Author: DispatchTimes News Desk

Washington early voting has passed 773,000 returned ballots, putting turnout slightly ahead of the equivalent stage of the 2022 midterm election with just over a week remaining before Election Day. Figures from the Washington Secretary of State’s Office show that 773,792 ballots had been returned from nearly 5.16 million registered voters. Of those, 744,485 had been accepted, equivalent to about 14.43 per cent of eligible voters. At the same point before the 2022 election, roughly 669,000 ballots had been cast. This year’s participation rate is therefore about two percentage points higher. Older voters lead Washington early voting Only about 4,500…

Bulgaria’s presidential election is heading for a runoff after a record-low turnout left no candidate expected to secure an outright victory. The November 1 contest will set the pro-Western reformist opposition’s Andrey Gyurov against incumbent president Iliana Yotova. Projections put turnout at below 40% of the 6.6 million registered voters, well short of the 50% threshold. The final result is expected on Monday, but a second round is considered likely because none of the 27 candidates is forecast to win a majority. Observers attributed the low participation to widespread mistrust in politicians and voter apathy. The runoff will place two…

Four Corners flooding has forced evacuations and water rescues across the south-western United States, with more heavy rain and thunderstorms expected to threaten the region. The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch covering much of the area where Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah meet. Rivers that rose sharply after days of rain were expected to begin receding, although officials warned that conditions remained dangerous. Further downpours could send water through roads, small streams, narrow canyons and areas affected by previous wildfires. The rain was forecast to spread into the central and northern Plains on Sunday night before…

The 2026 Ballon d’Or will be awarded at the London Palladium on Monday, with England captain Harry Kane, France forward Kylian Mbappe and Spain winger Lamine Yamal among the leading contenders for the men’s prize. Spain captain Alexia Putellas is the favourite for the women’s award as the ceremony reaches its 70th edition. It will be the first time football’s most prestigious individual honour has been presented outside France. The event has been moved to Britain as a tribute to Stanley Matthews, the England forward who won the inaugural Ballon d’Or in 1956. The red carpet is due to begin…

Australia’s proposed defence land sell-off has drawn together politicians from across the political spectrum, with former prime minister John Howard telling a rally in Sydney that the government should abandon plans to dispose of military sites, including valuable harbour-front property. Speaking to several thousand people near Victoria Barracks, Mr Howard said he would be the first to congratulate Prime Minister Anthony Albanese if the plans were reversed. He argued that the country’s history and military heritage mattered more than the money raised by the sales. “What is more important to the soul of a nation? [Than] its history, its heritage,…

The US Justice Department has filed an Alaska ballot lawsuit over the appearance of two candidates named Dan Sullivan, as Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche insisted the action was not an attempt by President Donald Trump to overturn the state’s election. Republicans fear that Daniel J. Sullivan Jr, a retired teacher and school administrator from Petersburg, could draw votes away from Republican Senator Dan Sullivan and help Democrat Mary Peltola, a former congresswoman, in the November 3 election. Blanche said the lawsuit was intended to preserve evidence of possible voter confusion at polling stations and to establish safeguards around the…

Diego Sarabia, one of the defendants in the Cornell 7 civil case, is asking a court to dismiss the claims against him, arguing that they amount to an alleged “forced kiss” and were brought too late. Sarabia’s lawyers deny the allegations. In court papers, they argued that the claims against him were legally insufficient, outside the relevant time limit, or both. Jane Doe alleges that seven Cornell University fraternity members sexually assaulted her. Sarabia is accused of forcibly kissing her and snorting ketamine from her body. His legal team said Sarabia is not accused of supplying drugs to Jane Doe…

Sunderland’s winless run in the Premier League reached six matches after they were held to a goalless draw by Leeds at the Stadium of Light, leaving Regis Le Bris’ side at the foot of the table. Leeds moved up to seventh with the point, but neither side could find a breakthrough in difficult conditions as strong winds affected the contest on Wearside. Brian Brobbey, making his first appearance since September 20, went closest for Sunderland in the opening half. He raced through on goal, only for James Trafford to smother his effort. Leeds began with Dominic Calvert-Lewin despite Daniel Farke…

One driver has died and another is critically injured after a wrong-way crash on Houston’s South Loop early on Sunday, 25 October. The collision happened at about 4.48am near Tierwester Road, east of the interchange with Highway 288, according to Houston police and the city’s incident log. A driver travelling in the wrong direction on the 610 Loop struck a Chevrolet Suburban head-on. The wrong-way driver, who was alone in the vehicle, was pronounced dead at the scene. Police have not released his identity and described him as a Black man believed to be in his 40s. The driver of…

Record numbers of planning disputes are reaching the NSW Land and Environment Court, with developers increasingly challenging council decisions as residents become caught between the drive for more housing and concerns about what is built in their suburbs. The court finalised 1,108 development-related appeals in 2025, the highest annual total since published records began in 2006. That amounts to more than three cases a day. An analysis of 743 publicly available judgments found that 706 appeals ended in approval, including cases resolved through court-directed conciliation, while only 37 were refused. The disputes have involved proposals ranging from luxury homes on…