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
US
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
Olympic champion Simone Biles has pulled out of the gymnastics team finals due to an apparent injury. The record-breaking American athlete had a rocky start in the final, where the US is looking to secure a third straight Olympic title. The 24-year-old bailed on her planned Amanar vault, opting for an easier one in mid-air,
Thousands of homes remain under threat as California’s biggest wildfire continues to gain strength across western parts of the US. It comes amid fresh calls for politicians in Washington to take “bold action” against climate change as more than 85 large wildfires continue to burn around the country. The Dixie Fire started on 14 July
In an open letter to NASA, Jeff Bezos has offered to waive billions of dollars in payments from the space agency in order to ensure his company Blue Origin gets to take part in its upcoming moon missions. With a potential funding shortfall threatening to derail NASA’s planned moon missions – in particular its Human
Boeing is to attempt the second uncrewed test flight of its new Starliner capsule to the International Space Station as it bids for more NASA contracts. While the capsule has been successfully tested on the ground, orbital test flights for the CST-100 have faced several delays and software problems. Boeing and NASA are aiming to
The US is “going in the wrong direction” on coronavirus as cases soar due to the Delta variant and a large proportion of unvaccinated people, the nation’s top infectious diseases expert has said. Dr Anthony Fauci said the nation is “practically pleading” with people to get vaccinated as coronavirus cases surge once again in areas
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.
Stand-up comedian Jackie Mason – who went from rabbi to Broadway star – has died at the age of 93. He died at Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan, New York, his friend and lawyer Raoul Felder confirmed to Sky’s US partner NBC News. He was having trouble breathing and had been at the hospital for
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
The search for victims in a collapsed Miami apartment block has officially finished, the city’s fire and rescue department says. Champlain Towers South, in the Miami suburb of Surfside, collapsed in the early hours of 24 June, killing at least 97 people. It is believed that one victim is still unaccounted for and police will
Harvey Weinstein has been extradited to California to face more sex assault charges, New York prison officials said. The former Hollywood producer was convicted and sentenced to 23 years in a New York prison last year for rape and sexual assault. He is wanted for trial in Los Angeles, California, on charges of allegedly attacking
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has described the first ever launch of his private spaceflight company Blue Origin as the “best day ever”. The billionaire, 57, achieved his childhood dream of becoming an astronaut 52 years to the day it was sparked by watching Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walk on the moon. Mr Bezos himself
A man has been seriously injured after being attacked by an alligator while riding his bicycle in Florida. The victim was cycling along a nature trail in the Halpatiokee Regional Park in Stuart, north of Palm Beach, when he lost control and fell down an embankment into water, the Martin County Sheriff’s Office said on
Blink-182 bassist Mark Hoppus has told fans he has had the “best possible news”, revealing his cancer treatment appears to be working. The 49-year-old musician previously said that he had been diagnosed with stage 4 diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Sharing an update on Monday, Hoppus said that his chemotherapy seems to be working. He wrote
More than 360,000 acres (531 square miles) have been destroyed by a wildfire in the US state of Oregon, where more than 2,000 people have been given evacuation orders, while a similar number of firefighters are battling the blaze. The Bootleg fire, centred in and around the Fremont-Winema National Forest, 250 miles (400km) south of
Britney Spears has hit out at people closest to her who “never showed up”, as her battle against her conservatorship continues. It comes after the 39-year-old’s sister Jamie Lynn, 30, and mother Lynne, 66, shared messages of support for the singer on their social media channels. The pop star is engaged in a legal bid
A man known as the “Hollywood Ripper” has been sentenced to death for the murder of two women and attempted killing of a third. Michael Gargiulo, 45, was convicted almost two years ago, but delays due to procedural problems and the COVID pandemic means it was only on Friday that he was ordered to death