Author: DispatchTimes News Desk

Adjustable-rate mortgages and car loans could become more expensive after the Federal Reserve raised its benchmark interest rate for the first time since 2023. The US central bank approved a quarter-point increase on Wednesday, September 16, taking its target range to between 3.75% and 4%. The move is intended to bring stubbornly high inflation back towards the Fed’s 2% target. Borrowers with adjustable-rate mortgages are likely to feel the impact as lenders respond to higher short-term funding costs. The increase could also feed through into auto finance, potentially raising the cost of monthly repayments for new and used car buyers.…

A billionaire has won a court battle over a Toorak townhouse after a judge rejected claims by socialite Venus Behbahani-Clark that the property had been promised to her by her sister and her sister’s partner, Alex Waislitz. Claire Harris, a judge in the Victorian Supreme Court, ruled on Thursday that Behbahani-Clark had failed to prove she was misled by Rebecca Behbahani and Waislitz, whose private investment company, Thorney Equities, owns the Melbourne property. The decision brings to an end the central dispute, which began after the sisters’ relationship broke down and Behbahani-Clark sued Thorney Equities, Waislitz and Rebecca Behbahani in…

Seven people, including a three-year-old boy, were wounded in a shooting on a Baltimore street on Wednesday night, with police rushing the injured toddler to hospital in a patrol car. Gunfire broke out at about 9pm in central Baltimore, prompting an officer nearby to race towards the scene after hearing the shots. The boy was found among several victims on East Fayette Street. Officers placed the child in a police cruiser and drove him to a nearby hospital rather than waiting for an ambulance. Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley said the toddler was taken into surgery. Despite the number of…

Police in Chatham County, Georgia, are trying to identify a man accused of entering a private property, swimming in the family pool and hot tub, and leaving with six luxury beach towels worth $1,200. The overnight visit took place at a home in the 9000 block of Whitefield Avenue on 1 September, with surveillance footage showing the intruder on the property between 2.15am and 5.30am. According to the Chatham County Police Department, the man first went into the pool before moving to the hot tub. He then spent more than 10 minutes repeatedly interacting with a rubber duck floating in…

Chris Fagan was moved by the crowd chanting Eric Hipwood’s name during the Lions’ finals defeat of Adelaide, as the forward appeared to regain the faith of Brisbane supporters. Hipwood has faced criticism, but the response from the crowd offered a clear show of support for the Lions stalwart and his bulked-up presence. Fagan’s reaction underlined the significance of the chant during Brisbane’s finals victory over Adelaide.

An Arizona estate agent who was restrained with duct tape during an alleged mid-flight outburst has said he does not remember what happened before his arrest in Maryland. Layne Lundeen, 67, was travelling from Dallas, Texas, to Newark, New Jersey, earlier this month when passengers allegedly intervened after he launched into a racist and homophobic tirade. The American Airlines flight was diverted to Baltimore, where Lundeen was arrested. He later appeared in court charged with two counts of second-degree assault and disorderly conduct. During the proceedings, Lundeen appeared confused as the accusations were read to him. After putting on his…

Law Roach has dismissed speculation of a feud with actress Odessa A’zion after footage from the 2026 Emmy Awards appeared to show an awkward red-carpet exchange between them. The stylist and A’zion were posing for photographers in Hollywood on Monday night when Zendaya joined them and hugged the actress. As A’zion attempted to leave, photographers asked her to return for another picture alongside Roach and Zendaya. In the widely shared clip, A’zion initially stands apart while Roach and Zendaya put their arms around one another. She then moves closer and touches Roach’s arm, before appearing to pull away as he…

Newly released body-camera footage shows a Lake Mary police sergeant using his patrol car to stop a runaway pickup truck after its driver lost consciousness behind the wheel. Sgt Robert Fugate was on duty at about 8.15am on Sunday, September 13, when he saw the white truck move into the junction of Rinehart Road and Lake Mary Boulevard in Lake Mary, Florida. Drivers were sounding their horns as the vehicle continued forwards. Fugate initially activated his emergency lights and siren, but quickly realised the driver was slumped over the steering wheel and appeared to be unconscious. The pickup was travelling…

An unidentified prominent athlete has told the Alan Jones trial that he remains certain the veteran broadcaster kissed him without consent, despite discrepancies between his police statements and evidence in a Sydney courtroom. Giving evidence for a third day, the sportsman faced the 85-year-old across the court as Jones’s barrister, Gabrielle Bashir SC, questioned his account of the alleged incident at a crowded sporting event. The athlete accepted that he had previously said he “froze” when Jones kissed him on the side of the lips, but had not referred to freezing or the location of the kiss in statements to…

Saudi Arabia has asked Britain and other allies for missile-defence support as fighting with Houthi forces intensifies in Yemen and the United States faces dwindling stocks of interceptors. France, Pakistan, Egypt and the UK have been asked to deploy air-defence assistance, according to two officials. Saudi Arabia’s main ally and arms supplier, the US, has also seen its supply of interceptors fall during the war with Iran, one official said. US backs Yemen government as talks continue Washington reiterated its support for Yemen’s internationally recognised government on Wednesday, while US officials held direct talks with Houthi representatives in Oman last…