Author: DispatchTimes News Desk

Australia has reached a turning point in the transition to electric cars, with battery-powered vehicles outselling petrol models for the first time in August, according to new sales figures. Some 27,078 battery-electric vehicles were sold during the month, representing 24.9 per cent of all new-car purchases. Petrol-powered vehicles accounted for 25,824 sales, while diesel models recorded 23,608. The figures mark a sharp acceleration in a market that had long been regarded as a laggard on electric vehicle adoption. Battery-electric sales rose by about 171 per cent compared with August 2025, while total new-vehicle sales increased 4.9 per cent to 108,760.…

Ethan Hawke was joined by his wife, Ryan Shawhughes, and their 15-year-old daughter, Indiana, at the Deauville American Film Festival in France on Friday, 4 September. The family attended the opening of the 52nd festival, where the 55-year-old actor was honoured for his contribution to American cinema. Hawke received the Deauville Talent Award during the opening ceremony, which also featured the French premiere of The Smugglers, directed by Padraic McKinley and starring Hawke alongside Russell Crowe, Julia Jones and Austin Amelio. The official festival programme lists Hawke as a guest of honour and includes a retrospective of his work, with…

Beachgoers along the San Francisco coastline have been urged to exercise extreme caution over the Labor Day weekend, with a Beach Hazards Statement in force until 11pm on Monday, September 7. The National Weather Service warned of an increased risk of sneaker waves, strong rip currents and breaking waves reaching around 10ft along Pacific Coast beaches. The alert covers beaches from the Sonoma and Marin coast through San Francisco and down to Monterey Bay and Big Sur. Forecasters said two long-period southerly swells, generated by distant hurricanes Marie and Karina, were contributing to the dangerous conditions. Officials advised people to…

Cronulla’s Addin Fonua-Blake and Ronaldo Mulitalo have been cleared to play in next weekend’s elimination final against North Queensland, but Sharks centre Michael Gabrael is facing a two-to-three-match suspension after a tackle that left Melbourne winger Siulagi Tuimalatu-Brown in hospital. Gabrael was charged with a grade-two careless high tackle following Cronulla’s 24-20 defeat by the Storm on Saturday night. The incident occurred in the opening minutes and resulted in Tuimalatu-Brown being taken from the field on a stretcher. Melbourne said the young winger had not suffered a severe spinal injury during his initial assessment, although further scans were planned because…

A wildlife worker was mauled by a crocodile at Adventure Park in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, after the animal seized his legs inside an enclosure. Footage from the incident shows the man clinging to the edge of the pool as the crocodile held on. A bystander extended a pole through the fence, which the worker gripped as he tried to keep himself from being pulled further into the enclosure. The attack happened on Saturday afternoon at the family attraction, located outside Papua New Guinea’s capital. Police and St John Ambulance attended the scene, according to local reports. It is…

Washington’s summer celebrations for the United States’ 250th anniversary became an extended showcase for Donald Trump and the movement he built, turning the capital into a stage for the president’s MAGA politics. Across several months, events presented as national commemorations were shaped around Mr Trump’s political brand, bringing together religious conservatives, wealthy supporters, young fight fans and members of the American far right. The result was a distinctly Trumpian portrait of the country’s anniversary: part patriotic pageant, part political rally and part entertainment spectacle. An IndyCar race was held around the National Mall, while a mixed martial arts cage covered…

Billions of dollars linked to Iran are continuing to pass through US banks each year, despite sanctions intended to cut Tehran off from the international financial system, according to a Wall Street Journal report. The funds are understood to reach American lenders indirectly through foreign banks with correspondent relationships in the US. Shell companies and currency exchanges can obscure the Iranian connection before dollar-denominated transactions are settled through clearing accounts. The US Treasury identified about $9 billion in Iranian funds that moved through American banks in 2024, the report said, citing Western officials and researchers. Iranian funds routed through foreign…

Oprah Winfrey showcased a noticeably slimmer figure during an appearance at the Telluride Film Festival in Colorado on Saturday, 5 September. The television presenter and media mogul was seen at the 53rd annual festival, which is being held in the mountain town from 4 to 7 September 2026. Her appearance comes as the event brings together filmmakers, actors and film enthusiasts for screenings, discussions and tributes across the four-day programme.

A 53-year-old man has been arrested and charged with capital murder after a man and woman were fatally shot at an apartment complex in south-west Houston. Derrick Duane Jackson is accused of killing the pair at the complex’s leasing office in the 9500 block of Ella Lee Lane, Houston police said. Officers were called to the scene at about 6.45pm on Thursday, where they found a 47-year-old man and a 67-year-old woman unresponsive with multiple gunshot wounds. Houston Fire Department paramedics pronounced both victims dead at the scene. The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences is expected to release their…

Prince Hisahito, Japan’s future emperor, has turned 20, reinforcing his position as the country’s second in line to the Chrysanthemum Throne after his father, Crown Prince Akishino. The birthday comes under Japan’s male-only succession rules, which exclude Emperor Naruhito’s daughter, Princess Aiko, from inheriting the throne despite her place within the imperial family. Prince Hisahito is studying biological sciences at the University of Tsukuba, near Tokyo, where he has developed a particular interest in insects, including dragonflies, as well as agriculture and the habitats of living creatures. The Imperial Household Agency said he had spent the past year balancing his…