US

A former US ambassador to Bolivia has been charged with secretly acting as a Cuban agent for “more than 40 years”. Manuel Rocha, who was arrested at his Miami home on Friday, served as the top US diplomat to Bolivia between 2000 and 2002. Prosecutors from the US Justice Department accuse him of promoting the

Four people, including two children, have been killed by a relative in New York, according to police. Those stabbed to death included a 12-year-old boy, an 11-year-old girl, a 44-year-old woman and a man in his 30s. Officers were called to reports of an incident in the city’s Queens borough after a girl said “her

A man suspected of killing three homeless people in a matter of days is already in custody over a separate fatal shooting, Los Angeles police have said. Jerrid Joseph Powell, 33, was identified as the suspect in the spate of deaths this week after being arrested in connection with a robbery at a home in

US rock band Kiss will live on as superhero-style digital avatars after playing their final live gig in New York. Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer, performed on Saturday night in the city’s Madison Square Garden, before leaving the stage to reveal their new digital alter egos. Named Demon, the Starchild, Catman,

A giant blow-up Santa has been gunned down in a drive-by shooting in the US – with the deflating deed captured on video. The unfestive act carried out in Lexington, Kentucky, left a gaping 46cm (18in) hole in the Father Christmas and raised concerns other similar inflatable decorations could be targeted by the trigger-happy yobs,

Los Angeles police are hunting a potential serial killer after three homeless people were shot dead in separate incidents. The murders took place over a few days – between 26 and 29 November – and the city’s mayor warned rough sleepers on Friday: “Try not to be alone tonight.” CCTV has been released of the

Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman to serve on the US Supreme Court, has died at the age of 93. She was appointed by former president Ronald Reagan in 1981 and retired from America’s highest court in 2006. Ms O’Connor died in Phoenix of complications related to advanced dementia and a respiratory illness, the court

Elon Musk has apologised for endorsing an antisemitic conspiracy theory, admitting it may have been “literally the worst and dumbest post I’ve ever done”. The apology came amid a fiery rant against advertisers who have stopped promoting on his social media platform X. The advertising row, which has seen Disney and Warner Bros pull their

The world of US politics has paid tribute to former secretary of state Henry Kissinger who has died aged 100. Dr Kissinger’s family announced he had passed away at his home in Connecticut on Wednesday. The daughters of President Richard Nixon, who their father served under as secretary of state and national security adviser during

Former United States secretary of state Henry Kissinger has died aged 100. He passed away at his home in Connecticut on Wednesday, according to a statement from Kissinger Associates Inc. The veteran politician had major influence on American foreign policy under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. Born in Germany in 1923, Mr Kissinger fled

Elon Musk has been accused of promoting a long-debunked conspiracy theory which alleged high-profile Democrats ran a paedophile abuse ring from a Washington pizza restaurant. The billionaire posted and later deleted a meme referencing “Pizzagate” on X on Tuesday, NBC News reports. It was an image from TV show The Office, with fake dialogue superimposed

Friends, family and dignitaries gathered in Atlanta, Georgia, on Tuesday night to honour former first lady Rosalynn Carter, who died last week at the age of 96. Jimmy Carter, the 99-year-old US president between 1977 and 1981, was in attendance, despite being on hospice care himself, and wore a blue and white blanket which was

A 12-year-old boy driving a stolen forklift truck led police in the US on an hour-long chase – and hit about 10 parked cars during the pursuit. The truck, equipped with a forklift and weighing up to 35,000 pounds, was stolen from outside a middle school in Ann Arbor, Michigan, using a key found in

Sex And The City actress Cynthia Nixon is among activists who have begun a hunger strike to demand US President Joe Biden calls for a permanent ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. Politicians from five US states are also taking part in the action that began on Monday. Nixon, who formerly ran for mayor of New

The families of three Palestinian students who were shot in Vermont have called on US officials to investigate the incident as a hate crime. The three men, all aged 20, were wearing keffiyehs – a traditional scarf – and speaking Arabic when they were attacked as they walked down a street in the city of

Tensions over the disputed South China Sea have been reignited after Beijing said its military had driven away a US warship that had entered its territorial waters without permission. Washington has insisted the naval destroyer USS Hopper was on a routine freedom of navigation patrol. According to a post on the official WeChat social media

Joe Biden has called for the truce between Hamas and Israel in Gaza to be extended after more hostages were released on Sunday. The latest captives to be freed include four-year-old dual Israeli-American national Abigail Edan, whose parents were reportedly killed in the 7 October attacks. The US president said her father was “gunned down

Actress and comedian Tiffany Haddish has been arrested after being found “slumped over the wheel of a car” while the engine was still running, police in LA said. The 43-year-old, who shot to fame for her role in 2017 comedy film Girls Trip, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence (DUI) on Friday,

A former Minneapolis police officer convicted of murdering George Floyd has been seriously injured after being stabbed in prison, according to the Associated Press. Derek Chauvin was attacked by another inmate while in prison in Arizona, according to the US news agency, which quoted an unnamed source. The US Bureau of Prisons confirmed an inmate

A 68-year-old jogger has been charged with killing a homeless man in California who was blocking his path while sleeping. Craig Sumner Elliott was jogging with two dogs and a pushcart on the afternoon of 28 September when he confronted the man who was asleep on a pavement, according to Californian officials who charged him