US

The leader of Islamic State has been killed during a raid by US special forces in Syria. Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi died by exploding a bomb that killed himself and members of his family as American forces approached a house in the rebel-held province of Idlib, a US official said. He was among at least

Rihanna has shared a photo of her baby bump after announcing she and rapper boyfriend A$AP Rocky are expecting their first child together. The singer and businesswoman, 33, showed off her growing bump to her 120 million Instagram followers as she stood in a white-tiled bathroom lifting her sports jersey. “How the gang pulled up

Facebook’s parent company, Meta, has seen over a fifth of its market value erased in after-hours trading after financial results disappointed on several key measures and it warned current quarter revenues would fall short. The company, which also includes Instagram in its stable of social media platforms, said it had been informed by advertisers that

President Joe Biden has approved the deployment of thousands more US troops to Poland and Germany in the coming days amid fears Russia will invade Ukraine, an administration official says. Some 2,000 troops will be sent to Poland and Germany, while the US will also reposition part of a 1,000-strong infantry squadron currently in Germany

Native American tribes have reached settlements of $590m (£436m) with a pharmaceutical company and three distribution firms over the toll of opioids. Under the terms of the deal, Johnson & Johnson will pay $150m (£110m) over two years, while AmerisourceBergen, McKesson, and Cardinal will contribute $440m (£325m) over seven years. All federally-recognised tribes in the

Legendary NFL quarterback Tom Brady has confirmed his retirement. It follows rumours at the weekend that the seven-time Super Bowl winner, 44, was about to call time on his record-breaking career. Last night, he said on his podcast that he was “still going through the process”. But now he has written on social media: “There

Whoopi Goldberg has apologised for comments about the Holocaust that were described by others as “devastating” and “dangerous”. The actor co-hosts ABC talk show The View and was part of a discussion about a US school board’s decision to ban Maus, a Pulitzer prize-winning graphic novel about the experiences of a Holocaust survivor. Goldberg, 66,

A US judge has asked for Prince Andrew’s former assistant, Robert Olney, to give evidence as part of the civil sex assault case brought by the duke’s accuser Virginia Giuffre. Court documents reveal Judge Lewis A Kaplan has written to both the Senior Master of the Queen’s Bench Division and the Australian attorney general to

An American man who spent nearly two decades in jail for a 2003 murder has been released years after his identical twin confessed to the crime. Kevin Dugar was convicted in 2005 over a deadly gang-related shooting and was sentenced to 54 years in prison. A gunman had opened fire on three people in Chicago‘s

The East Coast is battling deep freeze conditions after a fierce storm barreled through several states on Saturday, flooding coastlines, dumping masses of snow and outing power for thousands. Officials in New York described conditions as “life-threatening“, five states declared an emergency and Rhode Island banned all non-emergency road travel as snow and high winds

New York has declared a state of emergency after “historic” blizzards dumped deep snow and gave way to blustery conditions across the US East Coast. The powerful nor’easter, which are common for the region at this time of year, has flooded coastlines and blocked roads across 10 states, leaving treacherous conditions in its wake. In

NFL legend Tom Brady is to retire after a remarkable 22-year career which saw him win seven Super Bowl titles. Brady’s company TB12sports tweeted to thank the 44-year-old for his career, confirming his retirement after it was first reported by ESPN. Brady is considered to be the greatest quarterback in NFL history, having made his

People along the East Coast of the US are preparing for a powerful storm that could dump 2ft or more of snow on some of the nation’s biggest cities. The Nor’easter is forecast to impact New England and the Middle Atlantic region this weekend, bringing potential coastal flooding, power outages and travel disruption. Airlines have

A two-lane bridge has collapsed in Pittsburgh just hours before US President Joe Biden was expected to visit to discuss his infrastructure bill. Rescuers had to rappel nearly 150ft (46 metres) while others formed a human chain to help rescue people from a dangling bus. There were minor injuries but no fatalities reported, although drones

The US has called for the United Nations (UN) Security Council to hold a public meeting to discuss Russia’s “threatening behaviour” against Ukraine. On Thursday, the US ambassador to the UN asked the security council to meet publicly on Monday. Russia has manoeuvred around 100,000 troops near the border with Ukraine, though Moscow has denied

The US grew at its strongest pace since 1984 last year as it bounced back from 2020’s pandemic-driven downturn, official figures show. GDP in the world’s biggest economy expanded by 5.7% in 2021 after shrinking by 3.4% the year before, according to America’s bureau of economic analysis. It has not enjoyed such strong one-year growth

