Author: DispatchTimes News Desk

Plum Organics has agreed to tighten its testing standards for heavy metals in baby food sold in Texas, following an investigation by the state’s attorney general into potentially unsafe levels of arsenic, lead, cadmium and mercury. Ken Paxton said the company was the first manufacturer targeted by his office to adopt the measures. The agreement also requires Plum to improve the information available to parents about the contents of its products. The investigation began after Plum and other US baby food manufacturers received Civil Investigative Demands from the Texas attorney general’s office in August 2025. The demands sought information about…

Doctors at Victorian public hospitals are set to walk off the job this week, marking the first strike by hospital doctors in the state in decades. The planned industrial action will involve doctors working across Victoria’s public hospital system.

Former “American Idol” contestant and pastor Caleb Flynn has been found guilty of murdering his wife, Ashley, after prosecutors argued that he staged a break-in at their home in Tipp City, Ohio, to conceal the killing. Flynn, 40, was accused of shooting Ashley, 37, twice in the back of the head while she was asleep in bed on 16 February. The weapon has not been recovered. He told investigators he was in another room when his wife was killed and claimed an intruder was responsible. Police body-camera footage shown in court captured Flynn crying after calling 911 and asking: “Is…

Todd Rundgren has criticised Taylor Swift in unusually severe terms, calling the pop star the “apotheosis of mediocrity” and arguing that she may have “ruined music”. Rundgren, 78, made the comments in a new interview in which he contrasted Swift with Lady Gaga, whom he praised as a “real musician” and a “classically trained piano player”. “Swift doesn’t do anything particularly great except grow hair. She’s not a great singer. She’s not a great songwriter. She’s not a great dancer,” he said. However, the veteran musician acknowledged Swift’s influence, particularly among younger female listeners and their families. “She’s a role…

The Bank of Canada has said Canadian institutions should not be afraid to use its liquidity facility. The central bank’s message is aimed at institutions that may be reluctant to access the facility, though no further details were provided.

The jury in the Caleb Flynn murder trial has reached a verdict, bringing the week-long case closer to a conclusion. The American Idol alum is accused of killing his wife, Ashley Flynn. Flynn’s lawyers and prosecutors delivered their closing arguments on Tuesday before jurors began considering their decision. The verdict is due to be read in court. Flynn was arrested in February after prosecutors alleged that he shot Ashley twice in the back of the head and staged the scene to make it appear that a break-in had taken place. He faces charges of aggravated murder, murder, felonious assault and…

Arsenal are considering a move for Erling Haaland if Manchester City are relegated from the Premier League following the financial controversy surrounding the club. The potential transfer is understood to be conditional on the outcome of proceedings involving City, who continue to contest the allegations. No final punishment has been confirmed. A report has claimed that Arsenal would make a serious attempt to sign the 26-year-old Norway international should City receive a significant sanction. Haaland’s future has become a point of interest amid questions over the position of several key players at the Etihad Stadium. Arsenal see Erling Haaland as…

Former NBA player J.R. Smith has been arrested in North Texas over an allegation of family violence assault causing bodily injury. Smith, whose full name is Earl Joseph Smith III, was taken into custody by Royse City police on Monday, 28 September, after officers stopped a vehicle travelling eastbound on Interstate 30 in Hunt County. Police said an automatic number-plate recognition system alerted an officer to the vehicle at about 2.45pm. The alert was linked to an active warrant issued by the Southlake Police Department. The warrant relates to an allegation of assault against a family member resulting in bodily…

Ryan Papenhuyzen has insisted his retirement from rugby league is permanent, despite walking away from a million-dollar Melbourne Storm contract at the height of his career to pursue a different life centred on golf and mental performance. The former Storm fullback, who won the 2020 NRL premiership and the Clive Churchill Medal, said he had no desire to return to the game after seven seasons and 113 appearances for Melbourne. Speaking at Wollongong Golf Club, where he is playing off a handicap of 11, Papenhuyzen said he was still having to explain a decision that felt obvious to him. “People…

The US Supreme Court has temporarily allowed the Trump administration to resume its third-country deportation policy, under which some people are sent to countries with which they have no ties. The justices will hear arguments over the practice in December. The ruling pauses a February order by a federal district judge requiring immigration authorities to give deportees notice and an opportunity to challenge their removal before sending them to a third country. A federal appeals court largely upheld that decision earlier this month. The administration argued that the lower-court rulings had prevented the Department of Homeland Security from “efficiently removing…