Connect with us

Published

on

At least 15 people were killed after a US army veteran who had expressed a “desire to kill” drove a pick-up truck into crowds of people celebrating New Year in New Orleans before he was fatally shot dead by police.

The FBI said it is investigating the attack in the early hours of Wednesday in the city’s French Quarter as a terrorist act and does not believe the driver acted alone.

Multiple improvised explosive devices – including two pipe bombs hidden inside coolers and wired for remote detonation – were found and made safe, according to Louisiana State Police

The suspect – identified by the FBI as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, a US citizen from Texas, had driven around safety measures in place to protect pedestrians.

He was fatally shot after getting out of the rented pick-up truck and opening fire on responding police officers, New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said.

Two officers were also injured in the gun battle and at least 33 other people were hurt in the attack.

New Orleans latest: Follow live updates

More from US

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

New Orleans suspect ‘says hello’ on old promo vid

A damaged door on Bourbon Street after a suspicious package was detonated. Pic: AP
Image:
A damaged door on Bourbon Street after a suspicious package was detonated. Pic: AP

President Joe Biden, addressing the nation on Wednesday night, said Jabbar had posted a video on social media indicating he had been influenced by Islamic State.

He said the man had expressed a “desire to kill”, adding that: “Our nation grieves with you.”

Associated Press, citing an intelligence bulletin, said the suspect was wearing a ballistic vest and helmet. The flag of the IS group was also found on the vehicle’s trailer hitch, the FBI said.

A handgun and an AR-style rifle were also recovered.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

What we know about the New Orleans attack

A SWAT vehicle in Houston, Texas. Pic: AP
Image:
A SWAT vehicle in Houston, Texas. Pic: AP

Jabbar served in human resources and IT roles in the US army between 2007 and 2015.

He was deployed to Afghanistan between 2009 and 2010, before moving to the reserves from 2015 to 2020.

US authorities are also investigating whether the attack has any connection to a Tesla cybertruck which exploded outside a Trump hotel in Las Vegas.

Some of the victims of the attack have been identified.

Read more:
First victims named
What more do we know about suspect?

New Orleans eyewitnesses describe carnage
New Year’s carnage haunts New Orleans – but ‘Big Easy’ has suffered before

A robot is deployed at a location associated with the attacker in Houston, Texas. Pic: AP
Image:
A robot is deployed at a location associated with the attacker in Houston, Texas. Pic: AP

Among them were 18-year-old aspiring nurse Nikyra Cheyenne Dedeaux, Princeton graduate Tiger Bech, 27.

Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry has urged people to avoid the area, which remains an active crime scene with a large part of Bourbon Street cordoned off.

The FBI has repeatedly warned about a heightened terrorism threat due to the Israel-Hamas war.

Continue Reading

US

Ukraine war: ‘We’ve never been closer to a peace deal’ – Trump and Putin to hold talks on ending conflict

Published

on

By

Ukraine war: 'We've never been closer to a peace deal' - Trump and Putin to hold talks on ending conflict

Donald Trump will speak to Vladimir Putin by phone later today – with the White House saying “we’ve never been closer to a peace deal” in Ukraine.

In a post on Truth Social, the US president said he would be speaking to his Russian counterpart on Tuesday morning – adding: “Many elements of a Final Agreement have been agreed to, but much remains.

“Thousands of young soldiers, and others, are being killed. Each week brings 2,500 soldier deaths, from both sides, and it must end NOW.”

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

What will Trump and Putin discuss?

While aboard Air Force One, Mr Trump had told reporters that land and power plants were part of the conversation on bringing the war to a close.

After crunch talks in Saudi Arabia between US and Ukrainian diplomats, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said last week that Kyiv would accept a 30-day pause in fighting if Russia committed to it as well.

Since then, Mr Putin has said he agrees fighting in Ukraine should end – but warned “lots of questions” remain over the proposed ceasefire.

He has also met US envoy Steve Witkoff to discuss the details of the proposal.

More on Donald Trump

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

‘We have to keep pressure on Putin’

It comes as Ukraine’s air defence units said they shot down 90 of 174 drones launched by Russia in an overnight attack on Monday.

Russia has been attacking the Odesa region with drones and missiles on a daily basis for three weeks, the air force said – adding that 70 other drones were disrupted in the attack.

Odesa Governor Oleh Kiper added a civilian was injured during the strikes, which damaged a kindergarten, a house, a shop and a car.

Biden children’s security detail revoked

In other developments, Mr Trump said on Truth Social that he is “immediately” revoking Secret Service protection that was being given to Joe Biden’s children.

He claimed 18 agents were assigned to Hunter Biden’s protective detail while in South Africa this week – and added Ashley Biden had 13 agents assigned to her detail who “will be taken off the list”.

Continue Reading

US

‘He doesn’t speak for Ireland’: Irish leaders critical of McGregor-Trump meeting

Published

on

By

'He doesn't speak for Ireland': Irish leaders critical of McGregor-Trump meeting

Mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor has met Donald Trump in the Oval Office after complaining about Ireland’s “illegal immigration racket”.

The 36-year-old told Mr Trump that his work ethic was “inspiring”, with the two men sharing jovial comments about the fighter’s suit and a map featuring the Gulf of Mexico labelled as the Gulf of America.

In comments made in the White House briefing room before the meeting during the St. Patrick’s Day visit, he said he was visiting the White House to “raise the issues the people of Ireland face”.

