US and Canada

TikTok and its parent company ByteDance will pay the US state of Alabama $100m (£754.5m) and make a series of changes to restrict children’s usage in the state as part of a lawsuit settlement. The deal was reached just before a jury trial was set to begin on Monday. It …

The hanging of a black woman in a tree was “staged” after she was apparently killed in a drug dispute, US police say. Investigators believe Tasia Fortune was already dead before her body was hanged from a tree behind an abandoned home in Jackson, Mississippi. Authorities have not revealed the …

Warning: This story contains distressing details Police in the US state of Mississippi have said that they believe a black woman was already dead before her body was “staged” and placed hanging in a tree, US media reports. The disclosure was made in court by a detective on Friday, who …

Kratom is banned in 11 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, North Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont and Wisconsin. Massachusetts was the last state to make it illegal, issuing a temporary emergency order in August. Ten years earlier, the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) had moved to classify kratom as …

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended his country’s military campaigns in Iran, Gaza and elsewhere in the Middle East in a speech to the UN General Assembly on 24 September. His speech occurred while an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes is in effect. The …

Earlier this week Trump announced that the proposed “Triumphal Arch” would double as a complex to store military equipment, complete with the ability to deploy snipers and drones from the roof and plaza. In a letter to the Pentagon and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Duckworth said they “must reject this …

New York officials arrested two of three men who they said were seen emerging from a manhole, exiting the city’s underground sewer system on Wednesday. The New York Police Department (NYPD) arrested 26-year-old Kevin Rodriguez and 25-year-old Samuel Reveron on charges of conspiracy and trespassing. Three men were seen exiting …

The US Supreme Court has lifted restrictions on the Trump administration to use a controversial federal voter database, which uses citizenship information and other sensitive data to filter alleged non-citizen voting. Critics warn the ruling could lead to valid voters being removed from electoral rolls. The ruling marks a victory …

The war in Iran and cost of living issues at home are set to dominate the upcoming US midterm elections – and could potentially cost the Republican Party control of Congress. As President Donald Trump’s approval ratings continue to drop, Democrats are seeking to retake seats in various battlegrounds – …

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s short visit to the United Nations General Assembly was met with hostility in New York City. At least 100 people protesting against Netanyahu’s visit were detained. Among them were the Oscar-winning actress Susan Sarandon and Emmy-winning actress Hannah Einbinder. Dozens of delegates walked out when …

In a post on his social media site Truth Social, Trump called Copenhaver a “true American patriot”. “More than two years ago in Butler, Pennsylvania, a crazed gunman attempted to stifle our America First Movement. Instead, Jim and so many other wonderful Patriots who love our Country, stood united in …

Canadian prosecutors have dropped charges against two men accused of being involved in a massive gold heist in Toronto in 2023. Amit Jalota and Ali Raza both had charges against them withdrawn last week. More than 6,500 gold bars worth C$20m ($14.5m/£11.6m), were stolen from Toronto Pearson Airport in April …

“The decisions we make in these areas today can promote peace and prosperity for decades and decades to come,” he said. The marching bands and military flyovers on Thursday may serve a larger purpose, however – at least for Trump. “This is a little bit of intentional pageantry to talk …

Canadian authorities have confirmed a shooting near a synagogue in Belleville, Ontario, was a “hate-motivated” attack targeting the Jewish community. The shooting took place outside the Sons of Jacob Synagogue on Sunday night during Yom Kippur, the holiest night in the Jewish calendar. Belleville police chief Murray Rodd said during …

Prime Minister Mark Carney told The New York Times that he had examined the possibility of a US-led military action against Canada, describing it as an “extreme tail risk” that would be irresponsible not to prepare for, even if it remains highly unlikely. The BBC spoke to Canadians from across …

Any conflict would likely be highly imbalanced. The US military has more than 2 million active-duty and reserve troops, while Canada has fewer than 200,000, according to their governments. Similarly, as of 2024, the US possessed 65 military submarines, compared to Canada’s four. Canada, though, has the longest coastline in …

In a statement on Thursday, the rapper said that the last couple of weeks had shown him there had been “a collective awakening around Palestinian liberation, the power of billionaires that try to censor that call, and what we expect from artists right now”. “What happened to me is bigger …

US President Donald Trump has been talking for months about Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Washington DC. He’s spruced up the White House, lamented that his new ballroom won’t be finished in time and ensured a new marble helipad is ready to show off to the Chinese leader. Trump …

An Iowa judge has dismissed President Donald Trump’s lawsuit against The Des Moines Register and its former pollster over a poll that showed the president trailing former Vice-President Kamala Harris in the 2024 race. The judge ruled that the poll was protected by the US Constitution, and dismissed the president’s …

A judge has temporarily blocked President Trump’s ban on three media outlets and said their access must be restored. Journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico were banned from reporting from the White House grounds last week. Mr Trump said ⁠they “shouldn’t ​be able to constantly ​write or report FICTION …