Author: DispatchTimes News Desk

Western Australia’s Year 12 students are set to face major changes under a planned refresh of the state’s senior school certificate, including a new pathway provisionally called WACE Access. The School Curriculum and Standards Authority’s annual report outlines the “WACE Refreshment” plan, which is intended to make the Western Australian Certificate of Education clearer and more responsive to students’ needs. It says the changes will be aligned with equivalent certificates nationally and internationally. The WACE Access pathway is due to be introduced from 2028. The state government is investing $6.9 million in the initiative as part of the changes to…

Christa Pike survived a botched execution in Tennessee after receiving two doses of a supposedly lethal drug. Before the attempt, the convicted killer said she was ready to die and “ready to be free”. However, the execution failed, making it the second botched execution in Tennessee this year.

Police have launched a major crackdown on organised luggage theft and anti-social behaviour around King’s Cross and St Pancras stations, following a series of high-value robberies targeting passengers arriving in London. British Transport Police (BTP) and the Metropolitan Police have increased patrols around the busy transport hub, where officers say thieves are exploiting distracted tourists and passengers carrying designer luggage, jewellery and other valuables. Chief Inspector Dan Hodges, of the Metropolitan Police, said intelligence-led operations were being used to target groups suspected of committing crimes in the area. “There’s a lot of individuals and groups committing crime in King’s Cross,…

Federal Reserve officials have pushed back against market expectations of an interest-rate increase in October, with Jefferson warning that the US central bank may take time before making its next move. The comments have tempered bets on an October rate rise, signalling that policymakers are not rushing towards another adjustment in borrowing costs.

The cause of death of actor and director Chad Lowe’s 13-year-old daughter, Fiona, has been confirmed as suicide by the coroner’s office. Fiona, the second eldest child of Lowe and his wife, producer Kim Painter, was pronounced dead at a local hospital at 1.14am on Tuesday, September 29. Lowe and Painter announced their daughter’s death on Wednesday, describing her as “smart, creative and loved to dance”. “We are deeply heartbroken by the loss of our beloved Fiona. She was a loving young girl who was smart, creative and loved to dance,” the couple said in a statement. “She was adored…

A Chicago mother and daughter say they have repeatedly been issued new Bank of America debit cards, only to find more transactions they insist they did not authorise appearing on their accounts. Louise Williams, 82, and her daughter Brenda, 63, say they have spent years reporting suspected fraud, changing account details and replacing cards. Brenda estimates she has gone through between 15 and 20 debit cards, including at least six this year. Louise said she had been issued seven or eight replacement cards. Each time, she claims, unauthorised payments appeared after the new card was activated. “And every time I…

The Australian Federal Police has accepted a $9 million settlement from engineering company SMEC, bringing a 13-year foreign bribery investigation to an end without prosecution. SMEC, formerly known as the Snowy Mountains Engineering Corporation, agreed to pay the money under proceeds of crime legislation but made no admission of wrongdoing. The AFP did not refer the matter to the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions. The company continues to hold major government contracts and has worked on a number of public projects, including Snowy Hydro 2.0. Andrea Quinn, head of the AFP’s anti-corruption division, said the outcome demonstrated that companies could…

Brazil’s attorney general has called for an investigation into alleged US interference in the country’s domestic politics through funding directed towards far-right causes. Jorge Messias made the request after a report said the administration of US President Donald Trump had planned to award $1 million to right-wing civil society groups opposing Brazil’s Supreme Court. Mr Messias said foreign meddling “cannot be tolerated”, describing the report as “an important alert for Brazilian sovereignty”. “The information is especially serious in light of Brazil’s electoral process and the recent episodes of external pressure on our institutions,” he added in a social media post.…

Christa Pike’s death row appeal included allegations of severe childhood abuse and neglect, according to court documents from earlier proceedings in her murder case. Her challenge to the sentence has so far failed, and she is currently in hospital in Tennessee after surviving two lethal injections. Pike was seeking to have her death sentence overturned on the grounds that she had received ineffective assistance from her lawyers. Her legal team argued that the court had not properly considered the abuse she said she experienced during childhood. Christa Pike’s death row appeal She alleged that she had been sexually abused by…

Arsenal winger Christos Tzolis suffered an apparent hamstring injury while representing Greece against the Netherlands, adding to Mikel Arteta’s growing list of fitness concerns during the international break. Tzolis started the Nations League fixture but was forced off inside the opening 18 minutes after pulling up during an attacking sprint. The 24-year-old immediately signalled to the bench that he could not continue. Medical staff treated the Greece international on the pitch before helping him to the dressing room. The full extent of the injury remains unclear, with Tzolis due to undergo scans in London. The winger joined Arsenal in a…