Latest news with #Packer
Herald Sun
2 days ago
- Business
- Herald Sun
End of financial year review: Does your home loan measure up? - realestate.com.au
The end of a financial year often brings a natural focus on finances — especially if you are investing in property as you prepare for tax returns. As one of your biggest financial commitments, it's the perfect time to review your home loan to ensure it meets your goals for the financial year ahead. Some borrowers have already kicked off their reviews, with the latest Mortgage Choice Home Loan Report revealing the value of refinance loans was up 30 per cent year-on-year over the March quarter. It could be worth reviewing your home loan. MORE: Mystery buyer of Packer's $80m pad revealed So, is it worth finding out if your home or investment loan is still giving you the best bang for your buck? The short answer is of course yes. Your reasons for reviewing your loan will be different to your neighbours', but it's worth taking time to review your loan to ensure it's working for you. Reach out to a mortgage broker who can compare your loan against what's in the market to see if you can access a sharper rate, an improved loan structure, or help you understand if you can tap into your equity. This end of financial year, ask yourself these four questions. Can I access a better rate? The Reserve Bank of Australia has already delivered two rate cuts this year, and the market is predicting a third cut on 8 July. As we see more cuts to the cash rate, competition will ramp up as some lenders pass on the savings in full, and others don't. A couple discussing their home loan with a mortgage broker. Picture: iStock. MORE: Black Stump demise exposed, menu emerges Some lenders are offering great rates to attract new customers, so if your home loan rate doesn't start with a 5, you might be paying too much. Can I claim tax deductions? If you have a mortgage on an investment property, now is the perfect time to take stock of the interest you paid, as well as any expenses related to property maintenance or management as you may be able to claim tax deductions relating to these expenses on your next return. Will a better loan structure offer me any benefits? Refinancing could help you access different loan features or a structure that better suits your needs, such as an offset account or redraw facility. Am I rolling off a fixed rate? If your fixed-rate term is coming to an end soon, it's the right time to shop around. When your fixed term ends, your lender will automatically move you onto a standard variable rate loan, but it may not be the most competitive on offer. Can I access equity? Property values continue to rise, with national values up 4.12 per cent year-on-year according to the May PropTrack Home Price Index. If your property has increased in value while you've had your home loan, you may have equity built up that could help you negotiate a lower rate or even put you in a position to upgrade your home or purchase another property.
Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Abortion prosecution horror as woman arrested in hospital while still bleeding
A law change aimed at decriminalising abortion in England and Wales was debated in the House of Commons after a string of women have faced prosecution and even jail Half a dozen women in England and Wales have recently faced prosecution after having an abortion, but after more than a century, this week could see a major change that allows women the right to choose. MPs debated in the Commons on a law change aimed at decriminalising abortion in England and Wales. While the Abortion Act in 1967 allowed access to abortion, the 1861 law - the Offences Against the Person Act - was not revoked. It means abortion was illegal, but allowed up to the first 24 weeks of pregnancy, and beyond then if the mother's life is in danger. Recent changes to the law, introduced in lockdown, have meant that women can access pills to terminate pregnancies under 10 weeks at home through the "pills by post" scheme. In 2022, the most recent available data, more than 250,000 abortions were reported, the highest figure since records began. However in the last five years, abortion providers have reported 100 requests for medical records from police officers in relation to suspected abortion offences, the BBC reports. Just last month, Nicola Packer, 45, was cleared by a jury after being accused of having an illegal abortion. In November 2020, when she was 26 weeks pregnant, she took an abortion medicine at home during the coronavirus lockdown, Isleworth Crown Court heard. Ms Packer, then 41, took the medications after they were prescribed over the phone due to lockdown restrictions. She delivered the baby and took her to Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in a backpack