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Emergency services urged people to avoid Canal and Bourbon Street in the city's French Quarter as teams attended the scene. Police said two officers were also shot by the driver of the car

I photograph people with non-western features, and pay homage to our profiles and the history in our facesSo when are you getting your nose job?" was a question 11-year-old me would often hear at my Iranian family gatherings in London. I had started saving my pocket money for the procedure when I was about seven. I would spend my evenings after school pressing down hard on the hump on my nose until the skin went red. I would push the tip up and flare my nostrils the way the YouTube video on how to make your nose smaller taught me. I would sleep with tape holding the tip of my nose up, praying for changes in the morning.It is common for people with Iranian heritage to have noses that are slightly bigger relative to the rest of their features, with a pronounced bridge and a downward droop. Different to the more commonly idealised smaller, straight or sloped and upturned western nose. With continuous exposure to western beauty standards through the media and celebrities, surgical alterations to the nose became a widespread and longstanding trend in Iranian society. Post-revolution, it became a sign of status and a way for women to align themselves with their admiration for western society and its apparent progressiveness. With time, men got in on the trend too. It has become a rite of passage, where parents will typically even gift" the procedure to their children. Continue reading...

Timothy Snyder says world's richest man is likely to exert uncomfortable influence over White HouseAllies and aides to Donald Trump should be increasingly concerned by Elon Musk's proximity to and influence on the US president-elect, the Yale historian and bestselling author Timothy Snyder said.Trump is a little guy, and Musk is a big guy when it actually comes to having money," Snyder said. And I think if you were a friend of Trump, you would be worried." Continue reading...

Will there be another pandemic, how will the world deal with social media, and is any alcohol good for you? Here's what I thinkBlink and another year goes by: but 2025 brings a chance for a fresh start, and some reflection on where we have got to and what is to come. I don't have a crystal ball and I can't fully predict what the year will bring (astrology is still not a recognised science at the University of Edinburgh, where I work), but what I can do is draw on my expertise and data signals from around the world to suggest seven topics in public health - from potential pandemics to widespread weight-loss drugs - that I believe are likely to be important in the coming months.So first with the not so cheery news: bird flu will continue its worrying prominence. Since my last column, the US has confirmed the first severe case of H5N1 in Louisiana from a patient infected with the strain circulating in birds (in contrast to the mild infections in humans linked to the strain in cattle). California has also issued a state of emergency over the growing number of humans infected with the disease and concerns it could mutate further. Given how widespread H5N1 is in birds, wild and domestic, across the world, and in dairy cows in the US, human infections will continue to be detected. The question is whether these remain isolated cases, each tied to contact with an infected animal, or whether we start to see clusters of human cases in the coming months - the latter would suggest the virus could be transmitting between humans, which would be the next major step in a pandemic scenario. Let's hope this remains a scenario and not a future reality.Prof Devi Sridhar is chair of global public health at the University of Edinburgh Continue reading...

After an attack by riot police in Cairo, I returned to the US with both arms in plaster, and found there would always be a place at the table for me

I am an academic, a mother, no threat to anyone. Yet those I love have been injured and killed, and I have endured indescribable hardshipsI am a Palestinian mother with a bachelor's degree in physics and a master's degree, and I am currently a doctoral student. I work as a lecturer at Gaza's University College of Science and Technology.I married my first husband when I was 22 years old. We had two children: our son, Shihab, who is now 19, and our daughter, Maryam, who is 17. Tragically, in 2007, my husband was killed in a painful accident that I witnessed. I suffered a psychological breakdown and, after several years, married again, to my first husband's brother. I became his second wife; he already had a wife and three children: Asmaa, 16, Ali, 13, and Muhammad, 12. Together, we had four children: Zeina, now 12, Yassin, 11, Naseeba, eight, and Zain al-Din, two. Continue reading...

At least 10 people were injured and eight were hospitalised after a balloon-dropping machine pulled down a display during an event at an arcade in Peabody, Massachusetts. Video filmed at In the Game arcade by event attendee Terri Whitaker shows the moment the display came crashing down onto a crowd

Antony Vo, 32, convicted over January 6 riot, was supposed to begin nine-month prison term but instead fled to CanadaAn American man who absconded after being sentenced to prison for his role in the US Capitol riot is now seeking political asylum in Canada, as he hopes for a pardon when Donald Trump returns to the White House.Antony Vo, 32, was sentenced to nine months behind bars and ordered to report to a federal prison on 14 June 2024, but instead he fled to Canada. Continue reading...

