The first vote concerning Rep. Jim Jordan's bid to become the next speaker of the House not only fell short on Tuesday, it was, in the words of one ally of the Ohio Republican, "much worse than we expected."

French police have detained nine people and are searching for other suspects after a violent attack on buses carrying the Lyon soccer team and fans

Another wave of wildfire smoke has drifted into the US, dimming blue summer skies and igniting troubling concerns regarding the increasing frequency of fires, and what they have to do with climate change.

After nearly three weeks of appealing to the United States and other allies for help restoring Niger’s president to power, friends and supporters of the democratically elected leader are making a simpler plea: Save his life. President Mohamed Bazoum, leader of the last remaining Western-allied democracy across a vast stretch of Africa’s Sahara and Sahel, sits confined with his family in an unlit basement of his presidential compound, cut off from resupplies of food and from electricity and cooking gas by the junta that overthrew him, Niger's ambassador to the United States told The Associated Press. “They are killing him,” said the ambassador, Mamadou Kiari Liman-Tinguiri, a close associate who maintains daily calls with the detained leader. The two have been colleagues for three decades, since the now 63-year-old president was a young philosophy instructor, a teacher’s union leader, and a democracy advocate noted for his eloquence. “The plan of the head of the junta is to starve him to death," Liman-Tinguiri told the AP in one of his first interviews since mutinous troops allegedly cut off food deliveries to the president, his wife and his 20-year-old son almost a week ago. “This is inhuman, and the world should not tolerate that,” the ambassador said. “It cannot be tolerated in 2023.” Bazoum sits in the dark basement, the ambassador said. He answers the phone when a call comes in that he knows to be his friend or someone else he wants to speak to. The beleaguered president and his ambassador, whom junta members have declared out of a job, talk one or more times a day. Bazoum has not been seen out in public since July 26, when military vehicles blocked the gates to the presidential palace and security forces announced they were taking power. It is not possible to independently determine the president's circumstances. The United States, United Nations and others have expressed repeated concern for what they called Bazoum's deteriorating conditions in detention, and warned the junta they would hold it responsible for the well-being of Bazoum and his family. Separately, Human Rights Watch said Friday it had spoken directly to the detained president and to others in his circle, and received some similar accounts of mistreatment. However, an activist who supports Niger's new military rulers in its communications said the reports of the president's dire state were false. Insa Garba Saidou said he was in contact with some junta members but did not say how he had knowledge of the president's lot. “Bazoum was lucky he was not taken anywhere,” Saidou said. “He was left in his palace with his phone. Those who did that don’t intend to hurt Bazoum.” Niger's military coup and the plight of its ousted leader have drawn global attention — but not because that kind of turmoil is unusual for West Africa. Niger alone has had about a half-dozen military takeovers since independence in 1960. Niger leaders have suffered in coups before, most notably when a military-installed leader was shot down in 1999 by the same presidential guard unit that instigated the current coup. Niger's return to reflexive armed takeovers by disgruntled troops is reverberating in the U.S. and internationally for two key reasons. One is because Bazoum came to power in a rare democratic presidential election in the Africa's unstable Sahara and Sahel, in the only peaceful, democratic transfer of power that Niger has managed. The United States alone has invested close to $1 billion in Niger in recent years to support its democracy and deliver aid, in addition to building national forces capable of holding off north and west Africa's al-Qaida- and Islamic State-allied armed groups. The U.S.-backed counterterror presence is the second key reason that Niger's coup is resonating. Americans have a 1,100-strong security presence and have built bases in Niger's capital and far north into its main outposts to counter West Africa's armed jihadist groups. The Biden administration has yet to call what has happened in Niger a coup, citing laws that would obligate the U.S. to cut many of its military partnerships with the country. Niger's region is dominated by military or military-aligned governments and a growing number of them have entered security partnerships with Russia's Wagner mercenary groups. The soldiers who ousted Bazoum have announced a ruling structure but said little publicly about their plans. U.S. Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland met with Niger's junta members in the capital this week but called them unreceptive to her demands to restore Niger's democracy. “They were quite firm about how they want to proceed, and it is not in support of the constitution of Niger,” Nuland told reporters after. The junta also told Nuland that Bazoum would die if the regional ECOWAS security bloc intervened militarily to restore democracy, U.S. officials told the AP. Late this week, the ambassador shrugged that threat off, saying the junta is already on track to kill Bazoum by trapping his family and him with little more than a shrinking supply of dried rice and no means to cook it. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has spoken several times with the detained president and expressed concern for his and his family's safety. The U.S. says it has cut some aid to the government and paused military cooperation. Blinken has expressed broad support for ECOWAS, whose diplomatic efforts have been spurned by the Niger junta and which has warned of military force as a last resort. Blinken said in a statement Friday he was “particularly dismayed” that Niger's mutinous soldiers had refused to release Bazoum's family as a goodwill gesture. He gave no details. While the junta adviser Saidou denied that the junta threatened to kill Bazoum if ECOWAS invaded, he said Bazoum's death would be inevitable if that happened. “Even if the high officers of the junta won’t touch Bazoum, if one gun is shot at one of Niger’s borders in order to reinstate Bazoum, I’m sure that there will be soldiers who will put an end to his life," he said. Bazoum told Human Rights Watch that family members and friends who brought food were being turned away, and that the junta had refused treatment for his young son, who has a heart condition. Bazoum and his undetained allies want regional partners, the U.S. and others to intervene. With Bazoum vulnerable in captivity, neither he nor the ambassadors specify what they want the U.S. and other allies to do. Bazoum is a member of Niger's tiny minority of nomadic Arabs, in a country of varying cultures rich in tradition. Despite his political career, Bazoum has retained his people's devotion to livestock, keeping camels that he dotes on, Liman-Tinguiri said. For all his deprivations, the ambassador said, Bazoum remains in good spirits. “He is a man who is mentally very strong,” he said. “He’s a man of faith.” ___ Associated Press writer Sam Mednick contributed from Niamey, Niger. Read More Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Developers have Black families fighting to maintain property and history Rising political threats take US into uncharted territory as 2024 election looms A mudslide kills at least 2 in China while rain from Khanun cancels some trains in the northeast