the following day. Ms Packer said she hadn't realised how far along she was in her pregnancy, and expressed her "shock" at being pregnant given her age. She told the jury that if she had known she was more than 10 weeks, she wouldn't have gone ahead with the medication. Ms Packer had spent the night of November 7 in the hospital and had initially said she miscarried naturally. She had told two midwives the next day that she had taken abortion pills through the post, received from Marie Stopes, one of the largest providers of contraception and abortions. While recovering from surgery for a stillbirth and still bleeding, she was arrested at the hospital by police the same day. Prosecutors had picked apart her sex life during the trial, with it taking her four years to clear her name. Ms Packer is one of six women to be prosecuted for the crime since the end of 2022 under the Offences Against the Person Act, which, since its introduction in 1861, had only been used three times. In June 2023, a mum-of-three was jailed for more than two years for inducing an abortion after the legal limit. Carla Foster, 45, who became pregnant in 2019, had moved back in with her estranged partner at the start of lockdown whilst carrying another man's baby. The court heard she had sought to hide her pregnancy, which the judge accepted as "emotional turmoil". Ms Foster had a remote consultation before being prescribed the medication, and said she wasn't sure how far along she was. Stoke Crown Court heard she was between 32-34 weeks when she took the pills. Judge Mr Justice Edward Pepperall said it was a "tragic" case, adding that the defendant, who later pleaded guilty to administering drugs to procure abortion, was "wracked by guilt" and had suffered depression. Her 28-month sentencing outraged campaigners, with the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) saying it was "appalled" by the sentencing based on "archaic law". In January 2024, Bethany Cox, 22, was found not guilty of carrying out an illegal abortion on herself. On the eve of her trial, the prosecution dropped the case due to "evidential difficulties". Nicholas Lumley KC, for Ms Cox, said she had given birth in July 2020 at the end of the coronavirus lockdown. Whilst "in the throes of grief", the young woman, from Stockton, had been interviewed by police and was under police investigation for three years before being charged. Mr Lumley said it was "beyond regrettable" that she had suffered so extensively. In December last year, Sophie Harvey, 25, and her boyfriend Elliot Benham were given community orders after prosecutors accepted she did not illegally abort their baby. Meanwhile another woman, whose identity was protected, had her case dropped, with a judge saying he was "flabbergasted" to see it in court. Then there are the women whose names didn't make headlines, including a teenager who was arrested in front of her neighbours after having a late miscarriage, the Guardian reports, and cases of women who have been denied contact with their children whilst being investigated. Some women and girls who have had terminated pregnancies past the legal cut-off have been vulnerable, including victims of domestic violence. A BPAS spokesperson told The Guardian: 'We're aware of cases where the woman has been investigated, or even imprisoned, and nothing has happened to her abusive partner.' The harrowing case of Ms Packer put England and Wales' current abortion laws back into the spotlight, with the trial demonstrating "just how outdated and harmful" current abortion law was, according to the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. Dr Ranee Thakar, the college's president, said: "As a doctor, I am acutely aware of how vital it is that women can access essential healthcare in a safe and supportive environment. "Restrictive abortion laws in England and Wales nurture an environment of fear, stigmatisation and criminalisation. Abortion reform is urgently needed, and now is the time for change." Two Labour MPs, Tonia Antoniazzi and Stella Creasy, tabled rival amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill. The aim was to prevent women from being investigated, prosecuted, or imprisoned for terminating their own pregnancies. Ms Antoniazzi has argued that the probes are "dehumanising and prolonged and the women forced to endure them are often extraordinarily vulnerable". She added: "The reality is that no woman wakes up 24 weeks pregnant or more and suddenly decides to end their own pregnancy outside a hospital or clinic. "But some women, in desperate circumstances, make choices that many of us would struggle to understand. What they need is compassion and care, not the threat of criminal prosecution." Meanwhile, Ms Creasy's rival amendment would position abortion access as a human right.
