US

Donald Trump “wasn’t thinking about (his wife) Melania” when he paid off a former porn star, his former lawyer has testified. Michael Cohen told a court Mr Trump personally approved $130,000 in hush money to Stormy Daniels over an alleged 2006 sexual encounter. The payout isn’t illegal, but Mr Trump is accused of falsifying records

The swimmer who was the first victim in the 1975 blockbuster Jaws has died.  Susan Backlinie died in her home in California at the age of 77, according to her agent. Her death was first reported by The Daily Jaws website. The opening scene of Steven Spielberg‘s classic features Ms Backlinie running along the beach

Oprah Winfrey has admitted playing a role in perpetuating diet culture during her career and said a dieting item from a 1980s show was one of her “biggest regrets”. The 70-year-old star – who has been ranked among the most influential women in the world – has been open about her struggles to maintain a

The first person to have a pig kidney transplant has died nearly two months after the procedure. Richard “Rick” Slayman, 62, underwent the four-hour transplant at a hospital in Boston in March. It marked the first time a genetically modified pig kidney was transplanted into a living patient. Surgeons said they believed the organ would

Israel has probably broken international law – that’s the conclusion of a US State Department report that is both damning yet cautiously equivocal too. The report, released late last night, is highly critical of Israel, but will also be seen as intentionally non-committal by its critics. Eagerly anticipated – it was due on Wednesday –

Apple has apologised for its new iPad Pro advert where it crushed cameras, books and musical instruments, saying it “missed the mark”. The advert – shared online by Apple chief executive Tim Cook – also featured creative tools such as a record player and a metronome being crushed in an industrial press. It was intended

Two skiers have been killed during an avalanche in mountains near Salt Lake City. The men, aged 23 and 32, were swept up in the avalanche in Utah’s Wasatch Range on Thursday morning. A third skier was rescued and taken to hospital after digging himself out from the snow, according to Salt Lake County Sheriff

Justin and Hailey Bieber have announced they are expecting their first child. Hailey, the 27-year-old model, posted a video and a series of photos on Instagram showing off her baby bump. Justin, 30, is also in the social media footage and has shared his wife’s post. The announcement did not include a caption, with Hailey

A US warship has sailed through the Taiwan Strait – prompting an angry response from China. The US Navy said the USS Halsey conducted a “routine Taiwan Strait transit” on Wednesday, “through waters where high-seas freedoms of navigation and overflight apply in accordance with international law”. The guided missile destroyer passed through a corridor “beyond

Setting red lines is all very well, as long as you follow through when they are crossed. President Joe Biden knows that all too well. But he also knows that if he follows through on this big new red line of withholding offensive weapons for Israel it could cost him dearly domestically. The push-me-pull-you balance

Donald Trump’s lawyer has been told by a judge to stop the former president from “cursing audibly” and “shaking his head” during Stormy Daniels’ testimony at his hush money trial. Judge Juan Merchan said the former president’s swearing had the “potential to intimidate” Ms Daniels – the porn star who was paid to keep quiet

Porn star Stormy Daniels has described to jurors an awkward and unexpected sexual encounter she claims she had with Donald Trump in 2006. Ms Daniels was testifying at the former president’s criminal trial over hush money she was paid to keep silent about the alleged encounter during the presidential race. Ms Daniels, 45, said she

Grease star Susan Buckner, who played cheerleader Patty Simcox in the classic musical, has died aged 72. The American actress died peacefully on Thursday 2 May surrounded by her loved ones, publicist Melissa Berthier has said. A cause of death has not been given. Buckner was best known for her role in Grease where she

Boeing has called off its first-ever astronaut launch at the final moment after discovering a valve problem in the Atlas V rocket.  The two NASA test pilots had just strapped into Boeing‘s Starliner capsule at Cape Canaveral space station for a flight to the International Space Station on Monday night (US EST) when the countdown

A US soldier was detained in Russia over the weekend while on a private trip, according to officials. The soldier, who hasn’t been named, has been accused of stealing from a woman, Sky News’ US partner network, NBC News, reported, citing four US officials. The White House is aware of reports of an American soldier

It could be a scene from centuries ago. In the Nevada desert, Native Americans are protesting over a mining project they say desecrates sacred land.  They are riding to Sentinel Mountain, which their ancestors once used as a lookout in times gone by. Here, they say, more than 30 of their people were massacred by

Authorities in California have been mocked over a “billion-dollar” bridge to nowhere. The state government of California has long planned for a Los Angeles to San Francisco high-speed rail project. Despite initial funding being approved back in 2008, the line is still a long way off and expected to cost over $100bn in total. So

It is a paradox that humanity at its very worst so often also brings out its very best too. This is a story about the kindness of strangers. It’s a story about hope over hopelessness. It’s about the war in Gaza but also about the rarest of diseases. It is about two families in worlds

Donald Trump supporters have started wearing nappies. They also have a new slogan: Real Men Wear Diapers. The peculiar new craze began after Mr Trump was described as “Von ShitzInPantz”. Michael Cohen, his former lawyer, said in a post on X last month: “Hey Von ShitzInPantz…your attacks of me stink of desperation. We are all

Much has been said about the students whose protests have gripped America this past week. Their cause has been framed in polarising ways. A violent Hamas-sympathising mob? Or peace activists striving for equality? Within a frenzied spectrum of views and noise, one young student sat down with me for a conversation. Aidan Doyle, 21, is