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kijiji burlington LOCALS have been left gutted after a popular eatery has been forced to close its doors. Bosses at Bellisimo Burrito in Inverness will only be open for one more week. 2 The business on Culcabaock Road had to close down Credit: Google Maps The much-loved Mexican food business on Culcabock Road had no choice but to close after an issue with the lease. Bellisimo Burrito was trading out of the same unit as The Wee Whisk Cafe. They had been working from the cafe since last August. But they announced they are no longer trading not long after the cafe also closed. READ MORE MONEY NEWS SHOP SHOCK Iconic British high street chain forced to close ANOTHER store after 34 years GHOST TOWN Former Scots shopping hotspot 'decaying' as multimillion pound revamp ‘failing’ A post on their Facebook said the lease for the cafe was "non functional" and it meant they couldn't sell any food there. They broke the news to devastated punters that they would only be open for one more week. Their Facebook post read: "Sad news. Only one more week to enjoy a Mexican until further notice. Unfortunately even after much negotiation and back and forth with relevant people we can no longer trade in this unit. Most read in Money SHOP SHOCK Iconic British high street chain forced to close ANOTHER store after 34 years PAY BOOST 20 highest paying jobs in 2025 & you don't need a degree - you could earn £77k GHOST TOWN Former Scots shopping hotspot 'decaying' as multimillion pound revamp ‘failing’ PENSION PAY Exact date millions on state pension to get £473 pay rise in months "Whisk was sold a lease that is non-functional and should not be trading any food business in the premises." They claimed it looked unlikely that the situation would be resolved and they will need to find a new home for Bellisimo Burrito. Artist commemorates 'world's oldest magic shop' with lifelike model after shock closure They added: "Hopefully a new unit or kitchen will come up to build Bellissimo Burrito in the future . "But for now time to enjoy one last Burrito this year you have a week." And their loyal customers were completely saddened by the news. One said: "Hope you find somewhere else soon, your food is amazing." Another commented: "So sorry to hear this, fingers crossed you find new premises and are able to grow your fantastic business." And a third person replied: "Genuinely gutted! We shall be in for our last takeaway soon." 2 They announced the closure on social media Credit: AlamyTinubu's support group empowers 500 SMEs in SoutheastThousands of people took to the streets of the Slovakia capital Thursday to protest against Culture Minister Martina Simkovicova who has dismissed several heads of major cultural institutions and halted projects steered by LGBT+ associations under the pretext of promoting "Slovak culture". Simkovicova, a 53-year-old former television anchor, has been a controversial figure since taking office in October 2023. "I am frustrated and very angry about the way culture is being destroyed and organizations are falling apart," Svetlana Fialova, a 39-year-old visual artist and lecturer, told AFP. "What is happening in Slovakia is ... what is happening in Georgia, Hungary and other countries, where people who collaborate and play to Russian tunes are coming to power and trying to suppress democracy and culture," she said. "The culture of the Slovaks should be Slovak -- Slovak and none else," Simkovicova said in one early speech. Nominated by the nationalist Slovak National Party (SNS), she has also slammed "LGBT+ ideology" for causing Europe to "die out". Her views have appealed to Prime Minister Robert Fico from the centrist Smer party, whose objections to liberal values echo Viktor Orban, the prime minister of neighbouring Hungary. Simkovicova had worked notably for the Slovan TV channel, known for spreading conspiracy theories, xenophobia and pro-Russian views. Slovak National Gallery director Alexandra Kusa lost her job in August in what opponents said was part of Simkovicova's purge. "Culture ministry staff accompanied by a lawyer showed up in my office one day with a bunch of flowers and a notice," she told AFP. Kusa, who has been reduced to the post of exhibition curator, said the ministry had launched a derogatory campaign against her. She says she was punished for backing Matej Drlicka, the National Theatre director, who was sacked a day earlier. The head of the country's heritage institute was dismissed this week. "We are not compatible with the ministry. Their idea of culture is completely different from ours," Kusa said. She accuses the ministry of launching "an era of bullying and intimidation". "It's pure destruction and demonstration of power. It's terrible." The ministry did not respond to AFP's request to comment. Simkovicova also targets public media. In June, she pushed through a law reforming the state-run RTVS broadcaster into a new company, STVR, which is under her control. Analyst Pavol Hardos told AFP that wielding political influence over cultural institutions had a precedent in Slovakia. "This is something we experienced in the 1990s during the illiberal regime