The incident occurred in the heart of Manhattan and a man has been taken into custody, but charges are yet to be filedA man waiting for the subway in Manhattan was pushed in front of an oncoming train on Tuesday afternoon, but survived with injuries to his leg and head, according to the New York police department.The apparent attack comes less than two weeks after a woman died after being set on fire on a stationary train in New York, an act of violence that horrified the city. Continue reading...

She isn't young, and yet she remains outspoken, passionate, and alive to the world in ways that many aren'tMy friendships have mostly been with people of a similar age, but that all changed when my 85-year-old neighbour left a CD in my letterbox after hearing my young son drumming wildly in our garage. She wrapped the CD in a note written in her finest hand, explaining that she thought he might enjoy the sounds of her friend's band, The Necks.Others in our street had understandably complained about the endless noise because the sound reverberated through their walls, creeping into their quiet spaces, and ruining their days. Continue reading...

Debra Lee Miller, 26, was killed in her apartment in 1981 by James Vanest, who was shot dead by police last monthThe murder of an 18-year-old woman in Ohio 43 years ago has been solved with the help of DNA technology, authorities announced on Monday.Jason Bammann, the Mansfield police chief, said the cold case of Debra Lee Miller, a local waitress beaten to death with an oven grate in her apartment on 29 April 1981, was finally solved when DNA of a man shot dead by police was linked to the crime scene. Continue reading...

Roy Cooper's historic clemency action comes a week after Biden's resentencings shielded dozens from executionThe governor of North Carolina has granted commutations to 15 people on death row on his final day in office, changing their sentences to life without the possibility of parole.Roy Cooper, a Democrat, announced his clemency action on New Year's Eve, prompting praise from opponents of capital punishment, who have advocated for mass commutations to thwart executions. Continue reading...

Agents discovered more than 150 pipe bombs and other devices in raid on home of Brad Spafford, 36, documents sayA federal judge has granted bond to a Virginia man accused of holding extremist views and amassing what prosecutors say is the largest ever cache of homemade explosives found by the FBI. The judge stayed the order pending government appeal.Agents found the weapons, including more than 150 pipe bombs and explosive devices, during a 17 December raid on a 20-acre property in Isle of Wight county, according to court documents. Continue reading...

Eight hospitalized after attempted balloon drop at Peabody family fun center knocked over display, which fell about 12ftTen people were injured when a Lego display collapsed on to a crowd at an arcade center in Massachusetts, police said.Peabody police said the incident took place on Tuesday at the In the Game family fun center when a display was pulled down by balloons attached to it, causing it to fall". Continue reading...

We are the wealthiest nation on Earth. There is no rational reason as to why we are not the healthiest nation on EarthOver the past year, I've had the privilege of serving as chair of the US Senate committee on health, education, labor and pensions (Help). As I leave that position, let me reflect upon where I think our country should be going in healthcare, and the obstacles we face.We are the wealthiest nation on Earth. There is no rational reason as to why we are not the healthiest nation on Earth. We should be leading the world in terms of life expectancy, disease prevention, low infant and maternal mortality, quality of life and human happiness. Sadly, study after study shows just the opposite. Despite spending almost twice as much per capita on healthcare, we trail most wealthy nations in all these areas.Bernie Sanders is a US senator, and chair of the health education labor and pensions committee. He represents the state of Vermont, and is the longest-serving independent in the history of Congress Continue reading...

Nearly entire island without electricity as Luma Energy estimates it will take at least 24 hours to restore powerPuerto Rico is experiencing a widespread power outage after the power grid collapsed, affecting nearly the entire island.Nearly 1.3 million people are without power. Continue reading...

Opponents say rule could hike premiums by 40% and does not require new policies to be written at fast enough paceInsurance companies that stopped providing home coverage to hundreds of thousands of Californians in recent years as wildfires became more destructive will have to again provide policies in fire-prone areas if they want to keep doing business in the state.The new state regulation, announced on Monday, will require home insurers to offer coverage in high-risk areas, something the state has never done, the office of the California insurance commissioner, Ricardo Lara, said in a statement. Continue reading...

