Author: DispatchTimes News Desk

First-homebuyer mortgage applications have plunged by 20% in a year, marking their sharpest fall since 2022 as sales of newly built homes also decline. The downturn has raised questions over Labor’s Budget plans to increase housing supply, with weaker demand from prospective first-time buyers adding to pressure on the new-home market. Mortgage applications from first homebuyers are now in their worst freefall since 2022, while sales of brand new homes have “tanked”, according to the figures. The figures cast doubt on whether the Government’s Budget measures will achieve their aim of boosting the supply of housing.

Elizabeth Holmes has appeared to share a glamorous selfie on X despite being imprisoned, prompting millions of views and a series of apparently witty replies from her account. The photograph shows the disgraced Theranos founder, 42, wearing full make-up, a black-and-white top and a snake ring while blowing a kiss at the camera. It was accompanied by the message: “The answer to every challenge lies in your heart.” By Monday night, the post had been viewed more than 12 million times. The account told one user that the ring was “from a Taylor Swift merch stand” and responded to another…

A federal judge in Massachusetts has blocked a Trump administration rule that would have imposed fixed time limits on visas for international students, academics and foreign journalists. Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV ruled that the administration’s justification for replacing the existing system was arbitrary and unlawful. The current arrangements allow international students in the United States to remain until they complete their studies. Under the proposed international student visa rule, students, researchers, professors and other academics would have been limited to four years in the country. The change would have had a significant impact on many PhD students, whose courses…

Taylor Swift made a surprise cameo in an Emmys sketch featuring Law & Order: SVU character Olivia Benson, despite not attending the ceremony in person. The pre-recorded segment starred host Mariska Hargitay and Ice-T, with the performers joking about whether Swift would appear at television’s biggest night. The sketch centred on the search for Swift, with her cat — named after Hargitay’s SVU character — presented as a co-detective. Swift did not attend the Emmys. Instead, she was shown supporting her husband, Travis Kelce, as the Kansas City Chiefs played their first game of the season. The appearance gave Hargitay’s…

The Milwaukee Police Association has rejected claims that the fatal Milwaukee police shooting of Printis Smith amounted to a “cold killing”, insisting body-worn camera footage shows the 23-year-old was holding a gun and engaged in a close-range struggle with an officer. Smith was shot and killed on Tuesday, September 8, after officers pursued a vehicle in the area of North 39th Street and West Meinecke Avenue. Police said the car matched the description of one wanted in connection with a shots-fired incident in nearby Glendale. Both occupants fled when the vehicle stopped near North 37th Street and West Wright Street.…

Mitch McConnell has returned to the US Senate for the first time in three months, appearing frail and speaking slowly from a wheelchair after being hospitalised following a fall at his home. The 84-year-old Kentucky Republican briefly addressed reporters outside the Senate chamber on Monday, smiling as he acknowledged the intense interest in his prolonged absence. “I wasn’t sure how many reporters would be here,” he joked, after avoiding questions about his condition for much of his absence. Mr McConnell later disclosed that he had been “briefly unconscious” after the fall and had also been treated in hospital for mild…

Taylor Swift made her first appearance at a Kansas City Chiefs game since marrying Travis Kelce, watching the team’s season opener from his luxury suite alongside Hollywood actor Tom Cruise. The 36-year-old singer was seen at Arrowhead Stadium as the Chiefs faced the Denver Broncos on Monday night, marking her first visit to the tight end’s suite as his wife. Swift and Cruise were shown in conversation during the first quarter of the nationally televised game. The actor has no known connection to the Chiefs, but played football-related roles in the films Jerry Maguire and All the Right Moves. Swift’s…

The US Supreme Court has blocked Donald Trump’s attempt to restrict mail-in ballots, but the ruling has not halted the president’s wider campaign to bring state-run elections under greater federal control. The decision prevents the administration from requiring states to provide lists of voters approved to receive postal ballots, which the US Postal Service would then have used to screen ballot envelopes before delivery. Two lower-court judges had already found that the changes were probably unlawful and should not be introduced so close to November’s elections. Several states had begun sending ballots before the Supreme Court reached its decision. Election…

Brian Hickerson was allegedly blamed for Hayden Panettiere’s death during a confrontation at a bar in Greenville, South Carolina, shortly before police were called to the scene. A person at the venue allegedly told Hickerson: “You killed her. You probably beat her to death.” Hickerson and his brother, Zach, strongly deny any involvement in the actress’s death. People close to the brothers said Zach had encouraged Hickerson to leave the house because he had been devastated by Panettiere’s death and had lost about 40 pounds while grieving. The pair had reportedly gone to a local restaurant for a quiet evening…

Business leaders in the Puget Sound region have warned that Washington state is losing its economic advantage, calling for urgent action from local authorities to prevent further job losses and restore confidence among employers. The warning comes as Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson faces pressure over public safety and a significant budget shortfall, with business groups seeking assurances that the city will become easier and more predictable for companies to operate in. Former Washington governor Chris Gregoire and the business coalition Challenge Seattle have launched the Partnership for a Competitive Puget Sound, backed by more than $1 million in funding. The…