Author: DispatchTimes News Desk

The size of Australia’s federal public service has risen by almost 40,000 employees since Anthony Albanese’s Labor government came to power, according to newly published official figures. Australian Public Service Commission data shows the workforce stood at 198,529 people on June 30, 2025, compared with 159,179 at the end of the 2021-22 financial year. That represents an increase of 39,350 employees, or nearly 25 per cent. The figures cover staff employed under the Public Service Act and include ongoing and non-ongoing employees. Ongoing positions accounted for most of the growth, rising from 140,861 in June 2022 to 184,442 three years…

The father of missing Austin man Alexander Bangert is appealing for information more than three weeks after his 30-year-old son disappeared in Texas. Alexander was last seen on 9 August, according to Texas EquuSearch, which has listed him as an active missing-person case. His father, Eugene Bangert, has been travelling from San Antonio to Austin each weekend to distribute flyers and join the search. Search for missing Austin man continues Alexander had been living for more than a year at the Promesa Apartments, near Vandergrift High School. His work truck was found on the day he disappeared at the Bridge…

A popular beachfront restaurant in Bali was gutted by fire as diners gathered for Sunday evening service, forcing customers and staff to flee the Chez Gado Gado venue in Seminyak. The blaze broke out at about 7.30pm local time on 30 August at the restaurant on Jalan Camplung Tanduk, near Double Six Beach. Witnesses described hearing a loud bang before flames rapidly spread through the thatched pergola and roof. Police said a birthday party was taking place inside the restaurant and that balloons had been brought in and installed by guests. A preliminary account suggests one of the balloons may…

Tom Cruise has been criticised by his former Days of Thunder co-star Randy Quaid after Nicole Kidman was left out of the cast announced for the long-awaited sequel. Cruise will reprise his role as racing driver Cole Trickle in Days of Thunder 2, with Anne Hathaway joining the project as a race-team owner and engineer. Paramount has scheduled the film for release on June 2, 2028. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/8515e8b485c878cb67d9495a093fa43d?utm_source=openai)) Quaid, who played team owner Tim Daland in the 1990 original, objected to Hathaway’s casting in a post on X and called it a “leftist, woke, horrible choice” for the film’s NASCAR audience.…

Astronaut High School in Titusville, Florida, will be closed on Monday, August 31, because of a complete power outage, Brevard Public Schools has said. The closure was announced after Florida Power & Light told the district that electricity would not be restored before the start of the school day. Brevard Public Schools said classes were expected to resume on Tuesday, September 1, provided power had been restored. The district also said it would issue further updates to families during Monday.

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has accused Australia’s prime minister and treasurer of fuelling the threat of political violence, claiming their descriptions of her party as a danger to the country could encourage attacks on its supporters. In two posts on X on Monday, Senator Hanson said she supported free speech and open political debate but objected to what she called the “normalising and encouraging” of possible incitements to violence. She directed her criticism at Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Treasurer Jim Chalmers, accusing them of portraying democratically elected opponents as “dangerous” and “a threat to our country”. “Words have…

Australians with savings in the BUSSQ Balanced Growth MySuper option have been warned to review their superannuation after the fund became the only industry super provider to fail the latest annual performance test. The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) found that the option underperformed its benchmark by 0.57 percentage points a year, despite delivering an average return of 7.04 per cent annually over the assessment period. The result was the first failure for BUSSQ’s MySuper product. APRA assessed 547 superannuation products in 2026, with 12 failing the test — one MySuper option and 11 trustee-directed products. BUSSQ has about $7.4…

The mayor of Olive Branch, Mississippi, has faced a backlash after questioning the decision to lower American flags in honour of Dolly Parton. Ken Adams said he respected the late singer and philanthropist, but argued that lowering the flag to half-staff should be reserved for what he described as the most significant national occasions. “I believe lowering the American flag to half-staff should mean something very significant,” Mr Adams wrote in a post on the city’s Facebook page. He said the gesture should be used for military heroes, fallen first responders, presidents, major national leaders or events that had made…

US restrictions on Chinese drones and advanced robots are likely to accelerate the creation of a fragmented global robotics market, rather than dislodge China’s dominance of low-cost manufacturing, analysts and industry executives have warned. Washington tightened controls on foreign-made robotic systems in July and August, citing national-security concerns, while imposing steep tariffs on imported drones and their components. The drone tariffs are due to take effect in September, with further duties on components scheduled for 2027. The measures form part of a broader effort to limit foreign technology in strategically important industries. The Federal Communications Commission’s Covered List, established in…

The Tampa Bay Rays are targeting a September groundbreaking for a new $2.3 billion ballpark at Hillsborough College’s Dale Mabry campus, after Tampa and Hillsborough County approved a combined $876 million public contribution. The ownership group has committed to funding the remaining $1.37 billion, as well as any construction cost overruns, under the agreement approved by the local authorities last week. The proposed stadium is intended to anchor a wider mixed-use district featuring homes, offices, shops, restaurants, hotels and public spaces. It would be built across Dale Mabry Highway from Raymond James Stadium, the home of the NFL’s Tampa Bay…