Author: DispatchTimes News Desk

Gina Hinojosa has defeated Greg Abbott in the Texas governor’s race, ending more than three decades of Republican control and delivering Democrats a historic victory in one of America’s most closely watched states. The Democratic state representative from Austin will become the first Democrat elected governor of Texas since Ann Richards left office in 1995. She will also be the state’s first Latina governor and only the third woman to hold the position. Hinojosa’s victory denied Abbott a fourth consecutive term after a campaign focused on the cost of living, public education and the expansion of artificial intelligence data centres…

Australia should abandon the $368 billion AUKUS nuclear submarine pact and rethink its relationship with China, a public inquiry led by former Labor minister Peter Garrett and retired defence chief Admiral Chris Barrie has concluded. The inquiry warned that the agreement could undermine Australian sovereignty and risk drawing the country into a military confrontation between the United States and China. It called for the submarine programme to be cancelled immediately, alongside a fundamental review of Australia’s defence strategy. Speaking in Canberra, Admiral Barrie said Australia should not allow Washington to dictate its strategic priorities and needed to invest more heavily…

Democrat Troy Jackson has defeated five-term Republican Senator Susan Collins in Maine, ending her nearly three-decade tenure in the US Senate and handing Democrats a crucial Republican-held seat. The race was called for Mr Jackson around midnight after he led with 52 per cent of the vote to Ms Collins’s 47 per cent, with 67 per cent of ballots counted, according to the Associated Press. Ms Collins, who has represented Maine since 1997, had been the longest-serving active Republican woman in the Senate. The result also ended her hopes of becoming the longest-serving senator in the state’s history. She conceded…

Financial markets are concerned that a “blue wave” could overwhelm the data-centre sector, putting the industry at the centre of the morning’s market debate. The warning reflects investor unease over the potential impact of the political shift described as a blue wave on data-centre businesses.

David Charvet has revealed the promise he made to his ex-wife, Brooke Burke, before becoming a father: that he would be a consistently present parent to their children. The 54-year-old Baywatch actor discussed his decision to step away from acting during an appearance on the Sibling Revelry podcast, in an episode published on Tuesday. Charvet said his own relationship with his biological father had influenced his approach to parenthood, although he described having had a stepfather who was always around. “I promised Brooke at the time that I would be a very present father,” he said. “I didn’t have that.…

Democrats have seized control of both chambers of Congress in the 2026 US midterm elections, delivering a major setback to President Donald Trump and reshaping the political landscape for the final two years of his term. The party won a series of closely watched Senate races, including Republican-held seats in Texas, Kansas, Ohio, Iowa, North Carolina and South Carolina. Democrats also retained key seats in Georgia and Virginia, securing control of the upper chamber. CBS News projected that Democrats would also take the House of Representatives, where all 435 seats were contested. The result gives the party control of congressional…

BlackMilk Clothing, the Brisbane fashion brand that became a global social media phenomenon, has entered voluntary administration after 17 years in business. Founded by Linda and James Lillis, the company built a loyal following with pop culture-inspired collections that often sold out within minutes. Its celebrity fans have included Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry and Whoopi Goldberg. Linda Lillis said administrators had been appointed to take control of the business and assess its future, but confirmed that BlackMilk was continuing to trade, with its website open and orders still being shipped. “Entering administration does not necessarily mean the end of BlackMilk,…

Democrat Bobby Pulido has defeated incumbent Republican Monica De La Cruz in a closely watched South Texas congressional district, flipping a seat that Democrats had targeted after the region moved towards Republicans in 2024. De La Cruz, an ally of Donald Trump, was first elected in 2022 after taking a district that had long been a Democratic stronghold in the largely Hispanic Rio Grande Valley. Mr Trump carried her district and two other Democratic-held seats in the region in 2024. Republicans subsequently redrew Texas’s congressional boundaries, leaving 75% of De La Cruz’s new district made up of unknown voters. The…

North Korea has fired several missiles towards the Sea of Japan, South Korea’s military said, hours after Pyongyang denied allegations that it was responsible for the theft of more than $6 billion in cryptocurrency from Binance. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the launches were detected from the Sondok area on the country’s eastern coast on Wednesday. Authorities in South Korea and the United States were analysing the details. The missile tests were North Korea’s fourth weapons launch in a month. They followed an announcement by the FBI attributing the Binance hack to North Korean hackers. Binance, the world’s…

Republicans backed by vast sums of money lost governors’ races in Texas, Ohio and Iowa, while Democrats also captured Georgia in a series of victories for candidates campaigning on affordability and economic concerns. In Texas, Greg Abbott conceded to Democrat Gina Hinojosa, ending his bid for a record fourth term. Hinojosa, a Democratic state representative, led with 57 per cent of the vote to Abbott’s 42 per cent as counting continued. Her victory makes her the first Latina governor of Texas and the first Democrat elected to the post there since 1990. Abbott began 2026 with $105.7 million in his…