Author: DispatchTimes News Desk

Flights operated by Iranian airlines to the United Arab Emirates have been suspended in a move linked to US sanctions over Iran’s aviation sector, Iran’s semi-official ISNA news agency has reported. “All flights by Iranian airlines to the United Arab Emirates have been canceled since midnight,” ISNA said, according to AFP. UAE officials did not immediately comment. An Iran Airtour service from Tehran to Dubai was cancelled shortly before its scheduled departure on Thursday morning, despite passengers having already been issued tickets, one traveller told AFP. Dubai is one of the most important destinations for Iranian airlines, with several daily…

At least 41 people have died after a boat capsized on Lake Tanganyika in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with 49 others rescued and search operations continuing for passengers still unaccounted for. Norris Mulongoyi, the transport minister for Tanganyika province, said efforts were under way to locate those who remained missing after the vessel sank near the Congolese village of Mapera. The boat was reportedly carrying about 100 people, as well as cargo, when it overturned on Thursday. It had been travelling from the Tanzanian port of Kigoma to Kalemie in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. A survivor,…

Ed Sheeran’s two concerts at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, could be cancelled after construction of the stage was paused ahead of a powerful nor’easter expected to bring strong winds and heavy rain to New England. Sheeran is due to perform on Friday and Saturday nights at the open-air stadium, owned by Robert Kraft. However, production sources said the weather could make it unsafe for fans and put the partially assembled stage at risk. Stage construction was under way on Thursday morning before the crew was told to stop later that day. Senior staff were then understood to be considering…

Austin City Council has approved plans linked to a proposed development of about 1,000 apartments in Circle C, despite concerns from nearby residents that additional traffic could be channelled past Kiker Elementary School. The council’s decision on Thursday, September 24, covered the rezoning of Tract 110 and an amendment to the existing Circle C development agreement. The changes remove a requirement for Stratus Properties to build an extension of South Bay Lane and allow the site to be used for multi-family housing, including affordable homes. The 67-acre tract lies beside South MoPac Expressway, just north of State Highway 45 and…

Five hundred cast-iron combat helmets have gone on display on Sydney Harbour in a monumental outdoor installation by Ai Weiwei, who is using the work to prompt reflection on war, peace and human resilience. Mushrooms, a 40-metre sculpture arranged on Tallawoladah Lawn beside the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, was unveiled after the surrounding fence was removed overnight. Visitors can walk between the 10 rows of helmets along a central passageway. Each helmet weighs five kilograms and was made in a Chinese foundry from a single mould, including a detailed reproduction of the original interior cushioning. Together, the objects transform…

Bob Pettit, the NBA Hall of Famer who became the league’s first Most Valuable Player, has died aged 93. Louisiana State University, Pettit’s alma mater, said he died on Wednesday. No cause of death was given. Pettit spent all 11 of his NBA seasons with the Hawks, first in Milwaukee and later in St Louis, and was selected as an All-Star in every campaign. He led the franchise to its only championship in 1958, when the Hawks defeated the Boston Celtics. He was named the league’s MVP in 1956 and again in 1959. Pettit also won the All-Star Game MVP…

An AI mural in Bristol has been ripped from the side of a Bedminster pub after residents and artists criticised a series of errors in its depiction of the city’s landmarks. The large vinyl poster had been installed at the Jolly Colliers, showing stylised versions of the SS Great Britain, Clifton Suspension Bridge and Cabot Tower. Photographs later showed it had been removed from the building. Among the apparent mistakes was an SS Great Britain resembling a riverboat, while the Clifton Suspension Bridge was shown with an incorrect one-way traffic system. The image also featured a large viaduct which does…

More than 130 people were invited to a state dinner for Chinese President Xi Jinping at the White House, bringing together senior officials, leading American technology executives, business figures, members of Donald Trump’s family and prominent media personalities. The dinner was hosted by President Trump and the First Lady, Melania Trump. Xi attended with his wife, Peng Liyuan, while Vice President JD Vance and Usha Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Jeanette Rubio, and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles were also among the guests. The Chinese delegation included Cai Qi, Xi’s chief of staff, Wang Yi, director…

The owner of the sober living facility where Presley Gerber died reportedly has a criminal past involving drug offences and an incident involving a minor. Dr Reza Nabavi was arrested in Oakland in February 2002 after police reportedly found him asleep in his car in an area known for frequent narcotics and prostitution activity. Nabavi, who was 25 at the time, was allegedly with a 15-year-old girl. She reportedly told officers that she was high on methamphetamine and did not know Nabavi well. A search of the vehicle allegedly uncovered methamphetamine, marijuana, a gun, ammunition and a hunting knife. That…

Emergency crews responded after a Sanger Independent School District bus overturned at the junction of Huling Road and Lois Road East in Denton, Texas, on Thursday, September 24. Sanger Police and Sanger Fire were called to reports of an overturned vehicle. Footage from the scene showed the vehicle was a school bus operated by Sanger ISD. Officials have not yet said what caused the bus to overturn, and it remains unclear whether anyone was injured. The incident was being treated as an active response, with further details expected as authorities establish what happened.