It took nine days to identify Debrina Kawam, 57, of Toms River, New Jersey, after she burned to death in BrooklynThe woman who was set on fire in a subway car in New York on 22 December, horrifying New Yorkers and renewing a debate over city safety, has been identified as 57-year-old Debrina Kawam, of Toms River, New Jersey.The victim's identity, released by the New York police department, came nine days after the fatal incident. Investigators had previously said they were using forensics and video surveillance to identify the victim. Continue reading...

Despite Donald Trump's endorsement, Johnson is facing criticism for his handling of the government budget battleA senior Texas Republican congressman has said that the House speaker, Mike Johnson, does not yet have the votes to be re-elected to the speakership ahead of an election to be held later this week.Representative Chip Roy told Fox Business's Varney & Co that he was undecided on supporting the Louisiana Republican, despite Donald Trump issuing a full-throated endorsement of Johnson on Monday. Continue reading...

Nearly one in four doctors say the practice of prior authorization has led to serious issues for patientsIn the wake of the killing of Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, and the outpouring of frustration about insurance coverage, prior authorizations have emerged as a particular roadblock in healthcare.Prior authorization requires medical providers to get an insurer's approval before patients receive healthcare or medications. Continue reading...

After reported fatal beating of Robert Brooks, Kathy Hochul says she will not be satisfied' until system's culture shiftsNew York's governor, Kathy Hochul, announced a number of policy changes to the state's department of corrections and community supervision (DOCCS) on Monday, following the release of brutal footage showing correctional guards apparently beating a detained man to death.Hochul visited the Marcy correctional facility following the death of Robert Brooks, an imprisoned Black man who was beaten by facility correctional staff in a medical examining room. During her visit, Hochul met with prisoners to discuss the facility's conditions and announced the appointment of a new permanent superintendent for the Marcy prison. Continue reading...

Treasury department said entities tried to stoke socio-political tensions and influence' the 2024 US electionsThe United States on Tuesday imposed sanctions on entities in Iran and Russia, accusing them of attempting to interfere in the US election this year.The US treasury department in a statement said the entities - a subsidiary of Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps and an organization affiliated with Russia's military intelligence agency - aimed to stoke socio-political tensions and influence the US electorate during the 2024 US election". Continue reading...

Officials have faced threats and harassment campaigns since 2020. Here's where election denialism stands nowWhen the Gwinnett county board of elections held its monthly meeting on 20 November just outside of Atlanta, the county's election director, Zach Manifold, noticed something was different.For months leading up to the presidential election, there had been a steady stream of people who would come to speak at the board's meetings, many of them concerned about the potential for fraud or wrongdoing. But this time around, weeks after Donald Trump's victory both in Georgia and in the US presidential election, fewer than a half-dozen people signed up to speak during the public comment portion of the meeting. Continue reading...

Attorney wants case to be transferred to state before new prosecutor takes office as resentencing hearing nearsThe public and legal drive to free Erik and Lyle Menendez, the notorious Los Angeles brothers who murdered their parents Jose and Mary Kitty" Menendez in 1989, has taken a new political turn as they await a resentencing hearing a month into the new year.An attorney - representing 24 family members of Kitty and Jose Menendez who support the brothers' release - plans to file a petition to transfer the case from Los Angeles county to the California attorney general's office, citing a conflict of interest. Continue reading...

Op-ed highlights business interests of tech billionaire who spent $250m to elect TrumpElon Musk's mounting influence in Donald Trump's inner circle has triggered alarm from a former US military chief, who warns the tech billionaire and Trump confidant's deep ties to Beijing could compromise national security.Lt Gen Russel Honore condemned Musk's web of Chinese business interests - including $1.4bn in state bank loans and a Tesla factory subject to Beijing's stringent information-sharing laws - in a New York Times op-ed as he questioned the SpaceX chief's fitness to shape White House policy. Continue reading...

Ridah Bin Saleh al-Yazidi was held without charge for more than 20 years as prison facilitates burst of transfersA Tunisian national who had become one of Guantanamo Bay's longest-held detainees has been released from the US military compound, the Pentagon announced on Monday night.Ridah Bin Saleh al-Yazidi was transferred to his home country after being held without charge since the detention facility opened in January 2002. The 59-year-old appeared in one of the detention centre's most iconic photographs, showing detainees kneeling in the open-air compound of Camp X-Ray. Continue reading...

