US

Arizona is to ban nearly all abortions after its supreme court ruled a law from the Civil War-era could be enforced. It means an 1864 law criminalising abortions except when a mother’s life is at risk – with no exceptions for pregnancies due to rape or incest – will become enforceable. Doctors who perform the

The parents of a US teenager who shot four classmates dead have been jailed for manslaughter for at least 10 years. Ethan Crumbley is serving life in prison for murder after killing four students at Oxford High School, near Detroit in Michigan in November 2021, when he was 15. His parents had given him the

A total solar eclipse is plunging the skies along a swathe of North America into darkness. The moon will completely block out the sun for more than four minutes in some places along a path starting in Mexico and crossing through the United States and into Canada. Millions are hoping for clouds to clear as

Tens of millions will be eagerly looking to the skies later for a total solar eclipse – but a patchy forecast means the big moment could be ruined for some. Cloud is forecast in places such as Texas, Oklahoma and southern Arkansas as people gather for what’s set to be the most viewed eclipse ever.

A US lottery winner has scooped a $1.3bn jackpot that had rolled over for more than three months. The Powerball jackpot is the eighth largest lottery prize in US history and the sole winner – whose identity has not been revealed – will have it paid out over 30 years if they choose to receive

On Monday, an estimated 31.6 million people across America will be in the path of the biggest solar eclipse since 2017. Scientists will be able to study its effects on layers of the atmosphere, but according to conspiracy theorists, it could also be the end of days. The internet is running wild with some outlandish

The third victim of the Baltimore bridge collapse has been recovered. Divers found the body of Maynor Yasir Suazo-Sandoval and notified Maryland State Police, authorities said The 38-year-old construction worker was one of six people believed to have died after a cargo ship struck a support of the Francis Scott Key Bridge on 26 March.

This week in America it pays to know your cumulus from your cirrus and your nimbostratus from your plain old regular stratus.  They are all types of cloud, with cloud cover forecast to play havoc with the plans of hundreds of thousands of people preparing to watch the eclipse on Monday. Unusually for this time

The images of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsing were extraordinary and chilling.  A tragedy has now become an economic and logistical nightmare for the region. But was it a freak one-off? Well, worryingly, maybe not. Image: Chesapeake Bay Bridge is made of two separate bridges built around 20 years apart Just 20 miles downstream

An earthquake struck the east coast of the United States on Friday, causing buildings to shake in New York City. Officials reported a quake with a preliminary magnitude of 4.8, centered near Lebanon, New Jersey. The Fire Department of New York said there were no initial reports of damage. This breaking news story is being

The three-point announcement to ease aid flows into Gaza represents the most significant move by Israel since this conflict began six months ago. It follows a call between President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It was a tense, challenging conversation I am told – but not one in which any direct ultimatums were

Thieves have stolen as much as $30m (£23.7m) in cash from a Los Angeles money storage facility in one of the biggest burglaries in the city’s history. The culprits broke in through the roof on Easter Sunday night, sources told the LA Times, and the raid was not discovered until the vault was opened again

On death row, there’s the man you meet and the man you Google.  When I walked into East Block, San Quentin, there was a genial wave from inside the condemned cell of David Carpenter. His internet history has him as the serial rapist and murderer known as “The Trailside Killer”. Raynard Cummings was on good

The international airport close to central Washington DC should be renamed after Donald Trump, according to a bill introduced by a group of House Republicans. Guy Reschenthaler of Pennsylvania, who is the Republican party’s chief deputy whip in the House, is listed as one of seven sponsors of the bill to rename Dulles airport. He

US pop star Lizzo has assured fans that she is not quitting the music industry – after an earlier statement where she said she is tired of being ridiculed online. The About Damn Time singer, made headlines after she ended an Instagram post last week with “I didn’t sign up for this shit. I quit”

A man has been arrested after a boat overturned in alligator-infested waters in the Florida Everglades.  Nine people on an airboat tour of the area – including tourists from Puerto Rico and Canada – and the driver fell into the water when the boat made a sharp turn to see an alligator but flipped over

Donald Trump has posted a $175m (£140m) bond in New York – preventing the state from seizing his assets. The former US president had been given 10 days to make the payment after his lawyers successfully asked for the bond to be reduced from $454m (£362m). However, Mr Trump will be liable to pay the

US diplomats who suffered from the mysterious “Havana syndrome” may have been targeted by Russian sonic weaponry, according to a new joint media investigation. The condition first came to light in 2016 when US diplomatic staff working at the embassy in Cuba’s capital, Havana, reported suffering symptoms such as headaches, ringing in the ears, and

Seven children have been wounded in a mass shooting outside a shopping centre in the US, police have said. The victims, who are all aged 12 to 17, were hurt outside the Circle Centre Mall in Indianapolis at around 11.30pm on Saturday. Deputy chief Tanya Terry, of the Indianapolis metropolitan police department, said officers who

Donald Trump’s campaign has criticised Joe Biden for declaring Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV) would be recognised on Easter Sunday. The US president made the announcement on Friday, saying the day was to “honour the extraordinary courage and contributions of transgender Americans and reaffirm our nation’s commitment to forming a more perfect union”. He urged