US

A former American defence intelligence analyst, who became a Cold War-era double agent and spied for Cuba, has been freed from jail. The Federal Bureau of Prisons website shows 65-year-old Ana Montes was released after 20 years of a quarter-of-a century sentence. During her time as an analyst, she admitted revealing the identities of four

A teacher who was critically injured when she was shot by a six-year-old pupil in the US is showing signs of improvement, authorities say. The woman in her 30s was shot in class by the boy during an altercation on Friday and it was not accidental, according to police. Phillip Jones, the mayor of the

Republican Kevin McCarthy has been elected as the new US Speaker after winning the 15th vote as tensions boiled over in Congress. Mr McCarthy’s party had taken control of the House – the US lower chamber – following the midterm elections in the autumn, with a slim 222-212 majority. Usually, election of the Speaker follows

Republican Kevin McCarthy is inching towards securing enough support to become speaker of the US House of Representatives – with 15 more people voting for him in the latest ballot. But the extra backing for Mr McCarthy is still not enough for him yet to succeed outgoing Speaker, Democrat Nancy Pelosi. Therefore, members will be

The US House of Representatives has adjourned after failing to vote for a new speaker for the 11th time. Republican Party leader Kevin McCarthy has failed in every round to secure the 218 votes needed to win, and the House will now carry out a 12th round of voting at noon on Friday. The loss

A woman who lived in the same house where four University of Idaho students were murdered says she saw a masked man in black clothing walking towards her, according to an investigator. The unidentified housemate said she awoke to the sound of crying and opened her second-floor door around 4am and stood in “frozen shock”

People living in high-risk coastal areas of California have been ordered to leave their homes as another fierce storm hits the state. Around 100,000 people in the San Francisco Bay (76,000) and Central Coast areas (19,000) have been left without power by the latest storm, which has seen flights and school lessons cancelled. California Governor

The US House of Representatives has adjourned after six votes over two days failed to produce a new speaker. The lower house must elect a new leader after the Republicans took control of it in the midterm elections in November, securing a slim 222-212 majority. In a second day of voting on Wednesday, representatives failed

The man suspected of stabbing to death four university students in their beds will be taken to Idaho to face murder charges after he voluntarily agreed to be extradited. Bryan Kohberger, 28, appeared in court in Pennsylvania, where he was arrested in a raid on his family home last week. He is alleged to have

Marvel actor Jeremy Renner has thanked fans on social media after he was critically injured by a snow plough. On Instagram, he shared a picture from his hospital bed and wrote: “Thank you for all your kind words. I’m too messed up now to type. But I send love to you all.” The post came

American football player Damar Hamlin is in a “critical condition” in hospital after collapsing on the pitch during an NFL game. Medical staff rushed on to the field in Cincinnati on Monday and gave the Buffalo Bills safety CPR for about 10 minutes after he suddenly fell to the floor when a tackle impacted his

Marvel actor Jeremy Renner is in a “critical but stable” condition in hospital following a “weather-related accident”. The 51-year-old was airlifted to hospital on Sunday following the incident, which occurred while he was “ploughing snow”, his spokesperson told US media. Renner is with his family and “receiving excellent care”, the spokesperson added. It comes after

An airport worker has died after being “ingested” into a plane engine in the US state of Alabama. The accident happened about 3pm on Saturday at Montgomery Regional Airport after American Airlines Flight 3408 had arrived from Dallas. The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said the ground crew worker was “ingested into the engine”

Heavy rain and snowfall have hit parts of California, just days after a brutal bomb cyclone struck the US. As Californians prepared to ring in the New Year, officials issued evacuation orders for some northern areas of the US state due to the risk of flooding. Towns and villages around the city of Sacramento and

Specialist terrorism experts are investigating an attack involving a machete on police in New York that left three officers hurt. A man wielding the weapon attacked officers outside the security cordon for the city’s main Times Square celebrations at about 10pm on New Year’s Eve. Police commissioner Keechant Sewell told reporters: “Unprovoked, a 19-year-old male