or threatened species. Others build tools to help wildlife inspectors process the large number of shipments in real time. Many of us examine the problems imported species cause when they become invasive.
Michael Tlusty is a founding member of the Wildlife Detection Partnership and co-developed the Nature Intelligence System, which assists governments in collecting more accurate wildlife data..
Andrew Rhyne is currently on sabbatical funded by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), focused on the wildlife trade data. He is a founding member of the Wildlife Detection Partnership and co-developed the Nature Intelligence System, which assists governments in collecting more accurate wildlife data.
Alice Catherine Hughes does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine
BROADCAST-QUALITY VIDEO IS AVAILABLE HERE.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) spoke on the Senate floor in opposition to President Trump’s pardons of individuals who were found guilty of assaulting police officers during the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol. Kaine and his colleagues sought unanimous consent to pass their resolution condemning these pardons, but its passage was blocked by Senate Republicans. During Kaine’s floor speech, he also highlighted the five Virginia law enforcement officers who tragically lost their lives after defending the Capitol on that day, including Howie Liebengood.
A full transcript of Kaine’s speech as delivered is available below:
Mr. President.
I rise together with my colleagues to speak in opposition to the President’s action pardoning those who attacked this Capitol on January 6, 2021. I was here that day. I shared that day with these colleagues, and we all have memories of it—memories that we never would have imagined and hope never to repeat.
But I’m not going to talk about my experiences of the day.
I’m going to talk about a friend, a Virginian, Howie Liebengood, a Capitol Police Officer who spent his career protecting this building and who died as a result of that day. And the fact that President Trump would pardon the people who attacked this Capitol leading to Howie Liebengood’s death is a deep, deep stain to President Trump and frankly a stain on this body if we casually tolerate it.
Howie Liebengood is a Virginian who grew up in this building. His father was the Sergeant at Arms of the United States Senate and prior to assuming that role, worked in other roles in the Senate. And Howie and his two siblings grew up coming to the capitol and treating it like it was sort of their playground and their yard, running through the halls, meeting senators, hearing their dad tell stories about what it was like to serve this Article I branch as a patriotic American public servant.
When Howie came of age, he started a career that he enjoyed and worked together with his father for a number of years as a NASCAR driver. And he worked on the NASCAR circuit—kind of working his way up from minor league races to more significant races.
But after a number of years of doing that—look, he was a child of the United States Senate, he was a child of this Capitol—and he decided he would enter the training program to be a Capitol Police Officer. And he told his siblings—by this time, his father had passed—I think my dad would be very, very proud of me.
Howie went through the Academy and became a Capitol Police Officer, and I came to know him—as I suspect many of my colleagues did—because he usually was staffing the Delaware door at the corner of Delaware and Constitution right here—the Delaware door to the Russell building. And this a door that I know Senator Murray’s office is right close to that door—maybe the closest office to that door and mine is close as well. We would come in in the morning, and Howie Liebengood would be there to greet us, to ask questions about the procedural vote from the night before or what was on today.
As much as he was a friend to mine, he was even more of a friend to my staff. My staff loved interacting with Howie, and he eventually served as a Capitol Police Officer for 15 years.
He was here on January 6 when his beloved Capitol was attacked. And as devastating as that attack was for many of us, for Howie—who had made this place his whole life, who had really been raised in these halls—that attack was very devastating.
In the aftermath of the attack, those working on the Capitol Police were put on extended hours—little sleep. Would there be more attacks? Where was this going? What would happen? It was a time of fear and anxiety and confusion.
And a few days later, within three days after that attack of January 6, Howie went to his home in Virginia. His wife Serena asked if he was doing okay. She could tell he was under enormous stress, and he said he just needed to sleep. And Howie went upstairs and using his own service revolver, ended his life.
Howie Liebengood would be alive today if President Trump hadn’t urged people to gather to do something wild in Washington, D.C. on January 6, 2021 and then urged those gathering to go up and raise hell at the Capitol.
My friend would be alive if President Trump had not done what he did.
I’ve waited in vain, not naively, but with a hope that there might be some sign of remorse over what happened—for the pain suffered by Serena Liebengood and Howie’s siblings and family members.
Four other law enforcement officers, all of whom lived in Virginia, lost their life as a result of that day. Dozens of others were injured.
And I have waited for years to see if there might be some semblance of remorse shown by the president who inspired that attack, for the damage and pain and loss of life and injury that he’s caused, and I’ve seen not a shred of it.
But these pardons are the ultimate injustice, are the ultimate injury. The family’s still suffering. For them, it’s salt in an unhealed wound and an injury that will never heal.
And so I join with my colleagues in Howie’s memory, in support of Serena, in support of Howie’s family, to stand on this floor and deplore as strongly as I can—and words aren’t sufficient to really explain how I feel about this—but I stand here to deplore as strongly as I can the pardons of these law breakers who gathered for a particular time at a particular moment in a particular place to conduct violence in the cause of a particular result, the overturning of the peaceful transfer of power.
And as I sit down, Mr. President, I’ll just say this.
I lived in a military dictatorship in 1980 and 81 in Honduras when the military ran everything. I know what authoritarianism is. I didn’t live there for years like my Honduran friends, but I experienced it.
I was very naive. I was 22 years old when I lived there, and I saw what it’s like to have a society run by somebody who believes they are all powerful, who can change any rule, who can foment violence, who can make sure that those who commit violence escape with impunity.
I know what this is like, and we are in danger of moving into the same kind of authoritarian behavior when we casually pardon and excuse those who perpetrate violence to overturn our democracy.
That’s a big concept, but it all comes down to the effect that it has on individual people like my friend Howie Liebengood.
And with that, Mr. President, I yield the floor.
Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) took to the Senate floor this evening to condemn President Trump’s unlawful unilateral blockade of all federal grant funding. In his remarks, Heinrich underscored the magnitude of damage this unlawful decision has already wrought on the lives of thousands of New Mexicans, highlighting the harm and chaos it has created in communities across the state.
Heinrich also pointed to the illegality of this action, citing the law that Congress passed — the Impoundment Control Act of 1974 — after President Richard Nixon tried to withhold Congressionally appropriated funds.
U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) delivers remarks on the Senator floor slamming President Trump’s unlawful unilateral blockade of all federal grant funding, January 28, 2025.
“In an overnight maneuver that would make a dictator envious, President Trump unlawfully and unilaterally froze all federal grant funding. He shut down the housing portal that non-profits and Tribes use to access mortgage financing. He literally shut down the Medicaid reimbursement portal. He threw every town, county, Tribe, nonprofit, health care provider, school, and preschool into total disarray. From our state’s Roundhouse to the classroom to the emergency room, today was chaos. And people want answers,” said Heinrich.
“The president cannot override, delay, or rescind Congress’s funding laws. Full stop. This has been upheld time and again by the Supreme Court, the Department of Justice, the Government Accountability Office, and by the law, specifically the Impoundment Control Act of 1974,” continued Heinrich. “As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I know how much work goes in to writing and passing our bipartisan funding laws. And I am not going to cede that to ANY administration to be abused.”
