California

California Gold Rush town 'destroyed' by state's largest wildfire

The estimated 800 residents of the northern California community were told to evacuate before the blaze tore through the downtown area.

Officials say some people may not have heeded the order to leave. There have been no reports of deaths or injuries.

The three-week old Dixie Fire is now the eighth largest in state history.

Pictures from the scene show tall trees that have caught on fire, and structures that have been scorched and hollowed out by flames.

One photographer tweeted a photo of a metal light pole that had melted due to the intense heat.

Most of California faces strict new lockdown as cases surge

More than half of the state's 40 million people will be subject to a stay-at-home order, as announced by Governor Gavin Newsom on Thursday.

Many businesses will be closed, and people will be banned from meeting anyone outside their household.

The order was triggered by intensive care capacity in hospitals shrinking.

The southern part of the state and its central valley will be the first areas to come under the new restrictions, at 23:59 local time on Sunday (07:59 GMT on Monday).

Children aged six and 13 confirmed dead at food festival shooting

Fifteen were injured when the suspect, named by police as Santino William Legan, 19, opened fire at the Gilroy Garlic Festival on Sunday evening.

Police say the suspect used an assault rifle that he purchased legally in neighbouring Nevada this month.

The gunman was shot dead by police, who are looking into a possible accomplice.

Six-year-old Stephen Romero is the first of the dead to be identified by local media. His mother and grandmother were wounded.

Police confirmed a man in his 20s was also killed. None of the victims have been officially named.

Shots fired at California garlic festival

The Gilroy Garlic Festival was about to finish for the weekend on Sunday evening, when shots were fired at the site.

There was "a white man in his early to mid-30s firing a rifle," eyewitness Julissa Contreras told NBC.

Video posted on social media showed people running away from the festival site amid general confusion.

The Santa Clara County Medical Center has so far admitted two victims, CBS reports.

"It was just rapid firing," Ms Contreras told NBC Bay Area. "I could see him shooting in just every direction. He wasn't aiming at anyone specifically.

Trump supporters, protesters clash in Berkeley, California

Eleven people were injured, with seven transported to the hospital in unknown condition, Berkeley Police spokesman Byron White told CNN.

"A large number of fights have occurred and numerous fireworks have been thrown in the crowds," Berkeley police said in a statement. "There have also been numerous reports of pepper spray being used in the crowd."

'20 victims' in California shooting

Fire officials in San Bernardino said it was responding to a "20 victim shooting incident" and it was working to clear the scene.

It is still a "very active scene" and police are trying to secure the building, said a police spokeswoman.

There may be up to three gunmen, she said, and they were heavily armed and possibly wearing body armour.

She did not confirm the number of victims.

A local reporter tweeted that people are being evacuated from the Inland Regional Center, a non-profit medical and health organisation.

New California law extends privacy rights to electronic data

Civil-liberties advocates called the new law that takes effect Jan. 1 an important advance and said it highlights the need for similar protections at the national level.

The California Electronic Communications Privacy Act was signed by Gov. Jerry Brown on Thursday. It's only the third of its kind in the U.S.

While some states guarantee some of its protections, only Maine and Utah previously had comprehensive laws on the books, noted Hanni Fakhoury, senior staff attorney for the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

Chris Brown wins joint custody of daughter Royalty

Brown gets to take little Royalty home today, but must pay Nia Guzman, Royalty's mom, $2,500 per month in child support. Guzman wanted Brown to have only supervised visitation rights, but the judge ordered in Brown's favor. Both Guzman and Brown live in Los Angeles.

Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck seen without wedding rings

On Friday, the 43-year-old actress was spotted without hers while out and about with their daughter Seraphina, 6, in Santa Monica, California. Garner, whose family is followed by paparazzi constantly, had until been photographed with her ring most of the time.

Affleck, 43, has been less consistent. He was most recently seen without his wedding ring, on Friday, while out and about in Brentwood, near Los Angeles (pictured below).

First wolf pack in decades spotted in Northern California

State and federal authorities announced Thursday that a remote camera captured photos earlier this month of two adults and five pups in southeastern Siskiyou County.

They were named the Shasta pack for nearby Mount Shasta.

The pack was discovered four years after the famous Oregon wandering wolf OR-7 first reached Northern California.