Author: DispatchTimes News Desk

John Howard has recalled the moment the September 11 attacks unfolded in Washington, saying the shock of seeing the United States under threat changed the course of his prime ministership and left the world “never the same” again. The former Australian prime minister was in the US for talks with President George W Bush when hijacked passenger aircraft struck New York’s World Trade Centre and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. Howard had met Bush the previous day, during a three-hour discussion in which terrorism was mentioned only in general terms. By the following morning, it had become the defining…

A former Anthropic researcher has warned that increasingly powerful artificial intelligence could one day threaten humanity, while insisting that current AI systems remain safe for everyday use. Jacob Coxon resigned from the company on Tuesday, accusing Anthropic and rival developer OpenAI of “gambling with our lives” by competing to build ever more advanced models. Speaking to CBS News, Mr Coxon said the prospect of highly capable AI was not far removed from the scenarios depicted in science-fiction films. “If you have a super advanced intelligence, it could, it will be smart enough to kill us,” he said. He said the…

A Republican convention in Dallas was interrupted by a voice from the crowd calling for three prominent Democrats to be shot as Senator Ted Cruz attacked them during a speech on Thursday. The outburst came as the Texas Republican criticised New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Michigan Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed and Texas Senate candidate James Talarico at the Republican midterm convention in the American Airlines Centre. Cruz said Mamdani “means it” when he talks about seizing the means of production. A member of the audience then shouted: “He should be shot.” The same words were heard after Cruz accused Mr…

Donald Trump has promised a $5,000 payment to every adult US citizen if Republicans retain control of both chambers of Congress in November, making the pledge the defining moment of the first day of the party’s midterm convention in Dallas. Speaking at the Republican National Committee gathering on Wednesday, the president said the proposed payment would be funded by the country’s economic success and would be known as the “Trump dividend”. “If the Republicans win the House of Representatives and the United States Senate, both of them … I will issue a dividend to every adult citizen in the United…

Princess Diana’s famous “revenge dress” is to return to auction in New York this December, with Sotheby’s estimating that the black silk gown could fetch up to $US300,000 (£220,000). The Christina Stambolian design will be offered during Sotheby’s Luxury Week on December 9, marking its first appearance at auction since Diana sold it as part of a charity sale in 1997. Diana wore the dress to a Vanity Fair fundraising dinner at London’s Serpentine Gallery on June 29, 1994. That same evening, the then Prince of Wales publicly acknowledged his infidelity during a televised interview. The outfit immediately attracted worldwide…

A coalition of voting-rights groups and the city of Denver has filed a lawsuit seeking to prevent Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from carrying out operations at polling stations during November’s US midterm elections. The legal action, brought in federal court in Washington DC by Democracy Forward on behalf of the League of United Latin American Citizens, Common Cause, UnidosUS and Denver, names the Department of Homeland Security, ICE and their senior officials as defendants. The plaintiffs want the court to rule that any plan to deploy armed federal agents at voting locations is unlawful. They are also seeking an…

Former PE teacher Bronwen James has been found guilty of sexually abusing a 16-year-old pupil after telling jurors he may have invented the allegations to appear impressive in front of his friends. James, 30, of Chippenham, Wiltshire, was convicted at Winchester Crown Court of three counts of sexual activity with a child by a person in a position of trust. She had denied having sex with the boy or exchanging flirtatious messages with him. ([theguardian.com](https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/sep/10/former-pe-teacher-bronwen-james-faces-lengthy-jail-term-sexually-abusing-pupils-wiltshire-hampshire)) The jury heard that James taught physical education at Bitterne Park School in Southampton when she allegedly began communicating with the pupil on Snapchat. Prosecutors…

Donald Trump’s promise of $5,000 payments to every adult American has exposed an immediate split within the Republican Party, with senior lawmakers in Dallas admitting they were caught off guard and questioning whether the proposal could ever pass Congress. Trump unveiled the so-called dividend during the Republican midterm convention on Wednesday night, pledging to issue the payments if Republicans retain control of both the House of Representatives and Senate in November. The plan would cost roughly $1.3 trillion if extended to about 260 million adult citizens, before administrative costs or any reduction for higher earners. Republican leaders have not seen…

Donald Trump’s promise of a $5,000 “dividend” for every adult American if Republicans retain control of Congress has met resistance from some members of his own party, who warned the plan could fuel inflation and deepen the country’s fiscal problems. The president made the pledge during a Republican midterm convention in Dallas on Wednesday, saying the payments would follow a Republican victory in both the House of Representatives and Senate in the November 3 election. Trump said the money would reflect what he called America’s “tremendous strength and success economically”, and would be known as the “Trump dividend”. He provided…

Hayden Panettiere’s former partner Brian Hickerson has reportedly spoken to the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) as investigators examine whether drugs supplied by a suspected dealer contributed to the actress’s death. Hickerson, who was at the Greenville, South Carolina, property when Panettiere was pronounced dead on 16 August, is said to have met federal agents, according to sources cited by TMZ. Investigators are reportedly focusing on identifying the person who may have supplied the drugs. The actress, known for her roles in Heroes and Nashville, was 36 when she was found unresponsive at the temporary residence. Her official cause and…