Author: DispatchTimes News Desk

A 76-year-old grandfather from Victoria has urged gardeners to wear protective masks after inhaling bacteria from potting mix left him in a coma for 10 days and facing a lengthy recovery. Stewart was using Scotts Osmocote Premium Potting Mix in his garden on May 15, 2026, when he was exposed to airborne dust. He later developed a rare infection involving Nocardia nova, a bacterium found in soil. He collapsed at home, striking his head on a chest of drawers before beginning to vomit uncontrollably. “I had no idea what was wrong,” he told A Current Affair. Doctors at Ballarat Base…

Mel Gibson has apologised after a video appeared to show him mimicking an American Sign Language interpreter as he walked on stage at FanExpo Canada in Toronto. The actor, 70, attended the event on Saturday, 29 August, for a career question-and-answer session. Footage shared on social media showed him making exaggerated hand movements behind the interpreter as she signed for the audience. The brief clip prompted widespread criticism, with viewers accusing Gibson of making light of sign language and behaving insensitively towards deaf and hard-of-hearing people. Some fans defended the actor, saying the footage did not make his intention clear.…

Rayan Cherki’s electric start to the 2026-27 campaign has placed the Manchester City playmaker on the radar of Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich ahead of the January transfer window. Sources close to the agents’ market have told CaughtOffside that the three European heavyweights are monitoring the France international, whose early-season form has rapidly increased his profile. Cherki produced two assists after coming off the bench in City’s 2-1 win over Bournemouth on 23 August, before scoring twice in the 4-1 victory away to Crystal Palace five days later. The Premier League confirmed that Enzo Maresca’s side secured a…

Digital billboards have begun appearing above Santa Monica’s Third Street Promenade, ending a ban on off-premises advertising that had stood for almost four decades and prompting a sharp debate over the future character of the Californian beach city. Two large displays are now operating at the north-east corner of Arizona Avenue and the Promenade, and near Wilshire Boulevard. As many as 16 could eventually be installed across the designated area, which also includes the Santa Monica Place shopping centre. The arrival of the screens has divided residents. Mary Boyer said the illuminated displays were out of keeping with the city’s…

Jack Ginnivan is expected to return for Hawthorn’s qualifying final against minor premiers Fremantle at Optus Stadium on Thursday, despite managing a back problem in recent weeks. The livewire forward was rested for Hawthorn’s victory over West Coast in Perth a fortnight ago, but coach Sam Mitchell is confident he will be available for the opening match of the 2026 finals series. “The week off was really beneficial, we’ll see how he goes at training – I suspect he will be available,” Mitchell said on Tuesday. “He’s a pro, he really goes about it in a very professional way these…

Grammy-winning rapper Doja Cat has revealed that she struggled with cocaine about eight years ago, telling her 29.1 million TikTok followers that she is now “well past that”. The 30-year-old made the admission in a series of videos posted on Monday, saying she had felt fearful about speaking publicly on the subject. “I really don’t wanna make this TikTok, because I have fear in my heart,” she said, explaining that she had been taught to confront things that frightened her as part of the healing process. Doja Cat said she had not experienced serious problems with drugs apart from cannabis,…

Administrators overseeing the collapse of Sydney developer Bathla Group have warned that the company could begin winding down on Tuesday afternoon unless private lenders provide emergency funding within hours. Stephen Longley, of Teneo, said the group’s financial position was “very dire” and that hopes of securing a comprehensive rescue for its 45 construction projects were fading. “We’ve had intensive discussions with lenders, but I don’t think we’re going to get enough funding in place to be able to finish those 45 projects,” Mr Longley told the Today programme. “We need to put together a minimum viable structure to deliver the…

Homeowners at a California condominium complex have been presented with a bill of more than $26,000 each to fund a roof replacement project costing over $5 million, prompting residents to challenge the homeowners’ association and warn that some could be forced from their homes. The emergency assessment affects all 198 properties at Villa Moura in San Clemente, Orange County. Residents say the demand arrived with little warning and has placed an immediate financial strain on homeowners, including retirees and people living on fixed incomes. ([abc7.com](https://abc7.com/post/san-clemente-condo-owners-stunned-sudden-26000-hoa-fee-emergency-roof-assessment/19754573/)) Beverly Albright, an 81-year-old resident, said she feared she would no longer be able to…

Australian retailers are heading into a tougher trading period as the boost from temporary fuel excise relief and heavy discounting fades, Deloitte Access Economics has warned. The firm’s latest Retail Forecasts report predicts real retail turnover growth will slow from 2.8 per cent in the 2025-26 financial year to 1.5 per cent in the current year, with discretionary spending expected to bear the brunt of the downturn. Deloitte said household budgets had been supported by cheaper fuel and end-of-financial-year promotions, but those benefits were now beginning to unwind. The Australian Government’s temporary fuel excise discount ended on August 3 after…

A teenager has been found guilty of murdering 16-year-old Oscar Hamilton, who was stabbed three times during an attack outside Woodgrove Shopping Centre in Melton, west of Melbourne. The killing took place shortly before noon on September 24, 2024, when Oscar was sitting with his girlfriend and two friends in an outdoor dining area. His mother, Tracy, had dropped him off at the centre earlier that morning. The offender, who was 15 at the time and cannot be named for legal reasons, approached the group before grabbing Oscar by the collar and producing a knife. He stabbed the teenager repeatedly…