Can Americans spell the National Spelling Bee's winning words? The BBC challenged Americans to spell words used in the last three Scripps National Spelling Bee competitions. Shrey Parikh, a 14-year-old, won the competition this year after correctly spelling 32 words in a 90-second lighting round tiebreaker. He defeated 12-year-old Ishaan Gupta, who spelled 25 words correctly. Parikh won out against 247 spellers competing in the annual contest, aged between nine and 15, taking home a $52,000 (£39,000) cash prize.

We analysed thousands of Trump's posts - here's what we found In 2026, Donald Trump's use of social media has escalated. The BBC sifted through thousands of posts on his platform Truth Social to analyse what the President has been saying and when. What was the busiest day? When are the busiest hours? What type of content does President Trump share?

US President Donald Trump is transforming Washington DC by renaming institutions with his name, doing major renovations at historic sites and putting his face around the city. BBC's North America editor Sarah Smith visits the sites he's changing, including the Trump Kennedy Center, the Donald J Trump United States Institute of Peace and the White House, where a ballroom is being built. Fans rally behind US men's national soccer team as World Cup roster revealed BBC's Carl Nasman was at the event, where he asked enthusiasts about World Cup ticket prices and what the sport means to the US. The plans include permanent human habitation on the Earth's only natural satellite by 2032. Elon Musk's SpaceX has successfully launched its Starship V3 rocket, which landed in a planned fiery explosion on Friday.

Preparations are underway at the White House South Lawn for an upcoming Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event. The cage fight is scheduled to take place 14 June as part of the America 250 celebrations. US President Donald Trump said UFC president Dana White, a longtime ally, will build "a 5,000-seat arena right outside the front door of the White House", along with eight large screens in a nearby park for fans to watch from a distance. Fans rally behind US men's national soccer team as World Cup roster revealed BBC's Carl Nasman was at the event, where he asked enthusiasts about World Cup ticket prices and what the sport means to the US. The plans include permanent human habitation on the Earth's only natural satellite by 2032.

Fans react to Stephen Colbert's final show Fans lined up outside the Ed Sullivan Theater one last time for "The Late Show" as Stephen Colbert prepared to host his final episode, marking the end of the franchise's 33-year run on CBS. The network announced last summer that the show would end, calling it "purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night. Colbert took on the show on September 2015 after David Letterman retired from the role he'd held for 22 years. Rescuers removed the vehicle from near the shoreline and police arrested the driver, who was attempting to use the vehicle's wade mode. As part of the ongoing investigation into the crash that killed 14 people, officials released footage showing the engine detaching during takeoff.

BBC Verify has been tracking the Marinera for weeks. Housing, Europe ties, economy... what Canadians are hopeful for in 2026 The BBC spoke to people in Toronto and Montreal to find out what they're optimistic about heading into the new year. The powerful storm system brought blizzard conditions to areas of the Midwest and East Coast causing some travel delays. Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency for parts of California, including Los Angeles, San Bernardino and San Diego. The White Settlement Police Department is searching for two suspects.

Some major retailers and independent stores have introduced AI body scans, CCTV or facial recognition equipment to identify crimes like shoplifting.

Using weighted pieces and magnetic boards, players of the hybrid sport must complete each move in one breath.

A company behind an AI-powered app called CrimeRadar has apologised for the distress caused by false crime alerts issued to local US communities after a BBC Verify investigation. CrimeRadar uses artificial intelligence to monitor openly available police radio communications, automatically generating a transcript and then producing crime alerts for users across the US. BBC Verify has found multiple instances from Florida to Oregon of CrimeRadar sending misleading and inaccurate alerts about serious crime to local residents - as Thomas Copeland explains. The barge that wrecked in 1918, famous for a dramatic rescue, is now shifting closer to the falls as recent movements carry it further from its original resting spot. House Speaker Mike Johnson, Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer participated in the annual ceremony that commemorates the eight days of Hanukkah.

Hollywood icon Robert Redford has died at the age of 89, his publicist has said. The actor was known for his roles in blockbuster movies such as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and went on to win an Oscar for Ordinary People when he turned his hand to directing. David Sillito looks back at his life. 'No doubt' Russia will cross Nato border if Ukraine falls, former US VP says Former US Vice-President Mike Pence calls for security guarantees in Ukraine to help deliver "just and lasting peace". The US House Oversight Committee has released new surveillance footage recorded hours before the convicted paedophile's death.