Heinrich called on New Mexicans to share how Trump’s blockade is affecting themselves and their families, “I want to hear from you about Donald Trump’s blockade, and how it is affecting you and your family. If your town’s COPS grant gets frozen, I need to know. If your VA mortgage gets held up, I need to know. If you’re a nonprofit giving services in the areas of violence against women, refuges for people who are battered, and your funding gets held up, these are the stories that I think need to be held up to understand just what is happening in our country right now.”
Heinrich concluded by calling on his colleagues, “Let’s make sure that whatever we agree to here in this amazing Capitol—that not only passes both chambers but gets signed into law by the President of the United States—that we abide by that. Because only if we all agree to color inside the lines, and act like a democracy, will this remain a democracy.”
Earlier today, Heinrich also released a statement condemning President Trump’s unlawful direction to unilaterally block all federal grant funding.
Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
January 28, 2025
WASHINGTON – In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, spoke in favor of U.S. Senator Patty Murray’s (D-WA) resolution condemning President Trump’s pardons of the January 6 insurrectionists who assaulted the brave police officers defending the U.S. Capitol that day. The resolution was rejected by Senate Republicans.
“For many of us, it’s personal. We were here on the Senate Floor on January 6, 2021. Vice President Pence was presiding. I was sitting at this very desk. A few minutes after two o’clock, the Secret Service came in and literally removed him from his chair. We knew there were demonstrations outside, but we didn’t know how serious or how violent they’d become,” Durbin said.
“The insurrectionist mob was taking over the Capitol. Thousands of people were storming into this building not for peaceful demonstration by any means, but sadly for violence and destruction. That day was the worst day I can recall in the history of the Senate in terms of our respect for this building that has become a symbol not only for the United States, but for the world—for peace and democracy. And I thought of those poor Capitol police who were asked to defend us with their lives. They were asked to risk their lives for us, and they did. Some of the things that were done to them were outrageous. You’ve seen the videotape. We saw [the footage] as they tore down building structures, as they beat up on these cops, as many of them faced death, and we knew at the time it was that serious. The grimmest reality of those riots was the subsequent death of five of the law enforcement officers and the injuries to approximately 140 others, many of whom still pay a price to this day.”
Last week, President Trump, who incited the violence, commuted the sentences of 14 individuals and granted full, complete, and unconditional pardons to approximately 1,500 others convicted of offenses related to the January 6th attack. Many of the perpetrators have shown a stunning lack of remorse following their violent assaults on the brave members of the U.S. Capitol Police and D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department who protected the Capitol that day.
“For example, last August, David Dempsey, just a few hours after receiving a 240-month prison sentence for attacking police on January 6 with a flagpole, crutches, pepper spray, and pieces of furniture, called into a gathering of supporters outside the D.C. jail. In reference to Trump’s opponents, Mr. Dempsey said, ‘Don’t celebrate too hard, man, because that sentence is only going to last like six months…’ Devlyn Thompson attempted to throw a speaker at police officers—which ended up hitting and injuring a fellow rioter—and hit a police officer with a metal baton, according to court documents. Daniel ‘D.J.’ Rodriguez, a California man who drove a stun gun into an officer’s neck during one of the most violent clashes of the Capitol riot, was sentenced to more than 12 years in prison before President Trump granted him clemency. Andrew Taake pepper-sprayed police officers and hit one with a metal whip. He was supposed to serve 74 months at a federal prison in Beaumont, Texas, but he was pardoned by President Trump,” said Durbin.
“As Winston Churchill said once, ‘Those who fail to learn from history are condemned to repeat it,’” Durbin continued. “That is why we must continue sounding the alarm on the violence and chaos of that day to ensure that it never happens again. We must also be clear that violence for political purposes is never, never acceptable and has no place in a democracy.”
Durbin concluded, “The men and women who bravely defended the members of this body deserve better—and we should honor them for their heroic efforts on that day, not excuse the thugs who attacked this body and the ideals it represents… I thank Senator Murray for introducing this important resolution condemning President Trump’s pardons of the January 6 insurrectionists who assaulted our brave law enforcement officers, and I am disgusted that our Republican colleagues won’t join us in honoring the men and women who risk their lives every single day for us.”
Video of Durbin’s remarks on the floor is available here.
Audio of Durbin’s remarks on the floor is available here.
Footage of Durbin’s remarks on the floor is available here for TV Stations.
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Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
The Northern Territory Police Force has arrested a 38-year-old male in relation to a domestic violence incident that occurred in Yirkkala on Monday night.
At 9.55pm, the Joint Emergency Services Communication Centre (JESCC) received reports that a 38-year-old male had been assaulted by his relative.
The offender allegedly assaulted the victim with a blunt object, resulting in serious injuries to his head.
The victim was conveyed to the Gove District Hospital, and subsequently transferred to Royal Darwin Hospital, where he remains in a critical but stable condition.
Police attended and established a crime scene.
The 38-year-old offender was arrested yesterday morning and remains in custody.
Investigations are ongoing and police urge anyone who witnessed the incident to call police on 131 444 and quote reference P25027509. Anonymous reports can also be made through Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Support services for those affected by domestic or family violence are available, including 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) and Lifeline (13 11 14).
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Richard Bradley, age 36, of Syracuse, New York, pled guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), made the announcement.
As part of his guilty plea, Bradley admitted that, on September 9, 2024, he possessed a loaded rifle in his vehicle, which was parked at a gas station in East Syracuse. Bradley inadvertently fired the rifle several times, but did not strike anyone. As a result of his prior felony conviction for Criminal Mischief, Bradley could not lawfully possess a firearm.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 10, 2025, before Senior U.S. District Court Judge Glenn T. Suddaby. Bradley faces up to fifteen years in federal prison, along with a post-imprisonment term of supervised release of up to three years. He also could be fined up to $250,000, and will be required to forfeit the assault rifle to the United States. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
ATF and the Manlius Police Department are investigating the case with assistance from the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica N. Carbone is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn.
Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey
Washington (January 28, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) released the following statement today on President Trump’s pardons for violent January 6 insurrectionists. Yesterday, Senator Markey joined the Senate Democratic caucus in introducing a resolution condemning the pardons of individuals who were found guilty of assaulting Capitol Police Officers.
“On January 6, 2021, dedicated officers of the U.S. Capitol Police were forced to protect members of Congress in medieval-style combat as a vicious mob armed with firearms, bear spray, and metal barricades forced its way into the U.S. Capitol. Officers died as a result of the insurrection, and many more were left beaten and bruised. Donald Trump pardoned the January 6 insurrectionists, including violent felons, in one swoop—a disgraceful insult not only to our democracy, but to the law enforcement officers who show up every day to protect and serve us,” said Senator Markey. “I’m astounded by the silence among my Republican colleagues. They claim to ‘back the blue’ but now they laud the violent criminals who left our officers black and blue on January 6. We now know that the Republican party is no longer the party of ‘law and order,’ but the party of ‘chaos and disorder.’ Donald Trump’s pardons are a dangerous and shameful abuse of presidential power. We should all be united in denouncing them.”
