Author: DispatchTimes News Desk

Donald Trump used the opening night of the Republican Party’s first-ever midterm convention to rally supporters in Dallas and frame November’s elections as a contest between his administration’s record and what Republicans portrayed as an increasingly extreme Democratic Party. The two-day gathering began on Wednesday, 9 September 2026, at the American Airlines Centre, with Trump due to address delegates and supporters after a day of speeches from senior Republicans, cabinet members and candidates. The event is intended to energise the party’s base and promote its candidates ahead of the midterm elections. ([gopconvention.com](https://www.gopconvention.com/)) Vice-President JD Vance arrived in Dallas as the…

Albany and the wider Great Southern will host a packed programme of community, sporting and cultural events from Thursday September 10 to Wednesday September 16, with the St John WA Community Open Day, Albany Kayak Festival and Great Southern Football League grand final among the weekend highlights. The week begins on Thursday with a nature collage workshop at the Museum of the Great Southern from 9.30am, followed by Demi Skye’s Woman is Vessel at Albany Town Hall at 10am. The Albany-Kinjarling Creative Writers Group will meet at Albany Public Library from 11am. Albany events and sport on Saturday Friday’s programme…

Democratic senator John Fetterman has made a surprise video appearance at the Republican midterm convention in Dallas, praising Pennsylvania Republican Dave McCormick and saying he would work with Donald Trump to defend the US steel industry. In the roughly one-minute recording shown on Wednesday, September 9, Mr Fetterman described himself as a “common-sense Democrat” and attacked what he called the “extremes in socialism” and an “anti-American way of life”. Speaking in front of the Mon Valley Works steel mill in western Pennsylvania, he said he and Mr McCormick would “work with President Trump to fight and defend the steel way…

Donald Trump received a raucous welcome from supporters in Dallas as he arrived for the Republican Party’s first-ever midterm convention, an event designed to rally voters behind his administration and help Republicans retain control of Congress in November. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/4139b7912dbf1eebdcfde8c1cc12f23d)) The president was greeted by flag-waving MAGA supporters at the American Airlines Center, where the atmosphere was closer to a campaign rally than a traditional party convention. Trump merchandise and photographs dominated the venue as speakers praised his record and urged Republicans to unite against the Democrats. The two-day Republican midterm convention, held on September 9 and 10, has been organised…

Quentin Tarantino’s Hollywood Hills home was reportedly targeted by a trespasser on Wednesday, with police called to the property after an alleged break-in. According to TMZ, officers were alerted to a “hot prowl” at the director’s residence on Woodrow Wilson Drive, a term used for a suspected burglary in progress when people may be inside. The suspect had left before police arrived. ([tmz.com](https://www.tmz.com/2026/09/09/quentin-tarantino-la-home-burglary/)) Law enforcement sources told the outlet that Tarantino was not at home at the time. Officers searched the property and found no evidence of a break-in, with the incident recorded as a trespass report while the investigation…

A man accused of killing three tourists in Kissimmee is alleged to have exaggerated or fabricated psychiatric symptoms in an attempt to avoid prosecution, according to court-appointed psychiatrists. Ahmad Jihad Bojeh appeared in court on Wednesday, 9 September, as newly released evaluations concluded that he was competent to stand trial on three first-degree murder charges. At least two psychiatrists appointed by the court reportedly found that Bojeh was overstating his mental-health difficulties. One evaluator said he appeared to be trying to present himself as incompetent, despite claiming to hear voices. The psychiatrist nevertheless concluded that Bojeh understood the proceedings and…

The fire that gutted Tasmania’s Tungatinah Power Station was accidental and is believed to have started on the assembly bay floor, away from the facility’s main turbines, investigators have found. The blaze broke out at the Central Highlands station at about 9pm on 2 September, leaving around 300 customers temporarily without electricity. Tasmania Fire Service said 25 crews and 45 personnel were involved in bringing it under control. Deputy chief officer Matt Lowe said investigators had identified several potential ignition sources, but further work would be needed to establish exactly what started the fire. “Following extensive scene examinations, fire investigators…

A Pennsylvania coroner has confirmed that one of two infants whose deaths were linked to the state’s measles outbreak died from the virus, while the other died from a ruptured spleen after testing positive for measles. Dr Stephen Diamantoni, Lancaster County’s coroner, said Mary Stoltzfus, who was six weeks old, died at home on 18 August after contracting measles. She had been born with Amish lethal microcephaly, a rare genetic condition involving an unusually small head and underdeveloped brain. Children with the condition typically live for six months or less, but Dr Diamantoni said the immediate cause of her death…

Labour has been branded the “Welfare Party” after Prime Minister Andy Burnham refused to prioritise defence spending over benefits, insisting that national security “cannot come at the expense of social security”. The remarks, made during a heated session of Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, opened a sharp political divide over how quickly Britain should increase military spending and whether the money should come from welfare reforms. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch accused Mr Burnham of “saying the quiet part out loud” and claimed Labour had placed benefits ahead of the country’s defence. “The Labour Party has become the Welfare Party,” she…

Helena Foulkes has defeated Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee in the Democratic primary, ending his bid for re-election and making him the first sitting US governor in eight years to lose a party nomination contest. The result is a significant setback for Mr McKee, whose campaign was overshadowed by mounting criticism of the troubled Washington Bridge replacement project in Providence. The bridge, which carries Interstate 195 over the Seekonk River and links Providence with East Providence and communities in south-eastern Massachusetts, was partially closed in 2023 after officials identified a serious structural failure. Traffic has since been squeezed on to…