“What is going on in Ireland is a travesty,” he said. “Our government is the government of zero action with zero accountability.”

Trump and McGregor meeting in the Oval Office. Pic: X/@MargoMartin47
Image:
Trump and McGregor meeting in the Oval Office. Pic: X/@MargoMartin47

McGregor warned “Ireland is at the cusp of potentially losing its Irishness” due to the “illegal immigration racket”.

“Ireland and America, we are siblings. We consider America our big sibling. So it’s important for Ireland to be a peaceful, prosperous country for 40 million Irish Americans to have a place to visit, [to] come back to their home.

“So we wish for our relationship with the United States to continue, and we wish to be taken care of by the big bro. The United States should look after its little bro. And that’s how we feel,” McGregor said.

More on Conor Mcgregor

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who appeared alongside McGregor in the briefing room, said: “We couldn’t think of a better guest to have with us on St. Patrick’s Day.”

At a meeting with Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin last week, Mr Trump said McGregor was his favourite Irish person partly because “he’s got the best tattoos I’ve ever seen”.

UFC fighter Conor McGregor speaks at the briefing room lectern, with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt at his side, during a visit to the White House in Washington.
Pic: Reuters
Image:
UFC fighter Conor McGregor speaks with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt at his side during a visit to the White House in Washington. Pic: Reuters

But Mr Martin and deputy prime minister Simon Harris have been critical of today’s Trump-McGregor meeting.

In a post on X, Mr Martin said: “McGregor’s remarks are wrong, and do not reflect the spirit of St Patrick’s Day, or the views of the people of Ireland.”

Meanwhile, Mr Harris said that McGregor was not in the US to represent Ireland and did not speak for the people of Ireland, and “has no mandate to”.

In exclusive comments made to Sky News’ David Blevins about Mr Martin’s comments, McGregor said: “Shame on him for saying that, speaking down on an Irish man.”

He added: “Every metric available to us has shown that the government of Ireland has failed the people of Ireland.”

Mr Trump is well known for his support of Ultimate Fighting Championship, which McGregor is best known for competing in, and attended bouts during the 2024 presidential campaign.

Read more: The deepening ties that led to the controversial Tates flying to freedom in US

McGregor is a controversial figure in Ireland after a woman who accused him of raping her won her civil case and was awarded more than £200,000 in damages.

Tesco was among the retailers that stopped selling alcohol brands linked to McGregor after Nikita Hand was awarded €248,603 (£206,000) after a jury found McGregor assaulted her in a hotel in 2018.

McGregor is appealing against the outcome of the civil case.

McGregor also pleaded guilty to assaulting a man in a Dublin pub in 2019 and has been subject to several other allegations of assault and sexual assault.

His social media posts were also linked to the 2023 Dublin riots. Irish police were reportedly investigating McGregor’s posts for alleged incitement to hatred in relation to the riots.

McGregor, nicknamed the Notorious, rose to worldwide prominence for winning several UFC championships.

Continue Reading

US

Two astronauts stuck in space for more than nine months head back to Earth

Published

on

By

Two astronauts stuck in space for more than nine months head back to Earth

Two astronauts stuck in space for more than nine months have left the International Space Station on their 17-hour journey back to Earth.

Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams blasted off to the ISS on 5 June, and were meant to be up there for just eight days.

They were testing out Boeing’s long-awaited Starliner, a ship designed to rival SpaceX’s Crew Dragon that is currently used to ferry astronauts into space.

Read more: What can being in space for so long do to your health?

NASA's Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams. Pic: NASA Johnson
Image:
NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams. Pic: NASA Johnson

But by the time they docked at the ISS, the Starliner had suffered major problems – with five helium leaks, five dead manoeuvring thrusters and a propellant valve that failed to close completely.

It returned to Earth without them, after it was decided the astronauts would be safer waiting in orbit.

Since then, the two US Navy veterans have completed spacewalks, experiments and even helped sort out the plumbing onboard.

More from Science, Climate & Tech

The astronauts have repeatedly said they have enjoyed the mission, with Ms Williams describing the space station as her “happy place”.

“Every day is interesting because we’re up in space and it’s a lot of fun,” she said earlier this month, although she added the waiting was likely hard for family members on the ground.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Stranded astronauts answer questions

The SpaceX vehicle that will take them home arrived at the space station in September, carrying NASA’s Nick Hague and cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, along with two empty seats.

Mr Wilmore and Ms Williams then stuck around so that the other two astronauts could complete their mission, although their return was once more delayed because of problems with the SpaceX rocket that was going to bring them back.

Read more from Sky News:
Inside Syria’s stunned coastal cities
Police searching for missing woman launch murder probe
Conor McGregor to meet Trump

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Watch lift-off of SpaceX rocket crew swap

The crew replacing them all arrived at the ISS on Sunday, with hugs shared all around.

A ship’s bell, long used to welcome new crewmates to the space station, was rung as NASA’s Anne McClain, Nichole Ayers, JAXA’s Takuya Onishi and Roscosmos’s Kirill Peskov came aboard.

The long-awaited crew is expected to splashdown off the coast of Florida at around 10pm GMT on Tuesday, after a 17-hour trip.

The group was planning to come back on Wednesday but “favourable” weather conditions meant their return could be brought forward by one day.

Continue Reading

Trending