US President Donald Trump isn’t happy about the way some countries are taxing American citizens and companies. He has made clear he’s willing to retaliate, threatening to double taxes for their own citizens and companies.
Can Trump really do that, unilaterally, as president? It turns out he can, under a 90-year-old provision of the US tax code – Section 891.
In an executive memo signed on January 20 outlining his “America First Trade Policy”, Trump instructed US Treasury to:
investigate whether any foreign country subjects United States citizens or corporations to discriminatory or extraterritorial taxes pursuant to Section 891 of Title 26, United States Code.
A sweeping power
Section 891 of the US Internal Revenue Code is short, but it is in sweeping terms.
If the president finds that US citizens or corporations are being subjected to “discriminatory or extraterritorial taxes” under the laws of any foreign country, he “shall so proclaim” this. US income tax rates on the citizens or corporations of that country are then automatically doubled.
The extra tax that could be collected is capped at 80% of the US taxable income of the taxpayer. The president can revoke a proclamation, if the foreign country reverses its “discriminatory or extraterritorial” taxation.
Section 891 is an extraordinary provision – but it has never been applied. As far as I know, no other country has legislated such a rule. Importantly, it would only apply to a person or business subject to income taxation by the US.
Take, for example, a foreign national earning a wage in the US. If this individual’s home country became subject to a proclamation under Section 891, their individual tax rate in the US would be doubled – to as much as 74%.
A foreign company earning taxable profits in the US would face a doubling of the company tax rate from 21% to 42%.
A bit of history
A version of Section 891 has been in the US tax code since 1934, an earlier troubled time of tax disputes and economic depression.
It was signed into law by Democratic President Franklin D. Roosevelt on May 10 1934, amid a tax dispute between the US and France.
US President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Section 891 into law in 1934, putting pressure on France to end a tax dispute. Vincenzo Laviosa/Wikimedia Commons
According to US tax historian Joseph Thorndike, the move followed attempts by France to levy additional taxes on US companies operating there, beginning in the mid-1920s.
France had tried to use an 1873 law to tax US companies operating in France on profits earned in the parent company back in the US, and in other subsidiaries around the world, not just the French company profits.
The aim was to counter international profit-shifting, which could be used to reduce the tax payable by US subsidiaries operating in France by claiming deductions or shifting income to other group companies outside France.
The dispute was long-standing and France tried to assess taxes going back decades for some US companies. The potentially massive tax bill (it seems the tax was never actually collected) became a geopolitical issue, and the companies asked the US government to intervene on their behalf.
Thorndike explains that a bilateral tax treaty was negotiated between the US and France to remedy this “double tax” situation. But the French legislature refused to ratify it.
In retaliation, US Congress passed Section 891, and six months later, France ratified its bilateral tax treaty with the US.
Parallels with today
In 1934, there were no digital multinational enterprises like Meta or Google. But that tax dispute nevertheless has parallels with modern concerns about taxing companies internationally.
The French government was trying, with a rather heavy hand, to counter international profit-shifting by large US multinationals.
Section 891 was re-enacted in later US tax codes, up to today, with minor amendments and no attempt to invoke it. It has remained in the background as a potential exercise of US fiscal and market power, supported by both sides of US politics.
Tax professor Itai Grinberg, who worked in the Biden administration on the OECD tax deal, suggested it could be applied to the European Union decision that taxes Apple in Ireland.
The US tech giants are only the latest in a long line of powerful American multinational corporations. Tada Images/Shutterstock
What might Trump do?
President Trump has specifically targeted the OECD global tax negotiations with this threat, just a month after Australia has legislated the global minimum tax under “Pillar Two” of the OECD Global Tax Deal.
The OECD deal aims to ensure large multinational enterprises pay a minimum 15% effective tax rate in all the jurisdictions in which they operate, by applying a top-up tax and under-taxed profit tax.
Trump asserted in a memorandum that the OECD Global Tax Deal is “extraterritorial”, instructing the US Secretary of the Treasury and the US Trade Representative to investigate it.
Could Australia be singled out?
Trump’s memorandum also ordered an investigation into “other discriminatory foreign tax practices” that may harm US companies.
This includes whether any foreign countries are not complying with their US tax treaties or have, or are likely to put in place, any tax rules that “disproportionately affect American companies”.
Under this proposal, digital platforms (many of which are US-owned) would have to pay a new levy, which could be offset if they negotiate or renew deals with Australian news media publishers to pay for hosting news content.
Section 891 could apply to such taxes if they were found by Trump to be “discriminatory” against US companies. What “discriminatory” means is not clear.
Its been suggested that foreign citizens or companies could be protected from Section 891 by their country’s tax treaty with the US, under the standard approach that a later treaty prevails over an older code section. But Australia’s tax treaty with the US took effect in 1983, before the most recent re-enactment of Section 891 in the US tax code.
Miranda Stewart receives funding from the Australian Research Council. Miranda is on the Permanent Scientific Committee of the International Fiscal Association.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vincent Hurley, Lecturer in Criminology. Police and policing. Dept of Security Studies & Criminology, Macquarie University
When you watch the news, one phrase usually comes up as soon as crime is mentioned: “police have established a crime scene”.
If you’re a fan of the forensics crime drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, it will conjure up images of police waving a blue, fluorescent UV light in a darkened room looking for blood, saliva, fingerprints, footprints or tooth impressions.
CSI has influenced an entire generation – this year, the franchise will celebrate its 25th anniversary. But the reality of crime scene investigation is far more complex.
As a criminology lecturer and ex-police officer, I know a thing or two about crime scenes, having managed hundreds of them. I have even been a crime scene myself. Here’s what they really entail.
There’s usually more than one crime scene
In the early 20th century, French forensic science pioneer Edmond Locard noted it’s impossible for criminals to act “without leaving traces of this presence”. No matter where a criminal steps or what they touch, they leave behind, even unconsciously, evidence that serves as a silent witness against them.
The idea that criminals will leave something behind at the crime scene while taking something with them is known today as Locard’s principle.
Crime scenes are incredibly diverse. They don’t just involve the physical location. A person’s body and any objects found in relation to the crime are also part of a crime scene.
The primary crime scene is where the event took place – for example, where a murder, arson attack or drive-by shooting occurred.
There will be several additional crime scenes, too. In the course of the investigation, a second crime scene might be established where the criminal planned the crime. If they dumped a getaway vehicle, that’s a third crime scene. If they stashed a weapon, clothes or other objects in a safe house after the crime, that’s a fourth crime scene.
A fifth crime scene will be established when the criminal is arrested – they themselves are also a crime scene. Their hair, clothing and fingernails will be tested for various residues, such as the skin or blood of a victim, or even illicit substances if the crime involves drug trafficking.
Lastly, the victim is a crime scene, too. They may have body fluids, skin, hair and other material from the criminal on them.