The government has promised to fix the housing affordability crisis. Relying on the private sector will only make things worseThis Christmas, bailiffs have been busy. Evictions in England and Wales rose by 11.2% compared with the same period last year, leaving thousands of families without a home in the coldest months. Now, new research has revealed that private landlords in England are charging such high rents that nearly two-thirds of workers are struggling to pay it.The study, commissioned by the housing charity Shelter, found that nearly 4.5 million people are falling behind on their rent or having trouble covering its rising cost. It is gloomy news for the government, which has put fixing Britain's chronic housing-affordability crisis at the heart of its agenda, but under whose watch life for private renters continues to deteriorate.Phineas Harper is a writer and curator Continue reading...

The Georgian was a campaigner for human rights, democracy and public health - and a devoted husbandIt was the spring of 2014 and I was at the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Washington to interview Jimmy Carter. The former president had just published a new book on women's rights and was keen to make his case. The abuse of women and girls was, he believed, the worst human rights violation of the time and he was determined to issue a global call to action on the subject.He argued passionately and eloquently, rolling though a litany of abuses women and girls around the world face: rape and violence in war, trafficking, infanticide and, in his own country, an epidemic of sexual assault at universities. Continue reading...

The problem with the 4B movement is that it plays into the idea that sex is labour: work women do for menSince Trump's election win in the US, the idea of a sex strike", linked to a form of women's activism that began in South Korea, has taken hold on social media. Like many things that become a mainstream buzzword, it is in fact about much more than the literal meaning of those words.This iteration of the 4B movement" is giving a voice and useful banner to women's fear and rage across a nation that is increasingly refusing to provide basic reproductive rights and healthcare. Women are understandably scared about the consequences of unplanned pregnancy or pregnancy complications after the repeal of Roe v Wade. In addition, the so-called attitude gap between young adult women and men - that has seen young men move to the political right, while young women have remained largely more liberal - is no doubt also adding to what is being labelled by policy experts as a fertility crisis, but which is, in fact, a crisis in women's lack of choice.Finn Mackay is the author of Female Masculinities and the Gender Wars, and a senior lecturer in sociology at the University of the West of England in Bristol Continue reading...

In Plains, residents remember the 39th US president as just a regular guy', good neighbor and Sunday school teacherThe signs, made by hand or machine, less than a meter squared or the size of a truck, were everywhere in this small town on Monday: Thank you, Jimmy Carter." Home of Jimmy Carter." And, left over from October: Happy 100th birthday."Smiling portraits of the 39th president of the US were hanging around the town where he was born and raised - at city hall, in a restaurant. Continue reading...

Israel uses it to silence critics of its Gaza war while the right uses it to attack opponents. Meanwhile, the issue itself goes unaddressedWhen the international criminal court issued arrest warrants for Israeli officials in November, the response from the country's government was all too familiar. The prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, rejected outright the warrants for alleged war crimes in Gaza against him and the former defence minister Yoav Gallant, calling them an antisemitic decision". The ultranationalist national security adviser, Itamar Ben-Gvir, declared that the court had shown once again that it is antisemitic through and through". And the transport minister, Miri Regev, chimed in, claiming: This is modern antisemitism in the guise of justice."Bleakly, none of this was a surprise. Over a year into Israel's assault on Gaza, which some experts have described as a genocide, accusations of antisemitism raised to counter criticism of Israel have gone into overdrive. Such claims have been made against protesters crying out for an end to the bloodshed in Gaza and against the UN and aid agencies warning of a humanitarian catastrophe. They have been levelled at global news channels and the international court of justice; against actors, artists, pop stars and even British-Jewish film-makers. So sweepingly and speech-chillingly are such claims made by Israel's diehard defenders that the very term antisemitism" is losing its meaning. It is exactly as the British-Jewish philosopher Brian Klug warned 20 years ago: When antisemitism is everywhere, it is nowhere." Blanket misuse has, troublingly, turned the term into a feature on an Israeli politician's lingo-bingo scorecard.Rachel Shabi is the author of Off-White: The Truth About AntisemitismDo you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here. Continue reading...

The progressive Missouri representative says she won't stop fighting for wages, housing justice and police accountabilityCori Bush may be leaving Congress this month, but she is determined to stay in the fight for the future of the Democratic party and the direction of the country.Bush, a two-term progressive representative from Missouri who lost her primary race in August amid an onslaught of spending by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (Aipac), looks back on her four years in the House with pride as she prepares to start a new chapter of her political career. Continue reading...