of Vladimir Meciar, when there were ideological tests and tests ... of who is a good nationalist, a good Slovak, and who isn't," he said. What is new is the government's "commitment to purge cultural institutions from anyone who is in any way perceived as potentially a political enemy", Hardos said. Open-minded and liberal people are "being targeted as a potential troublemaker, and people who are often enough real experts in their areas are being sidelined or thrown out," he added. Hardos said that while it was premature to talk about "an illiberal regime", Fico is walking in Orban's footsteps. The government is also targeting LGBT+ rights organisations. Early this year, Simkovicova said they would not get "a cent" from her ministry. She has recently curbed public subsidies for LGBT+ groups. "This concerns any project with links to LGBT+," said Martin Macko, head of the Iniciativa Inakost NGO. He said attacks on the minority were growing, as were the number of people being treated by the NGO's therapists. The situation has incited protests among artists, cultural institution staff and the public, who turn their backs on directors named by Simkovicova or read protest statements on theatre stages. Large rallies were held this year, mobilising tens of thousands of people. Two petitions written by artists have solicited 400,000 signatures in the EU member country of 5.4 million people. In the Slovak parliament, the opposition initiated a vote to dismiss Simkovicova, but the attempt fell through. "No culture ministry employee prevents anyone from being creative or expressing themselves," Simkovicova told the press. sc-anb-frj-kym/tw

After a trying 2024 season, Maryland football will take any victories when available, and Wednesday offered one. On National Signing Day, the Terps earned signed commitments from 20 high school seniors who can suit up next fall. The group has attracted high marks from recruiting services such as ESPN, which rates the class 21st in its national rankings, and 247Sports, which rated the group No. 27. The crown jewel of the high school seniors is Spalding quarterback Malik Washington, a 6-foot-5, 215-pound four-star prospect who has risen in 247Sports’ individual rankings to No. 50 and is the No. 5 quarterback in the nation. The Baltimore Sun’s 2023-24 high school boys Athlete of the Year , Washington became the first quarterback in Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association history to guide his school to three consecutive A Conference titles, completed 65.3% of his passes for 1,970 yards and 22 touchdowns, and added eight rushing scores. Whether Washington — who will not play basketball for the Cavaliers this winter so that he can concentrate on football — will see much playing time remains to be seen. Billy Edwards Jr., who started the first 11 games for the Terps (4-8, 1-8 Big Ten) before sitting out Saturday’s 44-7 loss at No. 3 Penn State because of an injured thumb on his right (throwing) hand, is slated to return after finishing his redshirt junior year ranked second in the Big Ten in total passing yards (2,881), third in passing yards per game (261.9) and eighth in completion percentage (.65). Although redshirt sophomore Cameron Edge announced his intention in October to enter the transfer portal, Washington would still have to compete with redshirt sophomore MJ Morris, who was Edwards Jr.’s primary backup. Redshirt freshman Champ Long, redshirt sophomore Jayden Sauray, and freshmen Roman Jensen and Khristian Martin could also be in the mix. Maryland coach Mike Locksley noted that Juice Williams at Illinois in 2006 and Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa at Alabama in 2016 and 2017, respectively, started as freshmen in his offensive system. So he was not about to set any boundaries for Washington. “To me, the sky is the limit for his talent level,” Locksley said. “He expects to come in the mail room and work his way up. He doesn’t want it any other way. He wants to come in and learn and be a sponge.” While the clock on Washington’s development begins soon, here are three recruits (in alphabetical order) who could make an impact sooner rather than later: The 6-1, 196-pound resident of Newport News, Virginia, pulled a mild surprise when he chose the Terps over Ohio State, Virginia and Virginia Tech. And although he sat out the fall for Warwick High while recovering from a broken leg suffered in the spring, Delhomme offers a versatile blend of talent after demonstrating his skills at safety, wide receiver and running back. Rated a four-star recruit, Delhomme is ranked by 247Sports as the No. 22 safety in the country and the No. 115 player overall. If he remains at safety, Delhomme could replace Dante Trader Jr., a McDonogh graduate headed to the Senior Bowl, and pair with junior Jalen Huskey, who moved from cornerback to safety, in the defensive backfield. Maryland’s secondary was young and inexperienced this past season. The defense ranked 17th in the 18-team Big Ten in touchdown passes surrendered (22) and yards allowed per completion (12.1) and 16th in passing yards allowed per game (241.3). The unit also accounted for 11 pass interference and one