Author: DispatchTimes News Desk

Chief Justice John Roberts has been left isolated at the US Supreme Court after dissenting alongside its three liberal justices against a ruling allowing Donald Trump’s $400 million White House ballroom project to continue. The court’s five other conservative members said the National Trust for Historic Preservation was unlikely to have the legal standing required to challenge the construction. They did not rule on whether the project itself was lawful, leaving that question to further proceedings in the lower courts. In a rare and unusually forceful dissent, Mr Roberts said the construction was “likely unlawful” because Congress had not expressly…

US authorities have seized more than $560,000 in cryptocurrency intended for Hamas and taken control of websites and online infrastructure allegedly used by the group to raise funds and recruit supporters. The Justice Department said on Tuesday, September 1, that the court-authorised operation targeted cryptocurrency addresses, domains and servers controlled by Hamas’s military wing, the Al Qassam Brigades. Investigators also obtained information about thousands of people who had contacted the organisation in an attempt to donate. ([justice.gov](https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-continues-disrupt-hamas-terrorist-financing-schemes-through-seizures?utm_source=openai)) Jeanine Ferris Pirro, the US attorney for the District of Columbia, said: “A message to Hamas: We will stop your fundraising for terror.…

Kyle Sandilands has been served with a subpoena for documents as part of ARN Media’s legal battle with his former radio partner Jackie ‘O’ Henderson. The 55-year-old presenter was handed the papers by his manager, Bruno Bouchet, during his subscription radio show on Wednesday, leaving him visibly uncomfortable. Sandilands initially threw the notice into a bin and joked: “Just tell them I’m overseas or something. Is that what happens? How do you get out of this?” When newsreader Brooklyn Ross asked whether ARN wanted him to assist its case against Henderson, Bouchet replied: “Yeah.” “Well, that makes me very uncomfortable,”…

Google has begun rolling out the first Pixel Watch 5 September 2026 update, bringing the newly launched smartwatch a series of Gemini, fitness-tracking and gesture-control improvements. The update moves the watch from build CD5A.260611.008, which carries the August 5 2026 security patch, to CP3A.260905.002. It remains based on Wear OS 7 and Android 17. Google’s accompanying changelog is extensive, although much of it details software introduced with the Pixel Watch 5’s initial release rather than a list of entirely new additions. Pixel Watch 5 update expands Gemini features Gemini Personalisation is designed to use information from previous conversations and connected…

Manchester United’s late attempt to sign Manchester City left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri on loan has collapsed, while a separate deadline-day move for Leicester City midfielder Louis Page also fell through. United had been seeking defensive reinforcements for the second half of the season, but their approach for Ait-Nouri came with less than 12 hours remaining before the Premier League transfer deadline. The English window closed at 11pm on Tuesday, September 1. ([skysports.com](https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/13546220/summer-transfer-window-2026-dates-when-is-deadline-day-for-premier-league-and-efl-clubs-to-sign-players)) The club had previously decided against pursuing Barcelona’s Alejandro Balde and Racing Santander’s Jorge Salinas before making an enquiry about the Algeria international. United sources said they were not…

Loudoun County’s Board of Supervisors is considering whether to withdraw special grandfathering arrangements that allow 23 planned data centre projects to proceed under rules that applied before tighter controls were introduced. Supervisors Juli Briskman and Laura TeKrony are expected to present a resolution at the board’s business meeting on Tuesday, September 1, calling for the 2025 grandfathering resolution to expire immediately if the proposed amendment is adopted. The move would not halt the projects straight away. It would begin a process that could require the applications to undergo public hearings and receive a final vote from the Board of Supervisors,…

Australian, Fijian and Tuvaluan delegations have met in Palau to advance preparations for a Pacific-hosted series of climate meetings ahead of COP31. The talks took place during the 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting, where regional governments are working to establish a common position before the pre-COP events in October. Fiji’s Environment and Climate Change Minister, Lynda Tabuya, said the Palau meeting would provide an opportunity for Pacific leaders to draft a declaration to present at the pre-COP. Fiji will host the main Pre-COP31 meeting in Nadi from October 5 to 8, while Tuvalu will stage a special leaders’ component.…

Andy Burnham’s first appearance in the House of Commons as prime minister failed to generate the sense of authority expected from a new leader, as he set out his plans for government in a subdued statement that left MPs struggling to follow his economic vision. Mr Burnham entered the chamber shortly before 3.35pm on Tuesday, appearing hesitant as ministers gathered around the front bench. His arrival was greeted by Labour MPs, although the response was notably restrained. He began by paying tribute to Sir Keir Starmer, whose decision to stand down as the MP for Holborn and St Pancras had…

Donald Trump’s forceful backing for artificial-intelligence data centres is putting Republican candidates under growing pressure ahead of the November midterm elections, as polling suggests many voters oppose having the facilities built in their communities. The president has argued that the projects will bring jobs, investment and tax revenues, while helping the United States win the global race for AI against China. But concerns over electricity bills, water use, noise, pollution and the loss of farmland have created a political backlash that is cutting across party lines. Trump intensified the dispute on Monday by warning on Truth Social that communities rejecting…

Vladimir Putin has said Russia is open to concrete talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, provided fresh momentum can be brought to the negotiating process. The Russian president was speaking to reporters in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, after attending a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. He said Moscow was “not against if anyone is able to bring positive momentum” to efforts to resolve the conflict. However, Mr Putin also insisted that Russian forces would ultimately prevail on the battlefield, predicting that Ukrainian forces would “crumble”. He said drones remained the main challenge facing Russia, but claimed that Moscow was…