Author: DispatchTimes News Desk

Britons are being urged to keep food supplies at home as ministers face growing risks to the national food chain from extreme weather, cyber attacks, disease outbreaks and international conflict. The warning comes from the National Audit Office, which said disruptions were becoming more likely and potentially more severe. It called on the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to work more closely with households, local authorities and food businesses to prepare for shortages. Food is classed by the Government as one of 13 critical national infrastructure sectors because its disruption could affect essential services, national security and the…

Donald Trump has appointed Adam R. Telle as acting secretary of the US Army, following the resignation of Daniel P. Driscoll after months of reported tension with Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth. Mr Telle, who currently serves as assistant secretary of the Army for civil works, will take charge of the service’s civilian leadership after Mr Driscoll stepped down on Monday. Mr Trump described him as “a Great Patriot, who is respected by all” in a post on Truth Social. Under the Army’s usual succession arrangements, Michael Obadal, the under secretary and principal deputy to Mr Driscoll, would have been expected…

Japanese household spending fell 3.6% year on year in July, marking an eighth consecutive month of decline and undershooting forecasts, government data showed. The drop in consumer spending was sharper than the median market expectation of a 1.6% fall, highlighting continued weakness in household demand in the world’s fourth-largest economy. On a seasonally adjusted monthly basis, spending edged up 0.5%. Economists had expected a 2.6% increase. The figures, compiled by Japan’s Internal Affairs Ministry, will be closely watched by the Bank of Japan as it considers whether to raise interest rates as early as September. Household consumption is a key…

A dispute over claims that Freddie Mercury fathered a secret daughter has erupted again, as the Queen frontman’s former partner Mary Austin publicly questioned the story days before what would have been his 80th birthday. Mercury was born on September 5, 1946, and died aged 45 in November 1991. The long-running argument centres on the biography Love, Freddie, which says he had a daughter, known only as “B”, following an affair with the wife of a close friend in 1976. According to author Lesley-Ann Jones, the woman enjoyed a close relationship with Mercury until his death and was entrusted with…

Steve Ballmer has been suspended by the NBA for a year and the Los Angeles Clippers must forfeit five future draft picks and pay a $30 million (£22.3 million) fine after an investigation into alleged improper payments linked to star player Kawhi Leonard. The league-commissioned report found that statements made by the former Microsoft chief executive about a disputed $28 million endorsement arrangement were “inaccurate (at best) with respect to Mr Ballmer”. It described claims made by Clippers president of business operations Gillian Zucker as “clearly false”. Zucker has also been suspended for 12 months. Leonard has been fined $700,000…

Two residents killed in a mass shooting at a downtown Minneapolis apartment complex have been identified, along with two police officers wounded by gunfire while responding to the attack. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension named the victims as Dale Henry Spry, 63, and Muse A. Afrah, 61. Both are believed to have lived at the building where the shooting took place on Wednesday, 2 September. The two injured Minneapolis police officers were identified as Joseph Michnowski, who joined the department in 2021, and Yahye Ahmed, who has served since November 2024. Minneapolis mass shooting victims identified Police were called…

A Missouri House candidate has appeared in court on a federal charge after prosecutors accused him of trying to frame his Republican primary opponent by planting cocaine and Adderall in her purse or vehicle. Thomas Ross, 37, of Joplin, is charged with conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. The allegation relates to the weeks before the 4 August Republican primary, which Ross won by only a few dozen votes against Louise Secker. Ross made his initial appearance in federal court on Thursday. The charge was filed on Wednesday, and there was no immediate indication of how he intended to plead.…

John Swinney has declined to guarantee that men accused or convicted of violence against women will be barred from bail or excluded from Scotland’s early-release arrangements. The First Minister was challenged over the issue during First Minister’s Questions at Holyrood, only days after pledging to provide personal leadership in tackling violence against women and girls. Opposition leaders called for tougher safeguards after a series of killings involving women who had previously sought help from the justice system. Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay urged Mr Swinney to reverse changes to bail law introduced in 2023 and to prevent violent offenders from…

The Trump administration is preparing to begin excavation for a proposed 250-foot triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery, despite the project still awaiting final approval from the federal body responsible for planning in Washington. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said on Thursday that work would start over the next two weeks at Memorial Circle on Columbia Island, between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery. “After a very long wait (over 125 years!), we are preparing to start, over the next two-week period, the excavation work necessary for the Great Triumphal Arch,” Mr Burgum wrote on X. He described the planned…

Stacey Solomon and Joe Swash are leaving Pickle Cottage, the Essex home they moved into in 2021 and spent years transforming into a family base. The couple have sold the Tudor-style property and said they will move out imminently, bringing an end to five years at the house. Solomon said the decision had been a difficult one, with the family taking time to discuss the move with their children, friends and neighbours before making the announcement. “Even the thought of selling Pickle Cottage felt impossible,” she said in a video shared on social media. “We’ve just waited until someone amazing…