Elle
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Elle
The UK Government Will Vote On Decriminalising Abortion This Week — Here's Everything You Need To Know
Next Tuesday, on June 17, MPs will get a free vote on whether to decriminalise current abortion laws in England and Wales. While it is a commonly-held belief that abortion is legal in the UK, the reality is that it isn't. Abortion is still technically illegal due to a piece of Victorian legislation, the Offences Against the Person Act of 1861, and is only widely available due to exceptions laid out in a 1967 amendment. FIND OUT MORE ON ELLE COLLECTIVE Next Tuesday's vote asks that abortion be taken entirely out of criminal law, which will hopefully enshrine women's reproductive rights more within law, making it harder for future governments to pass laws that may impede them. The campaign in question encourages constituents to email their local MPs (an email template for which can be found here) before Sunday, June 11. The Parliamentary vote comes at a prescient time for women's reproductive rights. In the past three years alone, in England, six women have appeared in court charged with ending or attempting to end their own pregnancy, outside of the terms of the 1967 Abortion Act. Last month, Nicola Packer was cleared by a jury of 'unlawfully administering' herself with abortion pills at home during a coronavirus lockdown in 2020. Packer had taken prescribed abortion medicine when she was around 26 weeks pregnant, beyond the legal limit of 10 weeks for taking such medication at home. She told jurors she did not realise she had been pregnant for more than 10 weeks. A petition urging the government at Westminster to 'remove abortion from criminal law so that no pregnant person can be criminalised for procuring their own abortion' gathered more than 103,653 signatures. The issue of decriminalising abortion was then debated in Parliament on June 2, 2025. ELLE Collective is a new community of fashion, beauty and culture lovers. For access to exclusive content, events, inspiring advice from our Editors and industry experts, as well the opportunity to meet designers, thought-leaders and stylists, become a member today HERE. Naomi May is a freelance writer and editor with an emphasis on popular culture, lifestyle and politics. After graduating with a First Class Honours from City University's prestigious Journalism course, Naomi joined the Evening Standard as its Fashion and Beauty Writer, working across both the newspaper and website. She is now the Acting News Editor at ELLE UK and has written features for the likes of The Guardian, Vogue, Vice and Refinery29, among many others.
Epoch Times
04-06-2025
- Health
- Epoch Times
Woman Cleared in Abortion Trial as MPs Push for Law Reform
The recent acquittal of Nicola Packer, a 45-year-old woman prosecuted for inducing an abortion beyond the legal limit, comes as MPs push to reform UK abortion laws. Packer, who took abortion pills during the COVID-19 lockdown believing she was within the permitted gestational period, was found not guilty by a jury at Isleworth Crown Court on May 8. The legal limit for taking medication at home to terminate a pregnancy is 10 weeks, while the outer limit for abortions in England, Scotland, and Wales is 24 weeks, apart from in certain circumstances. Packer maintained she was unaware of her true gestation, which was approximately 26 weeks. The trial heard she took prescribed abortion medicine at home in November 2020 and later brought the foetus to Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in a backpack. The telemedicine abortion, also known as the It allows women in the first 10 weeks of pregnancy to receive abortion medication at home after a remote consultation. Related Stories 9/18/2024 11/27/2023 Supporters Critics, including the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC), The pro-life organisation has argued the policy enables abusers to coerce women into abortions and allows women to misrepresent their gestation timelines over the phone. Proposed Changes Abortion complications become more likely as pregnancy progresses, no matter the method used. A Right to Life UK campaigners have warned that changes to the abortion law could put more women at risk. Commenting on the The amendment seeks to remove women from criminal law related to abortion. It means that women acting in relation to their own pregnancies would no longer face arrest, prosecution, or imprisonment, regardless of gestation. 