defensive holding penalties. “Losing players like Dante Trader and Glen Miller that have been three-year starters back there on the back end, his range, his length, he has what I call the quarterback moxie that you look for out of a field general on the defensive side,” Locksley said. “He has tremendous ball skills, which — when you play that position — we see a guy that has the ability to play the deep part of the field for us and has the range, length and ball skills that you want as well as the physicality.” The 6-4, 305-pound resident of Virginia Beach, Virginia, visited South Carolina and Georgia but stayed closer to home when he selected Maryland. Gilchrist contributed to Salem High advancing to the Virginia Class 5 state Region A final and a 10-3 record this past fall. A four-star prospect, Gilchrist is ranked by 247Sports as the No. 6 interior offensive lineman in the nation and the No. 92 player overall. Gilchrist will arrive at an opportune time. There is an immediate opening at left guard with senior Isaac Bunyun exhausting his eligibility. And right guard could be a possibility if redshirt sophomore Aliou Bah, who started all 12 games there, moves to the left side. The offensive line could use some help. The unit ranked 14th in the 18-team Big Ten in sacks allowed (26) and had a hand in a rushing offense that finished 16th in rushing yards per game (110.4) and 13th in touchdown runs (15). Members of the offensive line were also responsible for 12 presnap penalties (false starts and illegal snaps) and nine holding infractions. “I see him being that talented [with] his size, his athletic ability, his skill set as well as our need to improve that position,” said Locksley, who added that Gilchrist could follow the paths of former Alabama offensive tackles Jonah Williams, Jedrick Wills and Alex Leatherwood who started early in their careers. “Jaylen’s skill set is as a big, athletic guy that has a body and strength that translates to being able to come in and compete early.” The 6-4, 335-pound resident of Washington visited Rutgers, South Carolina and Tennessee before traveling to College Park and opting for Maryland. Jenkins has played on the defensive and offensive lines for Friendship Collegiate Academy (8-3), which has limited opponents to 10.1 points per game this fall and will meet Dunbar for the District of Columbia State Athletic Association title on Saturday in a repeat of last year’s matchup won by Friendship. Graded as a four-star recruit, Jenkins is considered by 247Sports as the No. 35 defensive lineman in the country. While redshirt sophomore Jordan Phillips figures to be a mainstay at nose tackle, there is a vacancy at defensive tackle in the defense’s 3-4 alignment. Senior Tommy Akingbesote started all 12 games there before exhausting his eligibility. Jenkins could fortify a defensive line in need of an influx of talent. As a whole, the defense ranked last in the Big Ten in total sacks (14), and the defensive line chipped in on 4 1/2 of those sacks. And in the last five games, the Terps surrendered an average of 184.4 rushing yards and 10 touchdown runs. “He’s a big guy with a little-guy skill set, meaning he’s one of those guys that is a lot like Warren Sapp,” Locksley said. “He’s a guy that has that twitch inside that most interior defenders don’t have. So for me with that part and that big body, he could very easily be an All-American left tackle as he can be an All-American interior three-technique nose guard guy.” Have a news tip? Contact Edward Lee at eklee@baltsun.com , 410-332-6200 and x.com/EdwardLeeSun .Social media erupts after Jack Smith files to dismiss Jan. 6 charges against TrumpThe TV presenter and journalist joined thousands of farmers in London on Tuesday to protest against agricultural inheritance tax changes. Jeremy Clarkson has backpedalled on his previous comments about why he bought his farm, saying he thought it would be a “better PR story if I said I bought it to avoid paying tax”. The TV presenter and journalist defied doctors’ orders by joining thousands of farmers in London on Tuesday to protest against agricultural inheritance tax changes. The 64-year-old, who fronts Prime Video’s Clarkson’s Farm, which documents the trials of farming on his land in Oxfordshire, wrote in a post on the Top Gear website in 2010: “I have bought a farm. There are many sensible reasons for this: Land is a better investment than any bank can offer. The government doesn’t get any of my money when I die. And the price of the food that I grow can only go up.” Clarkson also told the Times in 2021 that avoiding inheritance tax was “the critical thing” in his decision to buy land. Addressing the claim in a new interview with The Times, the former Top Gear presenter said: “I never did admit why I really bought it.” The fan of game bird shooting added: “I wanted to have a shoot – I was very naive. I just thought it would be a better PR story if I said I bought it to avoid paying tax.” Clarkson was among the thousands who took to the streets this week to protest over the changes in the recent Budget to impose inheritance tax on farms worth more than £1 million and he addressed the crowds at the march