Author: DispatchTimes News Desk

The last American troops are withdrawing from their remaining bases in Iraq, more than two decades after the US-led coalition invaded the country to overthrow Saddam Hussein. The departure is prompting warnings from Iraqi security experts that Iran and its allies could expand their influence, while Islamic State and other opponents of the United States may be given an opportunity to regroup. The withdrawal was agreed in 2024 under Joe Biden and is being carried out by Donald Trump’s administration, even as it wages war against Iran. It marks the latest stage in a military intervention that began at 5.34am…

Gabrielle Wright has won Netflix’s Wonka’s The Golden Ticket, securing a $3 million prize after beating Taylor in the competition’s two-part finale. The 22-year-old triumphed in the final challenge by correctly identifying more jury votes than her rival. Wright made 11 correct guesses, while Taylor managed 10. Wright will receive the prize in instalments of $100,000 a year for 30 years. Her partner on the series was her best friend, Sasha. How Gabrielle Wright won Wonka’s The Golden Ticket The final two faced a quiz based on the votes cast by a jury of eliminated contestants. Rather than directly deciding…

A 59-year-old rubbish truck driver has been charged with dangerous driving occasioning death after pedestrian An Yu was struck by a reversing vehicle in Queens Park, Perth. Mr Yu, 70, was exercising near his home on September 7 when he was hit by the City of Canning garbage truck in Balaka Way. Emergency services were called at about 8.50am following reports of a collision involving the pedestrian and a Volvo rubbish truck. Mr Yu was taken to Royal Perth Hospital but died from his injuries. Police announced the charge on Wednesday, more than three weeks after Mr Yu’s death. The…

Anil Bhoyrul has admitted that sending his three children to school in Bolivia to teach them the value of money had the opposite effect. The former Daily Mirror business journalist said they returned to Dubai and quickly resumed their consumerist habits. Bhoyrul, now 60, moved to South America with his Slovenian photographer wife, Branka, after becoming concerned that their children were growing up too focused on wealth and possessions. The family spent two years in La Paz from 2018, after the children chose Bolivia by throwing plastic darts at a map. Bhoyrul hoped that life in one of South America’s…

Bruno Fernandes is being monitored by Atletico Madrid, Juventus, AC Milan and Galatasaray as uncertainty grows over the Manchester United midfielder’s future. The Portugal international is approaching the end of his contract at Old Trafford, although United have the option to extend his current deal by a further year. Fernandes’ situation has therefore attracted interest from clubs in Europe and Saudi Arabia, with his next move yet to be determined.

Former Western Bulldogs player Aiden O’Driscoll has accused the AFL of abandoning him after a concussion forced him to retire, saying the impact of the injury left him questioning whether his life was worth living. O’Driscoll, now 21, suffered multiple brain bleeds in a training collision in 2024, shortly after being drafted. The severity of the injury ended his playing career and his claim for a $600,000 severe-injury payment was rejected by the AFL and the AFL Players’ Association. In an emotional Instagram post, O’Driscoll described the past two years as “the most difficult of my life” and said it…

South Korea has demanded a formal apology from North Korea after landmine explosions in the Demilitarised Zone injured three soldiers, as a United Nations investigation found an active North Korean anti-personnel mine on the southern side of the military demarcation line. The blasts occurred on September 21 near the line in the western section of the heavily fortified border buffer zone. Seoul’s military said three soldiers were wounded in two explosions. Kang Hyunwoo, director of operations at South Korea’s joint chiefs of staff, said the incident was a violation of the armistice agreement and called on Pyongyang to take steps…

The yuan is unlikely to replace the US dollar as the world’s leading reserve currency in the near future, Standard Chartered China chief executive Jean Lu has said, despite growing use of China’s currency in trade and finance. Speaking at a media roundtable in Singapore, Ms Lu said: “There is no way—at least in my career—for the RMB to challenge the USD.” She suggested, however, that the renminbi could become a stronger rival to other major currencies, including the yen and the pound. “Compared to the yen or pound, the RMB may have a chance,” she said. The dollar accounted…

A first look at the Anna Nicole Smith biopic shows Abbie Cornish portraying the model and television personality in an emotional hospital scene, telling her doctor she feels she cannot help but “f*** things up”. The film, Trust Me, I’m a Doctor, stars Cornish as Smith and Kal Penn as Dr Sandeep Kapoor. In the scene, Smith is seen crying in a hospital bed as she reflects on her life and her role as a mother. She tells Kapoor that having her son, Daniel, was the best thing she had ever done and says she wants to bring something good…

Jamie Carragher has called for Manchester City to be stripped of the trophies they won during the period covered by the club’s financial breaches, while arguing that their owners should leave their positions. City were found guilty by an independent commission of all charges relating to serious breaches of Premier League financial rules. The club denies the breaches and has confirmed it will appeal against the ruling, with a deadline of Friday October 2. Between the 2009/10 and 2017/18 seasons, Manchester City won three Premier League titles, one FA Cup, three League Cups and one Community Shield. “I do think…