US News

The parents of one of the Sandy Hook victims have been awarded $4.1m (£3.3m) in damages in a defamation trial brought against internet conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis, whose six-year-old son Jesse Lewis was among the 20 students and six teachers killed in the attack in Connecticut, successfully sued Jones and

A Russian judge has convicted and sentenced American basketball player Brittney Griner to nine years in prison for drug possession and smuggling. President Joe Biden described the jail term as “unacceptable” and called for her immediate release. Judge Anna Sotnikova said the time Griner has served in custody since her arrest in February would count

Internet conspiracy theorist Alex Jones has admitted that the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre was “100% real” after previously claiming it was a hoax. “Especially since I’ve met the parents. It’s 100% real,” the Infowars host told a court in Texas on Wednesday. Jurors in the trial are hearing evidence to determine how much Jones

A US congresswoman and three others have been killed in a car crash in the state of Indiana. Republican Jackie Walorski died in what police say was a head-on collision in Elkhart County at around 12.30pm on Wednesday. Ms Walorski, 58, had represented Indiana’s 2nd congressional district since 2012. Police say a northbound passenger car

The parents of a six-year-old boy who was shot dead in the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre told conspiracy theorist Alex Jones he has made their lives a “living hell” as they faced him in court. Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis said they have experienced death threats, harassment and ongoing trauma over the last decade

The US has no DNA confirmation of the death of al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in Kabul – but has verified his identity through “multiple” other sources, the White House has said. Al-Zawahiri, one of the masterminds of the 9/11 attacks, was killed in a US drone strike on his home in the Afghan capital

Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri has been killed by a US airstrike in Afghanistan, US President Joe Biden has said. Addressing the nation from the balcony off the White House Blue Room, Mr Biden said “justice has been delivered” after authorising the strike which killed the man who was one of the masterminds of the

A US prisoner who killed his former girlfriend decades ago has been executed despite pleas from the victim’s family to spare his life. Joe Nathan James Jr received a lethal injection at a south Alabama jail after the US Supreme Court refused his request for a stay of execution. James was convicted of murder and

It’s been another awful day for Sheriff Joe Engle and his teams. On the banks of one or so many creeks in this stunning corner of Kentucky, they lift a body onto a stretcher. Three days since the water swept through these rural communities, they are still finding those who didn’t make it. Image: Joe

Wildfires in California and Montana have spiralled overnight, fuelled by hot and windy conditions and threatening neighbourhoods and forcing evacuation orders. In California’s Klamath National Forest, a largely rural area near the Oregon state line, the fast-moving McKinney fire went from scorching just over one square mile (about 2.5 sq km) on Friday, to tearing

It’s the amount of water that passed through these rural Kentucky creeks that is so astonishing. I’m standing by the banks of the river which runs through the town of Hazard. I’m at least 30ft above the current water level. Yet there is mud and debris all around. The water level two nights ago was

Police in Illinois are defending the violent arrest of a 17-year-old after footage of officers punching him in the head sparked protests. The footage showed Hadi Abuatelah, who had fled police after a traffic stop in the village of Oak Lawn, being repeatedly punched in the legs and head by three officers on Wednesday. Police

In this rural part of Kentucky, it’s easy to see how so much rain in such a short time could be so devastating. The topography is perfect for flash floods. Steep hillsides, narrow valleys. And some of America’s poorest communities living in this stunning part of the central United States. From the air, Kentucky’s governor,

At least 15 people have been killed after flash flooding in eastern Kentucky following a series of storms. Torrential rains have devastated the area, with its governor Andy Beshear declaring a state of emergency in six counties. Image: Lost Creek in Kentucky. Pic: AP “We are currently experiencing one of the worst, most devastating flooding

San Francisco has declared a state of emergency in response to the growing spread of monkeypox cases across the city. As of 27 July, 261 people had confirmed or probable monkeypox infections, with health officials warning the figure is likely to rise. The city’s mayor London Breed tweeted: “San Francisco is declaring a Local Public Health Emergency

A 15-year-old boy shot and killed three siblings before turning the gun on himself in Alaska, authorities have announced. The teenager was found dead with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound at a home near the city of Fairbanks after a neighbour reported shots had been fired, a spokesperson for the Alaska State Troopers said. Officers

Relatives of America’s gun violence victims have told Sky News of their disappointment and anger after listening to exchanges between politicians and gun firm bosses at a congressional hearing in Washington “They have no heart. If it was their child they would be moving mountains to get these laws changed. Honestly,” Javier Cazares said. He

China has threatened “firm and resolute measures” if US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi makes her rumoured trip to Taiwan. Mrs Pelosi had planned to visit the island in April, but the trip was cancelled after she tested positive for coronavirus. Her office has not confirmed any details of a rescheduled trip, but her comments last

The US Attorney General has given his clearest indication yet that former President Donald Trump could be prosecuted for his role in attempting to overthrow the result of the 2020 election. In an interview with NBC News, Merrick Garland spoke more explicitly than he has ever before about the Justice Department investigation into the 6

Ghislaine Maxwell has been moved to a low-security prison in Florida, according to official documents. The 60-year-old was found guilty of luring young girls to massage rooms for disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein to molest between 1994 and 2004. She lodged an appeal against the sex trafficking conviction and 20-year sentence earlier this month. Prison documents