in central London. He told the newspaper he is not happy to be the public face of the movement, saying: “It should be led by farmers.” The presenter said he does not consider himself a farmer because there are “so many basic jobs” which he cannot do, but he feels his role is to “report on farming”. Earlier this month, it was confirmed Clarkson’s Farm, which has attracted huge attention to his Diddly Squat farm shop, had been renewed for a fifth series. Asked whether the issue behind the tax protest is that rural poverty is hidden, Clarkson agreed and said his programme was not helping to address the situation. “One of the problems we have on the show is we’re not showing the poverty either, because obviously on Diddly Squat there isn’t any poverty”, he said. “But trust me, there is absolute poverty. I’m surrounded by farmers. I’m not going out for dinner with James Dyson. “It’s people with 200 acres, 400 acres. Way past Rachel Reeves’s threshold. They are f*****.” The newspaper columnist also presents Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? on ITV. The Grand Tour, his motoring show with former Top Gear colleagues Richard Hammond and James May, ended in September. Discussing whether he might move into politics, Clarkson said: “I’d be a terrible political leader, hopeless. “I’m a journalist at heart, I prefer throwing rocks at people than having them thrown at me.” However, he said he would be “100% behind any escalation” after the farmers’ march. Clarkson revealed last month he had undergone a heart procedure to have stents fitted after experiencing a “sudden deterioration” in his health which brought on symptoms of being “clammy”, a “tightness” in his chest and “pins and needles” in his left arm. He said in a Sunday Times column that one of his arteries was “completely blocked and the second of three was heading that way” and doctors said he was perhaps “days away” from becoming very ill. Asked if he is thinking about retiring, the Doncaster-born celebrity said: “Probably not. It depends when you die, I always think. “You’d be surprised, us Northerners are made of strong stuff.”

Natixis Advisors LLC Purchases 13,981 Shares of Insperity, Inc. (NYSE:NSP)NEW YORK , Dec. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Halper Sadeh LLC, an investor rights law firm, is investigating the following companies for potential violations of the federal securities laws and/or breaches of fiduciary duties to shareholders relating to: Cross Country Healthcare, Inc. (NASDAQ: CCRN)'s sale to Aya Healthcare for $18.61 per share in cash. If you are a Cross Country shareholder, click here to learn more about your legal rights and options . EnLink Midstream, LLC (NYSE: ENLC)'s sale to ONEOK, Inc. for 0.1412 shares of ONEOK common stock for each common unit of EnLink. If you are an EnLink shareholder, click here to learn more about your rights and options . Manitex International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MNTX)'s sale to Tadano Ltd. for $5.80 per share in cash. If you are a Manitex shareholder, click here to learn more about your legal rights and options . Halper Sadeh LLC may seek increased consideration for shareholders, additional disclosures and information concerning the proposed transaction, or other relief and benefits on behalf of shareholders. We would handle the action on a contingent fee basis, whereby you would not be responsible for out-of-pocket payment of our legal fees or expenses. Shareholders are encouraged to contact the firm free of charge to discuss their legal rights and options. Please call Daniel Sadeh or Zachary Halper at (212) 763-0060 or email sadeh@halpersadeh.com or zhalper@halpersadeh.com . Halper Sadeh LLC represents investors all over the world who have fallen victim to securities fraud and corporate misconduct. Our attorneys have been instrumental in implementing corporate reforms and recovering millions of dollars on behalf of defrauded investors. Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Contact Information: Halper Sadeh LLC Daniel Sadeh, Esq. Zachary Halper, Esq. (212) 763-0060 sadeh@halpersadeh.com zhalper@halpersadeh.com https://www.halpersadeh.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/shareholder-investigation-halper-sadeh-llc-investigates-ccrn-enlc-mntx-on-behalf-of-shareholders-302330624.html SOURCE Halper Sadeh LLP

Slovakia protests against minister who tests culture, LGBT limits

Woman Living with Ultra-Rare Disease Talks 'Reclaiming' Her Identity After Spending Life Feeling Like 'a Diagnosis' (Exclusive)

