US

In this Kentucky community, resilience and faith run deep. At the First Baptist Church in the heart of Mayfield, Sunday worship is at 11am every week. It was on this day too, for a congregation who survived, in a church that’s still standing. But beyond the church, the centre of this town is devastated. Businesses,

The extent of the destruction caused by a series of tornadoes that may have killed up to 100 people in the US has been laid bare by satellite images. Dozens have been confirmed dead across five states and many more are missing after the storms, which included one twister that could have carved the longest

On the drive into the small town of Mayfield, we’re given no hint of what’s to come.  Tornadoes are among the most frightening of weather phenomena but they are also so localised. They are cruelly selective. The edge of the town is unscathed. We even questioned if we were in the right place. But then,

Up to 100 people are feared dead in Kentucky after the “deadliest tornado storm ever” unleashed catastrophic damage in several US states. Four tornados ripped through the state, with the largest on the ground for more than 227 miles (365km). People are feared dead in 10 counties, with the city of Mayfield left devastated by

At least 50 people are thought to have died as tornadoes and storms hit several US states, toppling buildings and trapping people inside. Kentucky’s Governor Andy Beshear said the state had “experienced some of the worst tornado damage we’ve seen in a long time”. He said the number of deaths would likely “exceed 50” and

Ghislaine Maxwell’s fourth accuser has recalled the moment she was left “frozen” after the British socialite allegedly told her to undress and massaged her breasts. Warning: This report contains graphic descriptions of alleged sexual abuse of a child. Annie Farmer, who is the only one of four accusers to give evidence under her full name,

The High Court has reversed a decision not to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to the US, where he is wanted for publishing classified documents. Mr Assange, 50, is wanted in America over an alleged conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defence information following WikiLeak’s publication of several hundred leaked documents relating to wars in

Claims that the Rust film set was a “chaotic, dangerous and exploitative” workplace are false, according to a new statement. Actor Alec Baldwin has shared an open letter from cast and crew members on his Instagram page – more than a month after cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was fatally shot on set. A prop firearm was

Australia, the UK and the United States will pay the price for their “mistaken acts”, after deciding not to send government delegations to February’s Winter Olympics in Beijing, China’s foreign ministry has said. It comes after the countries announced diplomatic boycotts over human rights concerns. However, France on Thursday said it will not be boycotting

Newly released pictures chart Ghislaine Maxwell’s relationship with disgraced billionaire Jeffrey Epstein, with one image showing them at the Queen’s log cabin. Released by the US Department of Justice as part of proceedings against the British socialite, the photos show the extent of Maxwell’s closeness with Epstein, who killed himself in 2019, aged 66, in

President Joe Biden has told Russian president Vladimir Putin that the US and its allies would respond with “strong economic and other measures” if Russia invaded Ukraine.  The two leaders spoke via a secure video link for two hours as western nations continue to grapple with how to counter a massive build-up of Russian troops

Thousands of web users across the world have experienced issues due to an Amazon server outage. Several Amazon services including Prime Video, its namesake website, and applications that use Amazon Web Services (AWS) have been hit by problems. Amazon said the outage was likely due to issues related to the application programming interface (API), which

The US will stage a diplomatic boycott against the upcoming Beijing Winter Olympics to protest against human rights abuses in China. Earlier this month, President Joe Biden said the move was something the administration was “considering” but it has now been confirmed by the White House press secretary. Speaking to reporters, Jen Psaki said: “US

A second alleged victim has given evidence in Ghislaine Maxwell’s sex trafficking trial, telling the court the British socialite told her she was one of Jeffrey Epstein’s “favourites”. The 59-year-old former girlfriend of Epstein is facing eight charges – including six counts of enticing minors and sex trafficking – all of which she has pleaded

Bob Dole, who overcame severe combat wounds to become a senior figure in US politics, has died at the age of 98. The long-time Republican senator from Kansas, who was his party’s unsuccessful 1996 presidential nominee, was known for a wit that ranged from self-deprecating to caustic. Mr Dole announced in February that he had

A Republican congressman has been criticised for posting a picture of himself and his family posing with guns, just days after four teenagers were killed in a high school shooting in Michigan. “Merry Christmas! Ps Santa, please bring ammo,” the US Representative for Kentucky, Thomas Massie, wrote on Twitter. The post included a picture of

The parents of a teenage school shooting suspect who disappeared after they were charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter have pleaded not guilty. At an arraignment hearing, the bail bond for each was set at $500,000. They were also told they could each face up to 15 years behind bars. James and Jennifer Crumbley