In my detective career, I myself have been a crime scene when I found a badly injured abduction victim who collapsed in my arms. At that point, traces of the offender’s blood and hair transferred onto my clothing. I had to take the clothes off and they were kept as evidence.
Shows like CSI often portray crime scenes as neat and clear cut, with evidence easily obtained.
In reality, crime scenes are chaotic. They are full of clutter and the police don’t know what’s relevant and what’s not.
During a crime scene search, police have to speculate about what happened, as often there are no eyewitnesses. A bullet casing or a bloody knife would be obvious. But what of the more common household items in the house or room? Who owns the shirt or jumper? Why is the bedroom in disarray, is that normal? What did the criminal touch or not touch? Was there just one criminal or two? What belongs to the victim?
Unlike on TV, police don’t always know what they are looking for because often they don’t know how the crime occurred. The cause of a death can be obvious, but how it unfolded is not.
Crime scenes are fragile
With a murder on a TV show, the CSI team usually arrives at a home or an outdoor crime scene, surrounded by crime scene tape. The first thing they do is lift the tape and walk straight to the body.
This is the worst possible crime scene practice.
The detectives would be walking directly on and over the same entry or exit path the offenders used. This would destroy fragile microscopic residues of blood, dirt or plant vegetation.
In reality, walking in and out of a crime scene this way does not happen. Prior to entering any crime scene, police look around and try to figure out which way the offender may have come and gone.
Once weighing up the advantages and disadvantages of each option, they’ll pick a specific entry and exit point, and stick to that until the scene has been completely examined.
Lifting the police tape and walking straight to the body is bad practice – the tape is there for a reason. Gordenkoff/Shutterstock
A systematic search – and not just for DNA
Crime scenes are also searched in different ways.
One way to ensure no evidence is missed is with a “grid and height” search. This means searching one square metre at a time. As the police get closer to the walls of the room, they start looking from the floor up to the height of their knees.
Once this is done, they go from their knee to their waist, then from their waist to their shoulder, then their shoulder to the top of their head, and then from the top of their head to a metre above it – until they reach the ceiling. Then they examine the ceiling.
Police don’t look solely for the holy grail of DNA. Rather, they are trying to piece together a jigsaw puzzle of what happened, why it happened, and what the criminal unintentionally left behind.
Decades of forensic TV dramas have resulted in the “CSI effect” – the idea that finding, collecting and analysing evidence at a crime scene is straightforward, and that the evidence is infallible. This is not so. But shows like CSI have also spawned a generation of people interested in becoming real crime scene investigators and forensic scientists.
Vincent Hurley does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
A woman allegedly responsible for a raft of smashed windows will be out of the community for at least three months.
Police have been investigating recent reports of wilful damage on Sackville Street in Grey Lynn.
On Monday, frontline Police located a 39-year-old Grey Lynn woman and charged her with intentional damage.
Auckland City West’s Area Commander, Inspector Alisse Robertson, says Police have since successfully opposed the woman’s bail.
“The woman will be remanded in custody until her next appearance on 15 April in the Auckland District Court,” she says.
“I know these ongoing occurrences have caused angst and frustration amongst residents, so we are providing the community with an update for reassurance.”
Source: United Kingdom National Police Chiefs Council
500% increase in police costs for dealing with dangerous dogs expected by end of financial year
Almost one year on from the ban on XL Bully dogs in the UK, the latest figures show the huge burden this has placed on policing, with kennel spaces reaching capacity and costs increasing by the day.
Chief Constable Mark Hobrough is National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for dangerous dogs, he said:
“Since the introduction of the ban on XL Bully dogs police services have had to quickly adapt, taking positive action to respond to thousands of calls from the public and doing everything we can to remove these dangerous dogs from our communities.
“Undoubtedly the ban and our response to it has driven down the number of dog attacks and we are pleased that the public continues to support us by reporting suspected XL Bully dogs in their local area.
“However, the demand has been and continues to be simply huge. We are facing a number of challenges in kennel capacity, resourcing and ever-mounting costs and as of today, we have not received any additional funding to account for this.
“Veterinary bills and the cost of kennelling across policing has risen from £4m in 2018 to currently standing at more than £11m and this is expected to rise to as much as £25m by the end of April 2025. That’s a predicted 500% increase.
“Before the XL Bully ban was introduced there were 120 Dog Liaison Officers across England and Wales, we then trained an additional 100 with a further 40 identified to be trained this coming year. This means that in some areas established dog handlers have been called away from other policing duties. We have had to purchase additional vehicles, equipment and find countless extra kennel spaces from the finite that are available within the industry.
“Policing will uphold the government’s decisions, and we’ll act robustly to do so, but the bigger picture is a focus on responsible dog ownership. People need to be aware of the types of dogs that they’re bringing into their homes and make the right decisions to choose a breed which suits their lifestyle, environment and experience.
“We are also asking for amendments to the existing legislation so we have alternative options to deal with the specific circumstances of a particular case. At the moment, the only option you have is to go to court when someone is in possession of an unregistered XL Bully but we feel there are some situations which could be swiftly dealt with through out of court disposals. For example, there’s potentially a big difference in someone who has unwittingly ended up owning a dog from a young age they weren’t aware was an XL Bully or those who on veterinary advice were unable to have their dog neutered by the deadline versus an individual who is intentionally breeding and selling these dogs.
“At the top end, unscrupulous criminal dealers and breeders need to feel the full weight of the law going to court but alternative methods of out of court disposals would support us in taking a proportionate response as required.
“We will always protect our communities by ensuring these dangerous dogs are dealt with but we urgently need the Government to support us in coping with the huge demand the ban has placed on our ever-stretched resources.”
Statistics
Police forces in England and Wales have seized and euthanised 848 dogs between February and September 2024 at an estimated cost of £340K. These were dogs which were surrendered to police by owners who had not complied with the ban, nor taken advantage of the compensation scheme.
Between February and September 2024, policing has seized over 4,586 suspected S1 dogs * throughout England and Wales. People have been going to court, and will continue to do so, facing criminal convictions, fines and imprisonment for being in possession of these illegal types of dog.
Since the start of the XL Bully ban police services have increased kennel capacity by a third.
It can cost up to £1,000 a month to keep dogs in kennels and with up to an 18-month lead in time so both kennel demand / expenditure moving forward will become even more acute. We are aware of court cases not being scheduled until mid-2026 for some dangerously out of control cases.
The police officer/staff overtime bill for forces between February 2024 and September 2024 was circa £560K.
*A section 1 dog is any of the specified banned breeds in the Dangerous Dogs Act.
Good morning. It’s so great to be with you all today.
I begin this morning by acknowledging the Traditional Owners of the lands on which we meet, the Wadawurrung peoples, and pay my respects to elders past and present. I extend this acknowledgement to all First Nations people joining us here today.
It is great to be here at this Having a Say Conference so that we can launch the updated Australia’s Disability Strategy. The Strategy is Australia’s plan to make life better for people with disability.
