Four amateur astronauts are due to spend about three days in orbit in a world first, after they blasted off from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida on Wednesday evening. The Inspiration4 mission, backed by SpaceX, was organised by entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, who is also one of the passengers. They are the first all-civilian crew
US
The first all-civilian crew ever to orbit the earth have blasted off on their historic mission. The Dragon capsule containing the four citizen astronauts was launched atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. The launch is the latest giant leap in a new era of commercial space travel. One of
Simone Biles broke down in tears as she told Congress the FBI and gymnastics officials turned a “blind eye” to former team doctor Larry Nassar’s sexual abuse of her and other women. Testifying before the Senate judiciary committee, she said “enough is enough” as she and three other US gymnasts spoke about the lasting toll
The US’s top military officer took secret action to limit former president Donald Trump’s ability to launch a military strike or deploy nuclear weapons, according to a new book. Joint Chiefs Chairman General Mark Milley was worried Mr Trump would “go rogue” in the wake of the 6 January attack on the US Capitol. It
Hurricane Nicholas has made landfall along the Texas coast, bringing the threat of up to 20 inches (50cm) of rainfall to parts of the Gulf Coast which have already been battered by storms this year. Nicholas is the 14th named storm of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season. Nearly all of Texas’ coastline is under a
Prince Andrew’s lawyer has said claims of sexual assault against him are “baseless, unviable and potentially unlawful”. Andrew Brettler represented the Duke of York in a pre-trial hearing in New York. The hearing looked at whether the duke was properly served with the lawsuit by accuser Virginia Giuffre, the woman who has launched a civil
Rudy Giuliani has been accused of being drunk after he mocked the Queen and discussed the sexual assault allegations against her son Prince Andrew in a rambling speech to commemorate 9/11. The former New York City mayor and ex-lawyer of Donald Trump addressed the crowd at an annual dinner at the Cipriani restaurant in Manhattan
A US court will hold a pre-trial conference today in the civil suit filed by a woman who claims Prince Andrew sexually assaulted her. The hearing, which will take place in New York City, will look at whether Virginia Giuffre’s legal team has done enough to deliver papers regarding the civil lawsuit to the Duke
Emma Raducanu has tweeted for the first time since becoming the first British woman to win a grand slam in 44 years, posting her delight at bringing home the US Open trophy. The teenager overpowered 19-year-old Leylah Fernandez from Canada, winning 6-4 6-3 in New York on Saturday. Raducanu, 18, tweeted images of herself hugging
The FBI has released a newly declassified document detailing support given to the Saudi hijackers in the lead up to the 9/11 terror attacks. Released on the 20th anniversary of the attacks, it details contact the hijackers had with Saudi associates in the US but does not provide proof senior Saudi government officials were complicit
Families remembered their loved ones 20 years after the 9/11 terror attacks in the US, with grieving relatives vowing to “never forget” those who lost their lives. Six moments of silence were observed in New York City to mark the moments when four commercial planes crashed and when the the two World Trade Center towers
In the spot where the Twin Towers once stood, there is now a calmness – a peace in the heart of New York City. The only sound is water, cascading endlessly into two vast square voids, one for each tower. They are voids that will never be filled, representing holes for so many who mourn
American companies with more than 100 employees must ensure their staff are vaccinated against coronavirus or tested weekly, President Joe Biden has said. He has also tightened the rules for federal employees, saying they have 75 days to get vaccinated. If not, their employment could be terminated unless they are exempt. Previously, they had a
A three-year-old child has been killed and his sister injured after nearly 150 rounds were fired into a home in North Carolina. Eleven people were inside the property in Charlotte when “multiple vehicles” arrived and began shooting shortly before midnight on Tuesday. Police said they responded to multiple calls for help around 11.45pm. They arrived
It’s almost 20 years since the September 11 attacks but for many survivors, the pain and trauma are still raw. Some were left with life-changing physical injuries, while many still struggle with the mental torment caused by the events of that day. One of the most severely injured survivors, Lauren Manning, suffered burns to more
To look at the front page of the New York Times of Tuesday, September 11th, 2001 is to reach back into another era – an era, in many ways, which doesn’t look very different to that of today. The president was under pressure over the economy, there was violence in the Middle East and the
President Joe Biden says climate change has reached “code red” and is now “everybody’s crisis”. Mr Biden spoke as he toured New York neighbourhoods severely impacted by flooding when Ida brought record amounts of rain to the northeastern states, killing at least 64 people. He met people whose homes were destroyed or severely damaged in
Jamie Spears has filed a legal petition to end a controversial conservatorship which has controlled the affairs of his daughter for the last 13 years. Legal documents submitted to Los Angeles Superior Court by Spears on Tuesday state that his daughter Britney “is entitled” to have a judge “seriously consider” whether the arrangement is required.
Cardi B has given birth to her second child with husband rapper Offset, who she filed to divorce from a year ago. The WAP rapper revealed the news on Instagram, with a picture of her newborn son wrapped in a blue blanket. Partner Offset, who is part of the group Migos, is pictured looking at
The Wire actor Michael K Williams has died at the age of 54, police in New York say. Williams, who was known for his role as Omar Little in the hit TV crime drama, was found by officers at his Brooklyn home at around 2pm on Monday. His death is being investigated as a possible