Climate activist Greta Thunberg has been briefly interrupted by a man who approached her on stage after she invited a Palestinian and an Afghan woman to speak at a climate protest in the Dutch capital

A 12-year-old boy has been charged with murder after he allegedly shot and killed a Sonic employee in northern Texas, police said. The boy and a 20-year-old, Angel Gomez, visited a Sonic restaurant in Keene, Texas on Sunday night. Mr Gomez allegedly began acting unruly in the parking lot and began urinating near the restaurant, prompting an employee, Matthew Davis, 32, to confront him, according to CBS News. The confrontation between Mr Davis and Mr Gomez escalated into violence, at which point the 12-year-old allegedly grabbed an assault rifle the two had been traveling with and shot the Sonic employee several times, according to police. The boy fired at least six shots from the rifle, according to KTVT's reporting. Mr Gomez and the 12-year-old then fled the scene. Police were called in response to the shooting, where they found Mr Davis lying in the parking lot around 9:40pm. Mr Davis was reportedly struggling to breathe when they found him. He was rushed to a hospital for surgery but ultimately died from his injuries. Mr Gomez reportedly returned to the Sonic after the shooting and was arrested on murder charges. Police then tracked down the juvenile in Rio Vista, approximately 15 miles away, and took him into custody on murder charges. Law enforcement searched the home and located several firearms. A cross was erected and flowers have been left at the Sonic in memory of Mr Davis, who was the father to a 10-year-old son, according to NBC5. Jane Baggett, a local resident who stopped by the Sonic to contribute to the memorial, said she was regretful there was nothing more the community could do for Mr Davis. “I wish there was more that we could do, but right now if they could just see that support and love, and maybe, even if we didn’t know him, [know] his life mattered to many of us,” she told NBC5. A spokesperson for Sonic also released a statement acknowledging the attack. “We are saddened to learn about the tragedy involving a franchised team member in Keene, TX. The franchisee is cooperating fully with local authorities as they conduct their investigation.” A GoFundMe has been established to help pay for Mr Davis' funeral costs. Read More New Mexico shooter, 18, roamed community armed with three guns firing randomly at cars and homes, police say A pregnant woman reported her boyfriend’s abuse. He wasn’t arrested until after her murder over an abortion New Mexico gunman who killed 3 and injured 6 shot randomly at cars, houses, police say

Donald Trump refused to say he supported Ukraine to win its bloody war with Russia as he appeared on a controversial live CNN town hall. The one-term president was repeatedly asked by host Kaitlan Collins if he backed Ukraine in its 15-month conflict with Vladimir Putin’s forces, and repeatedly dodged the question. “I don’t think in terms of winning and losing, I think in terms of getting it settled so we stop killing all these people and breaking down this country,” he told Collins when asked about his support for Ukraine. She then asked him again if he wanted Ukraine or Russia to win the conflict. “I want everyone to stop dying. They are dying, Russians and Ukrainians. I want them to stop dying,” he replied. Mr Trump also repeated his claim it would take him one day in the Oval Office to end the conflict. “I’ll have that done in 24 hours, you need the power of the presidency to do it.” And he added: You know what, I will say this, I want Europe to put up more money. They should equalise, they have plenty of money.” And he boasted that the conflict would never even have happened if he had remained in office. “If I were president this never would have happened and even the Democrats recognise that. Putin knew it would never have happened and his pipeline would never have happened, a lot of things would never have happened,” he said. “All those dead people, both Russian and Ukrainian, would not be dead today, and all those cities that are blown up and disintegrated to the ground would not have happened.” Mr Trump also tried to claim that he had “a very good relationship” with the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky. Mr Trump was impeached for the first time over a call in which he tried to get Mr Zelensky to investigate Joe Biden in return for weapons. “I have a very good relationship with President Zelensky because as you know he backed me up with phoney impeachment hoax number one when he said the president did nothing wrong. I was totally exonerated by the way a total waste of time and money,” said Mr Trump and Collins reminded viewers that the former president had been impeached by Congress. Collins then asked Mr Trump if he still had “tremendous respect” for Vladimir Putin, as he claimed while president. “He made a tremendous mistake. He is a smart guy...they want you to say he is a stupid person, okay, he is not a stupid person, he is very smart and cunning and Putin made a bad mistake in my opinion. “His mistake was going in. He would never have gone in if I was president, we used to talk about it too.” Read More Trump calls Jan 6 a ‘beautiful day’ during combative CNN town hall CNN Trump town hall — live: Trump calls Kaitlan Collins ‘nasty person’ and is considering January 6 pardons Trump calls CNN moderator ‘nasty person’ in tense exchange over classified documents Trump refuses to acknowledge he lost ‘rigged’ 2020 election in CNN town hall event Takeaways from town hall: Trump says sexual assault case was 'fake,' calls Jan. 6 'a beautiful day' The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary The harrowing discovery at centre of The Independent’s new documentary

