Author: DispatchTimes News Desk

The opening of Powerhouse Parramatta has brought renewed attention to the political folklore surrounding the billion-dollar cultural project, whose origins have long been the subject of debate. Arts writer Linda Morris, who has followed the project since its inception, said some of its strongest critics believed the plan began as a “back-of-the-napkin ‘thought bubble’”. The account was reputedly linked to a campfire conversation between former Museum of Contemporary Art director Liz Ann Macgregor and then-premier Mike Baird during an overnight charity walk. Macgregor disputes that version in her newly released memoir, The Power of the Real, which examines cultural policy,…

A 22-year-old passenger died after suffering a medical emergency on a Southwest Airlines flight, with investigators attributing his death to the combined effects of the opioid-like compounds 7-Hydroxymitragynine and Mitragynine, known as 7-OH. Rain McMillen Walmsley became unresponsive on Flight 958 from Dallas to Los Angeles on 7 August while travelling to visit family. The Los Angeles Medical Examiner’s Office ruled his death an accident. Flight crew treated Walmsley during the journey and he was taken to hospital after the aircraft landed at Los Angeles International Airport. Attempts to resuscitate him with CPR were unsuccessful. Southwest Airlines previously described the…

Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly wore a diamond “money bag” necklace seized during a raid as he displayed luxury goods and other items taken from alleged drug traffickers in Florida. The jewellery was shown alongside designer shoes, handbags and clothing at a press conference following the arrests of brothers Claude Harris, 38, and John Harris, 36. Claude Harris’s girlfriend, 31-year-old Aleah Fagan, was also arrested. The seizure followed a years-long investigation known as Operation Loose Lips. Police had investigated the Harris brothers on and off for 15 years before making the arrests. Authorities said the brothers were allegedly senior figures…

Jarrad Tarkowski is at the centre of a red-card debate after an apparent hair pull during Everton’s Premier League match against Coventry. The incident has prompted questions over whether the Everton defender should have been sent off.

Seattle is just months away from appointing a new police chief, Mayor Katie Wilson has said, after more than 40 qualified candidates applied for the role. Wilson said the city had received 44 eligible applications by the end of October, including a significant number from serving or former Seattle Police Department officers. An advisory committee is now reviewing the candidates and will select those who progress to the next stage. The committee is expected to recommend up to five candidates for a competitive examination, after which three finalists will be put forward for the mayor’s consideration. Wilson is expected to…

Ukraine has continued attacks on Russian oil refineries, with the latest strikes coming four days before talks involving the United States and Russia are scheduled to resume. The timing places the attacks ahead of the planned return to negotiations between Washington and Moscow.

A six-year-old boy has died in hospital after a house fire that killed four members of his family. Details of the incident remain scarce in the material available, with no further specifics on location or identities disclosed.

Donald Trump has promoted long-time aide Stephen Miller to chief of staff, replacing Susie Wiles in a move that puts the architect of some of his toughest domestic policies in charge of the White House. The appointment follows Republicans losing control of Congress in the midterm elections. Miller will take on the role of running the administration, with the move described as being intended “to run things well”.

The 2026 midterm elections produced a series of historic firsts in the US Senate as Democrats made sweeping gains, flipping more than 40 House seats and seven Senate seats to take control of both chambers of Congress. Among the incoming senators are the first Paralympian, the first Muslim person and the first openly gay man to serve in the upper chamber, alongside candidates who have broken long-standing barriers in their home states. Historic firsts in the US Senate Josh Turek will become the first Paralympian to serve in the Senate after defeating Republican Ashley Hinson in Iowa. A Democrat and…

Democrats are set to take control of Georgia’s Public Service Commission for the first time in 30 years, promising closer scrutiny of Georgia Power, action on high household energy bills and greater transparency over the state’s data centre boom. Three of the commission’s five members will be Democrats from January after Peter Hubbard won re-election this week. Shelia Edwards and Alicia Johnson are the other Democratic commissioners. The commission regulates utilities including Georgia Power, the state’s largest electricity provider. Its work has attracted growing attention as power bills have risen and data centres have increased demand for electricity. Hubbard said…