Author: DispatchTimes News Desk

Queensland Premier David Crisafulli has urged US Vice-President JD Vance to back the state’s critical minerals industry, arguing that projects are ready to help build secure supply chains outside China. Crisafulli held a one-to-one meeting with Vance in Washington during a trade mission involving five Queensland companies. The delegation has also met US government departments and finance agencies to seek investment and commodity purchase agreements. “The United States is hungry for critical minerals, and Queensland is open for business. We’ve got momentum and we’ve got projects ready to go. This is our time,” Crisafulli said. He said Queensland could provide…

German backpacker Carolina Wilga has described how an unexplained sound led her deeper into the Australian bush after she crashed her van and became lost in Western Australia’s remote Wheatbelt region. Ms Wilga, who was 26 when she disappeared in June 2025, has recounted the ordeal in a new book about the 11 freezing nights she spent surviving alone in the wilderness. She had been driving through the Karroun Hill Nature Reserve, about 36 kilometres north of Beacon, when she swerved to avoid what she believed was an oncoming vehicle. Her Mitsubishi van left the track, went through a fence…

Phaedra Parks has confirmed she is dating Chris “CT” Tamburello after revealing the pair have been on several dates together. The 52-year-old Real Housewives of Atlanta alum made the disclosure during an appearance on Jeff Lewis Live, where she was asked whether her planned appearance at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards with the 46-year-old The Challenge star was platonic. “No, it’s not,” Parks replied before confirming that Tamburello was the man accompanying her to the ceremony, where he is due to be a presenter. Asked how many times they had been out together, Parks declined to give a specific figure,…

Internal messages released after the Bite of Seattle shooting reveal confusion among Seattle officials, delays in public communication and disagreement over whether Mayor Katie Wilson should attend the scene as the city dealt with the aftermath of the deadly attack. Three people were killed and four others injured when gunfire broke out near the Seattle Center Armory on 26 July. The messages, shared by the mayor’s office, show senior officials attempting to establish what had happened while facing pressure to provide an immediate public account. Officials struggled to establish a public response A group text involving Mayor Wilson, public safety…

Harry Wilson will return to captain Australia from the back row against Argentina as the Wallabies chase a fifth consecutive victory in Mendoza. The Queensland Reds forward has been recalled at number eight alongside Fraser McReight and Rob Valetini, restoring a familiar and highly competitive combination for Sunday’s second Test against the Pumas. Wilson understands the demands of Test rugby leave little room for unnecessary invention. His priority will be to provide control, physicality and leadership as Australia attempt to build on a narrow win in the opening match of the series. The Wallabies are seeking five straight wins for…

Kemi Badenoch, the UK’s international trade secretary, has described Argentina as a weak country in response to what she called threats to the Falkland Islands. The remarks were reported by Sky News after she addressed concerns over the sovereignty dispute surrounding the South Atlantic archipelago. The Falkland Islands, a British overseas territory, have long been at the centre of a dispute with Argentina, which asserts competing sovereignty claims. Britain has consistently defended its control over the islands since the 1982 conflict, and the issue remains a sensitive element of bilateral relations. Her comments emerge amid ongoing tensions in the region,…

Stacey Solomon and Joe Swash have given fans a first glimpse of their new family home after moving out of their much-loved Pickle Cottage. Solomon, 36, shared a photograph of the family gathered on the doorstep on Instagram on Friday evening. She captioned the post: “Home is wherever I’m with you.” The couple, along with their children, could be seen sitting together in the entrance of the new property, with white doors and patterned floor tiles visible behind them. Solomon also shared a picture of herself holding the key to the house, describing the image as a “teeny tiny sneak…

Adelaide television reporters Josh Money and Beth Excell have announced they are expecting their first child together, bringing a rare moment of shared celebration to rival networks Seven and Nine. Money, a reporter with Seven News, and Excell, a court reporter for 9News Adelaide, revealed the news on Friday evening. The announcement marks a personal milestone for the pair, who work for competing broadcasters in the South Australian capital.

A judge has denied bail to Demetri O’Neal Thomas, a 45-year-old man accused of shooting at passing vehicles in northeast Houston before he was wounded by police and a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper. Thomas appeared in court on Friday, September 4, facing seven felony charges: four counts of aggravated assault against a public servant and three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He is due to return for arraignment on October 8. North Wayside shooting The charges relate to an incident on August 14 in the 6200 block of North Wayside Drive, near St Louis Street.…

Summer-like heat is set to sweep across eastern Australia this weekend, with Sydney facing an extreme fire danger rating and a total fire ban as temperatures climb towards record levels for early September. Parts of the city are forecast to reach 33C on Saturday, up to 13 degrees above the usual September average. The Bureau of Meteorology is forecasting 32C for Sydney Olympic Park, while southern Queensland is expected to see temperatures rise into the mid-30s. Meteorologist Tom Saunders said a strong north-westerly airflow drawing hot air south from the interior would drive the sharp rise in temperatures, with the…