Simone Biles has pulled out of another two Olympics finals, USA Gymnastics has said. The four-time Olympic gold medallist has ruled herself out of the vault and uneven bars finals in Tokyo. On Thursday, she withdrew from the all-round final – citing a desire to protect her mental health. Image: The 24-year-old has won four
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Donald Trump’s tax returns must be given to congressional investigators by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the US Justice Department has said. In a memo on Friday, the department’s Office of Legal Counsel said the Treasury should provide the House Ways and Means Committee with the former Republican president’s tax details. The move could bring
The amount of ice that melted from Greenland on Tuesday alone would be enough to cover the whole US state of Florida in two inches of water, scientists have warned. The autonomous Danish territory is suffering significant melting as Arctic temperatures soar. While the number of gigatons lost is not as extreme as in 2019,
President Joe Biden has called on states and local authorities in the US to offer residents $100 (£71) to get vaccinated against COVID-19. State and local governments will be able to access a $350bn (£250bn) coronavirus aid fund to pay for the incentives, the US Treasury has promised. Federal workers and onsite contractors will also
Amazon’s new boss is facing a sales slowdown as the breakneck pace of expansion fuelled by stay-at-home shopping eases. Andy Jassy, who took over from founder Jeff Bezos earlier this month, saw shares fall 7% in after-hours trading as his first set of results as chief executive revealed revenues short of Wall Street expectations. Second
The trailer for King Richard has been released, offering a first look at Will Smith as the father of tennis icons Venus and Serena Williams. The film is based on the true story of the Williams sisters‘ rise to stardom, told from the perspective of their father Richard. It will show how Williams raised his
A tsunami warning has been issued for Hawaii after an 8.2 magnitude earthquake struck off the Alaska Peninsula. Alerts have been issued for the US state, as well as the Peninsula and Pacific coastal areas from Hinchinbrook Entrance to Unimak Pass, and the territory of Guam. The quake struck at 10.15pm on Wednesday local time,
Dusty Hill, the bassist in the American rock group ZZ Top, has died aged 72. A statement on the band’s Instagram account read: “We are saddened by the news today that our Compadre, Dusty Hill, has passed away in his sleep at home in Houston, TX. “We, along with legions of ZZ Top fans around
A man has been jailed for life after killing a 21-year-old student who mistook his car for her Uber ride. It took just over an hour for a jury in the US state of South Carolina to convict Nathaniel Rowland of abducting and murdering Samantha Josephson. Ms Josephson, from New Jersey, had got into Rowland’s
Simone Biles says mental health concerns were behind her shock withdrawal from the team gymnastics final at the Tokyo Olympics as she admitted: “I just didn’t want to go on”. Biles, the US superstar who some consider the greatest female gymnast of all time, was bidding for six gold medals coming into the competition, but
The remains of the final unaccounted for victim of the apartment block collapse in Miami have been identified, her family have said. Estelle Hedaya, 54, was the last victim to be confirmed – more than one month after the catastrophe that claimed 98 lives and became the largest non-hurricane related emergency response in Florida. Her
President Joe Biden is to end the US military’s combat mission in Iraq by the end of the year after coming to an agreement with Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi. During a meeting with the Iraqi leader on Monday, Mr Biden said that US counter-terrorism cooperation will continue and America’s role in Iraq will be
Two weeks after the largest anti-government demonstrations in decades in Cuba, activist groups say more than 500 protestors are still missing. Thousands of people across the island marched through the streets in several towns and cities on 11 July, calling for democracy and sweeping economic reform in the country amid major food and medicine shortages.
It turns out the rumours were true – Jennifer Lopez has finally confirmed that she’s back with her old boyfriend Ben Affleck by posting a picture of them on Instagram. Burying the snap at the end of a birthday photoshoot, the 52-year-old has excited fans of early noughties nostalgia as she is seen kissing Affleck
R Kelly is facing additional accusations in his sex trafficking case, including one that he had sexual contact with an underage boy that he met in a McDonald’s. In a court filing on Friday, federal prosecutors in the US revealed the latest raft of allegations (but not charges) against the rapper in his ongoing case.
The US government has requested to keep Anne Sacoolas’s job a secret in the Harry Dunn damages case due to “national security” concerns. The 19-year-old’s parents Charlotte Charles and Tim Dunn travelled to the US last month to pursue a civil case against his alleged killer Mrs Sacoolas, as well as her husband Jonathan. Harry