US

The US has promised to respond with overwhelming force to any threat in the wake of North Korea's latest nuclear test, which appears to be its biggest so far.

US President Donald Trump has praised the relief response to Hurricane Harvey on his second visit to flood-hit states.

Hurricane Harvey has forced 779,000 Texans to evacuate their homes, while another 980,000 have fled voluntarily, with swollen reservoirs and rivers bringing new flooding.

Explosions at a chemical plant are posing a fresh worry in Texas as the storm death toll rises as high as 39.

At least seven people in the Houston area are dead due to Tropical Storm Harvey, but officials warn the worst flooding is still to come with more heavy rain on the way.

A New Zealander living in Texas is trapped in her house by rising floodwaters, with thigh-high water now "creeping up the driveway". Audio

The US city of Houston is in the grip of the biggest storm in the history of the state of Texas, officials say.

As floodwaters rise, there are unconfirmed reports of bodies in submerged cars, and the number of counties declaring a federal disaster continues to climb.

Massachusetts health care worker Mavis Wanczyk, 53, has quit her job the day after winning the largest prize for a single ticket-holder in US history.

About 5000 ecstasy tablets shaped like the US president's head have been seized by German police.

A US judge has fatally shot a gunman who critically wounded him in an ambush-style attack outside court.

Ten sailors are missing and five injured after an oil tanker and the USS John McCain, a destroyer, crashed off the coast of Singapore, the US Navy says.

Entertainer Jerry Lewis, one of Hollywood's most successful comedians, has died aged 91, US media report.