It talks about what we can do together to make Australia inclusive – so everyone can live good lives, take part in the community as equals, and be treated with respect. I am so happy to be here with Victoria’s Minister for Disability, Minister Lizzie Blandthorn, along with Jane Spring, the Chair of the Strategy’s Advisory Council. We are here together to show our shared commitment to improve outcomes for people with disability.
I would like to thank VALiD’s Chair, Arthur Rogers, and the CEO, Fionn Skiotis, for inviting us to be here this morning.
In fact, I would like to thank the whole VALiD team for the fantastic work they do every day, and have been doing since 1989.
Having a say, learning from each other, and supporting each other is really important, and I want you to know that your voices are being heard and are feeding into the decisions that governments make.
The message of ‘nothing about us without us’ has been heard loud and clear.
It is your voices, your thoughts, feelings and experiences, that guide our policies and the changes we want to make with you.
Because we all know that you are only able to participate fully in your communities when you get to have a say about what you need, what you want, and are treated with respect. And what an amazing group of leaders, thinkers and communicators we have here with us today.
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Australia’s Disability Strategy sets out our vision for an inclusive Australia.
It is a commitment by all levels of government to take actions to improve the lives of people with disability in Australia.
An Australia where the 5.5 million people with disability have the support they need to live the life they want and participate as equal members in the community.
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Following the Disability Royal Commission’s report, all governments agreed to review Australia’s Disability Strategy.
Hearing from the disability community was so important when we started looking at what was working and what we could make better about the Strategy.
The updated Strategy is something I am very proud to share with you today.
We listened to the disability community, held public consultation and partnered with states and territories, the Strategy’s Advisory Council and Disability Representative Organisations, to understand what was most important.
The updates to the Strategy reflect what we have heard since the original launch of the Strategy 3 years ago, including through the Royal Commission.
We heard from you that having accessible housing and reducing homelessness was a really important issue for people with disability – and that’s why the updated Strategy now has a priority focus area on this.
And there are three new Targeted Action Plans that are focused on improving the lives of people with disability across 3 very important areas.
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These new Targeted Action Plans include actions that are based on what the disability community has told us is the most important work we need to focus on. Over the next three years, we will focus on the key areas of:
Changing Community Attitudes
Inclusive Homes and Communities; and
Safety, Rights and Justice.
The Commonwealth, States and Territories and local governments have agreed to these action plans and to work together to deliver.
We know that people with disability can face barriers because other people don’t understand what it means to live with disability.
And that’s why increasing understanding of disability and changing community attitudes is so important.
Sometimes people may not even realise that their actions are making it harder for people with disability to be included. This could be something as simple as writing something down for someone instead of only speaking. Or adjusting lighting in a public space.
If people have a better understanding about the barriers people with disability face, they can take the steps to remove these barriers.
So, the Community Attitudes Targeted Action Plan will focus on improving community understanding so people can take action to improve the inclusion and participation of people with disability in Australian society.
We’ve already taken important steps towards this goal under the current Strategy.
One example is our investment of $19.6 million (over the next 4 years) for an inclusion and accessibility fund. This will help professionals, like doctors, to improve the way they communicate and better include people with disability in the things that are important to them.
We are all safer when the information we need to make decisions is easy to find and we are included, feel welcome, and can easily seek support and connections.
Through the inclusive Homes and Communities Targeted Action Plan we will also keep working to make housing stock and our broader community more accessible for everyone.
For example, governments have been working together to build over 41 Changing Places, including here in Victoria – like the Aqua Centre in Sale and at the Yarraville Gardens.
These new accessible facilities make it easier for people with complex needs to move around their community and to travel further from their home.
We have also committed to improving the accessibility of public transport – because people with disability should be able to easily get around in their communities.
Every Australian deserves access to safe, affordable and accessible housing, no matter their circumstances. This new Targeted Action Plan will also focus on housing accessibility for people with disability.
States and territories will increase the supply of accessible housing for people with disability.
And the Commonwealth will be looking at ways to make it easier for people renting to find properties that will meet their access needs.
These actions will build on the 2024 National Agreement on Social Housing and Homelessness – that helps people who are experiencing or are at risk of homelessness, and supports social housing and homelessness services.
Finally, the new Safety, Rights and Justice Targeted Action Plan sets out key actions to reduce and prevent people with disability from experiencing harm.
It outlines improved supports for those at risk of harm, and lays out pathways for action if things do go wrong. This includes introducing things like standard processes for identifying and supporting people with disability in prisons and making sure people know about supports that are available if they have experienced violence.
With advice from people with disability, and your representative organisations, all levels of government will work together to implement these action plans.
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In the updated Strategy we also have a renewed focus on data and evidence.
Because we want to make sure that the actions that we are taking are making a tangible difference to the lives of people with disability.
Our Data Improvement Plan will help show the progress we are making, but also to identify where we need to do more.
The updated Strategy also reflects what you have told us and what we have heard, as well as describing the work that we have done together over the past three years across the country.
We have provided information to make the Strategy clearer and developed videos to help explain what the Strategy is all about.
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Over the past three years, our Albanese Labor Government has been working hard to help people with disability across Australia to thrive.
And as Minister I have been working very hard to bring Australia’s Disability Strategy from words on a page, to life.
I have completely redesigned employment services for people with disability to drive a strong focus on quality and put the goals and aspirations of people with disability at the centre.
We are investing in more peer support across Australia – so that people can connect with others like them to give advice and so they don’t feel alone.
For the first time, airports and airlines will have to properly help people with disability – making it easier for people with disability to travel by planes.
Clear information is now available about how to support people with disability when there are emergencies – like fires or floods.
And we have made people with disability a key focus in the creative arts through a dedicated plan to support inclusion of people with disability, which includes things like music, films and live shows.
These are just some of the things our Government has been doing to bring the Strategy to life.
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I am very optimistic about the updated Australia’s Disability Strategy and the changes that we will make together to achieve the Strategy’s goals to benefit all Australians with disability, and their families.
I encourage every person here today to share your thoughts, experiences and ideas with one another. Have your say, because it matters.
Our Government has heard what you want from the Strategy, and we will continue to work with you to ensure our work reflects your lived experiences.
Thank you again for the time with you today. And my thanks to the speakers who have shared their time so we could come to talk about how we will use the updated Australia’s Disability Strategy to help everyone to live better lives.
The government has begun questioning Israeli soldiers about their military service in Gaza at the New Zealand border as revealed in aTimes of Israel story today which says:
“New Zealand’s government immigration authority has begun to require Israelis applying for a visa to report details of their military service as a condition for entry, and at least one person has been denied admission after doing so, The Times of Israel has learned”
However, the details of the questions asked reveals the government is simply “going through the motions” to weed out possible war criminals.
The key questions asked are:
“Have you been associated with any intelligence service or group, or law enforcement agency?”
“Have you been associated with any group or organization that has used or promoted violence or human rights abuses to further their aims?”
“Have you committed or been involved in war crimes, crimes against humanity, or human rights abuses?”
It’s obvious how every soldier will answer those questions and New Zealand is none the wiser.
