US News

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

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

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

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.

California has introduced a new bill that restricts the use of rap lyrics as evidence in court. It follows the recent indictments of US rappers Young Thug and Gunna, whose lyrics have been directly quoted at them in an ongoing legal trial. Young Thug has been accused of co-founding a gang as well as possessing

Eyewitness: ‘This is like an A-bomb hit the place’ The barrier islands off the coast of southwest Florida bore the brunt of Hurricane Ian’s fury. Sanibel Island used to be a picture-perfect holiday spot with its wide, white sand beaches and clear waters. The rich and famous have houses on the waterfront, alongside families who

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, 3m (10ft) high in places, washed away homes and businesses. The seafront has been levelled – now littered with the remnants of the shops

Hurricane Ian has caused unprecedented damage after trapping people in flooded homes and leaving more than two million without power, says Florida’s governor. Ron DeSantis called the damage “historic” and disaster officials believe thousands could be displaced in the long term. US President Joe Biden has declared a major disaster, releasing federal funds to pay

One of the most powerful storms in US history has barrelled into Florida’s southwest coast with sustained winds of up to 150mph (241kph) and torrential rain. Hurricane Ian made landfall near Cayo Costa as an “extremely dangerous” category four storm but was close to being the maximum level of five (when there are winds of

Hurricane Ian has knocked out power across all of Cuba, leaving 11 million people without electricity, after it slammed into the island’s western tip. Cuba‘s Electric Union said power was initially knocked out for about one million people in the country’s western provinces, but later the entire grid collapsed. The hurricane made landfall as a

Residents and holidaymakers in Florida have been warned not to be complacent, as storm-in-a-century Hurricane Ian’s 140mph winds are expected to affect the whole state. After making landfall in Cuba as a powerful Category 3 storm, it is now feared it will be upgraded to Category 4 as it intensifies while crossing the Gulf’s warm

A combined Chinese and Russian naval convoy, including a guided missile cruiser and a destroyer have been spotted close to an Alaskan island by the US Coastguard. Two other Chinese naval ships and three Russian naval vessels were sighted in the Bering Sea in a single formation 86 miles (138 km) from Kiska Island by

The Royal Navy’s flagship HMS Queen Elizabeth has arrived in New York for its deployment to the United States to host an Anglo-American military conference. The ship dropped anchor within sight of the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbour yesterday. It set sail for the US from Portsmouth on 7 September in place of