Author: DispatchTimes News Desk

Four days before the shock announcement of her death at age 80 on Tuesday, country music’s long-reigning queen Dolly Parton had given fans one final glimpse behind the rhinestones.In a short interview with People magazine, the singer admitted that the strain had been taking a toll. Her husband, Carl Dean, had died in March last year at age 82 and, after nearly 60 years of marriage, the loss had sent Parton into a protracted period of solitary grief.’I am dealing with some health issues that I just didn’t pay attention to when I was watching over Carl,’ she told People on Friday.The star’s pain…

China’s new ambassador to Australia arrived in Canberra and immediately warned the Albanese government to respect Beijing’s ‘core interests and major concerns’ amid ongoing tensions over security, military activity, and the future of Darwin Port.Liu Jinsong, a veteran Chinese diplomat, landed in Sydney on Monday and reportedly took the bus from the airport to the ACT, ‘with ordinary Australians on board, and thoroughly enjoyed the experience’.He has stepped into the role after five years overseeing Asian affairs at China’s Foreign Ministry and previous postings across Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.Beijing regularly uses the phrase ‘core interests’ to describe issues including…

Celebrity tributes have poured in for country music icon Dolly Parton following her death age 80.The legendary country singer’s passing was confirmed Tuesday in an Instagram video posted by her nephew Bryan Seaver, prompting an outpouring of love from America’s A-list. Jamie Lee Curtis, Oprah, Sarah Jessica Parker and Pedro Pascal were among the first big names to post. Khloe Kardashian, Paris Hilton, Reba McEntire, Zoe Saldana and Hugh Jackman also took to social media to express their shock and sadness over Parton’s death. The music icon also counted admirers outside of Hollywood, with politicians and media heavyweights also sharing their condolences. Curtis shared a photo to Instagram that showed herself cuddled up…

South Carolina Republicans will decide Tuesday who will replace Sen. Lindsey Graham on the ballot in November’s midterm election, after a rushed campaign in the wake of his sudden death in July.Graham’s sister, Sen. Darline Graham, faced Rep. Ralph Norman in Tuesday’s runoff election, with polls closing at 7 p.m. local time. The two candidates were the top two vote-getters in the special primary election on Aug. 11. Darline Graham was appointed to serve out the remainder of her late brother’s term, which ends early next year. Lindsey Graham had been running for his fifth term when he died and had just…

Andy Burnham has been warned that Britain faces Russian retaliation over its support for Ukraine.Security experts have told the Prime Minister to be prepared for a ‘direct response’ from Vladimir Putin. The Kremlin is set to target the UK, sources said, after miscalculating Mr Burnham’s commitment to Kyiv.Putin had been advised the new incumbent in No10 would be ‘softer than [Sir Keir] Starmer’. But the Russian president’s hopes were dashed by the Prime Minister’s moves to fortify the UK-Ukraine military alliance in recent weeks, swapping missile blueprints and battlefield AI with Moscow’s enemy.Putin is also believed to be coming under pressure within…

The family of an autistic five-year-old boy who died when he plunged from a 15th-floor window has said they repeatedly raised concerns about the safety of their home.Aalim Ahmed was killed when he fell from the kitchen at a residential block in Plaistow, east London, in 2024.The window had become ‘compromised’ and could tilt and turn, allowing the youngster to open it and climb out, believing he could fly. His grieving parents, Makail Ahmed and Sahra Osman, said they raised concerns about the windows in the flat shortly after moving in and feared that Aalim could throw himself out of them.They…

Broadcasting House is awash with rumours that BBC2’s Newsnight is for the chop.In its heyday it was widely regarded as the flagship of BBC TV current affairs, a daily, in-depth look behind the news headlines. It’s struggled in recent years to retain that accolade as audiences declined and numerous budget squeezes starved it of resources.These days it’s basically a late-night talk show covering the news of the day. Almost everything that made Newsnight special – filmed reports and investigations, journalistic expertise, scoops, agenda-setting interviews, decent coverage of foreign affairs – has gone.But then everything that made Newsnight special was also…

At least 47 people were killed and more than 50 others kidnapped when armed men attacked a once-peaceful community near Haiti’s capital earlier this week, the United Nations said Tuesday. It is believed to be one of the largest mass kidnappings in Haiti in recent years, and one gang leader is threatening to kill the hostages if authorities kill any gang members as they try to secure the community nestled in the hills above Port-au-Prince. Sunday’s attack on Kenscoff pierced the belief that security in the troubled Caribbean country was improving. Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today Arrow“This is a…

Parents who invest in their child’s fledgling business will be given tax breaks under Reform’s scheme to rescue Britain’s struggling small businesses.In plans designed to ‘unchain British enterprise’, Reform will on Wednesday announce that family members would be able to invest in their relative’s start-up in return for income and capital gains tax relief.Through expanding the ‘Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS)’, family members could invest up to £250,000 in their offspring’s business and receive an income tax rebate of 50 per cent in return.Family investors would get an exemption from capital gains tax if they retain their shares in the…

A mother-of-four died in a ferocious blaze at her £1.2million home despite her estranged husband climbing up the drainpipe in a desperate bid to save her, an inquest heard.The fire started in the attic bedroom of the newly built home where Kate Mulcahy, 37, was sleeping alone after separating from husband John.He and their four children, including twin sons and two girls, were asleep on the first floor when fire broke out in the early hours of the morning.Mr Mulcahy, a bricklayer, ran into the street naked with the children, then aged one to nine years old, after the home’s…