What the story also reveals is that the rejection rate for visas for Israelis coming herehas not changed since the genocide began in Gaza.
An analysis ofINZ statistical dataindicates that the rejection rate for Israeli visa applications to New Zealand during the war has been approximately four percent. This is not unusually high compared to previous years or the rejection rates for citizens of other developed countries.
It’s clear the questioning of Israeli soldiers is not revealing people involved in war crimes and is a “look busy” policy. This gives more reason for the government to adopt PSNA policy and suspend all visas for anyone who has served in the IDF since 7 October 2023.
The government must also uphold the International Court of Justice Advisory opinion (19 July 2024) which calls on the government to end support for Israel’s illegal occupation. This means we should also deny entry to every Israeli wanting to visit here who has an address in an illegal Israeli settlement in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
The Australian Federal Government, all state and territory governments and the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA), have today reaffirmed their commitment to building a more inclusive Australia, where all people with disability can participate on an equal basis, through the release of the updated Australia’s Disability Strategy 2021-2031.
As part of the joint response to the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability, Australian and state and territory governments accepted the Royal Commission’s recommendation to review the Strategy.
Throughout the review, people with disability, representative organisations and the Strategy’s Advisory Council shared their important perspectives on how governments can continue to improve the everyday lives of people with disability.
All governments are committed to the Strategy’s vision and policy priorities of breaking down barriers and creating accessible, inclusive communities where all people with disability can participate on an equal basis.
Governments have also established new Targeted Action Plans (TAPs) under the Strategy to apply an intensive focusing on Community Attitudes, Safety, Rights and Justice and Inclusive Homes and Communities, which are all areas that people with disability have identified as being of critical importance.
Each state, territory and many local governments are also implementing disability plan(s) in place to progress reform consistent with the Strategy.
Governments will continue to work closely with the disability community, employers, unions, non-government organisations and the broader community as we move forward with this work, ensuring the voices, experience and lived expertise of people with disability are directly shaping the reforms that affect them.
Signed by the Prime Minister, all First Ministers and the President of ALGA, the Strategy is our national framework, based on the social model of disability, to improve the lives of people with disability in Australia over ten years.
The updated Strategy is accompanied by a range of supporting resources, including:
An updated 10-year milestone roadmap
A revised Data Improvement Plan
Guide to applying Australia’s Disability Strategy
Educational videos to outline what we have heard in the review and changes that are made
An accessible factsheet on updates to the Strategy.
A man is expected in court today, following a fleeing driver incident across much of central Auckland.
On Tuesday, a vehicle with mismatching plates was located on the Northwestern Motorway.
After allegedly failing to stop for Police, the matter concluded at Dress Smart shopping centre in Onehunga.
Auckland City Road Policing Manager acting Inspector Scott Jones says the vehicle the man was driving has since been confirmed as stolen.
“A 31-year-old Northland man is expected to appear in the Auckland District Court today,” he says.
“He faces charges of aggravated assault, reckless driving, failing to stop and unlawfully taking a motor vehicle.”
During the fleeing driver incident, it was established the man was also sought in relation to other active court matters, including aggravated robbery.
“It’s fortunate that neither the public nor Police staff suffered any injuries as a result of the man’s alleged actions yesterday afternoon,” acting Inspector Jones says.
Defendant recruited young people with images of money, exotic cars, and expensive jewelry
Tacoma – The leader of a South Puget Sound drug trafficking organization that sent dangerous drugs as far away as Georgia and Ohio was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to ten years in prison for his multi-state drug trafficking scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Joel Adrian Valencia Rosas, 28, of Lakewood, Washington was indicted in December 2023 following a lengthy investigation that uncovered the trafficking of cocaine, fentanyl and marijuana to East Coast locales, and the importation and distribution of fentanyl and cocaine in Western Washington. The drug ring used social media such as Snapchat and Instagram to communicate and recruit new members. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Tiffany M. Cartwright noted that Mr. Valencia Rosas was glamorizing drug dealing with his social media posts. “He used the lower-level members of the drug ring to take on higher risks… Mr. Valencia Rosas was willing to recruit and sacrifice others to make more money,” Judge Cartwright said.
“The defendants in this case are all young – 18-28 years old. Mr. Valencia Rosas, the ringleader of this trafficking group, actively enticed young people to join his criminal enterprise,” said U.S. Attorney Gorman. “On social media he not only posted the drugs available for sale and their prices, he also attempted to portray the drug trafficking lifestyle as glamorous and lucrative, posting pictures of himself with firearms, flashy vehicles, and cash. In reality, drug trafficking leaves destruction in its wake.”
During this investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration and partner law enforcement agencies seized nearly 52 kilos of cocaine, more than 23 kilos of fentanyl pills, and 131 kilos of marijuana. One drug shipment seized by law enforcement contained 37 kilos of cocaine and more than a kilo of fentanyl pills. In June 2023, a traffic stop on Interstate 5 resulted in the seizure of 200,000 fentanyl pills that had been hidden in the vehicle.
According to records filed in the case, Valencia Rosas has been trafficking drugs since at least 2018. His posts on social media talked about how much money he would pay for people to work as drug couriers. Even after Snapchat closed his account in December 2022, Valencia Rosas simply moved his recruiting efforts to another social media site: Instagram. He continued posting on his trafficking activities through 2023.
Valencia Rosas has been in custody since his arrest in December 2023.
In asking for an 11-year prison sentence, Assistant United States Attorney Marci Ellsworth wrote to the court, “Valencia Rosas was so successful that he could not traffic the drugs without bringing others into his criminal orbit. He could not move the hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash drug proceeds from Ohio and Georgia without more people, driving cash back to him or flying with it stuffed into their bags… none of those codefendants made money from their involvement in the DTO. Only Valencia Rosas made money, off the backs of his codefendants.”
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
The investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) IRS- Criminal Investigations, TNET (Tacoma Narcotics Enforcement Team), TNT (Thurston Narcotics Task Force), Lakewood PD, Puyallup PD, Bonney Lake PD, Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office, Tacoma PD, Pierce County Sheriff’s Department, and Metro Cities SWAT.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Marci L. Ellsworth and Crystal Correa.
WASHINGTON — Damian Johnson, 24, of Washington D.C., was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 21 months in federal prison for illegal possession of a Glock 27 and 61 rounds of 45 caliber ammunition. Johnson was on supervised release when he posted numerous photographs of himself to Instagram with his guns that included several of himself wearing an ankle monitor while holding one of his weapons.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. of the District of Columbia and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Johnson, aka “Damien Johnson,” pleaded guilty September 11, 2024, to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. The 21-month federal prison term will run consecutive to a 16-month sentence he received in Superior Court in October 2022 for carrying a pistol without a license. U.S. District Court Judge Jia M. Cobb also ordered Johnson to serve three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, on December 26, 2023, shortly after 8 p.m., members of the MPD Robbery Suppression Unit executed a search warrant at Johnson’s home on the 300 block of Raleigh Street, SE. As officers entered the residence, an investigator observed Johnson attempting to open the apartment’s rear window. Another officer watched as Johnson tossed an object behind a bed inside a bedroom. The officers found a black Glock 27 .40 caliber pistol handgun behind the bed in plain view. During a search of the premises that followed, inside a closet, investigators discovered a drum magazine with 33 rounds of ammunition and an extended magazine with 28 rounds of ammunition.
