US

US President Joe Biden has said the world is facing the biggest threat of nuclear “Armageddon” since the days of President Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis. Speaking at a Democratic Party fundraiser in New York, his ‘off camera’ comments were overheard by journalists from the White House pool. It comes as Russian officials warned

Joe Biden is to pardon thousands of Americans convicted of possessing cannabis. The US president said those with federal convictions for “simple possession” could be “denied employment, housing, or educational opportunities as a result”. He added: “My pardon will remove this burden on them.” In a White House video, the president said he was concerned

US vice president Kamala Harris was involved in a car accident that was initially reported to Secret Service chiefs as a “mechanical failure” – though the vehicle hit a kerb and she was transferred to another car. The agent driving her on Monday to work at the White House struck the side pavement of a

Alec Baldwin and the production company for the film Rust have reached a settlement with the family of Halyna Hutchins, the cinematographer who was fatally shot on set. Following the agreement, filming of Rust will resume in January 2023 – with Ms Hutchins‘ husband Matthew executive producing, he said in a statement. The cinematographer died

A suspected California serial killer appears to be “on a mission” police have said, although they admit they are still baffled as to what that mission is. The gunman has so far shot dead six men and wounded a woman in a 18-month killing spree in the Stockton and Oakland areas. There is a $125,000

Country music star Loretta Lynn has died at the age of 90. Her family said she passed away at her “beloved ranch in Hurricane Mills” in Tennessee. “Our precious mom, Loretta Lynn, passed away peacefully this morning, October 4th, in her sleep at home,” said a statement. Dolly Parton, Carole King and Billy Ray Cyrus

Herschel Walker, a Trump-endorsed Republican nominee for the US Senate in Georgia who has opposed abortion rights, has denied a report claiming he paid for an abortion for a former girlfriend in 2009. The Daily Beast published claims from a woman who said the former NFL star paid for her abortion when they were dating.

Donald Trump is suing CNN for defamation, seeking $475m (£420m) in punitive damages claiming the network had carried out a “campaign of libel and slander” against him. The former US president, 76, says in his lawsuit that CNN had used its considerable influence as a leading news organisation to defeat him politically. The company declined

Police investigating five fatal shootings in California believe a serial killer might be on the loose in the state. Detectives released a grainy image of a “person of interest” after the latest killing shortly before 2am on Tuesday. The surveillance footage image shows an individual from behind who is dressed all in black, with a

A nurse has been reunited with a TV reporter she hailed as her “knight in shining armour” after he carried her to safety on his back when she became trapped in floodwaters as Hurricane Ian hammered Florida. Tonya McCullough had been on her way to work at night in Orlando during the violent storm when

As we drove towards Fort Myers, what struck us first was the traffic. We were one of thousands of cars trying to get into the worst hit area of Hurricane Ian. The queues started the other side of the state. A line of cars, stuffed with bedding, some with strapped on generators, some pulling rowing

At least 77 people have been confirmed dead after Hurricane Ian struck the US – with rescuers desperately searching for survivors among the ruins of flooded homes. The remnants of one of the strongest and costliest hurricanes in American history is now headed north, with authorities in Florida and South Carolina left assessing the damage.

At least 30 people have been killed after one of the most powerful storms ever to strike the US mainland wrought widespread destruction, with the number of dead expected to rise. Hurricane Ian has caused tens of billions of pounds in damage and left around 1.7 million homes and businesses without power, leaving residents to

Hurricane Ian is gaining strength and veering towards the Carolinas – with uncertainty over how many fatalities the storm has caused in Florida. This is one of the strongest-ever storms to hit the US – and emergency crews are trying to reach stranded Floridians after Ian cut a path of destruction across the state. Early

It is the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico that bring people to Fort Myers Beach - but on Wednesday afternoon, they unleashed the fury of Hurricane Ian. A tsunami-like storm surge, three metres (10ft) high in places, washed away homes and businesses. Early reports of ‘substantial loss of life’ – Hurricane Ian updates The seafront