Australia news LIVE: Bills on the brink in final sitting week of the year; Social media giants slam ‘rushed’ ban consultationEmpowered Funds LLC grew its stake in shares of Ring Energy, Inc. ( NYSEAMERICAN:REI – Free Report ) by 18.9% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 686,254 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 109,074 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC owned approximately 0.35% of Ring Energy worth $1,098,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in REI. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Ring Energy by 26.5% during the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 5,068,526 shares of the company’s stock worth $9,934,000 after purchasing an additional 1,062,654 shares during the period. Janus Henderson Group PLC acquired a new stake in shares of Ring Energy during the first quarter worth about $47,000. CWM LLC raised its position in shares of Ring Energy by 448.3% during the second quarter. CWM LLC now owns 23,367 shares of the company’s stock worth $39,000 after purchasing an additional 19,105 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. raised its position in shares of Ring Energy by 42.6% during the second quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,967,501 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,325,000 after purchasing an additional 587,690 shares during the period. Finally, Cetera Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Ring Energy by 89.6% during the first quarter. Cetera Advisors LLC now owns 34,130 shares of the company’s stock worth $67,000 after purchasing an additional 16,130 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 77.14% of the company’s stock. Ring Energy Price Performance Shares of Ring Energy stock opened at $1.60 on Friday. Ring Energy, Inc. has a 52-week low of $1.25 and a 52-week high of $2.20. The company has a market capitalization of $317.12 million, a P/E ratio of 2.81 and a beta of 1.63. The company has a current ratio of 0.54, a quick ratio of 0.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46. Insiders Place Their Bets In other Ring Energy news, major shareholder Warburg Pincus & Co Us, Llc sold 4,400,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, October 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1.62, for a total transaction of $7,128,000.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 35,520,643 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $57,543,441.66. The trade was a 11.02 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link . Insiders own 2.60% of the company’s stock. Analysts Set New Price Targets Separately, StockNews.com lowered Ring Energy from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 14th. View Our Latest Research Report on Ring Energy Ring Energy Company Profile ( Free Report ) Ring Energy, Inc, an independent oil and natural gas company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of oil and natural gas properties. The company has interests in 56,711 net developed acres and 2,668 net undeveloped acres in Andrews, Gaines, Crane, Ector, Winkler, and Ward counties, Texas; and 8,751 net developed acres and 12,405 net undeveloped acres in Yoakum County, Texas and Lea County, New Mexico. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding REI? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Ring Energy, Inc. ( NYSEAMERICAN:REI – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for Ring Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Ring Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Photo: File image Family violence numbers have remained stagnant for decades, even as evidence shows the vast majority are never reported. The fight for legal support Not long after their whirlwind romance, Christchurch woman Shannon Williams' new partner needed somewhere to live. Given he had been hanging out at her place a lot anyhow, he soon moved in with her and her young son. She said things were good for less than a week. "I felt like I was walking on eggshells, having to hold myself to an unrealistic standard to avoid him getting angry. The anger wasn't always directed at me, but it was enough to make me feel quite uncomfortable in my own home." But things would get much worse when a few drinks at home with friends turned into a violent rage. "Everything was good, we were all having a really good night. I don't know what happened, but he kicked off - he ended up quite violent, he started smashing up the house. "He caused about $20,000 of damage to my property." Police were called, and her ex-partner spent a night in custody, but apologetic and embarrassed, he eventually convinced her to give him another chance. Eventually he would be charged and convicted following another incident. As a solicitor, she had an advantage when applying for the protection order, which she had within 24 hours, but acknowledged getting legal support is an issue for many women. University of Auckland associate professor Carrie Leonetti calls this the privatisation of victim safety - placing the onus on the victim to protect themselves from revictimisation - which she notes violates New Zealand's obligations under several international human rights conventions. "The Convention against Torture and Inhumane Treatment, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the United Nations Convention for the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child - all of these international human rights conventions put obligations on state parties to protect victims from violence and not to make victims grab a torch and a pitchfork and protect themselves." The restraining orders people get under the Harassment Act in many other countries would be handled by the police, she said. "We still largely leave the job of