Author: DispatchTimes News Desk

Britain is to cut the discount rate used to assess long-term public infrastructure projects from 3.5% to 3%, in a move the Treasury says will encourage investment across the country. The change forms part of reforms to the Treasury’s Green Book, which guides government departments when they compare the costs and benefits of proposed capital projects and other public spending decisions. A lower discount rate increases the weight given to benefits expected to emerge years or decades after a project is completed. That could improve the prospects of transport, housing and social infrastructure schemes whose wider economic impact may take…

Strictly Come Dancing is preparing for its biggest makeover in years, with a new presenting team and a revamped companion show ushering the BBC favourite into a new era. There has been a long-running joke within BBC towers that, in recent weeks, staff have been frantically hitting Google like never before as they familiarise themselves with some of the names now attached to the programme. Emma Willis, comedian Josh Widdicombe and former professional dancer Johannes Radebe will present the main series when it returns this autumn, replacing long-standing hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman. The appointment of Widdicombe, who appeared…

A 13-year-old boy is in critical condition after a nine-year-old allegedly fired a handgun inside a home on Chicago’s South Side, police said. The shooting took place shortly after 4pm on Friday, September 4, in the 5200 block of South Wells Street in the Fuller Park neighbourhood. According to the Chicago Police Department, the nine-year-old was inside the property with a firearm when a single shot was fired, striking the teenager in the shoulder. The boy was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he remained in critical condition. Officers recovered a handgun at the scene. Police have…

The Dolphins have completed their regular season with a seventh successive victory, recovering from a 14-0 deficit to beat the Gold Coast Titans 24-20 at Cbus Super Stadium and strengthen their claim as the NRL’s comeback specialists. Kristian Woolf’s side finished third with a club-record 17 wins, 11 of them achieved after conceding the opening try. Their latest escape also echoed their first win of the season, when they overturned a 14-0 deficit against the Titans to prevail 18-14 at Suncorp Stadium. The Dolphins appeared in danger of surrendering their momentum when Gold Coast raced into an early lead. But…

Global warming is likely to breach the 1.5C threshold within the next few years, sooner than previously expected, according to a new United Nations report led in part by climate scientist Kristie Ebi. The UN Environment Programme said the world was no longer on course to keep the rise in average temperatures below the limit set out in the Paris Agreement, warning that every additional fraction of a degree would intensify the risks to people and ecosystems. Ms Ebi, one of the report’s lead authors, discussed the findings in an interview with CBS News as scientists urged governments to accelerate…

Thomasina Tobin, 51, and her husband Patrick, 48, died in a hot tub at a luxury holiday villa in Cullera, near Valencia, after investigators began examining whether a rare suction failure had trapped one of them underwater. The couple, who lived in London, were found by their teenage children at the Colina del Sol development on Tuesday, August 25. Their sons, aged 14 and 16, raised the alarm after searching the property when their parents failed to respond. Spanish investigators have ruled out foul play and found no evidence of forced entry or suspicious activity. The Civil Guard’s homicide unit…

A federal judge in Washington has refused to immediately block the Pentagon from dismissing three senior staff at Stars and Stripes, dealing an early setback to their challenge over the military newspaper’s editorial independence. Judge Trevor McFadden ruled on Friday that publisher Max D. Lederer Jr, editor-in-chief Erik A. Slavin and Middle East correspondent Lara S. Korte were unlikely to prove that their dismissals violated the First Amendment. The decision allows the Department of Defence to proceed with the terminations, although the wider lawsuit remains unresolved. The three journalists received separation notices on August 21 and were given five days…

The United States has structured its 35% stake in a Venezuelan oil venture to prevent Washington’s holding being diluted as the project raises fresh capital, a US official said. The Pentagon’s interest in North American Blue Energy Partners (NABEP) was arranged through “penny warrants”, giving the US the right, but not the obligation, to acquire equity at a token price at a later stage. The mechanism is intended to preserve the American government’s share as NABEP secures the billions of dollars needed to expand production. The official said it would allow the US to retain 35% of the project’s value…

Amanda Bynes has drawn attention during a public appearance in a revealing outfit, stepping out in a sheer grey miniskirt that exposed her bright green underwear beneath. The 40-year-old former What A Girl Wants star’s outfit left little to the imagination as the fabric clearly outlined the vivid underwear underneath. Bynes has recently been in the spotlight following her much-discussed weight-loss journey, with her latest appearance placing the focus once again on her changing look.

Robotics data start-up XDOF is in late-stage talks to raise a Series B round at a valuation of about $1.2 billion, less than three months after emerging from stealth, according to people familiar with the discussions. The funding is expected to be led by venture capital firm 8VC, although the size of the round and whether the reported valuation includes the new investment have not been established. The terms remain subject to change. XDOF was founded in 2024 by UC Berkeley researchers Philipp Wu, its chief executive, and Fred Shentu, its chief technology officer. The company raised $70 million in…