Author: DispatchTimes News Desk

A power outage at a chemical plant in south-east Houston triggered flaring and sent a plume of black smoke over the area on Monday afternoon, according to TPC Group. The incident occurred at the company’s Houston Operations site at 8600 Park Place Boulevard, near Goodyear Drive. TPC said the loss of electricity affected the plant’s boilers, leading to visible smoke from the flare. The outage was reported at about 3pm local time. TPC said its operations team was working to restore power safely and restart the boilers, which would help reduce the impact of the flaring. Houston TranStar traffic cameras…

Evidence from a former athlete identified as “M” is due to resume in Alan Jones’s criminal trial at the Downing Centre Local Court in Sydney, where the complainant has described unwanted advances and years of gifts from the former broadcaster. Jones, 85, denies the alleged physical acts. He is facing 22 charges involving six male complainants over a 17-year period between 2003 and 2020, including 20 counts of indecent assault and two counts of sexual touching without consent. M told the court that Jones kissed him near the corner of his mouth at a Sydney event about a decade ago.…

Ken Paxton has been accused of lunging at an American tourist and attempting to take his phone after the man filmed the Texas attorney general walking with Tracy Duhon on Westminster Bridge in London. The alleged confrontation took place near the London Eye on 1 July, according to the tourist, who said he reported it to the Metropolitan Police. He and his wife have asked not to be named. The couple said the man recognised Paxton, 63, while they were sightseeing and recorded an 18-second video. Paxton and Duhon were travelling through Europe and had reportedly been seen together in…

The Supreme Court’s ruling blocking Donald Trump’s attempt to alter the US mail-ballot system has been welcomed by election officials, voting rights groups and non-partisan watchdogs just weeks before the midterm elections. Democratic and Republican officials said the decision had removed a major source of uncertainty, with ballots already printed and being sent through the post in several states. More than a dozen states are due to mail ballots by the end of the week. Ricky Hatch, the Republican clerk in Weber County, Utah, said he had prepared contingency plans to abandon mail voting if the United States Postal Service…

South Carolina congresswoman Nancy Mace has called for Lindsay Clancy to be publicly executed, saying the Massachusetts mother accused of killing her three children “should be dead too”. Mace made the remarks while discussing Clancy’s case and her lawyer’s efforts to have the proceedings resolved without another trial. “Her children are dead, she should be dead too,” Mace said, arguing that Clancy should face the ultimate punishment. Clancy’s murder trial ended in a mistrial earlier this month after jurors failed to reach a unanimous verdict. Her defence has argued that she was suffering from severe postpartum psychosis when she strangled…

The list of celebrity deaths in 2026 has grown to include leading figures from music, film, television, sport, fashion and activism, with the deaths of Dolly Parton, Bonnie Tyler, Gloria Steinem and Bob Mackie among the most widely mourned. The latest addition is fashion designer Bob Mackie, who died in Palm Springs, California, on Monday, September 14, aged 87. His publicist said he died from pneumonia. Mackie was renowned for creating flamboyant costumes and gowns for stars including Cher, Barbra Streisand, Diana Ross and Madonna, and won nine Emmy Awards and a Tony Award. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/b2e50b957a55462995e76290a3920e1b?utm_source=openai)) Notable celebrity deaths in 2026…

One Nation’s proposed migration crackdown has been challenged over its economic impact after party leader Pauline Hanson declined to face media questions about a plan to cut 750,000 temporary visa holders over three years. Opposition home affairs spokesman Jonno Duniam said the proposal had not been supported by modelling or costing, despite its potentially significant effect on international education and migration. “They’ve got to come out and explain their policy. Don’t just throw it out there and hide as they have,” Mr Duniam told Radio National. “The idea of just bluntly cutting international education and international student numbers is a…

The 2026 Primetime Emmy Awards brought television’s biggest names to Los Angeles on Monday, with Zendaya and Selena Gomez leading a glamorous blue-carpet arrival at the Peacock Theater. Metallics emerged as one of the defining looks of the evening. Zendaya, 30, drew attention in a daring silver Prada gown with a plunging neckline, completing the look with a newly cut pixie hairstyle. The actress was among the evening’s presenters and is also nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her role as Rue Bennett in Euphoria. Gomez, 34, opted for classic Hollywood glamour in a gold mirror…

The US Supreme Court has rejected Donald Trump’s attempt to impose new mail-in voting requirements ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, leaving the US Postal Service expected to continue delivering ballots under existing arrangements. The justices agreed to keep in place an injunction issued by a federal judge in Boston, finding that the Trump administration was unlikely to succeed in its legal challenge. Voting by mail has already begun in Alabama, North Carolina and Wisconsin, with other states due to follow. The restrictions stemmed from an executive order directing the Postal Service to require states to provide lists of voters’…

Jean Smart made a rare red-carpet appearance with her 18-year-old son, Forrest Gilliland, at the 2026 Emmy Awards in Los Angeles on Monday night. The 75-year-old Hacks star and Forrest attended the ceremony at the Peacock Theater, where Smart is nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for her performance as Deborah Vance. It is Smart’s fifth nomination in the category. She has won the award on each of the four previous occasions she was nominated. Forrest was adopted by Smart and her late husband, Richard Gilliland, when he was 18 months old. The couple announced the adoption…