US

Five former Memphis police officers charged with the murder of Tyre Nichols are due to appear in court. Video footage captured by police bodycams and CCTV cameras showed Mr Nichols, a black man, being beaten by officers following a traffic stop. He died from his injuries. The case has renewed calls for police reform in

Bruce Willis has been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD), his family announced. The 67-year-old Hollywood star was diagnosed in March 2022 with aphasia, a condition affecting the brain which causes difficulty with language and speech. His relatives said at the time that he would be “stepping away” from acting. A statement about the progression of

A Chinese “spy” balloon that was shot down over the US was likely heading to Guam and then Hawaii, a US official has said. What the US has described as a suspected Chinese spy balloon was shot down off the South Carolina coast on 4 February. Two other objects have also been shot down, on

Hollywood actress Raquel Welch has died at the age of 82. The US star “passed away peacefully early this morning after a brief illness”, her management company said. Her career spanned more than 50 years and included 30 films and scores of TV series and appearances. Welch won a best actress Golden Globe in 1975

The gunman who shot dead three people at Michigan State University may have also been planning to attack two schools, according to police. Anthony McRae, 43, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after opening fire on students at the East Lansing campus on Monday night. Five people were also taken to hospital – some in

Police in the US have named the gunman who fatally shot three students at Michigan State University as Anthony McRae. The 43-year-old, who killed himself hours after Monday’s shooting, was not a student at the university and had no known affiliation, police added. The shooting began shortly before 8.30pm local time and left three students

At least three people have been killed after a shooting at a US university. A manhunt was launched for the attacker at Michigan State University after he fled on foot and was described as a short black male in a cap, red shoes and a jean jacket. He later died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot

The White House has determined that China has a “high-altitude balloon programme” for intelligence gathering. It comes as tensions are mounting between the US and China after the US shot down a fourth unidentified object over North American airspace. It was downed over Lake Huron in Michigan at 2.42pm local time on Sunday on President

In US political speak, they’re fond of the phrase “an abundance of caution”. It translates into a week of US Top Guns taking to the skies and taking out airborne objects that, frankly, could be anything. The US doesn’t know – but a week of national security whiplash has been triggered by what they say

The US has shot down another unidentified object that it says flew near sensitive military sites and could have been used for spying. It was downed over Lake Huron in Michigan at 2.42pm local time on Sunday on President Biden‘s orders. A US F-16 jet fired a missile at about 20,000ft amid concerns that its

The Super Bowl – the biggest event in the US sporting calendar – does not fall short of incredible moments that have fans on the edge of their seats. From high-pressured performances on stage to the gruelling chase of the ball – the 57th edition of the Super Bowl will be no different as the

Justin Trudeau has ordered the “take down” of an “unidentified object” that “violated” Canadian airspace. The country’s prime minister tweeted that both Canadian and US aircraft were scrambled. A US F-22 stealth fighter jet, sent by the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), “successfully fired at the object”, Mr Trudeau said. It was taken down

Alec Baldwin is attempting to have one of the charges of involuntary manslaughter, which could see him jailed for five years, thrown out by a US court. Lawyers for the actor argued that New Mexico prosecutors had committed an “unconstitutional and elementary legal error” by charging him under a statute that did not exist at

The US has shot down an unknown object flying in its airspace, off the coastline of Alaska – just days after it downed a Chinese “spy” balloon. The object, shot down on the order of President Joe Biden, was flying at a high altitude of about 40,000ft and was the size of a small car,

The 57th Super Bowl will kick off on Sunday – here’s all you need to know to watch the biggest game of the NFL season. Often filled with drama, performance, politics and showbiz – the culmination of the NFL (National Football League) season is back for another year this weekend. With millions around the world

Donald Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts have been restored after he was banned in the wake of the deadly Capitol riot two years ago. Users of the social media sites can again see the former US president’s pages, with the last post on his Facebook made on 6 January 2021, when he wrote: “I am

American football player Damar Hamlin – who collapsed mid-game after suffering from a cardiac arrest – will play professional football again, an NFL doctor has said. Speaking on American radio station SiriusXM, Dr Thom Mayer, medical director for the NFL Players Association, guaranteed the 24-year-old’s career was far from over. “I guarantee you, I guarantee

Chinese “spy” balloons have been spotted in skies above countries across five continents, according to US officials. The US has also been in touch with its allies on the issue of the balloons, according to the White House. It comes after US fighter jets shot down a suspected Chinese spying device off the coast of

Joe Biden has vowed to work with political rivals in his latest State of the Union address. The US president was speaking before Congress for the first time since Republicans took control of the House of Representatives last month. While he acknowledged that America’s democracy is bruised, Mr Biden stressed it is “unbowed and unbroken”.

