At least one person was killed and 22 others wounded in Russian missile strikes on the Ukrainian Black Sea city of Odesa, according to local officials

Social media users doubted the authenticity of the workers claiming they got fired because of Shakira's song

North Carolina's Republican-controlled legislature has advanced a bill that would ban certain gender-affirming care for minors to the governor's desk.

More than 20,000 people in Yellowknife were evacuating the northern Canadian city as fire crews on Thursday battled

Algerian authorities say President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has started a three-day state visit to Russia meant to strengthen relations of “friendship and cooperation” at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin

'The legend of Nicest Guy Ever Keanu grows'

Attorney General Merrick Garland announced that he granted the US attorney investigating Hunter Biden special counsel status. Mr Garland announced that David Weiss, who has served as the US Attorney for Delaware since 2018, would serve as special counsel and he had informed relevant members of Congress about the nomination. The move is a shift from July when Mr Weiss informed Congress that he had not requested special counsel designation for his investigation into the president’s son. But on Tuesday, Mr Weiss requested such status. “I have concluded that it is in the public interest to appoint him as special counsel,” Mr Garland said on Friday. “This appointment confirms my commitment to provide Mr. Weiss all the resources he request.” Mr Weiss had previously been investigating Hunter Biden since 2019. Mr Garland and the Department of Justice allowed Mr Weiss to stay on board as US attorney when Joe Biden took office in 2021 to continue his investigation of Hunter Biden. In July, Hunter Biden looked set to enter into a plea deal for unpaid taxes and lying on a federal application for a firearm. Republicans, including former president Donald Trump, had decried the agreement as a sweetheart deal. Many Republicans argued that Hunter Biden received preferential treatment because he is the president’s son despite the fact that Mr Trump nominated Mr Weiss and Republicans in the Senate voted to confirm him in 2018. Then in late July, Hunter Biden pleaded not guilty to two of the charges after the presiding judge questioned whether the deal would prohibit the federal government from prosecuting him for other crimes he might have committed in the future. The White House referred to remarks from Mr Garland and the Justice Department when asked by The Independent. Mr Garland said that Mr Weiss’s office would not be subjected to day-to-day supervision but would have to comply with regulations, procedures and policies of the Justice Department. Mr Weiss would also be mandated to write a report of his investigation once it concludes. “ As with each special counsel who has served since I have taken office, I am committed to making as much of his report public as possible, consistent with legal requirements and department policy,” he said. “Today's announcement affords the prosecutors agents and analysts working on this matter, the ability to proceed with our work expeditiously and to make decisions indisputably guided only by the facts and the law.” Mr Garland’s announcement comes the same day that former president Donald Trump’s legal team appeared in court in Washington, DC and earned a win as US District Judge Tanya Chutkan ruled that a protective order against Mr Trump would only apply to sensitive material such as jury transcripts, witness interview records and other documents. Mr Trump faces charges for his attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election after a federal grand jury indicted him in response to a presentation from Special Counsel Jack Smith’s office. Mr Garland nominated Mr Smith to investigate Mr Smith to investigate Mr Trump. In addition, the attorney nominated Robert Hur to investigate classified documents found in locations associated with President Biden earlier this year. But House Oversight & Accountability Committee blasted the move by Mr Garland. “Let’s be clear what today’s move is really about,” the statement said. “The Biden Justice Department is trying to stonewall congressional oversight as we have presented evidence to the American people about the Biden family’s corruption. Our Committee will continue to follow the Biden family’s money trail and interview witnesses to determine whether foreign actors targeted the Bidens, President Biden is compromised and corrupt, and our national security is threatened.” Read More Hunter Biden’s plea deal appears at risk of falling apart. What happens next? Hunter Biden pleads not guilty to two tax charges after court chaos around deal with prosecutors Judge shuts down Trump lawyer as he claims protective order would give Biden an ‘advantage’ EXPLAINER: What are special counsels and what do they do? Attorney General Garland will appoint special counsel in Hunter Biden probe Utah man killed after threats against Biden believed government was corrupt and overreaching

