Author: DispatchTimes News Desk

Western Australia is seeking to strengthen its position in Australia’s rapidly expanding video game industry, with local developers benefiting from new public funding but facing fierce competition for skilled workers from the mining sector. Australians spent more than A$4.2 billion on video games and related products in 2025, a 12 per cent rise on the previous year, according to figures from the Interactive Games and Entertainment Association. Mobile gaming accounted for the largest share of spending, exceeding A$1.7 billion, while digital sales passed A$1.4 billion. The figures reflect a broader shift in gaming from a pastime associated mainly with children…

Firefighters spent the night battling a major scrapyard fire in Carlton, Barnsley, after flames broke out on Boulder Bridge Lane on Saturday evening. The blaze involved scrap metal and tyres, sending large clouds of black smoke across the area. South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service deployed 10 fire engines, an aerial ladder platform and several operational support vehicles at the height of the response. Residents who could smell the smoke were advised to keep their doors and windows closed while crews worked to bring the fire under control. People were also urged to avoid the area and allow emergency vehicles…

The Trump administration has asked the US Supreme Court to clear the way for new restrictions on mail-in voting ahead of November’s midterm elections, in what is likely to be the final legal test of President Donald Trump’s plans. The emergency application seeks permission for the US Postal Service (USPS) to implement rules governing the design and processing of federal election mail. The measures remain blocked while legal challenges brought by Democratic-led states and voting rights organisations proceed. Solicitor General D. John Sauer urged the justices to act quickly, arguing that the rules impose “reasonable preparation requirements for certain election-related…

The Trump administration has asked the US Supreme Court to allow new restrictions on mail-in voting to take effect before the November 3 congressional elections, after a federal judge extended a block on the measures. Solicitor General John Sauer filed an emergency application on Sunday, urging the justices to intervene immediately. The request followed a decision on Friday by US District Judge Indira Talwani in Boston to continue preventing the US Postal Service from enforcing the rules. The administration had already asked the Supreme Court to overturn an earlier, temporary injunction issued by Judge Talwani. That appeal remained unresolved when…

Jamie Oliver looked almost unrecognisable in a throwback photograph from his first holiday with wife Jools, shared on Sunday. The image shows the celebrity chef and Jools during their early years together in Crete, long before Oliver became one of Britain’s best-known television cooks. The couple have remained together since that first trip, with their relationship later becoming a familiar part of Oliver’s public life.

Boox is expected to launch its Picco e-reader in November, offering a compact alternative to the increasingly popular Xteink X4 range. The device has a 3.97-inch touchscreen e-paper display and physical page-turn buttons, although its price has not yet been announced. The Picco was first teased by Boox in July, but details have since emerged from the IFA technology show. Unlike Xteink’s devices, it will not feature magnets on its rear for attaching it to a smartphone. Its physical buttons can be customised, with separate actions available for short and long presses. The touchscreen is another notable addition, giving the…

Kai Havertz struck against his former club to pull Arsenal level with Chelsea in a fiercely contested Premier League London derby at the Emirates Stadium. Chelsea had taken the lead inside two minutes when Morgan Rogers met a loose ball outside the box and drove a low finish beyond David Raya. Arsenal were forced to respond immediately, with the visitors’ early breakthrough giving the contest a frantic opening. The hosts began to dominate possession and territory as Mikel Arteta’s side pressed Chelsea back. Arsenal appeared to have equalised from a set-piece, but the effort was ruled out after an offside…

A woman has died after being struck by a vehicle while crossing Westheimer Road with friends in Houston, police said. The Houston pedestrian killed in the Westheimer crash was hit at about 11.50pm on Saturday, 5 September, near South Dairy Ashford Road, according to the Houston Police Department. Police said the woman and a group of friends were attempting to cross the road to reach a club when she was hit. The group was not using a designated pedestrian crossing. She was taken to hospital with critical injuries but was later pronounced dead. The driver remained at the scene and…

Western Australia’s video game industry is seeking to turn growing consumer demand into a larger share of a market worth more than $4.2 billion a year, as local studios attract international attention and public funding is expanded. Australians spent more than $4.2 billion on video games and related products during 2025, a 12 per cent increase on the previous year. Digital sales exceeded $1.4 billion, while mobile gaming remained the biggest segment, generating more than $1.7 billion. The figures underline how gaming has moved beyond its traditional image as a pastime for children and teenagers. Curtin University Dean of Learning…

Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) has taken a commanding lead in the Saxony-Anhalt state election, according to early exit polls, but appeared to have fallen just short of the absolute majority needed to govern alone. The result gives the party its strongest prospect yet of taking control of a German state government, although the country’s mainstream parties have ruled out entering a coalition with it. Projections broadcast by ARD and ZDF put the AfD on about 44 per cent, more than twice its share at the previous election in 2021. The Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which has led Saxony-Anhalt…