Author: DispatchTimes News Desk

A US Marine has been taken into custody in Okinawa on suspicion of murdering a woman in a hotel and stealing her wallet and backpack. Lance Corporal Devin Jacob Ballard, 20, who is stationed at Futenma Air Station, is accused of strangling 39-year-old Anna Yagi in Naha, the capital of Okinawa Prefecture. He has denied any wrongdoing. Yagi was found unconscious in a hotel room after staff became concerned that she had not checked out at the designated time. An employee unlocked the door and discovered her inside. Emergency services were called at about 4.20am, but Yagi was pronounced dead…

The morning briefing poses the question: “Who’s the boss?”

The family of an 83-year-old man killed in a hit-and-run collision in South Los Angeles is calling for the driver to come forward, as investigators continue to search for those responsible. Akil Batani-Khalfani was struck on the evening of September 30 near Central Avenue and 69th Street. His family said the collision happened at about 8.30pm, close to a post office car park. Police said Mr Batani-Khalfani was walking west along Central Avenue, outside a marked crossing, when he was hit by a southbound vehicle. The driver did not stop, identify themselves or provide assistance, according to investigators. Los Angeles…

The Australian Space Agency has developed its first lunar rover, a vehicle designed to send information from the Moon back to Earth. The rover is intended to remain on the lunar surface, transmitting what it discovers rather than making the journey home.

A 200-year-old cottonwood tree has been cut down to make way for an expansion of the US-Mexico double border wall. Activists had staged protests for months in an effort to stop the tree from being felled. Some protesters also camped at the cottonwood, but it was ultimately removed to clear the way for the border wall project.

Tyra Banks has addressed her on-screen clash with Law Roach during the latest season of Project Runway, dismissing suggestions that the pair are involved in an ongoing feud. Banks, 52, appeared as a recurring guest judge on the 22nd season of the Freeform fashion series, which aired over the summer. Tensions surfaced in the fifth episode when she and Roach disagreed over the judging. “That’s not the challenge,” Banks told Roach during the exchange. “But you’re overstepping,” he replied, prompting Banks to respond: “No, you’re overstepping… and you’re talking over everybody.” When judging resumed in the following episode, Roach said:…

The Scottsdale Unified School District board has voted to close Copper Ridge K-8 and Laguna Prep by the end of the 2027-28 school year, in a move affecting about 900 pupils. The decision was approved by a 3-2 vote at a meeting on Tuesday, 6 October, after a heated debate over falling enrolment and the district’s finances. Board members Amy Carney and Carine Werner opposed the closures. Both members had sought to delay the vote, but their motions to table the decision were defeated. Parents, former pupils and other community members also spoke against the plans during the meeting. Scottsdale…

A detective became emotional while describing the search for the bodies of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies, telling a jury she recognised a “strong smell” at a Greek Orthodox monastery in New South Wales. Former police officer Beau Lamarre-Condon is accused of killing the Sydney couple in February 2024. He has pleaded not guilty and is arguing self-defence in the murder trial before the NSW Supreme Court. Detective Christine Abela told the court that information provided by Lamarre-Condon’s friend, known as Elizabeth Kennedy for legal reasons, helped investigators locate the bodies. Kennedy went to Bondi Police Station with her solicitor…

Donald Trump has teased “big surprises” in the weeks before America’s midterm elections, as Republicans grow increasingly concerned that Democrats could seize control of Congress. Speaking at Sparrows Point in Maryland, where he was promoting a multi-billion-dollar defence contract, the president suggested voters could see something unexpected on November 3. “We have some big surprises coming up in another few weeks, right Russ?” Mr Trump said, addressing Russell Vought, head of the US Office of Management and Budget. He added: “He’s gonna be one of the very important people in the history of our country, in my opinion. He’s got…

Two people were taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries after a machete attack at Hing Hay Park in Seattle on Tuesday, October 6. Seattle Police officers were called to the Chinatown-International District at about 5pm following reports that two people had been slashed by someone carrying a machete. The suspect was arrested shortly after officers arrived at the park. Seattle police said the precise charges had not yet been confirmed. The injured people were taken to hospital for treatment. Investigators are continuing to establish what led to the assault.