Author: DispatchTimes News Desk

A Minneapolis City Council committee has advanced a proposal to abolish the city’s Office of Community Safety, setting up a final vote on a move that has exposed sharp divisions over how public services should be organised. The ordinance was approved by nine votes to three, with one abstention, following a heated hearing at City Hall. The full council is expected to consider the measure on Thursday, October 29. Minneapolis Office of Community Safety faces dissolution Established in 2022, the Office of Community Safety brings together the police and fire departments, 911 services and mental health response under a single…

A 17-year-old boy found with burns after a house fire in Sydney’s Inner West has been charged with arson, joy riding and property fraud. The two-storey home in Weddle Avenue, Abbotsford, was destroyed after flames broke out at about 4am on Tuesday. Three occupants were treated for smoke inhalation, while an 88-year-old woman was rescued from a balcony. Police officers and a 49-year-old civilian used a ladder to reach the woman as the blaze took hold. Superintendent Christine McDonald said the civilian’s actions had helped save her life. “I’ve just seen the body-worn footage of that particular rescue, and can…

Brazilian senator Flávio Bolsonaro and his family are to receive visas allowing them to enter the United States after his defeat in Brazil’s presidential election, a senior US State Department official has said. Bolsonaro left Brazil after losing Sunday’s run-off to incumbent president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, according to Brazilian media reports. A spokesperson for Bolsonaro and his campaign manager, Rogério Marinho, declined to comment. The departure came as a deadline to surrender Bolsonaro’s ordinary and diplomatic passports expired at noon on Tuesday. It was not clear whether he had complied with the order. Bolsonaro was served with the…

Noah Wyle has been named People magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive for 2026, taking the title from Wicked star Jonathan Bailey. Wyle, 55, was recognised following his role in The Pitt, succeeding Bailey, 38, who received the honour in 2025 as the magazine marked its 40th anniversary. Reacting to the announcement, Wyle said: “I thought that sounded like a prank – just not in a million years did I think that this would be an honour bestowed on me.” The actor joins a long line of Hollywood stars, musicians, sportsmen and public figures to have appeared on the annual cover. People…

A US judge has said he will rule on Wednesday in a lawsuit concerning California’s voter rolls. No further details about the case or the arguments involved were provided.

Todd Chrisley and Jason Galanis served time in the same federal prison, with their sentences overlapping for several months in 2023, it has been confirmed. The two men were both held at the Federal Prison Camp in Pensacola, Florida. It is unclear whether Chrisley, the father of Savannah Chrisley, and her now-fiancé ever interacted while behind bars. Galanis, a former business associate of Hunter Biden, was sentenced to almost 16 years in federal prison for his role in multimillion-dollar securities fraud schemes, including one involving a Native American tribal entity. President Donald Trump commuted Galanis’s sentence in March 2025. Two…

Fleetwood beat Arsenal on penalties in a remarkable EFL Cup upset, leaving Mikel Arteta to congratulate the League Two side after the tie at Highbury. The home side took the lead before Arsenal responded, but neither team could find a winner during 90 minutes. Fleetwood then held their nerve in the shoot-out, producing a series of impressive spot-kicks to secure a famous victory over the English champions. Arteta defends Arsenal players after Fleetwood defeat Arteta was magnanimous after the result and praised Fleetwood while insisting he could not fault the attitude of his Arsenal players. “Congrats to Fleetwood, it’s a…

Chicago is set for an unusually warm Wednesday, with sunshine and temperatures climbing into the mid-70s Fahrenheit (around 23C) before cooler, unsettled conditions develop ahead of Halloween. The National Weather Service forecast a high of about 73F (23C) on Wednesday, with south-westerly winds strengthening through the afternoon. Overnight temperatures are expected to remain mild, falling only to the lower 50sF. The warmth follows a cloudy Tuesday in Chicagoland, when temperatures reached the upper 60s to low 70sF. That was well above Chicago’s typical October 27 high of 58F (14C). Cloud cover is expected to increase on Thursday, bringing a chance…

Greens leader David Shoebridge is set to call for Australia’s tax-free threshold to rise from $18,200 to $26,000, a move he says would return more than $1,000 to almost every working Australian. Senator Shoebridge will set out the proposal during his first appearance at the National Press Club, as he seeks to rebuild support for the Greens after the party lost three seats at the last election. He has argued that the policy could be negotiated with Labor before the next election, which is due by May 2028. However, the Greens hold only one seat in the lower house, meaning…

A Qantas ground crew strike has begun at airports across Australia, with hundreds of freight and airport workers walking out over pay, job security and safety concerns. The 24-hour industrial action is taking place in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide. Qantas said no flights had been affected, with most of those taking part working in freight operations. The airline said passenger-service staff involved in the action were limited to ground crew supporting QantasLink operations in Sydney. Fewer than 600 Qantas employees were eligible to take protected industrial action, it said. “We are aware of planned industrial action by some…