US

A Florida man has been executed over the murders of two women in 1996, the state has announced. Michael Zack III, 54, was killed by lethal injection at Florida State Prison at 6.14pm on Tuesday. His final words were: “I love you all.” Zack was executed for the killing of bartender Ravonne Smith, who he

US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has been removed from office after a historic challenge to his leadership from his own party. The Republican faced a motion to vacate, which was triggered by Donald Trump ally Matt Gaetz on Monday, just months after securing the position in 15 rounds of voting. It is the first time

The takeaway phrase from day one of this first of so many court cases against Donald Trump? “Rampant fraud”. That’s not, legally at least, a point of debate. The judge has concluded, in a pre-trial ruling, that the Trump Organisation did commit widespread fraud. Politically though, it is deeply debatable: due process versus partisan witch-hunt.

Donald Trump is set to make a surprise appearance on the first day of his trial for “astounding” fraud which begins in New York today.  The former president, who is the favourite to be the Republican presidential candidate next year, is the central defendant in the civil trial which begins today at a courtroom in

The House Republicans and Democrats on Saturday struck a deal to fund the government and avoid a shutdown. The House of Representatives voted 335-91 on a short-term funding bill, known as a continuing resolution, according to Sky News’ US partner network NBC News. The bill would keep the government open for another 45 days –

Authorities have reportedly carried out a welfare check on Britney Spears after the popstar shared a video of herself dancing with knives at home. The footage showed the 41-year-old singer dancing around the property while holding large knives. Image: The alarm was raised after Britney Spears shared a clip of herself dancing with knives Police

Elon Musk has decided to wade into the US immigration debate. The billionaire owner of X, the website formerly known as Twitter, visited the Texas border with Mexico. He met with local politicians and police with the aim of obtaining what he called an “unfiltered” view of the situation. Musk’s visit came as thousands of

The US soldier who illegally crossed the heavily armed border into North Korea from South Korea has returned home. Private Travis King crossed the border into the North while on a tour of the demilitarised zone (DMZ) that separates the secretive state from the South in July. Following his return, he was taken to a

US politicians are beginning a process that could potentially lead to the impeachment of President Joe Biden over alleged irregularities in his family business dealings. Republicans, who narrowly control the House, have accused Mr Biden of profiting while he served as vice president from 2009 to 2017 from his son Hunter Biden’s foreign business ventures.

A US soldier who ran across the border into North Korea is now back in American hands and “very happy” to be heading home, according to officials. Private Travis King’s transfer out of the totalitarian state was described as “truly complex” and involving “intense diplomacy”. Sweden was the key intermediary in getting him released, said

Joe Biden’s dog has bitten yet another member of the US Secret Service – the 11th time such an incident has happened. The US president’s German shepherd attacked the agent at the White House on Monday evening, a Secret Service spokesperson said. The female officer needed medical treatment on site after the incident but is

California is on the brink of bringing in an Amsterdam-style law which will allow cannabis cafes and coffee shops to open across the state. Campaigners say it will reduce black market sales and boost legitimate business. Recreational cannabis has been legal in California since 2016 and purchases are made through dispensaries, with products generally smoked

Donald Trump committed fraud for years while building the real estate empire that catapulted him to fame and the White House, a court has ruled. Judge Arthur Engoron found that the former president and his company deceived banks and insurers by massively overvaluing assets and exaggerating his net worth on paperwork used in making deals

If it wasn’t for the soldiers on the door, you’d walk on by, oblivious to the people behind the window.  Just off Manhattan’s Madison Avenue, between the midtown skyscrapers, a shuttered bar is now the impromptu overflow for New York’s central migrant registration centre. And through the steamed-up windows is a room full of stories.

Police have identified a woman whose remains were found in the mouth of a 13ft alligator in Florida. The body of 41-year-old Sabrina Peckham was pulled from a canal in Largo, about 20 miles west of Tampa, after a witness spotted her in the alligator’s mouth, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office said. The animal was

A brain chip company owned by Elon Musk has said it has received permission to start recruiting for human trials. Neuralink has created an implant designed to let people control a computer mouse or keyboard with their thoughts. It would be inserted into a region of the brain that controls the intention to move. Musk,

Five people released from Iran in a controversial prisoner swap deal with the US have touched down on American soil. The prisoners were freed after President Joe Biden agreed to the release of almost $6bn (£4.84bn) in frozen Iranian assets. Conservationist Morad Tahbaz – who has British, US and Iranian citizenship – was released alongside

Iran will release a British national and four Americans held in the country in exchange for $6bn (£4.8bn) and a prisoner swap. The funds, once frozen in South Korea, are now in Qatar after the Biden administration issued a waiver for international banks to transfer frozen Iranian money without the repercussions of US sanctions, an

Donald Trump’s New York fraud trial has been temporarily halted after the former US president turned the heat on the judge overseeing this case by suing him directly. The trial, stemming from New York Attorney General Letitia James’ fraud lawsuit against Trump and his family business, was scheduled to start on 2 October. In the

Zeus, the world’s tallest male dog, has died from complications following treatment for bone cancer, Guinness World Records has said. The Great Dane, who stood at one metre tall, was awarded the title in 2022. He was three years old and would have turned four in November. He died from pneumonia following surgery to remove