The parents of a teenager accused of a school shooting in which four people died have been arrested after going missing. James and Jennifer Crumbley had been charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter, but hours after the charges were announced, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said authorities were searching for them after their lawyer

A handbook Ghislaine Maxwell gave to staff working at Jeffrey Epstein’s house in Palm Beach – in which they were told to “see nothing, hear nothing, say nothing” – has been made public in court documents. Its 58 pages contain advice on anticipating the “needs of Mr Epstein” and the requirement to be “unobtrusive” –

International passengers heading to the US will have to be tested for COVID-19 within one day of travel regardless of their vaccination status, as the Omicron variant spreads around the world. The tightening of coronavirus rules by the White House comes after America reported its first known case of community transmission of the highly contagious

Ghislaine Maxwell told a former maintenance man for Jeffrey Epstein not to look the financier in the eye, jurors have heard. Maxwell introduced herself as the “lady of the house” when she met Juan Alessi, he told a court in New York. She also instructed Mr Alessi to run Epstein’s Palm Beach mansion like a

Ghislaine Maxwell, the former girlfriend of Jeffrey Epstein, is currently on trial, facing eight charges – including six counts of enticing minors and sex trafficking. Spanning a 10-year period from 1994 to 2004, the 59-year-old British socialite’s charges involve four alleged underage victims – with the youngest just 14 years old at the time. Maxwell,

A fourth student has died following the school shooting in Michigan. Three other students were killed when a 15-year-old boy opened fire at his high school in Oxford Township on Tuesday, while eight others – including a teacher – were injured. The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office identified the latest fatality as teenager Justin Shilling. The

A 15-year-old boy charged with a school shooting in Michigan met with his parents and teachers about his behaviour hours before he murdered four classmates on Tuesday. Ethan Crumbley is accused of opening fire at his high school in Oxford Township, in a rampage that saw eight others – including a teacher – injured. The

Outside Mississippi’s only abortion clinic, it is rowdy, tense, and uncomfortable.   As women turn up to receive abortions at Jackson Women’s Health, they are met with gruesome pictures of foetuses and an evangelical group blasting religious music through enormous speakers. Nicknamed “The Pink House”, a huge fence has been erected and covered in black

Three students have been killed and six people wounded after a 15-year-old opened fire at his Michigan high school. The attack happened at Oxford High School in Oxford Township, a community of about 22,000 people 30 miles (48km) north of Detroit. The 15-year-old is in custody after being arrested at the school. Officers also recovered

The new Omicron variant of COVID-19 is a “cause for concern and not for panic”, Joe Biden has said. The US president told reporters his decision to restrict travel from countries in southern Africa “gives us time” to take more action. The new variant was initially reported to the World Health Organisation (WHO) by South

Ghislaine Maxwell targeted young girls and manipulated them before “serving them up for sexual abuse”, a US prosecutor said in her opening statement in the New York trial of the British socialite. The 59-year-old former girlfriend of Jeffrey Epstein faces six counts of enticing minors and sex trafficking over a 10-year period. As her trial

For a woman known around the world, who has been the focus of documentaries, podcasts and endless news coverage, Ghislaine Maxwell still remains an enigma.  She has said very little publicly in the two decades since sexual abuse allegations about her friend Jeffrey Epstein began to surface. We do not know how Maxwell met the

More than $1.5m (£1.1m) has been raised to help an American man who was freed after spending 43 years in jail for a triple murder he did not commit. The Midwest Innocence Project set up the online fundraiser as they fought for Kevin Strickland‘s release, noting that he would not get compensation from the state

The long-awaited trial of Ghislaine Maxwell, who is facing six sex-trafficking charges, is due to start in New York on Monday. The charges involve four alleged underage victims and multiple locations over a 10-year period between 1994 and 2004. The youngest alleged victim was 14 years old at the time. Maxwell also faces two counts

Stephen Sondheim – the composer and lyricist behind some of the world’s best-known musicals – has died aged 91. Just some of his best-known works from a 60-year career include the lyrics for West Side Story and Sweeney Todd. According to The New York Times, Sondheim’s death at his home in Connecticut was sudden –

NASA has delayed the launch of its new James Webb Space Telescope following an “incident” that happened affecting its connection to the rocket. The $10bn (£7.5bn) telescope is an orbiting infrared observatory that will will provide next-generation discoveries based on the work of the Hubble Space Telescope. But its launch from the Guiana Space Centre