Author: DispatchTimes News Desk

Bob Peters will attempt a cross-country feature double on Saturday, with his horses entered in both the Kalgoorlie Cup and Flemington’s Turnbull Stakes. The prominent owner’s chances will compete in the two races at venues on opposite sides of the country, linking the Kalgoorlie Cup in Western Australia with the Turnbull Stakes at Flemington. The attempt adds a national dimension to Saturday’s racing, as Peters seeks success in both feature events.

A Department of Energy electrical engineer has been arrested in the US on allegations that he provided support to the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, including buying materials for homemade explosives and drones and travelling to Yemen. Ashton Hamed Ellaboudy, 51, from Richland, Washington, was arrested on Thursday and is due to appear in court for the first time on Friday. Court records do not list a lawyer available to comment on his behalf. The FBI alleges that Mr Ellaboudy wanted to help the Houthis improve their communications capabilities. Investigators say he travelled to Yemen last September, using a passport issued while…

The US has delivered two F-16V Block 70 fighter jets to Taiwan, as the island strengthens its defences against the threat of a possible attack by China. The aircraft, built by Lockheed Martin, are the first of 66 jets covered by an $8 billion deal approved during Donald Trump’s first term as president. They arrived on Friday after months of delays and repeated demands from Beijing for Washington to stop supplying arms to Taiwan. The jets flew via Hawaii and Guam before landing at noon local time. Their arrival came a week after Mr Trump met Chinese President Xi Jinping…

Sir Alex Ferguson has defended his decision to sell Paul Ince to Inter Milan, saying the offer was too good to reject and that the midfielder was not in the right mindset at the time. The former Manchester United manager recalled the controversial transfer while speaking to BBC Sport ahead of the launch of a new book. The decision brought a wave of criticism from United supporters, including a large amount of hate mail. Ince had been a key player for Ferguson’s side, but the manager said he believed the time had come to weigh up the financial offer against…

The Toyota Kluger recall in Australia has been expanded to cover an estimated 46,467 vehicles over concerns that a fault in the second-row seat mechanism could cause serious injury or death in a high-speed collision. The affected vehicles were built between March 2021 and June 2025. More than 34,300 Klugers manufactured up to November 2023 were recalled in March, with about 15,000 further vehicles now included. The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts said a design issue could prevent the second-row seat recliner mechanism from engaging fully after the seat back had been adjusted. “As…

A retired police officer has been fined after assaulting a serving West Yorkshire Police sergeant and directing homophobic abuse at her during a dispute over a paddock fence in Leeds. Gillian Crann, 62, was found guilty at Leeds Magistrates’ Court of assault and using abusive words to cause alarm and distress following a trial. She was ordered to pay £2,107, including £100 compensation to show jumper Amy Meecham. The court heard the women rented adjoining paddocks at Rodley Fold Farm, where they kept their horses. The dispute began after one of Mrs Meecham’s horses chewed through a post in the…

Italy is set to raise its 2026 growth forecast while cutting planned defence spending, according to a report. The reported changes would see the Italian government revise its economic outlook for next year alongside a reduction in its defence plans. No further details were provided.

The captain at the centre of a suspected Flydubai cockpit attack has spoken publicly for the first time, describing how he fought to regain control after his co-pilot allegedly stabbed him during a flight bound for Tel Aviv. Captain Smit Machchhar told Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a video call on Friday that he continued struggling because he could not allow the 174 passengers on board to die. The Boeing 737, operating flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv, plunged almost 5,000 metres in about 30 seconds after the reported assault. Machchhar was injured in the cockpit, with the…

Russian casualties in Ukraine reached a reported 46,230 killed or wounded in September, the highest monthly total recorded by the Ukrainian military this year, as Moscow’s forces continued efforts to capture territory in the eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk. The figure follows monthly Russian losses of about 40,000 since June and approaches the target of 50,000 casualties a month set by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in January. Ukraine reported that 2,090 Russian troops were killed or wounded on September 28 alone, its highest daily figure of the war. The casualty claims have not been independently verified. Ukraine says more than…

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