Author: DispatchTimes News Desk

Iran’s Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad has resigned for personal reasons, with Hamid Bovard, the chief executive of the state-owned National Iranian Oil Company, appointed as acting minister. Mehdi Tabatabaei, communications deputy in President Masoud Pezeshkian’s office, said Paknejad had resigned “a long time ago”. His resignation was accepted at his insistence, according to state media. Mr Tabatabaei said on Sunday: “With acceptance of Mohsen Paknejad’s resignation by Dr Pezeshkian, Hamid Bovard has been appointed as acting oil minister.” Paknejad had held the post since August 2024, as a seven-month-old war between Iran and the United States placed further pressure on…

Andy Burnham appears to have gained a boost from his Labour conference speech, with the party opening a five-point lead over Reform as speculation about a snap election continues. The latest Opinium poll puts Labour on 30 per cent, up two points and its highest rating from the firm since 2024. Reform has risen one point to 25 per cent, while the Conservatives remain on 17 per cent. The figures could give Mr Burnham a narrow majority if he chose to call an early election, despite his repeated attempts to dismiss the possibility. Electoral Calculus projects that the result could…

Latino voters have swung sharply towards Democrats ahead of the US midterm elections, threatening Republican hopes of retaining control of Congress after Donald Trump made significant gains with the group in 2024. Fifty-nine per cent of Latino registered voters now favour a Congress controlled by Democrats, compared with 35 per cent who prefer Republican control, according to an NBC News/Telemundo poll released on Sunday. The 24-point Democratic advantage is twice the lead recorded in the poll’s September 2024 edition. A separate CBS News/YouGov survey found a similar divide among Hispanic likely voters, with 60 per cent supporting a Democratic House…

Dr Mike Varshavski has reportedly been approached about becoming the lead of The Bachelor’s upcoming 30th season, as the long-running dating show prepares for a possible return to ABC in 2027. The claim remains unconfirmed, with a report suggesting that producers have been in contact with the internet personality, widely known as “Dr Mike”. Varshavski, 36, is a doctor who shares health advice online. He has 15.1 million followers on YouTube and six million on Instagram, and was named The Sexiest Doctor Alive in 2015. The Bachelor has been off air for a period, but ABC is expected to commission…

Alex and Erin are preparing for the Banned Together Book Fest, a one-day event celebrating the freedom to read during Banned Books Week in downtown Ferndale, Michigan, on Saturday, October 10, 2026. The festival will run from 10am to 6pm, with activities taking place across the Ferndale Library, Love & Other Books bookshop and Go Comedy! Improv Theater. Organisers say the event will bring together readers, writers, educators and librarians, with bestselling and independent authors, panel discussions, book signings, local booksellers, vendors and educational sessions planned throughout the day. The festival will also highlight queer, Black, Indigenous and other people…

An 18-year-old man accused of driving into Newcastle Knights fans has appeared in court after the crash left a little girl critically injured and nine other people hurt in Newcastle, Australia. Indika Samarasinghe appeared before a magistrate on Sunday, a day after hundreds of supporters gathered beside the road to see the Knights leave for Sydney for the NRL grand final. The victims were aged between two and 67. Most remained in hospital, while four people had been discharged. A second five-year-old girl who was critically injured in the collision was reported to be in a serious but stable condition.…

Chris Appleton has been eliminated from Strictly Come Dancing after losing the first dance-off of the series to actress Jaime Winstone. The 43-year-old hair stylist, who grew up in Leicester and is now based among Hollywood’s most sought-after hairdressers, received the fewest public votes alongside Winstone, 41. The judges then unanimously chose to save Winstone and her professional partner Carlos Gu. Appleton and his partner Amy Dowden performed a cha cha to I’ll Be Ready from Baywatch during Movies Week, but their routine earned 17 points. Despite ending with Appleton opening his red vest to reveal his stomach, the judges…

Performance artist Sabine Tautou has taped a man to a street post in New York’s SoHo district as part of a collaboration with fashion brand Alexander Wang. The man was restrained outside the Alexander Wang store while holding one of the brand’s high-end Rocco handbags. Tautou described the event as a public performance marking the relaunch of the iconic bag. She said more than 50 people sent her screenshots from Citizen alerts about the incident, adding: “This is actually the first performance I’ve done that ended up going viral on Citizen, too.” Tautou said the work remained consistent with her…

Two men have been killed and 35 people injured after gunfire broke out at a large homecoming block party in Vienna, Georgia, in the early hours of Sunday morning. Dooly County Sheriff’s Office deputies were patrolling the gathering when shots were reported at about 1.25am on Pine Street. Officers found several people suffering from gunshot wounds and discovered the two deceased victims in the 600 block, several streets away from where the shooting began. The dead men were aged 20 and 23, according to Dooly County Coroner Brett Walls. Their names have not been released, although their families have been…

The NRL grand final drew a high-profile gathering to the Presidents Suite at Accor Stadium on Sunday night, where Peter V’landys welcomed political, business and sporting figures including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and David Brat, the new US ambassador to Australia. Brat was pictured speaking with Albanese before the match, with former Australian golfing great Greg Norman nearby. Norman has acted as a conduit between Australian officials and US President Donald Trump, who is known for his interest in golf. NSW Premier Chris Minns also visited the suite, alongside Queensland Premier David Crisafulli and NSW Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane. Commonwealth…