Florida bans children under 14 from social media in sweeping new law

Children under 14 will be barred from joining social media in Florida from next year. Signed into law by governor Ron DeSantis, the legislation directs social media firms to delete the accounts of under-14s. Children aged 14 and 15 will also need parental consent before signing up for platforms like Instagram and Snapchat. Companies who […]
Derek Rosa: Boy, 13, charged with murder of his mother in Florida

A 13-year-old boy who allegedly stabbed his mother to death in front of her newborn baby has been charged with murder. Derek Rosa is accused of attacking 39-year-old Irina Garcia while she slept in their home in Hialeah, Florida. The teenager has been charged with first-degree murder, which means his case will be heard in […]
Florida: Woman whose remains were found in alligator’s mouth identified by police

Police have identified a woman whose remains were found in the mouth of a 13 ft alligator in Florida. The body of 41-year-old Sabrina Peckham was pulled from a canal in Largo, about 20 miles west of Tampa, after a witness spotted her in the alligator’s mouth, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office said. The animal […]
Man arrested after trying to run from Florida to London in a makeshift hamster wheel

A Florida man who tried to run across the Atlantic Ocean to London using a makeshift hamster wheel has been arrested. Reza Baluchi, 44, was spotted about 70 miles off Georgia by the US Coast Guard (USCG) – and allegedly claimed he wanted to keep going all the way to the UK on 26 August. […]
Two killed after helicopter crashes into apartment building in Florida

Two people have been killed after a helicopter crashed into an apartment complex in Florida. The fire-rescue helicopter crashed near the Pompano Beach Airpark on Monday shortly before 9am local time, the Broward Sheriff’s Office said. Three people were on board the helicopter at the time of the crash. Broward Sheriff’s Office Captain Terryson Jackson, […]
Man rescued from partially submerged boat after more than 24 hours at sea off coast of Florida

A man has been rescued from a partially submerged boat after more than 24 hours at sea off the coast of Florida. Charles Gregory, 25, went missing 12 miles offshore after he set out in a 12ft jon boat on Friday, the US Coast Guard said. His family reported him missing later that day after […]
Leprosy is on the rise in the US and could be endemic in Florida, report says

Leprosy could be endemic in the US state of Florida, a new report has found. Officially called Hansen’s disease, leprosy is a type of bacterial infection that targets the nervous system and causes swelling under the skin. A new report, published in the US-based Emerging Infectious Diseases journal, found cases in the southwest of America […]
Remains of Arizona woman left strangled in trunk identified by police in Florida 53 years after her death

The death of a woman dubbed the “trunk lady” – after her remains were found in a case in the woods – has been a mystery for 53 years. But now, one of the most infamous cold case victims has been identified through DNA. Her name was Sylvia June Atherton, police confirmed in a statement […]
Disney scraps plans for new Florida campus amid spat with Governor Ron DeSantis

The Walt Disney Company has announced it is scrapping plans to build a new campus in central Florida following a year-long dispute with Governor Ron DeSantis. Mr DeSantis has been attacking the company after it opposed a state law banning classroom lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity in early years. Disney filed a First […]
Florida woman wins $2m after spending life savings on daughter’s breast cancer treatment

Geraldine Gimblet claimed the top prize in a $2m scratch card lottery. But when she went to buy the card, the shop assistant told her they didn’t have any left. “I asked him to double check because I like the crossword games the best. He found the last one!” she told Florida lottery officials in […]