US

McDonald’s is testing a coffee shop-style restaurant that puts it in competition with the likes of Starbucks. It’s opening the first CosMc’s in Illinois this month – with the aim of having 10 in the US by 2024 – mainly in Texas to begin with. CosMc’s is described as a “beverage-led concept” that’s “inspired by

Juanita Castro, the younger sister of Cuban rulers Fidel and Raul Castro, who was a CIA informer and outspoken critic against their communist government, has died in Miami aged 90. Florida had been her home since fleeing her homeland nearly 60 years ago. Journalist Maria Antonieta Collins, who co-wrote Juanita Castro’s 2009 book Fidel And

A former Alaska Airlines pilot accused of trying to cut the engines of a Horizon Air flight will not face charges of attempted murder. Joseph Emerson has been indicted on 84 endangerment charges – for each person on the plane – and one charge of endangering an aircraft. He previously pleaded not guilty to attempted

A Texas woman who is 20-weeks pregnant and whose foetus has been diagnosed with a fatal condition has asked a court to allow her to have an abortion. Texas is one of 13 states that bans abortion at nearly all stages of pregnancy. Kate Cox recently learned her unborn child is at a high risk

A highly caffeinated drink sold by US bakery chain Panera Bread has been blamed for two deaths after a second lawsuit was filed on Monday. Dennis Brown is said to have drunk three Charged Lemonades from a Panera Bread on 9 October before suffering a fatal cardiac arrest on his way home in Florida, according

A house exploded as police were investigating reports of gunshots being fired from the property by a man. Footage of the blast in the US showed a huge fireball shoot up into the air as the entire home went up in flames and collapsed, spraying debris all around. Witnesses said the explosion shook nearby buildings

A former US ambassador to Bolivia has been charged with secretly acting as a Cuban agent for “more than 40 years”. Manuel Rocha, who was arrested at his Miami home on Friday, served as the top US diplomat to Bolivia between 2000 and 2002. Prosecutors from the US Justice Department accuse him of promoting the

Four people, including two children, have been killed by a relative in New York, according to police. Those stabbed to death included a 12-year-old boy, an 11-year-old girl, a 44-year-old woman and a man in his 30s. Officers were called to reports of an incident in the city’s Queens borough after a girl said “her

A man suspected of killing three homeless people in a matter of days is already in custody over a separate fatal shooting, Los Angeles police have said. Jerrid Joseph Powell, 33, was identified as the suspect in the spate of deaths this week after being arrested in connection with a robbery at a home in

A giant blow-up Santa has been gunned down in a drive-by shooting in the US – with the deflating deed captured on video. The unfestive act carried out in Lexington, Kentucky, left a gaping 46cm (18in) hole in the Father Christmas and raised concerns other similar inflatable decorations could be targeted by the trigger-happy yobs,

Derek Chauvin – the ex-police officer jailed over the murder of George Floyd – was stabbed 22 times with an “improvised knife” in prison, it has emerged. Fellow inmate John Turscak has been charged with attempted murder following the attack on 24 November, which was Black Friday. The 52-year-old, a former member of the Mexican

Los Angeles police are hunting a potential serial killer after three homeless people were shot dead in separate incidents. The murders took place over a few days – between 26 and 29 November – and the city’s mayor warned rough sleepers on Friday: “Try not to be alone tonight.” CCTV has been released of the

Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman to serve on the US Supreme Court, has died at the age of 93. She was appointed by former president Ronald Reagan in 1981 and retired from America’s highest court in 2006. Ms O’Connor died in Phoenix of complications related to advanced dementia and a respiratory illness, the court

Elon Musk has apologised for endorsing an antisemitic conspiracy theory, admitting it may have been “literally the worst and dumbest post I’ve ever done”. The apology came amid a fiery rant against advertisers who have stopped promoting on his social media platform X. The advertising row, which has seen Disney and Warner Bros pull their

The world of US politics has paid tribute to former secretary of state Henry Kissinger who has died aged 100. Dr Kissinger’s family announced he had passed away at his home in Connecticut on Wednesday. The daughters of President Richard Nixon, who their father served under as secretary of state and national security adviser during

Former United States secretary of state Henry Kissinger has died aged 100. He passed away at his home in Connecticut on Wednesday, according to a statement from Kissinger Associates Inc. The veteran politician had major influence on American foreign policy under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. Born in Germany in 1923, Mr Kissinger fled

Elon Musk has been accused of promoting a long-debunked conspiracy theory which alleged high-profile Democrats ran a paedophile abuse ring from a Washington pizza restaurant. The billionaire posted and later deleted a meme referencing “Pizzagate” on X on Tuesday, NBC News reports. It was an image from TV show The Office, with fake dialogue superimposed

Beyoncé’s mother has defended the star against “racist” accusations she lightened her skin for the premiere of her movie Renaissance. Tina Knowles said she had seen “stupid, ignorant, self-hating racist statements” about Beyoncé “lightening her skin” and “wearing platinum hair wanting to be white”. The mother-of-two, in a statement posted on Instagram, said she was

Friends, family and dignitaries gathered in Atlanta, Georgia, on Tuesday night to honour former first lady Rosalynn Carter, who died last week at the age of 96. Jimmy Carter, the 99-year-old US president between 1977 and 1981, was in attendance, despite being on hospice care himself, and wore a blue and white blanket which was

Sex And The City actress Cynthia Nixon is among activists who have begun a hunger strike to demand US President Joe Biden calls for a permanent ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. Politicians from five US states are also taking part in the action that began on Monday. Nixon, who formerly ran for mayor of New