New York

Man found naked inside wall of New York state theatre

Firefighters were called at about 7.30am (local time) after someone was heard banging on the wall and pleading for help.

It is believed the man was stuck inside a crawlspace for two days.

Rescuers cut through the theatre's walls and found him naked, local media said. He is being treated at a local hospital.

In a statement on Facebook, Syracuse fire department said it was not clear how he'd gained access to the crawlspace behind the wall.

Nicki Minaj's father killed by hit-and-run driver in New York

In a statement police say Robert Maraj was walking along a road in Long Island on Friday night when he was hit.

After the driver left the scene, the 64-year-old was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead the next day.

Officers from Nassau County Police Department say "the investigation is ongoing", and the rapper hasn't said anything publicly yet.

The statement didn't say Robert Maraj was Nicki Minaj's dad, but a police spokesman confirmed to AFP that he was her father.

Trump visits brother in New York hospital

Mr Trump wore a face mask as he entered New York-Presbyterian Hospital on Friday afternoon, staying for about 45 minutes.

US media reports say Robert Trump, 72, is seriously ill, but it is not clear why he was admitted to the facility.

He used to manage the Trump property empire's real-estate investments.

"I hope he's okay," the president told reporters en route to the hospital. "He has a tough time. He's having a tough time."

After the hospital visit, Mr Trump, 74, flew to his golf club in nearby Bedminster, New Jersey, for the weekend.

New York couples can now tie the knot over Zoom

From now on, people in the US state will be able to apply for marriage licences remotely and clerks allowed to conduct ceremonies virtually.

Mr Cuomo joked that the decision meant there was now "no excuse" for couples not to tie the knot.

"You can do it by Zoom. Yes or no?" he said in his briefing on Saturday.

The decision comes after New York state extended lockdown measures until 15 May. More than 13,000 people have died of coronavirus in New York city alone.

Social media reaction to the decision was mixed.

New York couples can now tie the knot over Zoom

From now on, people in the US state will be able to apply for marriage licences remotely and clerks allowed to conduct ceremonies virtually.

Mr Cuomo joked that the decision meant there was now "no excuse" for couples not to tie the knot.

"You can do it by Zoom. Yes or no?" he said in his briefing on Saturday.

The decision comes after New York state extended lockdown measures until 15 May. More than 13,000 people have died of coronavirus in New York city alone.

Social media reaction to the decision was mixed.

NBA, Knicks and Nets help New York

New York has been hit hard by coronavirus, with more than 3,500 deaths and the number of recorded cases exceeding 113,000.

In collaboration with the Knicks, Nets and Huang, the NBA is moving to help New York's workers.

"The @NBA is contributing 1 million desperately needed surgical masks for New York's essential workers in collaboration with @nyknicks, @BrooklynNets and China's Consul General Huang Ping," governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo, wrote on Twitter on Saturday.

"New York thanks you. We are beyond grateful for this gift of critically needed PPE."

Troops sent to New York coronavirus 'containment zone'

New Rochelle has seen "probably the largest cluster" of US cases, he said.

National Guard troops will be used to clean schools in the town and deliver food to any quarantined individuals.

The death toll in Italy, one of the countries worst hit by the virus, rose to 631 as the authorities placed the whole country in lockdown.

The latest increase in deaths in Italy - 168 - is the biggest the country has recorded in a single day, and the total number of cases went from 9,172 to 10,149.

Five people wounded at home of New York rabbi

The house in Monsey, north of New York City, was hosting a religious celebration when the attacker burst in, according to the Orthodox Jewish Public Affairs Council (OJPAC).

The suspect fled but was later taken into custody, police said. The motive was not immediately clear.

One of the victims was stabbed at least six times, OJPAC said in a tweet.

The attack came a day after New York city police said officers were stepping up patrols in heavily Jewish districts following a spate of anti-Semitic threats and attacks.

New York power cut: Supply restored in Manhattan

Energy company Con Edison said more than 70,000 homes and businesses lost power in Manhattan, the most densely populated of the city's five boroughs.

The outage lasted for about five hours.

It came on the anniversary of a massive power failure in 1977 that plunged the New York skyline into darkness and triggered widespread looting and arson.

Shortly before midnight (04:00 GMT Sunday) Con Edison head John MacAvoy said all six networks which had been affected were now up and running.

Unseen 9/11 photos bought at house clearance sale

They appear to have been taken by an as yet unidentified construction worker who helped to clear up the wreckage of the World Trade Center towers and surrounding area.

The CDs were in poor condition but the data was ultimately retrievable.

The archivists have uploaded the photos to Flickr.

The digital albums include images of Ground Zero itself taken both at ground level and from above, construction staff at work and the damaged interiors of the blocks surrounding the towers.