The father accused of masterminding a hoax in which emergency services chased an out-of-control balloon in which his son was feared to be trapped could be charged as early as today, his lawyer has said.

Borat and Ali G star Sacha Baron Cohen tricked the Alabama National Guard into giving him a uniform and allowing him to go through training.

Fears were growing today for the safety of adventurer Steve Fossett who was flying across a rugged mountainous area in Nevada notorious for treacherous winds when he disappeared three days ago.

US National Guard C-130s and helicopters with infrared and thermal imaging equipment scoured the soaring peaks and sagebrush desert of north-west Nevada early today for any sign of missing adventurist Steve Fossett.

US National Guard troops from Louisiana and other Gulf states won’t be pulled out of Iraq ahead of schedule, despite the devastation from Hurricane Katrina, the US command said today.

A US National Guard F-16 fighter jet on a night training mission strafed a primary school with 25 rounds of ammunition. No one was injured.

RESCUE teams, insurance adjusters and US National Guard troops scattered across Florida yesterday to help victims of Hurricane Charley and deliver water and supplies to thousands of people left homeless.

Rescue teams, insurance adjusters and US National Guard troops scattered across Florida today to help victims of Hurricane Charley and deliver water and other supplies to thousands of people left homeless.

A 25-year-old man has been arrested in the US in connection with the fatal crash, which killed Irish woman Margaret Brohan 10 days ago.

Soldiers from the United States National Guard will begin operating at the major US air bases in the UK from tomorrow as the countdown to war in Iraq continues.

A rescue helicopter has crashed in the United States high in a mountainous region.

A US National Guard pilot who mistook Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan for enemy forces thought he was acting in self-defence when he dropped a 500lbs bomb on them, killing four and wounding eight, US officials said.