Author: DispatchTimes News Desk

An eight-month-old girl has been found dead inside a home on Chicago’s Southwest Side, with detectives investigating the circumstances surrounding her death. Officers were called to a residence on South Artesian Avenue at about 1.46pm on Saturday, October 17, after the child was found unresponsive, according to the Chicago Police Department. She was pronounced dead at the scene. No further details about the child or the residence have been released. The cause of death remains unknown and an autopsy is pending. Chicago detectives are continuing to investigate.

Greens senator Jordon Steele-John has rejected claims that he had taken leave while his party investigates allegations about his conduct towards women. He has also accused the Greens of political manoeuvring, putting him at odds with the party’s leader over his status. The allegations remain unproven, and no further details about them were provided.

Alberta voters are set to take part in the province’s first independence referendum, with polling suggesting a decisive rejection of separation from Canada but supporters insisting the campaign will continue whatever the result. The ballot asks residents whether Alberta should remain part of Canada or begin the legal process for holding a future referendum on independence. A vote for the second option would not make the oil-rich province an independent country. Any attempt to secede would require lengthy negotiations with the federal government in Ottawa, other provinces and Indigenous peoples living in and around Alberta. That distinction has been central…

The Bank of Japan may need to tighten monetary policy more quickly if inflation exceeds forecasts, the International Monetary Fund has said. The IMF’s assessment indicates that faster action could be required if price growth proves stronger than expected.

Bridget Marquardt brought ghost-hunting equipment to the TMZ offices, where she and Charlie Neff attempted to contact spirits believed to be inside the building. Marquardt, a former Playboy model who has a new series called The Great American Ghost Hunt, used dowsing rods during the session. Neff explained that the premises had previously been an old post office. The rods appeared to cross after Marquardt and Neff asked whether anyone was present, which they interpreted as an indication that a spirit was there. When they asked whether the entity was a friend of TMZ, the rods appeared to suggest that…

A fire destroyed 27 commercial vehicles behind a Verizon building in Waldorf, Maryland, causing an estimated $3.8 million (£3 million) in damage, officials said. Firefighters were called to 33 Industrial Park Drive at about 3.10am on Sunday, after several members of the public reported seeing flames in the area. Crews found the vehicles burning beneath an awning in the rear parking area. The blaze prompted a two-alarm response involving about 100 firefighters from Charles County and neighbouring jurisdictions. Fire officials said the flames were brought under control within an hour, although crews remained at the scene for more than three…

A 2.8 magnitude earthquake has shaken the Barossa Valley wine region in South Australia, waking residents in the towns of Tanunda and Nuriootpa shortly after 2am on Friday. Geoscience Australia recorded the tremor at a depth of about 10km, with the epicentre directly beneath a property on the outskirts of Tanunda. Mark, a Nuriootpa resident, told the ABC the movement felt “powerful” and initially sounded like thunder. “It woke me up straight away, and my little cat who sleeps on the end of our bed, she was up for a while. I reckon it was about three seconds, maybe more,”…

The United States has condemned an alleged attack by Israeli settlers on Washington Post photographer Heidi Levine in the West Bank, after the 63-year-old journalist suffered serious injuries. Mike Huckabee, the US ambassador to Israel, described the assailants as “masked cowards” and called the incident “a despicable act of terror”. Ms Levine said she was with a group of Palestinians in the village of Abu Falah on Friday when she was forced to the ground and beaten for more than ten minutes. Her camera, passport and phone were taken, she said. She remained in hospital in Tel Aviv on Sunday…

Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber have spoken publicly for the first time since the death of their 27-year-old son, Presley Gerber, who was found dead at a rehabilitation facility in Los Angeles. Police are investigating the death as a suspected drug overdose. Presley had also spoken publicly about longstanding mental health difficulties and addiction. The family initially asked for privacy after his death on September 20. Almost a month later, Crawford and Gerber paid tribute alongside their daughter, model and actress Kaia Gerber. “We are beyond heartbroken to lose our beloved son and brother,” the couple said in a joint…

Two people have been arrested after a vehicle linked by police to an unlawful street-racing group crashed through a locked security gate at Scottsdale Airport, struck a detective’s car and hit a small aircraft in Arizona. Phoenix police said the incident began at about 11pm on Saturday, October 17, when officers attempted to stop the vehicle in Phoenix. The driver refused to pull over and the department’s air support unit tracked it as it crossed into Scottsdale. Police said officers on the ground did not pursue the car until it reached the airport gate, where it stopped. When they attempted…