Author: DispatchTimes News Desk

A University of Kentucky administrator has been granted a religious exemption from using artificial intelligence at work after arguing that the technology conflicts with his Humanist beliefs. David Durman, 45, sought the accommodation under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which protects religious and nontheistic beliefs. The university approved his request on September 25 after meeting with him and his lawyer, Alexandria Huiskens. Durman has followed Humanism for about 30 years, having been influenced as a teenager by the works of Enlightenment philosopher David Hume and the Stoics. He describes it as a nontheistic faith centred on human wellbeing…

Judah Lewis was 16 when he played Cole, the innocent and introverted teenager at the centre of the 2017 horror comedy film The Babysitter. In the film, Cole kills his babysitter. Lewis was part of an ensemble cast that included Samara Weaving.

Bay Area voters are being asked to decide whether to approve a regional transit tax intended to protect services run by BART, Muni, AC Transit and the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority. The measure will appear on ballots across Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties during the November 3 election. If approved, it would introduce a sales tax of 0.5% in four of the participating counties and 1% in San Francisco. The tax would remain in place for 14 years and is expected to raise about $980 million a year for public transport. Regional transit…

Sydney’s $23 billion Southwest Metro line has opened to a strong commuter response, with 1,150 passengers boarding the first service from Bankstown at 4.31am on October 30. By 10am, about 18,000 people had travelled from the 10 stations along the new route. Bankstown and Campsie were the busiest stops. New South Wales Transport Minister John Graham said the opening day had been marked by “smooth running”, while Howard Collins of Transport for New South Wales reported no major problems. “So far, it’s been fantastic,” Mr Collins said. The main issue affecting Sydney’s Southwest Metro The principal teething problem involved the…

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump handed out sweets to children at the White House Halloween celebration on Thursday evening, as Air Force One made two low passes over the South Lawn. The event brought military, law enforcement, foster and adoptive families to the presidential residence, where the South Portico had been decorated with a harvest-moon theme. Trump wore a dark blue suit and royal blue tie, while Mrs Trump attended in a brown trench coat and snakeskin-patterned shoes. The couple walked on to the lawn holding the hand of a young girl as families gathered for photographs…

Serbia’s student movement has demanded the resignation of senior police, intelligence and judicial officials after its historic parliamentary election victory over Aleksandar Vucic’s ruling party. The Students’ List also called on election authorities to publish the final results of Sunday’s vote without delay, following a rerun at about 50 polling stations next Sunday. The formal transfer of power is expected to take several weeks. The movement won the election against Vucic’s right-wing Serbian Progressive Party, which has governed without a serious challenge for 14 years. The outgoing authorities remain in office while a new parliament and government are formed. At…

Heidi Klum was joined by three of her children at the third-anniversary party for her restaurant Crazy Pizza in New York City. The 53-year-old model and television personality attended the event on Thursday night with Leni, 22, Henry, 21, and Johan, 19, ahead of Halloween. Klum opened the restaurant three years ago with her former partner Flavio Briatore, who is Leni’s biological father. She became an investor after Briatore asked her to join his pizza ventures. “So this is the first one in America, with more to come,” Klum told People. Speaking about the venue, she added: “It looks so…

Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United are among the clubs monitoring Galatasaray midfielder Aleksey Batrakov, with the 21-year-old reportedly available for £50 million through a release clause. Batrakov only joined the Turkish club this summer after attracting attention during his time with Lokomotiv Moscow. His arrival has not prevented early speculation about a possible move, with several leading European sides said to be tracking his progress. Chelsea and Manchester City are also reported to be interested, while Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain are understood to be particularly appealing options for the Russia international. Aleksey Batrakov’s Galatasaray future Reports suggest Batrakov may favour…

A coastal flood advisory has been extended until 6pm on Sunday across parts of the San Francisco Bay Area because of flooding linked to high tides. The National Weather Service said up to 1.9ft of water could cover low-lying areas around the shores of San Pablo Bay, San Francisco Bay and Monterey Bay. Marin County bayside communities are expected to face the greatest risk. High tides could flood low-lying infrastructure, cause isolated road closures and worsen coastal erosion. Officials have advised drivers not to pass barricades or travel through water of unknown depth. At San Francisco’s tidal gauge, water levels…

Donald Trump is on course to become a severely weakened lame-duck president after November’s US midterm elections, a prospect that could bring relief to financial markets and the wider global economy, according to the analysis. Republicans are expected to suffer major losses on November 3, with prediction markets putting the chances of the party losing control of the House at more than 80 per cent. The probability of Democrats taking the Senate has been placed at 69 per cent. Democrats would need to gain four Senate seats to secure control of the chamber. Trump’s approval rating has also fallen to…