The devastated husband of a bride who was struck and killed by an alleged drunk driver on their wedding night has broken his silence to reveal how the best day of his life suddenly turned into the worst. Aric Hutchinson told ABC’s Good Morning America that he is still struggling to “wrap my head around” what happened as he became widowed just hours after marrying the love of his life Samantha Miller. “I’m still trying to wrap my head around it. That night, going from an all-time high to an all-time low, it’s pretty rough to comprehend,” he said. On 28 April, Mr Hutchinson, 36, and Miller, 34, got married in a wedding ceremony at Folly Beach, South Carolina, surrounded by their families and friends. That night, they were travelling with two others on a golf cart, heading back to their Airbnb when horror struck. Jamie Komoroski, 25, was allegedly driving three times over the legal alcohol limit and speeding at 65mph in a 25mph zone when she ploughed into the back of the buggy in her car. Miller was killed while Mr Hutchinson and the two other passengers were rushed to hospital with critical injuries. Ms Komoroski has now been charged with three counts of felony driving under the influence resulting in great bodily harm or death and one count of reckless homicide. Choking back tears, Mr Hutchinson told GMA that he doesn’t remember the crash but can’t forget his new wife’s final words. “The do remember the last thing I remember her saying is she wanted the night to never end,” he said. He said “I wish I did” recall the crash itself but just remembers waking up in hospital. “I remember waking up foggy and out of sorts and you could see my Mom’s face and you could tell that something was wrong,” he said. “I asked her ‘where’s Sam?’ and then that’s when she told me ‘there’s an incident and that Sam didn’t make it.’” He described how happy Miller and him had been just moments earlier as they celebrated their nuptials. “She was so happy. I mean, planning a wedding, as most people know, is extremely stressful. And she just had a weird, like, calmness that night,” he said. “Sam’s just got that glow. She’s the type to walk in the room and you’d just notice. We had family friends from all over the country everywhere there and everyone was just so happy she was so happy. “It was one of the best nights of my life.” When asked if he had a message for the woman accused of causing his new bride’s death, he said no. “I can’t right now.... he stole something,” he said. “She stole an amazing human being that should not have been taken.” Mr Hutchinson is now back at the home he shared with Miller after suffering two broken legs and brain bleeds in the crash. A toxicology report revealed that Ms Komoroski had a blood alcohol level of 0.261 – over three times the legal limit – when she was taken into custody on the scene of the crash. On Wednesday, Mr Hutchinson filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Ms Komoroski and the bars where she allegedly bar-hopped that night before getting behind the wheel of her car. In the suit, seeking unspecified damages, Mr Hutchinson claims that she “slurred and staggered her way through” El Gallo Bar & Grill near Daniel Island then travelled to Folly Beach where she bar-hopped between Snapper Jacks, the Drop In Bar & Dali and the Crab Shack. Each of the bars continued to serve her alcohol after she was clearly drunk, the suit claims. The suit also accuses Taco Boy, where Ms Komoroski had started working, of negligence and recklessness for allegedly coercing its new server into drinking “a dangerous amount of alcohol” at a work event. In a statement, Taco Boy denied the allegation. Read More Widowed husband sues driver, bars after DUI crash killed bride on wedding night Groom sues drunk driver who killed new wife as she left wedding reception Drunk driver who killed bride on wedding day had blood alcohol level three times over the legal limit

'GMA' fans couldn't believe that Michael Strahan had a son after the former NFL star shared a birthday snap of him

When Kim Jong-un took power in 2011, propaganda described him as "audacious" - they were not wrong.

Basketball player for his high school in Alabama, Caleb White, reportedly passed away after collapsing post a school workout

By Lisa Baertlein and Kanjyik Ghosh (Reuters) -The Longshore union and employers of 22,000 dockworkers at U.S. West Coast ports