Author: DispatchTimes News Desk

Miami-Dade County officials are divided over whether public property should be used to promote Grand Theft Auto VI, as Rockstar Games prepares to release the highly anticipated title set in a fictionalised version of Miami. The county administration has proposed a series of promotional events and installations, while the sheriff and several commissioners have urged officials to reject any association with a game whose storyline is centred on crime and violence. Miami-Dade’s proposed Grand Theft Auto VI promotion A pitch presented to Rockstar in June outlined possible activations on county-owned sites. They included a “Vice City Airport” arrival experience at…

Assistant Minister Patrick Gorman has rejected a proposal to increase Australia’s GST from 10% to 15%, warning the change would add to the cost of groceries and fuel during an ongoing cost-of-living squeeze. The Grattan Institute has suggested widening the tax to cover all food, with the additional revenue used to cut income tax for lower and middle-income earners and increase welfare payments. But Mr Gorman said he would not support the proposal, arguing that it would impose further costs on working Australians. “It is definitely a terrible idea in the middle of the cost-of-living pressures that people are experiencing,…

Victorian Independent MP Helen Haines was injured after being struck by a car outside her electoral office in Wangaratta on Monday afternoon. The incident occurred on Murphy Street at about 3.30pm, outside the office of the Member of Parliament.

Japan’s prime minister has said the government will not rule out issuing debt to fund a tax cut, leaving open the possibility of borrowing to support the measure. The comments indicate that debt issuance remains under consideration as Japan weighs how to finance the proposed reduction in taxes.

Manchester United are assessing a possible replacement for Lisandro Martinez as they prepare for a defensive rebuild that could begin in January or continue into next summer. The Argentina international has faced scrutiny over his performances during a difficult start to the season. His public criticism of the club’s hierarchy has also raised further questions about his long-term future at Old Trafford. Manchester United assess Lisandro Martinez replacement options Former United chief scout Mick Brown believes the club have concerns over Martinez’s consistency and are already examining alternatives in the centre-back market. “Everybody knows it’s happening, Man United want to…

Downer Group has been appointed to carry out a $442 million upgrade of Albany Regional Airport in Western Australia, a project intended to facilitate direct flights to Australia’s east coast. The Sydney-based company has been revealed as the contractor engaged to deliver the airport’s major renovations. The works will eventually enable Albany Regional Airport to handle direct east-coast services.

Possible US military action against Cuba is raising fears that the Cuban Revolution may be approaching its final days, amid reports of American activity near the island and repeated calls from US officials for “Cuba to be free”. The timing and form of any operation remain unclear. Washington’s operation in Venezuela at the start of the year is widely seen as having created a possible path towards similar action against Cuba. Any intervention would carry significance well beyond the Caribbean, given the outsized role the island has played in global politics for more than six decades. Cuba has repeatedly challenged…

China is set to leave its benchmark lending rates unchanged for a 17th consecutive month. The decision would extend the period of stability for the country’s benchmark borrowing costs.

Ann-Margret rose to fame in her early twenties after being cast as Kim McAfee in the 1963 film adaptation of Bye Bye Birdie. The Swedish-born actress performed the character’s memorable farewell song, helping establish her as a major star.

East Timor is being forced to remain dependent on fossil fuels as international aid declines, President Jose Ramos-Horta has told a clean energy summit in Perth. The country’s electricity grid is almost entirely powered by costly diesel, a situation Mr Ramos-Horta said was deterring investment and slowing economic diversification. “The cost of our energy in Timor-Leste is a killer of investors,” he told the Global Citizen Now conference on Monday. He said official development assistance that could support a faster transition to a greener economy had “almost ceased to exist”, with some traditional Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development donor…