Race car driver Ashlea Albertson was on track to compete at a championship event in Indiana on Saturday. A few months later, she would make her way down the aisle at her wedding. But instead, the 24-year-old’s life was cut short on Friday morning in an apparent road rage crash away from the track. Albertson, who drove for the Tony Stewart Racing team, was a passenger in a 2018 GMC Terrain that crashed at around 11.30am on I-65 in Jackson County just south of Seymour, Indiana. The SUV, which was being driven by her fiancé Jake Kelly, 31, crashed after a 2016 Chevrolet Malibu pulled up in the right lane and both vehicles began accelerating, each refusing to let the other pass, according to the Indiana State Police. The two vehicles collided, causing the SUV to flip over, ejecting Albertson. She was flown to the University of Louisville Hospital where she died from her injuries. The next day, the rising star’s No 4 race car sat empty at the All Star Circuit of Champions TQ Midgets event in Shelbyville, Indiana, but was surrounded by flowers and messages left by her loved ones and fans. It was her family’s wish for the race to go on as planned at the Shelby County Fairgrounds, with her father Todd Albertson telling the local Indianapolis station WTHR, “We have to do better.” “She lost her life not on a race track, where we thought she might, but in the middle of a highway because we can’t control our anger,” Mr Albertson said. Famed race car driver Tony Stewart, who is now semi-retired, described Albertson as having an “infectious personality” and the ability to “light up a room.” “She was a great race car driver that was involved in a road rage accident and lost her life,” Stewart wrote in a social media post. “In the past, I’ve also gotten caught up in road rage. I hope that we can honor Ashlea by controlling what we can control on the highway. Losing her is a sobering reminder of how precious life is.” Loved ones said Albertson was “fearless on and off the race track” and that she was “exceptional in a male-dominated sport.” Albertson, who was fourth in the All Star Circuit of Champions standings out of 39 listed drivers going into last weekend’s race, would have been the only female driver on the track that night, her coach Ron Combs said. Mr Combs, who is also an All Star Circuit of Champions official, told local news that her car won’t be raced any more this year, but added that he hopes to see another woman with her dream get behind the wheel someday. “I’m going to think about Ashlea every time I think I’m going to have road rage,” Mr Combs added. “Ashlea will be in the back of my head. Stop, slow down, and do what’s right.” A spokesman for the Indiana State Police told The Washington Post he would “hesitate” to use the phrase “road rage,” then added that “the evidence indicates that both drivers involved in the incident displayed some aggressive driving that appeared to contribute to the crash.” Video recorded by an occupant in another vehicle showed that Mr Kelly, the driver of the SUV, and the driver of the Malibu, 22-year-old Austin Cooper, began accelerating rapidly and refused to allow the other pass on the two-lane road, state police said. The Malibu suddenly changed lanes right into the SUV’s path and the two vehicles collided, causing it to crash. Both drivers submitted to blood tests and toxicology results are pending, state police said. Albertson was to be married to Jake Kelly in March, according to her obituary. “The wedding dress was purchased and their children’s names had been chosen,” it stated. “The impact Ashlea made on those she came in contact with was strong and deep.” Albertson had been a competitive race car driver since 2011 and landed the All-Star Circuit of Champions TQ Midget series in 2017. She had several feature wins and many podium finishes, while driving for Tony Stewart Racing. “The race track was clearly her favorite place to be,” the obit stated. Following her passing, Albertson’s father posted an emotional video on Facebook. “This is one of the hardest posts that I could possibly make, but I have no words to put it out other than making a video to share with everybody who loved her and that she loved in return,” he said tearfully. “I want to thank you from my family, from myself, for making her feel like she was the best racer out there each and every time that she took the track. “We appreciate you. We love you. I’m sorry to inform you this way, but it’s only fair that everybody knows and there be no speculation moving forward. “She was a good kid, a better person. She just loved racing, she loved the community and you all have done so much for her. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. Please keep my family, her fiancé, and everybody that is going through this time in your thoughts and prayers. “Those of you who go to the track this weekend and enjoy racing, please know that’s all she ever wanted to do was put on a show … and be loved and respected by each and everyone of you that followed her. … Enjoy life and every moment that it is. It’s precious. We never know when our time is.” A Celebration of Life Service will be held on Sunday at New Palestine United Methodist Church, in New Palestine, Indiana. Attendees are encouraged to wear racing shirts and cheery clothing, as Alberston would prefer, according to her obit. Read More Tony Stewart Racing driver, 24, killed in ‘road rage’ incident on Indiana highway An Ohio school bus overturns after crash with minivan, leaving 1 child dead and 23 injured A teenager killed her boyfriend and his friend in a ‘hell on wheels’ crash. She will serve 15 years to life

The killings near a nightclub come amid a spike in drug violence in France's second-largest city.

Alabama lawmakers are divided over adopting new congressional districts

Tropical Storm Pilar is lashing Central America with heavy rains that have already been blamed for two deaths in El Salvador as it meanders off the Pacific coast

The Los Angeles Angels hired Ron Washington to be their new manager Wednesday, turning to a veteran baseball mind in an attempt to end nearly a decade of losing baseball