protecting themselves to victims in New Zealand and they're already victims of domestic violence. The last thing they need is to have to get lawyers and go to court to get restraining orders, to get Protection Orders, to get child support, to get occupancy orders from the house." Leonetti said most countries treated those procedures as a police prosecution function, where they would facilitate securing occupancy of the house and getting a protection order. And while they did not arrange child support, they will enforce an order if a parent did not pay. "In New Zealand, we still largely have a self help regime." Instead of protecting victims from revictimisation, "we push it on to victims and make them do it through old clunky, expensive, inefficient civil procedures". Police changes Despite the stubborn statistics of shame, there are fears a recent policy shift by police could lead to less family violence incidents being attended, investigated or prosecuted. Earlier this year, Police Commissioner Andrew Coster said police attendance to family harm callouts had increased 80 percent in 10 years and was "not sustainable", but that the proposed changes, which had been trailed for six months in 2023, were under consideration. University of Auckland associate professor Carrie Leonetti said she had grave concerns about the impact of the changes. She said the problem stemmed from the decision - dating back several years - to include family violence under the more amorphous term of family harm, which conflated criminal and non-criminal offences. Police say they will still respond to crimes, making a decision based on the 111 call as to whether the harm is criminal family violence, non criminal forms of family violence - such as coercive controlling behaviour, financial and emotional abuse - or other issues such as mental health problems, substance use or people arguing. But Leonetti said she was "baffled" police believe they can accurately distinguish between family violence from non-family violent family harm, without showing up on the doorstep and reading between the lines. "If somebody makes a 111 call and the perpetrator is standing in the room, they are not at liberty to disclose everything they need to. Or if the neighbour calls, how would the police figure out talking to the next door neighbour whether they need to respond to that home or not?" In the absence of coding those things differently when the calls are taken and triaged, there is no data to know if the police position - that they are only avoiding non-criminal non-family violence forms of family harm - is true, she said. "There is evidence from around the world, including Aotearoa New Zealand, that police are getting called out to cases that involve crimes and family violence, and not treating them as such." Leonetti also warned that the non-response could make a victim's situation substantially worse, destroying trust in authorities and emboldening the perpetrator. "The thing that keeps me up at night is, very few people call the police for family violence. On average, intimate partner violence victims call the police after the seventh or eighth occurrence. "So this is a person who hasn't called, hasn't called, hasn't called, and if - when they finally call - don't get a good response, they'll never try again. "That we're missing those opportunities is a tragedy, and it's a tragedy of the creation of our own policy." She said it was particularly frustrating given Aotearoa actually had strong laws, but family violence remained "under-reported, under-prosecuted and under-identified". "New Zealand has some of the best family violence legislation on paper that I've seen, but some of the worst rates of family violence, and some of the worst systemic responses." Overseas models University of Auckland professor in social and community health Janet Fanslow said there were overseas models that had shown huge promise in dramatically lowering family violence rates. Much of what New Zealand has been doing in the past two decades has been about increasing recognition of violence, often targeted at the victims of family violence, encouraging them to leave the relationship and seek help. While that's an important message, Fanslow wanted to see more investment in evidence-based strategies. "There are evidence-based prevention strategies that have been used elsewhere in the world which have seen dramatic decreases in intimate partner violence - I'm talking a 50 percent decrease in four years." While she acknowledged the importance of New Zealand developing "home grown solutions", Fanslow said we could learn a lot from successful international models. "Some of the successful strategies seen overseas are more community based, involving both men and women, exploring power and the use of power in relationships. "It's a great way to flip the discussion so violence becomes seen as a manifestation of power, which can be used in ways that go over the top of other people to suppress them, or you can think about power not as a zero-sum game. "It's been a transformational strategy elsewhere, because it brings men on board into the conversation, and it gives everyone a positive thing to move