Prince Andrew has asked for a jury trial and denied all the allegations against him as he officially responded to Virginia Giuffre’s sexual assault lawsuit. Court documents filed in New York show he “hereby demands a trial by jury on all causes of action asserted in the complaint”. Ms Giuffre accuses the Duke of York

The US has given Russia its written responses to a set of security demands by Moscow over Ukraine amid fears it could invade its neighbour. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the “ball is in Russia’s court”, as he added: “We’re ready either way.” Russia has massed about 100,000 troops near the Ukrainian border

Joe Biden has said he would consider imposing personal sanctions on Vladimir Putin if Russia invades neighbouring Ukraine. The US president also said there would be “enormous consequences” for the world if President Putin’s troops push into the former Soviet state, that lies on its south-western border. Some 8,500 US troops have been put on

A search is under way off the Florida coast after a boat reportedly capsized with 40 people on board in a suspected “human smuggling” incident, according to US officials. One person has been rescued after being found clinging to the vessel by a “good Samaritan” about 45 miles east of Fort Pierce Inlet. The survivor

US President Joe Biden has been caught swearing at a reporter during a news conference after his mic seemed to accidentally pick up his reaction to a question. The president had been holding the conference following a meeting with the White House Competition Council. As reporters were being ushered out of the room, Fox News’

The US has ordered the families of all American embassy staff in Kyiv to leave Ukraine amid heightened fears of a Russian invasion. The US State Department told the dependants of staffers at the US embassy in Ukraine’s capital that they must leave the country and said that non-essential employees could also leave at government

Boris Johnson has warned that “gloomy” intelligence suggested Russia was planning a lightning raid on Ukraine’s capital Kyiv as fears grow of an invasion – with NATO sending additional ships and jets to its deployments in eastern Europe. The alliance said it could also add additional combat units in response to Russia’s military build-up on

Tributes are being paid to the son of Oscar-winning actress Regina King, who has died just days after his 26th birthday. Ian Alexander Jr was a musician and DJ who often accompanied his mother to red carpet events, and both were big champions of each other’s work. A spokesperson for King confirmed his death was

A New York City police officer was killed and a second injured following a shooting in Harlem on Friday. Jason Rivera, 22, died while responding to a call from a mother saying she was fighting with one of her sons. The gunman was shot by a third officer at the scene and taken to hospital

The boyfriend of Gabby Petito claimed responsibility for her death before taking his own life, according to the FBI. Brian Laundrie had been on a cross-country trip in the US with Ms Petito when she disappeared. Her body was found in Wyoming in September, sparking a manhunt for Laundrie, who officials believe returned to Florida

A group of teenagers from a Christian youth group, bundled up in scarves and beanie hats, march down the National Mall in Washington DC chanting “Hey Ho, Hey Ho, Roe has got to go.” They are protesting a decision that legalised abortion long before they were born, and for some of them, before even their

Meat Loaf, the singer best known for Bat Of Of Hell and appearing in films like Rocky Horror and Fight Club, has died. He was 74, and passed away with his wife by his side. Born Marvin Lee Aday (later legally changing his name to Michael), Meat Loaf had a career spanning six decades across

The committee investigating the US Capitol riot has requested an interview with Ivanka Trump. In a letter to Ms Trump, politicians say they are seeking her voluntary cooperation and want to talk to her in early February about the events leading up to and during the insurrection on 6 January 2021. The US House of

President Joe Biden has warned that “Russia will pay a heavy price” if it invades Ukraine. Speaking on Thursday, the US leader said he has been “absolutely clear with President Putin” that “if any assembled Russian units move across the Ukrainian border, that is an invasion”. That invasion, he said, would be met with a

President Joe Biden has said he thinks Russia will mount an attack on Ukraine.  Speaking at a news conference marking a year in office, the US President suggested there was an inevitability about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s actions. “My guess is he will move in; he has to do something,” Joe Biden said. “Do I

Top Donald Trump ally Rudy Giuliani has been issued with a subpoena by the US congressional committee investigating last year’s Capitol riot. The committee has demanded the former president’s personal lawyer – and three other members of Mr Trump’s legal team – hand over documents and sit for depositions on 8 February. In the days

US President Joe Biden will hold a news conference later today at the White House to mark his first year in office. The event is much anticipated, and that alone is a hint of how challenging this first year has been for the 79-year-old. The president does not give many news conferences. Critics suggest his