Author: DispatchTimes News Desk

Israel’s ambassador to Australia has warned the Albanese Government that imposing a UK-style ban on goods from Israeli settlements would be a “deep mistake”, as Labor faces mounting pressure to take tougher action over escalating violence in the occupied West Bank. Dr Hillel Newman’s intervention came after Britain announced plans to prohibit imports from settlements and impose sanctions on companies and individuals involved in construction, infrastructure, finance and other activities linked to settlement expansion. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Canberra was not currently pursuing a blanket import ban, but indicated that further targeted measures were being considered in coordination…

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have indicated that they would rather be described as “public figures” than “private citizens”, after King Charles made clear that they remain non-working members of the Royal Family. The dispute follows a letter issued on the King’s behalf by Lord Chamberlain Lord Benyon on Monday, September 7, to senior figures across the Government, armed forces and the country’s Lord Lieutenancies. It was intended to remove uncertainty over how the Duke and Duchess of Sussex should be treated after returning to the UK. The letter stated that the couple’s position was “akin to private citizens with…

A Galveston police officer has been cleared of criminal charges by a grand jury over the fatal shooting of Randy Martin during a traffic stop in Texas. Joshua Nino de Guzman was “no-billed” after the Galveston County District Attorney’s Office presented evidence relating to Martin’s death on 18 May 2026. A no-bill means the grand jury decided not to indict the officer. It does not, however, conclude the department’s internal review of the shooting. The incident happened at about 3.45pm in the 1700 block of 55th Street, near Avenue O, when de Guzman stopped the vehicle Martin was driving. Police…

Israel’s ambassador to Australia has warned the Albanese government that imposing a UK-style ban on goods from illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank would be a “deep mistake”. Dr Hillel Newman said sanctions against Israel would be “mistaken” and argued that the issue of settlements had been “blown out of proportion”. He was speaking as pressure mounted on Australia to join a growing group of countries taking action against settlement activity. “It would be a deep mistake to take steps in such a direction,” Dr Newman told The Australian, referring to Britain’s decision to introduce an import ban on…

Israel has retaliated against Britain’s sanctions on West Bank settlements by ordering the closure of the UK consulate in East Jerusalem, removing British personnel from a Gaza ceasefire coordination centre and banning 12 British politicians and activists from entering the country. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said the measures were taken after Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband announced a ban on goods produced in Israeli settlements and wider restrictions on companies providing services linked to settlement expansion. Mr Sa’ar accused the Labour Government of acting systematically against Israel and branded Mr Miliband’s parliamentary statement “outrageous lies”. He said he had consulted…

Late-night visitors at the accommodation used by The Block contestants are alleged to have caused friction among the cast, with House 5 contestant Tayla reportedly inviting guests back to the property while others were trying to rest. The 32-year-old is said to have regularly welcomed friends and visitors after filming, prompting complaints from fellow contestants who faced another demanding day of renovation work. Guests are not believed to be expressly prohibited during production. However, an insider told New Idea that Tayla’s social life became a source of tension because some visitors arrived late and noise allegedly continued into the night.…

Parents in Fort Worth, Texas, have accused the district’s state-appointed leadership of creating a “culture of fear” among pupils, as frustration continues a month into the new school year. Several parents gathered outside the Fort Worth Independent School District’s administration building before a school board meeting on 9 September. Some wore T-shirts bearing the word “unacceptable” as they protested against the direction of the district. They said changes introduced since the Texas Education Agency appointed a new superintendent and board of managers had yet to produce meaningful improvements in schools. “Stress levels are up. Every school, stress levels up like…

Australian author and biographer Blanche d’Alpuget, who was married to former prime minister Bob Hawke for 24 years, has died aged 82. Her family announced her death on Wednesday, saying they would miss her “force, her humour, her curiosity and her love beyond measure”. No cause of death was disclosed. D’Alpuget was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2020, less than a year after Hawke died on 16 May 2019, on the eve of Australia’s federal election. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese paid tribute to the writer, describing her as “a true one-off” and praising her work across fiction and non-fiction. “As…

Katie Price has been accused of commandeering daughter Princess Andre’s red-carpet appearance at the National Television Awards after unexpectedly joining the teenager and her brother Junior at London’s O2 Arena. Princess, 19, and Junior, 21, had reportedly been due to promote their ITVX reality series, The Princess Diaries, separately when Price arrived at the event on Tuesday evening, 8 September. A source close to Princess claimed the siblings had already begun speaking to reporters when Price approached them for photographs. “She and Junior had no choice. Katie walked straight on to the red carpet to stand with her and hijacked…

China’s producer price inflation accelerated in August, with factory-gate prices rising 3.8% year on year as energy costs remained elevated amid supply risks linked to the conflict in the Middle East. Data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed that the producer price index increased from 3.5% in July, exceeding the 3.6% rise forecast by economists in a Reuters poll. Consumer price growth also strengthened. The consumer price index rose 0.8% from a year earlier, up from 0.5% in July and in line with expectations. On a monthly basis, consumer prices increased by 0.4%, reversing a 0.1% decline in July…