Author: DispatchTimes News Desk

Australia’s central bank has raised interest rates to a 15-year high, lifting its benchmark cash rate to 4.6 per cent as it tackles inflation that has remained above target. The Reserve Bank of Australia’s board voted unanimously for the quarter-point increase despite rising unemployment, falling house prices and weak economic growth. The decision adds more than A$90 a month to repayments on a typical A$600,000 mortgage with 25 years remaining. It takes the cash rate one percentage point higher this year after four increases. Reserve Bank governor Michele Bullock and her fellow board members left open the possibility of further…

A Labour minister has warned that the countryside could become a battleground at the next general election, claiming the far-Right will promote a nostalgic vision of Britain built around warm ale, rural pubs and black Labradors. Jenny Riddell-Carpenter, the nature minister, made the remarks at a fringe meeting during Labour’s conference in Liverpool. She said she was worried about how rural issues and the countryside might be used politically. “This is one of the things I do stay awake at night about, and think about, and fear,” the Suffolk Coastal MP told party members. She said Labour needed to set…

The Reserve Bank of Australia has raised interest rates by 25 basis points, signalling that further increases may be needed as inflationary risks mount. The RBA’s decision points to a continued tightening of monetary policy, with the central bank indicating that additional rate rises remain on the table.

City crews have removed a makeshift homeless encampment built on top of a bus shelter in Brentwood, Los Angeles, after footage showed a man living around 8ft above street level with his possessions. The shelter stands at the junction of Wilshire Boulevard and Barrington Avenue, where it is used by several bus routes. The clean-up took place on Monday, September 28, after the unusual camp was brought to the attention of city officials. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said the operation had been carried out at her direction and that officials were attempting to connect the man with support services.…

A man allegedly found with 1.25kg of cannabis outside the Jerramungup Roadhouse has been charged with intending to sell or supply the drug. He was also fined for other minor drug offences.

Australian mortgage holders face higher repayments after the Reserve Bank raised interest rates to their highest level in almost 15 years, with the increase expected to add hundreds of dollars a month to household budgets. The Reserve Bank of Australia’s board unanimously lifted the cash rate by 25 basis points to 4.6 per cent on Tuesday. The move was the fourth increase this year and takes borrowing costs to their highest level since 2011. If lenders pass on the rise in full, monthly repayments are expected to increase by about $91 on a $600,000 mortgage, $114 on a $750,000 loan…

A mother arrested after an investigation into alleged child abuse in Pima County, Arizona, has died from apparent self-inflicted injuries, while her three children remain in the care of the state. Danielle Renae Lee-Sharp, 39, was found dead in neighbouring Pinal County on Sunday, 27 September, according to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department. Investigators have not released further details as the case remains active. The investigation began on 22 September after deputies were called to a property near Quinlin Trail and Silver Star Drive following a report that 15-year-old Ryker Lee had run away and needed medication. Deputies said they…

A man accused of killing his friend with a machete in western Melbourne believed the victim and others had previously killed a woman described as a “witch” to rob her, a court has heard. Christopher Reyes Gonzaga, 45, is on trial in the Victorian Supreme Court over the alleged murder of Gregory Tan, 45, at an empty house in Deer Park on 15 April 2024. Gonzaga’s barrister, John Lavery, told the jury he did not dispute that his client delivered the fatal blows. The central issue, he said, would be what prosecutors could establish about Gonzaga’s state of mind. Mr…

Celine Dion made a surprise appearance at the L’Oréal Paris runway show in front of the Eiffel Tower, closing the Paris Fashion Week event with a performance of I’m Alive. The singer emerged after the catwalk appeared to have finished, receiving huge applause from the audience before being joined on stage by the evening’s models and ambassadors. Dion, 58, performed in a strapless velour gown and danced alongside Kendall Jenner, Cara Delevingne, Heidi Klum, Eva Longoria and the other stars who had taken part in the show. Le Défilé 2026, titled Express Your Worth, was staged at Place Joffre. Its…

Audrey Hobert has confirmed that she has a boyfriend, although the 27-year-old singer is keeping his identity private for now. Speaking in a Cosmopolitan cover story, the “Sue Me” singer was asked whether touring left her with time for dating. “Well, I have a boyfriend, so I don’t have to think about it,” she said. Hobert said the couple met through work in Hollywood and described him as “really smart and funny”. Their time together, she added, tends to involve ordinary activities such as going to the cinema, eating out and relaxing on the sofa. “I don’t think we’ve ever…