Prior to the search, officers had viewed Johnson’s Instagram account and had seen photos and video clips that showed eight different firearms inside Johnson’s apartment. One of the photos depicted Johnson wearing his court-ordered ankle GPS devise on his right ankle as he held one of his handguns.
A federal Grand Jury indicted Johnson on January 17, 2024. U.S. Marshals arrested him on January 23, 2024, in Washington D.C.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the ATF. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emory Cole for the District of Columbia.
The Glock 27 .40 caliber pistol and ammunition found in Johnson’s apartment.
Drum magazine loaded with 33 rounds of 45 caliber ammunition.
Johnson (at left) and a friend display cash and four firearms – some with extended clips – in an Instagram post.
In an Instagram post, Johnson is pictured with a firearm with an extended clip.
In an Instagram post, Johnson and apregnant woman are depicted holding firearms with extended clips, scopes/lights on firearms. Johnson is seen with court ordered GPS device on his right ankle.
Two men face a slew of charges after their alleged burglary plans uncoupled on Auckland Anniversary Day.
On Monday, frontline Police responded to a burglary in progress at an industrial area in Takanini, at around 8.54am.
“Two men had allegedly broken into the business’ yard and were in the process of stealing a trailer and an all-terrain vehicle,” Counties Manukau South Area Prevention Manager, Inspector Matt Hoyes says.
“The victims had arrived on scene and had approached the two offenders.”
After being asked about their actions, one of the men allegedly assaulted one of the victims. Fortunately, he did not sustain serious injuries.
“Police had received a 111 call, and our staff were soon in the area,” Inspector Hoyes says.
“A Police unit signalled for the stolen vehicle and trailer to stop; however, the offender accelerated at speed and wasn’t pursued.”
The second offender left the area on foot.
Meanwhile, the Police Eagle helicopter had deployed and was overhead of the vehicle as it travelled north on the motorway.
Inspector Hoyes says the vehicle exited at Highbrook and travelled to Kilkenny Drive in East Tamaki.
“The vehicle came to a stop and units quickly moved in and blocked in the vehicle before the driver was arrested.”
A 56-year-old man has been charged with aggravated assault, two counts of burglary, reckless driving and failing to stop.
He will appear in the Papakura District Court on 30 January.
The second man, a 45-year-old, was arrested in the Takanini area. He is also facing two charges of burglary and one count of aggravated assault.
He has since appeared in the Papakura District Court and will reappear on 20 February 2025.
“We acknowledge the victims’ quick reporting of offending taking place at their premises so our staff could respond and it’s a great outcome that we have returned both pieces of equipment to them,” Inspector Hoyes says.
Hastings Fire Station was the setting for an emotional reunion last week as Mark Stockwell came face-to-face with the emergency crews who freed him after a tree crushed his car.
Mark was driving home during a storm on Coolart Road in Tuerong last August when the freak incident occurred, trapping him in his vehicle with serious injuries.
Emergency services arrived swiftly, but it took a challenging 90 minutes of coordinated effort from Hastings, Langwarrin and Dromana CFA members, VICSES, Ambulance Victoria, and Victoria Police to safely extricate him.
Accompanied by his wife and son, Mark used the reunion as an opportunity to personally thank the first responders for their dedication and teamwork.
“Words can’t express how grateful I am. Every time I’m at home, I think about all these guys, and I tear up,” Mark said.
“I get to be a dad, and I get to be a husband because of them.
“I’m overwhelmed with gratitude for what they’ve done and what they continue to do.
“They have families and could be at home, but instead, they’re out there rescuing people like me. It’s incredible.”
Recalling the events of that day, Mark said: “I don’t really remember much about it. I just recall thinking, ‘I think I’ve been in an accident,’ and I was coming in and out of consciousness.
“The guys were trying to keep me awake, but I kept drifting. I remember one moment of pain, like waking from a dream, and thinking, ‘I can’t feel my leg, my back is sore, my neck hurts.’
“I saw the airbag and thought, ‘Why’s my airbag out? I must have been in an accident. That’s pretty much all I remember.”
Several key personnel on scene that day also shared their perspectives on the incident and what it meant to see Mark’s recovery firsthand.
Quotes attributable to CFA Incident Controller Georgia Densley:
“Rescues like this one really highlight the strength of teamwork between CFA and our emergency service partners.
“Everyone on scene played their part, including Mark, who stayed calm under immense pressure, which made our job that much easier.
“It’s incredibly rewarding to see him here today and to witness his recovery firsthand.”
Quotes attributable to Dutchy Holland, VICSES Hastings Unit Controller:
“As first responders, having the chance to meet and talk with community members who we support in their time of need is an extremely rewarding experience.
“I’m very proud of our volunteers who were able to provide timely and much-needed aid alongside other emergency service providers to effect a positive outcome in this instance.”
Quotes attributable to MICA Paramedic Angus Bowden:
“Being able to reconnect with a patient and see him thrive after such a serious incident is a powerful reminder of why we do what we do. Mark was not only trapped, but appeared to have sustained multiple traumatic injuries.
“In this case, the combination of advanced clinical care and collaboration played a crucial role in the patient’s survival and recovery. From start to finish, it was a remarkable team effort, with paramedics, firefighters and SES working together to achieve the best possible outcome.”
Death following Summerleas Road Crash on 10 December
Wednesday, 29 January 2025 – 10:31 am.
Sadly, police can confirm a 75-year-old man died yesterday in Southern Tasmania. The man was involved in a crash on Summerleas Road, Fern Tree on 10 December 2024. Following the crash the man was taken to hospital in a serious but stable condition and has since passed away. Our thoughts are with the families and loved ones of all involved. A report will be prepared for the Coroner.
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:
Section 1. Policy and Purpose. Across the country today, medical professionals are maiming and sterilizing a growing number of impressionable children under the radical and false claim that adults can change a child’s sex through a series of irreversible medical interventions. This dangerous trend will be a stain on our Nation’s history, and it must end.
Countless children soon regret that they have been mutilated and begin to grasp the horrifying tragedy that they will never be able to conceive children of their own or nurture their children through breastfeeding. Moreover, these vulnerable youths’ medical bills may rise throughout their lifetimes, as they are often trapped with lifelong medical complications, a losing war with their own bodies, and, tragically, sterilization.
Accordingly, it is the policy of the United States that it will not fund, sponsor, promote, assist, or support the so-called “transition” of a child from one sex to another, and it will rigorously enforce all laws that prohibit or limit these destructive and life-altering procedures.
Sec. 2. Definitions. For the purposes of this order:
(a) The term “child” or “children” means an individual or individuals under 19 years of age.
(b) The term “pediatric” means relating to the medical care of a child.
