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

US news network CNN has fired anchor Chris Cuomo less than a week after fresh information emerged about how he assisted his brother who was facing sexual harassment allegations. Cuomo helped to strategise and reach out to other journalists as Andrew Cuomo, the former New York governor, fought to keep his job. After women came

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

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” –

Involuntary manslaughter charges have been filed against the parents of a 15-year-old accused of killing four students and wounding seven others at a Michigan school. Ethan Crumbley is in custody after the attack on Tuesday at Oxford High School, about 30 miles north of Detroit. Investigators say the handgun used was purchased legally by his

Alec Baldwin has said he does not feel guilt over the fatal film-set shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins – and that there is “only one question to be resolved – where did the live round come from?” Speaking in his first interview since the gun he was holding fired and killed Ms Hutchins on the

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,

New photos showing the jetset life Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein led have been revealed. Released as part of the proceedings against Maxwell, 59, in the US, the pictures give a glimpse into how she and sex offender Epstein lived. The British socialite is currently on trial accused of crimes such enticing girls aged as

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

The US Supreme Court has signalled a willingness to curtail abortion rights in the US and possibly overturn the 1973 Roe v Wade ruling that legalised terminations. The Supreme Court justices indicated they will uphold a restrictive Republican-backed Mississippi law that would outlaw the procedure after 15 weeks of pregnancy. The court, which has a

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

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

Analysis: This isn’t a surprise By Ian King, Sky News business presenter It is no surprise to see Jack Dorsey stepping down as chief executive of Twitter. There has been disquiet for some time among shareholders at Mr Dorsey serving in that role and also at Square, the fintech payments company he co-founded, with Paul

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

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