Author: DispatchTimes News Desk

The Federal Reserve has highlighted the strength of the economy while muddying the outlook for Treasuries.

Bank employees in Phoenix pulled a local food vendor and his cart inside their building as powerful winds and hail swept through the area. Footage shows the vendor struggling to move the cart while the storm intensified outside. Employees then stepped in to help guide it through the entrance and into the bank, providing shelter from the severe weather. The incident took place as a storm brought heavy hail and strong winds to parts of the Phoenix area, with reports of damage to vehicles and buildings nearby. The video was reported by FOX 10’s Jacob Luthi.

Two senior National Disability Insurance Agency managers have been placed on leave while the agency considers findings against them in a Victorian investigation into the handling of Covid-19 business grants. NDIA chief executive Graeme Head told a Senate estimates hearing that “neither officer is on duty” as he assesses what action may be appropriate. The pair are among three senior Victorian public servants criticised by the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission over the payment of grants to businesses that were allegedly ineligible. IBAC estimated the issue may have cost taxpayers almost $260 million. Head confirmed that “two current NDIA employees are…

Barack Obama has mocked the Trump administration for mobilising a government-wide response to a joke he made about renovations at the White House. The former president had compared the work to Saddam Hussein opening a Cheesecake Factory, prompting a response from the Trump team. Obama ridiculed the scale of the administration’s reaction to the remark.

A Bank of Korea board member has said the South Korean won is moving faster than expected, highlighting the pace of recent currency movements. No further details were provided on the official’s identity or the factors behind the move.

The revival of McLeod’s Daughters will be filmed almost entirely in regional Victoria, moving the next chapter of the popular Australian drama away from the South Australian landscapes that defined the original series. Stan and VicScreen have announced the new production, which is expected to generate up to $35 million in expenditure and create as many as 900 jobs across regional Victorian communities. The decision represents a major change for a franchise closely associated with South Australia. Kingsford, near Gawler, provided the setting for the fictional Drovers Run and became a draw for fans of the show. The revived drama…

The Milwaukee Brewers have won the World Series for the first time in franchise history after beating the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 in Game Five at Tropicana Field in St Petersburg, Florida. The victory completed a 4-1 series triumph for Milwaukee and sparked celebrations among Brewers supporters inside the stadium and at a packed watch party at American Family Field. The title is the city’s first World Series championship since the Braves won in 1957, before relocating to Atlanta. Jacob Misiorowski delivered a commanding performance on the mound, throwing five and two-thirds scoreless innings and allowing only two hits before…

Perth Festival 2027 will mark a return to major international touring, with a programme led by European productions after years in which the pandemic disrupted the global arts circuit. The festival’s artistic director, Anna Reece, said the renewed international focus would restore a central part of Perth’s cultural identity while continuing to support artists from Western Australia. Among the headline works will be ROTHKO, a four-hour production by Polish director Łukasz Twarkowski, arriving from Latvia. Inspired by a famous art forgery, it combines cinema and theatre across shifting timeframes. Denmark’s Operation: Orfeo will offer a new interpretation of the story…

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has removed the Pentagon’s top military planner as President Donald Trump considers renewed strikes against Iran after next week’s midterm elections. Army Lieutenant General Brett Sylvia was dismissed as director of strategy, plans and policy on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, according to a senior official. No replacement has yet been announced. The post, known as the J5, is responsible for developing and co-ordinating military plans with the chairman of the Joint Chiefs and the president. Its director also acts as a link between operational forces, the Defence Department’s policy team and the White House.…

AI-related investment and consumer spending are likely to have helped boost US economic growth in the third quarter. The development points to contributions from both business investment linked to artificial intelligence and household consumption during the period.