to." She said other well-evaluated programmes included those working with men, especially when they become new fathers. "That's a great entry, because men are interested in being good fathers, in being good parents and good partners, but we need to have the conversation with people about what that looks like, and how do you negotiate and do things like conflict resolution in ways that aren't about getting your own way at the expense of other people." Fanslow said funding cuts to the sector were counterproductive, especially cuts to parenting programmes. She said there was strong evidence showing the programmes' ability to engage parents and benefit children, and their cost effectiveness. "By supporting people to develop safe, stable and nurturing relationships with their children and giving people the skills and resources for that, it has long term benefits for the kids, and for society. "It's across all of those domains we say we're interested in - we say we're interested in better educational outcomes, we say we're interested in less crime, we say we're interested in better health - actually our relationships, and the quality of those relationships, influence all of those domains." A 2014 economic estimate - which put the cost of family violence at $4-7 billion a year - is likely a significant underestimate given increased costs, and what researchers were now learning about the long term health impacts of abuse, she said. Shannon Williams said the help she and her son received from Barnados was invaluable. She found the group meetings for the women's safety programme were important for her journey. "Before then, I don't think I realised that some of the things I experienced were abuse. It was really empowering to just sit in a room with a group of other ladies who had a similar experience - that was really healing, just to know I'm not alone and I'm not crazy. "We tend to internalise it and think there's something wrong with us, especially when you have someone constantly degrading you and devaluing you, you start to think, this is me, I'm the one causing this anger - but you can start to step back and say I wasn't doing anything wrong, this is their problem to figure out. That was really empowering."

Sheraton Grand Doha wins at World Travel AwardsThrivent Financial for Lutherans Sells 3,069 Shares of TransDigm Group Incorporated (NYSE:TDG)Special counsel Jack Smith faced further accusations of political lawfare online after he filed to dismiss the cases against President-elect Donald Trump on Monday. Less than three weeks after Trump bested Vice President Kamala Harris, Smith filed a motion to end the cases centered on Trump's actions leading up to and on Jan. 6, 2021, and Trump's handling of classified documents. Politicians and lawyers alike responded to the filing Monday on X. "This lawfare was always unprecedented," Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) wrote. "This lawfare was always wrong. This lawfare was always politically-motivated. And this lawfare MUST NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN." "All that has changed is that Trump won the election And now Jack Smith is moving to dismiss," Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) wrote. "Isn’t that tantamount to an admission that this was just politicized lawfare from the beginning?" "The Jack Smith cases will be remembered as a dark chapter of weaponization," Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) wrote. "They never should have been brought. Our elections are decided by voters--not by fanatical, deranged liberal lawyers like Jack Smith." "[Retweet] if you think it's time to fire Jack Smith," Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) wrote. "Jack Smith-your losing joke of an indictment didn’t have a chance in hell to begin with as SCOTUS made clear," former Olympian Caitlyn Jenner wrote. "Your motion to dismiss is long over due. I hope you’re investigated until the end of time when AG @PamBondi takes over. Thankful to the voter mandating lawfare end!" "It was all a political witch hunt to interfere with our elections!!" Libs of TikTok wrote of the dismissal. "Jack Smith failed miserably, but did grave damage to our justice system and sought to sabotage our election system," Fox Business host Mark Levin wrote. "He should have to answer for it. Alvin Bragg hangs on as we sit around and await conflicted rogue judge, Juan Merchan, to get off his a** and dismiss the outrageous case in New York." "Will Jack Smith reimburse taxpayers for the millions wasted on this bogus witch hunt he just dropped?" Trump lawyer Alina Habba wrote. "Asking for America." "This is a MASSIVE WIN for the rule of law," Trump's campaign wrote. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER Smith attempted to speed up his cases against Trump and go to trial before this month’s election. These cases, even though the alleged crimes occurred before Trump announced his 2024 campaign, were not brought until afterward. Additionally, Trump has yet to be sentenced for his criminal fraud conviction in New York . In May, the soon-to-be president was found guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records.