Alec Baldwin’s lawyers have filed to disqualify the special prosecutor on the Rust case due to, what they call, her “unconstitutional” role as a politician. Baldwin, 64, is due to make his first appearance in a US court on 24 February over the death of Halyna Hutchins. He will face two counts of involuntary manslaughter

A suspected Chinese spy balloon that was shot down by the US over the weekend was 60m (200ft) tall – comparable to a 20-storey building. Glen VanHerck, commander of North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD), told reporters that the balloon was also carrying a load similar in size to a commercial plane. He added that

An investigation has been launched after an 82-year-old woman was pronounced dead at a New York nursing home – only to be found breathing three hours later at a funeral home. The woman was said to be dead at Water’s Edge Rehab and Nursing Centre at Port Jefferson on Long Island at 11.15am on Saturday.

A US military operation to shoot down a Chinese “spy balloon” that had been hovering in American airspace came at a tense time for the two superpowers, whose relationship has been on rocky ground for years. But how did the US successfully down it with a single missile – and what intelligence are they now

China has threatened “further actions” in response to America’s “serious overreaction” in the downing of a suspected spy balloon. The white aircraft was shot out of the sky off the South Carolina coast on Saturday after days of intrigue, while diplomatic relations soured further between Washington and Beijing. US President Joe Biden ordered the object

The US has shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon that has been flying over its airspace. Television footage showed a small explosion, followed by the balloon descending toward the water off the Carolina coast. The balloon was shot down by an F-22 fighter aircraft, about six nautical miles off the coast near Myrtle Beach,

Parts of the US are experiencing a record-breaking wind chill factor that is so cold it’s literally off the National Weather Service’s official charts. The northeast of the country has been struck by a powerful arctic blast, with the temperature at New Hampshire‘s Mount Washington plummeting to a new low of -46F (-43C). But the

A sixth police officer has been sacked for his involvement in the death of Tyre Nichols, who was beaten by police last month. Mr Nichols was left in a critical condition after several officers punched, kicked and hit him with a baton in Memphis, Tennessee, after he was pulled over on suspicion of reckless driving

US secretary of state Antony Blinken said that China’s spy balloon was “detrimental” to “substantive discussions” that were due to take place on his visit. Mr Blinken said he spoke to the director of the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Foreign Affairs Office, Wang Yi, on Friday about the postponement of the visit, saying: “Conditions were

The US military is tracking a suspected Chinese spy balloon that has been flying over northwestern America in recent days. A senior defence official said the US has “very high confidence” it is a Chinese high-altitude balloon and was flying over sensitive sites to collect information. The blimp was spotted over Billings, Montana, on Wednesday

Former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has told Sky News he believes China’s President Xi is a bigger threat to the world than Vladimir Putin. Speaking on Beth Rigby Interviews, Mr Pompeo said President Xi is intent on world dominance. “He wants to own you,” the US politician warned. “He wants hegemonic intent across

Hollywood actor Alec Baldwin will make his first appearance in a US court on 24 February over the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. Baldwin, 64, faces two counts of involuntary manslaughter stemming from the incident on the set of the Rust movie in October 2021. He was formally charged with the offences by the

Tyre Nichols’s mother said “blood is going to be on the hands” of Congressmen and women if they fail to pass a bill that would limit immunity for US police officers. US vice president Kamala Harris and celebrated civil rights activist Rev Al Sharpton urged Congress to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act

Scott Hubbard remembers exactly where he was on the day of one of the deadliest tragedies in the history of space travel. Before he stepped out of bed on the morning of 1 February 2003, a radio broadcast brought news that NASA’s Columbia space shuttle was “overdue” on its return to Earth. “I had a