(c) The phrase “chemical and surgical mutilation” means the use of puberty blockers, including GnRH agonists and other interventions, to delay the onset or progression of normally timed puberty in an individual who does not identify as his or her sex; the use of sex hormones, such as androgen blockers, estrogen, progesterone, or testosterone, to align an individual’s physical appearance with an identity that differs from his or her sex; and surgical procedures that attempt to transform an individual’s physical appearance to align with an identity that differs from his or her sex or that attempt to alter or remove an individual’s sexual organs to minimize or destroy their natural biological functions. This phrase sometimes is referred to as “gender affirming care.”
Sec. 3. Ending Reliance on Junk Science. (a) The blatant harm done to children by chemical and surgical mutilation cloaks itself in medical necessity, spurred by guidance from the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), which lacks scientific integrity. In light of the scientific concerns with the WPATH guidance:
(i) agencies shall rescind or amend all policies that rely on WPATH guidance, including WPATH’s “Standards of Care Version 8”; and
(ii) within 90 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) shall publish a review of the existing literature on best practices for promoting the health of children who assert gender dysphoria, rapid-onset gender dysphoria, or other identity-based confusion.
(b) The Secretary of HHS, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, shall use all available methods to increase the quality of data to guide practices for improving the health of minors with gender dysphoria, rapid-onset gender dysphoria, or other identity-based confusion, or who otherwise seek chemical or surgical mutilation.
Sec. 4. Defunding Chemical and Surgical Mutilation. The head of each executive department or agency (agency) that provides research or education grants to medical institutions, including medical schools and hospitals, shall, consistent with applicable law and in coordination with the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, immediately take appropriate steps to ensure that institutions receiving Federal research or education grants end the chemical and surgical mutilation of children.
Sec. 5. Additional Directives to the Secretary of HHS. (a) The Secretary of HHS shall, consistent with applicable law, take all appropriate actions to end the chemical and surgical mutilation of children, including regulatory and sub-regulatory actions, which may involve the following laws, programs, issues, or documents:
(i) Medicare or Medicaid conditions of participation or conditions for coverage;
(ii) clinical-abuse or inappropriate-use assessments relevant to State Medicaid programs;
(iii) mandatory drug use reviews;
(iv) section 1557 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act;
(v) quality, safety, and oversight memoranda;
(vi) essential health benefits requirements; and
(vii) the Eleventh Revision of the International Classification of Diseases and other federally funded manuals, including the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition.
(b) The Secretary of HHS shall promptly withdraw HHS’s March 2, 2022, guidance document titled “HHS Notice and Guidance on Gender Affirming Care, Civil Rights and Patient Privacy” and, in consultation with the Attorney General, issue new guidance protecting whistleblowers who take action related to ensuring compliance with this order.
Sec. 6. TRICARE. The Department of Defense provides health insurance, through TRICARE, to nearly 2 million individuals under the age of 18. As appropriate and consistent with applicable law, the Secretary of Defense shall commence a rulemaking or sub-regulatory action to exclude chemical and surgical mutilation of children from TRICARE coverage and amend the TRICARE provider handbook to exclude chemical and surgical mutilation of children.
Sec. 7. Requirements for Insurance Carriers. The Director of the Office of Personnel Management, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, shall:
(a) include provisions in the Federal Employee Health Benefits (FEHB) and Postal Service Health Benefits (PSHB) programs call letter for the 2026 Plan Year specifying that eligible carriers, including the Foreign Service Benefit Plan, will exclude coverage for pediatric transgender surgeries or hormone treatments; and
(b) negotiate to obtain appropriate corresponding reductions in FEHB and PSHB premiums.
Sec. 8. Directives to the Department of Justice. The Attorney General shall:
(a) review Department of Justice enforcement of section 116 of title 18, United States Code, and prioritize enforcement of protections against female genital mutilation;
(b) convene States’ Attorneys General and other law enforcement officers to coordinate the enforcement of laws against female genital mutilation across all American States and Territories;
(c) prioritize investigations and take appropriate action to end deception of consumers, fraud, and violations of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act by any entity that may be misleading the public about long-term side effects of chemical and surgical mutilation;
(d) in consultation with the Congress, work to draft, propose, and promote legislation to enact a private right of action for children and the parents of children whose healthy body parts have been damaged by medical professionals practicing chemical and surgical mutilation, which should include a lengthy statute of limitations; and
(e) prioritize investigations and take appropriate action to end child-abusive practices by so-called sanctuary States that facilitate stripping custody from parents who support the healthy development of their own children, including by considering the application of the Parental Kidnapping Prevention Act and recognized constitutional rights.
Sec. 9. Enforcing Adequate Progress. Within 60 days of the date of this order, the heads of agencies with responsibilities under this order shall submit a single, combined report to the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy, detailing progress in implementing this order and a timeline for future action. The Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy shall regularly convene the heads of agencies with responsibilities under this order (or their designees) to coordinate and prepare for this submission.
Sec. 10. Severability. If any provision of this order, or the application of any provision to any person or circumstances, is held to be invalid, the remainder of this order and the application of any of its other provisions to any other persons or circumstances shall not be affected thereby.
Sec. 11. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
A man with a history of violence was sentenced today, to 10 years in federal prison.
Conrad Lyons, age 36, from Sioux City, received the prison term after an August 26, 2024, guilty plea to one count of possession of a firearm by a felon and one count of receipt and possession of a National Firearms Destructive Device not registered to the possessor, i.e., a sawed-off shotgun.
Evidence in this case revealed that on March 23, 2024, at approximately 1:00 a.m., law enforcement received a report of an altercation in an apartment in Sioux City, Iowa, involving Lyons (who is a felon) and several other individuals. Reports indicated the altercation involved a large machete-style knife, and that Lyons had a “sawed-off shotgun”. Law enforcement responded to the apartment in Sioux City where the altercation took place. Outside of the apartment, law enforcement encountered an individual, who confirmed there had been an altercation, and identified some of the individuals, but the individuals inside the apartment were reluctant to cooperate.
Further, on March 23, 2024, at approximately 8:22 p.m., law enforcement observed Lyons and two other individuals, walking in Sioux City, Iowa. As law enforcement approached, Lyons dropped a black backpack and walked into the street. The other individual attempted to throw a machete into a storm drain. The individuals were stopped by police. The machete was retrieved, and through the open zipper of the backpack, law enforcement observed a barrel and what appeared to be a cut-off gunstock that was covered with a sock. It was later determined Lyons was in possession of the sawed-off shotgun.
Lyons has a history of violent offenses, failure on supervision, disciplinary violations in custody and a history of eluding, resisting and fighting with law enforcement. Lyons criminal history includes (1) assaulting, resisting, or impeding an officer, in the United States District Court of Nebraska; (2) assault with a dangerous weapon in Indian Country, in the United States District Court of Nebraska; and (3) assault by striking, beating, and wounding, in the United States District Court of Nebraska.
Lyons was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 120 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Lyons is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by the Sioux City, Iowa Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.
