US

Joe Biden came out punching on Capitol Hill in a way that belied learned expectation. On the big occasion, he didn’t fluff his lines or miss his targets – unlike the Joe Biden of so many other occasions. For too many, to watch him is to write him off. Too much about this 80-year-old president

Joe Biden has vowed to work with political rivals in his latest State of the Union address. The US president was speaking before Congress for the first time since Republicans took control of the House of Representatives last month. While he acknowledged that America’s democracy is bruised, Mr Biden stressed it is “unbowed and unbroken”.

Rail crews in Ohio have been burning off toxic chemicals from a freight train that derailed last week, after ordering nearly 2,000 residents to evacuate their homes. The train, operated by Norfolk Southern Railroad and consisting of three locomotives and 150 freight cars, was travelling from Illinois to Pennsylvania when it derailed shortly before 9pm

A suspected Chinese spy balloon that was shot down by the US over the weekend was 60m (200ft) tall – comparable to a 20-storey building. Glen VanHerck, commander of North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD), told reporters that the balloon was also carrying a load similar in size to a commercial plane. He added that

A suspected surveillance balloon spotted over Latin America is for “civilian usage” and entered the region’s airspace by accident, a Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman has said. The balloon has been spotted after US fighter jets shot down an initial suspected Chinese spying device off the coast of South Carolina on Saturday. Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman

A US military operation to shoot down a Chinese “spy balloon” that had been hovering in American airspace came at a tense time for the two superpowers, whose relationship has been on rocky ground for years. But how did the US successfully down it with a single missile – and what intelligence are they now

China has threatened “further actions” in response to America’s “serious overreaction” in the downing of a suspected spy balloon. The white aircraft was shot out of the sky off the South Carolina coast on Saturday after days of intrigue, while diplomatic relations soured further between Washington and Beijing. US President Joe Biden ordered the object

The US has shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon that has been flying over its airspace. Television footage showed a small explosion, followed by the balloon descending toward the water off the Carolina coast. The balloon was shot down by an F-22 fighter aircraft, about six nautical miles off the coast near Myrtle Beach,

A sixth police officer has been sacked for his involvement in the death of Tyre Nichols, who was beaten by police last month. Mr Nichols was left in a critical condition after several officers punched, kicked and hit him with a baton in Memphis, Tennessee, after he was pulled over on suspicion of reckless driving

US secretary of state Antony Blinken said that China’s spy balloon was “detrimental” to “substantive discussions” that were due to take place on his visit. Mr Blinken said he spoke to the director of the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Foreign Affairs Office, Wang Yi, on Friday about the postponement of the visit, saying: “Conditions were

Keanu Reeves has been granted a restraining order against a man who allegedly made a number of unwanted visits to his home – including going to sleep in his back garden. The Hollywood star, known for his roles in The Matrix and John Wick franchises, said the alleged incidents had caused him to be “substantially

The US military is tracking a suspected Chinese spy balloon that has been flying over northwestern America in recent days. A senior defence official said the US has “very high confidence” the balloon was flying over sensitive sites to collect information. “Clearly the intent of this balloon is for surveillance,” the official said. It was

Hollywood actor Alec Baldwin will make his first appearance in a US court on 24 February over the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. Baldwin, 64, faces two counts of involuntary manslaughter stemming from the incident on the set of the Rust movie in October 2021. He was formally charged with the offences by the

Tyre Nichols’ mother said “blood is going to be on the hands” of Congressmen and women if they fail to pass a bill that would limit immunity for US police officers. US vice president Kamala Harris and celebrated civil rights activist Rev Al Sharpton urged Congress to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act

NFL legend Tom Brady has announced for the second time that he will be retiring. Speaking on a Twitter video, the quarterback said: “I know the process was a pretty big deal last time, so when I woke up this morning I figured to just press record and let you guys know first.” “You only

Hollywood actor Alec Baldwin has been formally charged in New Mexico with involuntary manslaughter over the fatal shooting of a cinematographer on the set of the western film Rust. Baldwin has vowed to fight the two counts against him, with his lawyer calling the case a “terrible miscarriage of justice”. A live round killed Halyna

A farmworker charged with killing seven people at two mushroom farms in California told police he carried out the shootings after his supervisor demanded he paid $100 (£81) to repair a damaged forklift truck. San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe told the Bay Area News Group that Chunli Zhao was enraged by the equipment

Three emergency workers have been fired over their response to Tyre Nichols after he was beaten by police. The Memphis Fire Department said it had fired two emergency medical technicians and an emergency vehicle driver after an investigation found they failed to provide adequate medical care. Mr Nichols was left in critical condition after several

He’s never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down – but he is potentially gonna sue you if you (allegedly) impersonate his distinctive baritone. Rick Astley has filed a lawsuit against the rapper Yung Gravy over the song Betty (Get Money), which was released in 2022. Here is a look at what’s happened

When watching the horrific video of Tyre Nichols being kicked and punched by police officers, many minds in America were transported back to footage of another black man being beaten in similar circumstances more than 30 years ago. The video of Rodney King is grainy and shaky, before the era of police-worn body cameras and