'The proposed change to the law would also lead to an increased number of viable babies' lives being ended well beyond the 24-week abortion time limit and beyond the point at which they would be able to survive outside the womb,' said Right to Life UK. It noted that the amendment does not outline circumstances in which it would continue to be an offence for a woman to perform her own abortion, highlighting the case of In 2020, Foster aborted her child at 34 weeks with illegally-obtained abortion pills. She was jailed in 2023 after the court found she lied to the British Pregnancy Advisory Service—a leading abortion provider—about how far along in her pregnancy she was. Foster was sentenced to jail, though she was later suspended on appeal. Despite the criticism, Antoniazzi Representatives from the whole pro-life movement and their supporters gather to demonstrate in Parliament Square in London on May 15, 2024.'Full Decriminalisation' A separate It would extend legal safeguards to medical professionals who assist women with consent, provided the pregnancy is under 24 weeks. It also introduces an additional layer of protection by requiring that any prosecution—whether of a woman or a doctor—must first be personally approved by the Director of Public Prosecutions. Criticising the proposals, SPUC 'This would in effect mean full decriminalisation of abortion, up to birth, for any reason … including the sex of the baby,' it said. The government has said any changes to abortion laws are 'a matter of conscience for parliamentarians.' 'All women have access to safe and legal abortions on the NHS,' a government spokesperson said, adding that decisions to prosecute are for the Crown Prosecution Service and are 'incredibly rare.' Abortion Law Abortion is still technically a criminal offence under the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 and the Infant Life (Preservation) Act 1929. But under the Abortion Act 1967, there are exceptions that legalise it under specific circumstances, including sign-off by two doctors. This framework applies in England, Scotland, and Wales, but not in Northern Ireland, where abortion is legal in the early stages of pregnancy (up to 12 weeks) without needing to give a reason. A change to the law is being supported by professional bodies including the British Medical Association, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), the Royal College of Midwives, the Royal College of Nursing, and the Royal College of General Practitioners. In a The groups called for women to no longer be prosecuted under the 1861 and 1929 acts for ending their own pregnancies, bringing the law in England and Wales in line with Northern Ireland. Public Opinion Public opinion polling by Overall, 74 percent support enshrining abortion rights in law, though opinion is evenly split on keeping the pills-by-post policy. Support is much lower for further loosening abortion rules, such as allowing abortion pills to be sold over the counter without a prescription. Just 33 percent of people back the idea, while 53 percent are opposed. Opposition is consistent among both men and women across all age groups. PA Media contributed to this report.
USA Today
01-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Josh Jacobs' 2024 season was spectacular: Is there still room for improvement in 2025?
Josh Jacobs' 2024 season was spectacular: Is there still room for improvement in 2025? Packers running back Josh Jacobs enjoyed an excellent first season in Green Bay, rediscovering his form after a subdued final year in Las Vegas. He went over 1,400 yards for just the second time in his career and had a career high 17 total touchdowns. By looking under the hood at some more advanced statistics, the level of play Jacobs hit in 2024 can be better understood in the context of his wider career, and the strengths and weaknesses of his overall game can be established. Strengths The core of Jacobs' success in his first year as a Packer was his ability to create yards after contact, both as a runner and a receiver. Among qualified running backs, Jacobs ranked in the 86th percentile for yards after contact per attempt (YCO/A), the 84th percentile in PFF's elusiveness rating (ELU) and the 76th percentile for missed tackles forced per attempt (MTF/A). His YCO/A was a career high 3.49 on the season, and his MTF/A of 0.25 was right behind his career best mark of 0.26. Add in his ability in the passing game, and Jacobs ranked in the 86th percentile for missed tackles forced per touch, as well as leading the league in missed tackles forced after the catch. He did a fantastic job all season of getting more than was blocked for him and added real value. Jacobs' impressive elusiveness in 2024 marked a significant improvement on his career average. His 99.4 rating was the highest since his rookie year and exceeded his average career rating of 70 considerably. He has always had a knack of finding the end zone as a runner, arriving in Green Bay with 46 of them in five years, and this continued with the Packers. Jacobs ranked in the 88th percentile for touchdowns per attempt in 2024, scoring on a career high 5.02% of his carries. The biggest area of improvement for Jacobs after joining the Packers was his contribution in the passing game. Utilizing