Author: DispatchTimes News Desk

James Acaster stunned viewers of Celebrity Traitors by revealing at the roundtable that he was one of the traitors before the vote had even begun. The comedian, who had become an unlikely favourite during the series, said he had never wanted the role and had been hoping to play as a Faithful. Acaster and Maya Jama had come under suspicion after the Faithfuls linked them to the murder of Ross Kemp in plain sight. Jama defended herself, while Michael Sheen told her: “If you are Traitors, you’ve done it brilliantly.” Sheen then questioned Acaster about the details of the killing,…

Palo Alto is stepping up preparations for a potentially severe El Niño winter, with city officials focusing on flood control, sandbag supplies and public warnings ahead of the storm season. The city held a storm preparedness open house at Fire Station 3 on Thursday, October 29, where residents were given advice on protecting their homes and responding to flooding, power cuts and other hazards. Sandbag stations have been established at Rinconada Tennis Courts, Mitchell Park and the Palo Alto Airport Terminal. Residents have also been urged to clear debris from nearby storm drains and monitor local weather forecasts and creek…

Tasmania’s racing integrity commissioner, Sean Carroll, has denied an allegation that he offered greyhound trainer Anthony Bullock $300,000 to leave the industry, after the claim was raised in the state parliament. Dean Winter, Labor’s shadow racing minister, told MPs that Bullock’s statutory declaration described repeated approaches from Carroll about the government’s voluntary exit scheme for greyhound participants. According to the declaration, Carroll said he had “hundreds of thousands of dollars” available for Bullock if he closed his business. The figure was later said to have become a cheque starting with a “three”, with $300,000 described as the maximum offer. Bullock,…

Former Bachelor star Sam Wood has been refused bail after a Queensland judge found he posed a risk of committing another offence while on release over allegations that he strangled and assaulted his wife, Snezana, in Noosa. Supreme Court Justice Patrick McCafferty rejected a proposed $1 million surety from Wood’s family, ruling that the suggested conditions would not sufficiently reduce the risk to the community or prevent further offending. Wood, 46, has been held on remand for more than a month and was not present at Friday afternoon’s hearing. He is accused of assault occasioning bodily harm and strangulation in…

A potential final central bank surprise is the focus of the latest morning market briefing. No further details were provided on which central bank may be involved or what form the surprise could take.

David Walliams has reportedly been removed from the upcoming film The Road to Nevermore amid misconduct allegations. The 55-year-old comedian and actor, best known for the BBC series Little Britain, had been in talks to appear in the project but is no longer involved, according to a report. Gina Gershon, William Baldwin and Til Schweiger remain attached to the film. The project follows poet Clyde and his roommate, Weston, as they leave their home town in search of greater authenticity and adventure. The development follows the end of Walliams’ relationship with publisher HarperCollins in December 2025. The company was reported…

Hundreds of passengers have been left stranded in Cambodia after residential cruise operator Villa Vie Residences suspended the voyage of its ship, the Villa Vie Odyssey, because of soaring fuel costs. Among those forced ashore was Arizona resident Sherrie Cornett, who said passengers were given only seven hours to leave the vessel while it was docked at Sihanoukville. “The port provided shuttles for us to get into town, and we were dropped on a public square and had to find our way from there,” she said. “It’s been quite the challenge to get everyone situated.” Cambodian officials said 203 guests…

A man accused of threatening to kill Pauline Hanson will undergo a psychological assessment after saying his alleged conduct was driven by a crippling addiction to Facebook. The assessment will form part of the case against the man, who has attributed the alleged threats to his dependence on the social media platform.

Tracey Connelly, the mother of “Baby P”, has asked the Parole Board to release her from prison again, after being recalled for breaching her licence conditions for a second time. Connelly, 45, is being held at HMP Low Newton in County Durham, where she has become a regular member of an informal group known as the “Friday Club”. The group of about eight women meet for cake, crisps and fizzy drinks, while styling one another’s hair, applying make-up and discussing the events of the week. Her latest bid for freedom will centre on whether the board believes she has genuinely…

Four masked robbers armed with a rifle and axes raided Crown Jewelry in Lakewood, Washington, before smashing their way out of the shop and fleeing in a vehicle. The robbery took place at about 3.30pm on Wednesday, October 28, at the store on Steilacoom Boulevard. Police said a woman was buzzed inside before holding the door open for three men wearing masks and white clothing. One of the men was carrying what police described as a rifle, while two others had axes. They used the weapons to break open glass display cases and seized an undisclosed amount of jewellery before…