Life can seem like an endless process of ticking off bucket-list items. But I've learned that a simpler year can be a blessingTime is elusive: there are entire years where nothing seems to happen, and then a day comes by where it feels as though everything happens at once. I've listened to conversations over the last few weeks about resolutions and goals - people want to effect change, measure their progress in targets achieved over months. This time last year, I had every intention of making 2024 add up to something substantial. But the vague futility of that human urge to make every calendar year count" was laid bare. Nothing much happened.I've since concluded that 2024 was a filler year". To me, this type of year is best understood by what it isn't: a big year". In the latter, you might check off a bucket-list milestone. A serendipitous meeting with a future partner could change the course of your life. You could start your dream job, or take on a new role as a parent or godparent. Conversely, a big year could be shaped by profound loss or a random cruelty that redefines who you are. In comparison, a filler year feels empty, insubstantial, unmemorable. Continue reading...

I'd planned the perfect one-woman sober New Year's non-party. The night turned into something odder and more catharticI scattered my parents' ashes in the backyard of my childhood home on New Year's Eve 10 years ago, drunk on grief and prosecco, and buzzed on a borrowed joint and stale fruitcake.This wasn't exactly how I'd planned to memorialize my parents. The evening had started innocently enough. A few hours earlier, I had been sipping tea and spooning my cat under a waning moon, with a new Ikea comforter and a fresh bag of Swedish fish. I had resigned myself to an evening devoid of social expectations and alcohol, of endlessly searching for the perfect plan and of the disappointment of never finding it.Shanti L Nelson is a writer and photographerDo you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here. Continue reading...

Tenth and final payment means the 40,000-plus Ponzi scheme victims will have recovered 93% of investment lossesA US government fund to compensate people swindled by Bernie Madoff is making its final round of payments, taking the total paid from the fund to the late fraudster's victims to $4.3bn (3.4bn).The Madoff Victim Fund is paying out $131.4m from forfeited assets to 23,408 people around the globe in the 10th and final distribution, according to a statement by the Department of Justice (DoJ). Continue reading...

The 61-year-old coach has a Chargers team that finished 5-12 last year headed to the playoffs. All they needed was the sort of attitude adjustment he's famous for inspiringNot long after Jim Harbaugh was hired in January to coach the Los Angeles Chargers at a handsome $16m per season, he picked out the stalwarts on his roster. Stalwarts is not a typical football term, but Harbaugh loves stalwarts - those who are truly committed to the cause.The Chargers were coming off a 5-12 season in which head coach Brandon Staley was fired with three games to play, so it would figure that the quirky Harbaugh's stalwart safari would not be too fruitful. But he found maybe 15 stalwarts, and there would be a great place to start. Continue reading...

On the heels of another sports year that was chock full of surprises, Guardian US contributors make their bold predictions for the months to comeHere are our bold predictions for 2025 in sports. Please note the bold (or should that be bold?) in bold predictions: these are mostly to be taken with a pinch of salt. Continue reading...

Brutal cuts to culture subsidies are about to make the city a welcoming place only for the lazy work of rich kid artistsIn 2003, Berlin had just woken up from a decade-long fever dream: the Wall had fallen, the city had reunited and the two German states had a common capital once again. Financially, Berlin's awakening was a total hangover: billions in debt had piled up and unemployment had reached an all-time high. Culturally, however, the city was blooming. The arts and nightlife were bustling like a never-ending after-hours party on the leftovers of the cold war. This parallelism of decay and pleasure was described by the then mayor, Klaus Wowereit, in an interview that year as poor but sexy".The phrase was so cheesy and so powerful, it became a slogan for Berlin's image in subsequent years, drawing young creatives from all over the world to the city's promising subculture scenes and its relatively affordable housing. One of these young people was me. In 2012, when I had just graduated from university, I planned to stay in Berlin for the summer. Twelve years on, I am still here.Fatma Aydemir is a Berlin-based author, novelist, playwright and a Guardian Europe columnist Continue reading...

