Author: DispatchTimes News Desk

Steve Ballmer has been suspended by the NBA for a year and the Los Angeles Clippers must forfeit five future draft picks and pay a $30 million (£22.3 million) fine after an investigation into alleged improper payments linked to star player Kawhi Leonard. The league-commissioned report found that statements made by the former Microsoft chief executive about a disputed $28 million endorsement arrangement were “inaccurate (at best) with respect to Mr Ballmer”. It described claims made by Clippers president of business operations Gillian Zucker as “clearly false”. Zucker has also been suspended for 12 months. Leonard has been fined $700,000…

Two residents killed in a mass shooting at a downtown Minneapolis apartment complex have been identified, along with two police officers wounded by gunfire while responding to the attack. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension named the victims as Dale Henry Spry, 63, and Muse A. Afrah, 61. Both are believed to have lived at the building where the shooting took place on Wednesday, 2 September. The two injured Minneapolis police officers were identified as Joseph Michnowski, who joined the department in 2021, and Yahye Ahmed, who has served since November 2024. Minneapolis mass shooting victims identified Police were called…

A Missouri House candidate has appeared in court on a federal charge after prosecutors accused him of trying to frame his Republican primary opponent by planting cocaine and Adderall in her purse or vehicle. Thomas Ross, 37, of Joplin, is charged with conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. The allegation relates to the weeks before the 4 August Republican primary, which Ross won by only a few dozen votes against Louise Secker. Ross made his initial appearance in federal court on Thursday. The charge was filed on Wednesday, and there was no immediate indication of how he intended to plead.…

John Swinney has declined to guarantee that men accused or convicted of violence against women will be barred from bail or excluded from Scotland’s early-release arrangements. The First Minister was challenged over the issue during First Minister’s Questions at Holyrood, only days after pledging to provide personal leadership in tackling violence against women and girls. Opposition leaders called for tougher safeguards after a series of killings involving women who had previously sought help from the justice system. Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay urged Mr Swinney to reverse changes to bail law introduced in 2023 and to prevent violent offenders from…

The Trump administration is preparing to begin excavation for a proposed 250-foot triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery, despite the project still awaiting final approval from the federal body responsible for planning in Washington. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said on Thursday that work would start over the next two weeks at Memorial Circle on Columbia Island, between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery. “After a very long wait (over 125 years!), we are preparing to start, over the next two-week period, the excavation work necessary for the Great Triumphal Arch,” Mr Burgum wrote on X. He described the planned…

Stacey Solomon and Joe Swash are leaving Pickle Cottage, the Essex home they moved into in 2021 and spent years transforming into a family base. The couple have sold the Tudor-style property and said they will move out imminently, bringing an end to five years at the house. Solomon said the decision had been a difficult one, with the family taking time to discuss the move with their children, friends and neighbours before making the announcement. “Even the thought of selling Pickle Cottage felt impossible,” she said in a video shared on social media. “We’ve just waited until someone amazing…

Dr Kimberly Nelms has urged people facing unemployment to recognise the emotional trauma of losing a job and focus on rebuilding their lives after redundancy. Nelms made the remarks during an appearance on Fox 2 Detroit Live while visiting the city, where she discussed the difficulties experienced by people who have been laid off. She said her work was aimed at supporting those struggling with the personal impact of job loss, as well as helping them find a way forward during a period of uncertainty. The discussion focused on how people can recover after being made unemployed. Nelms said that,…

Charles Perrottet is expected to complete his fifth day in the witness box at the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption, where he has faced sustained questioning over secret recordings, payments linked to a property developer and efforts to undermine former Liberal MP David Elliott. Mr Perrottet has denied fabricating evidence and rejected suggestions that money paid to companies associated with political operatives Christian Ellis and Jeremy Greenwood was exchanged for political outcomes. The inquiry is examining allegations that prohibited donations connected to developer Jean Nassif and his company, Toplace, were solicited or accepted by figures associated with the NSW Liberal…

Donald Trump has appointed Adam Telle as acting Secretary of the Army, hours after Dan Driscoll left the post amid reported tensions with Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth. The president announced the change in a Truth Social post on Thursday night, saying the current Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works would take over with immediate effect. “He is a Great Patriot, who is respected by all,” Mr Trump wrote. Mr Telle can serve in the role for up to 210 days under the Federal Vacancies Reform Act, meaning a permanent successor would need to be appointed by the end…

Billionaire Leon Black has sued the US House Oversight Committee after refusing to appear for a subpoenaed deposition about his dealings with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The former Apollo Global Management chief was due to give evidence in Washington on Thursday, 3 September 2026. Instead, his lawyers filed a civil action in the US District Court for the District of Columbia seeking to block the committee’s demands for his testimony and documents. Black’s lawsuit describes the investigation, led by Republican chairman James Comer, as a “public fishing expedition” and accuses the panel of exceeding its constitutional authority. It argues…