him more as a receiver is something both he and the team mentioned wanting to do more of, and they backed it up. He was one of the NFL's better receiving threats out of the backfield, ranking in the 86th percentile for yards per reception among qualified backs, the 95th for yards after the catch per reception and the 81st for yards per route run, with career high marks in all three categories. Jacobs did not drop a pass in 2024, having dropped at least three in all of his previous seasons, and finally notched his first receiving touchdown as a pro. Weaknesses There are not many weaknesses to Jacobs' game, but of the few, some are fixable and some are not. Stylistically, Jacobs is simply not an explosive runner or a home run hitter, and he never has been. He ran a 4.64 40-yard dash coming out of Alabama, and using the Relative Athletic Score (RAS) system, had just an "okay" overall speed score and a "poor" explosion score. In 2024 he ranked in the 48th percentile for runs of 10+ yards, or "explosive runs" and the 38th for breakaway percentage (BAY%). These are not terrible marks by any means but highlight the fact he is not an electrifying runner. His BAY% of 22.2% is right in line with his previous career average of 22.18%, and his explosive run rate of 10.66% was actually better than his career average of 9.79%. Speaking to the Green Bay media last week, Jacobs expressed a desire to improve on his ability to break off bigger runs. He said: 'I felt like I left a lot on the table', before explaining 'I had some one on ones, where if I made a person miss or broke a tackle, it was the difference between a 20-yard gain and a 60-yard gain. That's what makes people elite." Whether this is something a runner of Jacob's type and athletic profile can truly improve on going into his seventh year remains to be seen, and seems relatively unlikely, but it is clearly a focus for Jacobs. An aspect he can continue to work on though is protecting the football. Jacobs had a career high five fumbles in 2024, ranking in the 28th percentile in fumbles per attempt. His PFF fumble grade has been just 61.4 over the last two years compared to 74.5 in his first four seasons. Fumbles are similar to drops for receivers in that they are somewhat overrated as a means of analyzing a player's overall performance. Jacobs fumbled on just 1.57% of his carries in 2024. It is still an alarming trend though, and something he needs to hone-in on. Pass protection is not a true weakness for Jacobs by any means; he was more than satisfactory in 2024, but it is an area he can still improve. He ranked in the 44th percentile among qualified backs in pressure rate allowed on snaps with an opportunity to allow a pressure, and allowed more QB hits than any other back with four, although he was above average in pass block efficiency, ranking in the 55th percentile. Again these are not disastrous statistics or anything to worry about, and both of them were worse than his prior career averages, which should give some encouragement that Jacobs can become a stronger blocker in 2025. Overall, Jacobs was one of the best all-around backs in the league last year, and the Packers will want him to mostly just keep up what he has been doing, while continuing to work on taking care of the ball better and being consistent in pass protection. His career numbers suggest he is not likely to become more explosive, but if he gets fewer carries in 2025, with second-year back MarShawn Lloyd working into the mix to give Jacobs a breather, he could become an even more efficient runner. Jacobs worked around his blocking at times in 2024, with the group having a 60.25 run block grade on the year, which is just a tick above average. In that sense, Jacobs has absolutely been worth the money so far for Green Bay. Getting more than what is blocked is technically what teams pay a back to do, and he has done exactly that. According to PFF, of the backs with 4.4 yards per carry (YPC) or better, only two ran behind worse run blocking units than than Jacobs: Tank Bigsby in Jacksonville and De'Von Achane in Miami, and they only had 168 and 203 attempts respectively compared to 319 for Jacobs. The Packers placed an emphasis on bolstering the offensive line this offseason, which is important given the type of runner Jacobs is. Expecting Jacobs to make something out of nothing at the rate he did a year ago might be unrealistic, and he needs to be given something to work with, because the explosive runs are not going to be there to pad his numbers. If Green Bay had settled for a mediocre run blocking unit, they could have set him up for a less effective year like his final one in Vegas, when a poor O-line sold him short all year. A YPC of 4.4 is still good, ranking in the 60th percentile last year, but with more rest and better blocking, it could be even better in 2025, with Jacobs firmly in the prime of his career.
