Author: DispatchTimes News Desk

A 63-year-old anti-Ulez activist has been jailed for 15 years after blowing up a roadside camera with a homemade explosive device in a residential street in Sidcup, south-east London. Kevin Rees was convicted of causing an explosion with intent to endanger life after a trial at Woolwich Crown Court. He was also convicted of three counts of possessing a prohibited weapon after stun guns were found at his home. The blast sent debris more than 100 metres, damaged a child’s bedroom window and smashed the windscreen of a nearby car. Police said it was “miraculous that nobody was killed or…

Ford retained third place in US vehicle sales during the third quarter, narrowly holding off Hyundai Motor after forecasts suggested the South Korean group could overtake the Detroit carmaker for the first time. Ford reported sales of 507,395 light-duty vehicles, a 6.6% fall compared with the same period last year. The figure excludes its largest heavy-duty trucks, which are classified separately. Hyundai, including the Hyundai, Kia and Genesis brands, sold 506,200 vehicles during the quarter, an increase of 5.4%. Both companies performed better than expected, leaving Ford ahead by just 1,195 vehicles. Ford still has an approximately 89,700-vehicle lead over…

Seven Cornell fraternity members accused of drugging and sexually assaulting a fellow student told university investigators that she appeared willing to take part, according to investigative files. The men gave differing accounts of the alleged encounter, including claims that the woman, identified as Jane Doe, said: “We’re all consenting adults here.” One of the accused also said she referred to group sex as being “normal in the medieval times”. Diego Sarabia told investigators that Ms Doe had made a comment to that effect. Matthew Ingalls said he asked her whether she wanted a threesome with him and fellow fraternity member…

A Michigan woman has been charged after allegedly pouring boiling water over a 15-year-old girl following a fight in Pontiac, leaving the teenager with severe burns to her neck and back. Shanell Lakeisha Cohen, 31, is accused of assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder or by strangulation. She was arrested after detectives said she admitted pouring the water over the girl. Oakland County Sheriff’s Office deputies were called to the area of Leonard Lane at about 7pm on Sunday following reports of a large fight. Between 50 and 100 people were reportedly gathered in a…

A new Mini Crossword offers a compact challenge built around ten clues and 25 squares, with players able to test how quickly they can complete it. The bite-sized puzzle also allows users to track their winning streaks and share their results with family and friends. Premium subscribers to The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald can access the Mini Crossword, along with the publications’ other puzzles, including Target Time.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul has appointed Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor in an alleged sexual assault case involving a former Cornell University student. Ms James will investigate the allegations and, if warranted, prosecute any offences arising from the inquiry and present evidence to a grand jury. Ms Hochul signed an executive order formalising the appointment on Thursday. The decision follows concerns about the handling of the case by Cornell police and the Tompkins County district attorney’s office, which initially said there was insufficient evidence to bring criminal charges. Speaking on Friday, Ms Hochul said newly released information…

Ethiopia and Eritrea have severed diplomatic relations as fighting intensifies in northern Ethiopia, raising fears that a conflict involving Tigrayan forces could draw in neighbouring countries and widen across the Horn of Africa. Eritrea announced the break on Thursday after Ethiopia said it would close its embassy in Asmara and expel 10 Eritrean diplomats. Eritrea’s foreign ministry said it had been left with “no option but to reciprocate in kind and sever all diplomatic ties with Ethiopia”. The diplomatic rupture follows months of deteriorating relations, centred on Ethiopia’s efforts to secure access to the Red Sea and allegations that Eritrea…

AI shopping tools are favouring larger retailers over independent businesses, raising concerns that technology intended to broaden consumer choice could instead narrow it. Research by Vaer AI, in partnership with Lightspeed Commerce, analysed 460,000 shopping responses generated by ChatGPT and Google’s AI products. It found that when retailer names appeared in online searches, 97% were large or mid-sized chains, while small and local retailers accounted for only 1% to 4%. The disparity was not simply a result of AI failing to locate smaller businesses. Large and small retailers each made up about 38% of the sources cited by the systems,…

One of seven Cornell fraternity members accused of gang-raping a fellow student allegedly telephoned a sorority member and asked her to ensure her friend did not discuss what she believed had happened at a party. The sorority member, who had been at the Chi Phi house on the night of the alleged sexual assault, told investigators that the accused man called her the following day. She said he asked her to make sure her friend did not “say anything that she thinks might’ve happened last night”. She passed on the message. Her friend later told investigators that it “clicked” when…

Thomas Tuchel has acknowledged that the Manchester City charges have become a major topic of discussion within the England camp ahead of their Nations League meeting with Croatia. Manchester City were reported last week to have been found guilty of the vast majority of 115 charges relating to alleged breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules. The case has dominated football discussion since, with Tuchel’s players also debating the matter during their time together. Tuchel on Manchester City charges The England manager declined to offer a detailed personal view, saying he did not know enough about the issue to comment…