For years I was dismissed as lightweight and camp. Now I have a platform to educate people about the mistakes of the pastI am thrilled that in the new year honours list I am being made an MBE. I know some people disapprove of the honours system and others will be outraged that I am accepting an award in the name of the British empire. But I welcome the opportunities I'm hoping the award will bring.I am being honoured as a writer and broadcaster for services to LGBTQ+ culture, but when I was growing up in the 1980s there was hardly any queer culture, and what we had was pretty much underground and undiscussed. When gay men did feature in the media we were demonised as dangerous, Aids-carrying sexual predators who couldn't be trusted around children. At school I suffered terrible homophobic bullying, and when the Tory government introduced section 28, any teachers who may have wanted to defend me weren't legally allowed. So when a letter arrived from the Cabinet Office, telling me I was being recommended by the prime minister to the king for an MBE, I was so proud I burst into tears.Matt Cain is the author of novel One Love, published by Headline. He was formerly editor-in-chief of Attitude and culture editor of Channel 4 NewsDo you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here. Continue reading...

State funeral to be held for former president on national day of mourning before he is buried next to wife in PlainsJimmy Carter, the former US president who died aged 100 on Sunday, will be honored with a state funeral before being laid to rest in his home town of Plains, Georgia, next to his wife, Rosalynn.The proceedings to honor the 39th president of the United States will start on Saturday, when a motorcade accompanying Carter will travel through Plains to his boyhood home. The procession will briefly pause in front of his family's farm. Continue reading...

Aubrey Vanlandingham charged with animal cruelty after reportedly confessing to force-feeding pesticide to goatA Texas teenager has been charged with animal cruelty after she was accused of using pesticide to poison and kill a rival's competition show goat.Authorities allege that Aubrey Vanlandingham, 17, used a drench gun to force-feed toxic pesticide to the goat, named Willie, at a barn at the Vista Ridge high school in Cedar Park in October. Continue reading...

This live blog is now closed. You can see more coverage of the late Jimmy Carter here.Writing in the New York Times, the administrator of the US agency for international development (USAid) Samantha Power, says of Jimmy Carter's legacy:The former president's regard for human rights was an outgrowth of his Christian faith - a faith so animating that he continued to teach Sunday school while president. Carter's embrace of international human rights also grew out of his commitment to civil rights at home.His human rights message had broad appeal in the wake of Watergate and Vietnam, with Americans and many in Congress clamoring for ethics and decency from their leaders.Upon the death of former US president Jimmy Carter, the Norwegian Nobel Committee would like to repeat its praise for his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development."Earlier this fall, the committee had the pleasure of congratulating him on his 100th anniversary, stating that his work in favour of peace, democracy and human rights will be remembered for another 100 years or more. Continue reading...

Letter allegedly written by US official shows contradictions in how government handled mysterious health incidentsA leaked letter purportedly written by a senior US military official and published on social media on Monday highlights stark contradictions in the government's approach to victims of Havana syndrome - a mysterious series of health incidents affecting personnel at embassies and consulates overseas.The letter, dated 24 March 2024 and signed by air force Brig Gen Shannon O'Harren, reassures victims of the anomalous health incidents" (AHIs) that the defense department believed that their experiences and symptoms were real while promising them quality healthcare that never came. Continue reading...

Ian Cramer, 43, son of North Dakota senator Kevin Cramer, sentenced over incident last year in which he fled hospitalThe adult son of the Republican North Dakota US senator Kevin Cramer has been sentenced to serve 28 years in prison in connection with a wild chase in which he fled from a hospital and drove into a deputy's vehicle, killing the deputy.Ian Cramer, 43, pleaded guilty in September to all of the charges against him, including homicide while fleeing a peace officer, preventing arrest, reckless endangerment, fleeing an officer and drug- and driving-related offenses. Those charges related to the chase and crash in December last year that killed the Mercer county sheriff's deputy Paul Martin, 53. Continue reading...

President-elect gives total endorsement' amid discontent among fellow Republicans with speaker's leadershipDonald Trump has endorsed Mike Johnson for another term as speaker of the House of Representatives, following intense speculation that the Louisiana congressman could face a challenge amid unhappiness with his leadership among fellow Republicans.The president-elect - whose own continued support had appeared uncertain - trumpeted his backing in a social media post that appeared to assure Johnson's re-election speaker after the new Congress is sworn in on Friday. Continue reading...

The UN security council held a minute's silence on Monday in honour of the former US president Jimmy Carter. Before rising to observe the silence, the deputy US ambassador to the UN, Dorothy Camille Shea, read a statement on behalf of the council.The US will observe a national day of mourning for Carter on Thursday 9 January, the White House said in a statement. Carter lived longer than any US president and, after leaving the White House, earned a reputation as a committed humanitarian