ISLAMABAD (AP) — The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for a minivan explosion in the Afghan capital that killed at least three people. The militant group says it detonated an explosive late Tuesday hidden on a vehicle belonging to employees of Afghanistan’s main prison in Kabul, killing and wounding about 10 people. That’s according
Continue ReadingBy Simone Pathe, CNN (CNN) — As President Joe Biden casts the race for the White House as a fight to save democracy, state-level Democrats say that battle is already well underway in what they’re calling “the year of the states.” The party committee dedicated to state legislative races raised more than $21 million, a
Continue ReadingLOS ANGELES (AP) — LeBron James and his son, Bronny, will appear together on a unique sports trading card to herald the Los Angeles Lakers superstar’s new multiyear partnership with Fanatics. The top scorer in NBA history has signed with Fanatics Collectibles, the trading card division of the online sports retailer. Neither side disclosed the
Continue ReadingBy BINAJ GURUBACHARYA Associated Press KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — A controversial Nepalese spiritual leader known as “Buddha Boy” was arrested on charges of sexually assaulting a minor and involvement in the disappearance of at least four of his followers from his camps, police said Wednesday. Ram Bahadur Bamjan is believed by many Nepalese to be
Continue ReadingBy Bethlehem Feleke, CNN Nairobi, Kenya (CNN) — A Kenyan court has threatened to release alleged Christian cult leader Paul Nthenge Mackenzie if the state prosecutor does not charge him within two weeks. Mackenzie, who ran the Good News International Church, is accused of leading a doomsday cult where he instructed his mass followers to
Continue ReadingBy MATT BROWN and LINLEY SANDERS Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans of various racial backgrounds largely agree that the government should focus on the economy and foreign policy issues in 2024, but recent polling shows that views among racial groups diverge on some high-profile topics, including racism and immigration. About 7 in 10 U.S.
Continue ReadingBy Jamiel Lynch and Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN (CNN) — A man exonerated and freed after serving 44 years in prison for a crime he did not commit is to receive $25 million in the second-largest wrongful conviction settlement ever, Duke Law School’s Wrongful Conviction Clinic announced. Ronnie Long, who is Black, was accused of raping a 54-year-old White
Continue ReadingBy MARIA SHERMAN AP Music Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — Listened to more music last year? You’re not alone. Luminate’s year-end report finds that the global music industry surpassed 4 trillion streams in 2023. That’s a new single-year record. Global streams are also up 34% from last year, reflective of an increasingly international music marketplace.
Continue ReadingBy LIUDAS DAPKUS Associated Press VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) — Ukraine has shown the world that Russia’s military can be stopped, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Wednesday as he began a visit to the Baltic nations in search of more help for his country against the Kremlin’s larger and better-supplied forces in the 22-month-old invasion. Speaking in
Continue ReadingBy Jack Guy, CNN (CNN) — Ecuador’s worsening security situation deteriorated further in spectacular fashion this week, with gunmen armed with explosives storming a TV station during a live broadcast. The country has been rocked by blasts, police kidnappings and prison disturbances in a wave of violence authorities are struggling to contain. The immediate trigger
Continue ReadingBy Gregory Krieg, Eric Bradner, Steve Contorno and Daniel Strauss, CNN (CNN) — The final Republican primary debate before the Iowa caucuses will be a one-on-one showdown between former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, now riding a wave of momentum in the polls and boosted by a barrage of outside spending, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, whose
Continue ReadingBy KATHY McCORMACK and SCOTT McFETRIDGE Associated Press CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — A major storm drenched the Northeast and slammed it with fierce winds, knocking out power to hundreds of thousands following a bout of violent weather that struck most of the U.S. The storm, which started Tuesday night and was moving out Wednesday, washed
Continue ReadingBy WAYNE PARRY Associated Press UNION, N.J. (AP) — Federal investigators opened several days of hearings into a dockside cargo ship fire that killed two New Jersey firefighters last summer at Port Newark. The Coast Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the cause of the July 5 blaze aboard the Grande Costa
Continue ReadingBy MICHAEL CASEY Associated Press HANOVER, N.H. (AP) — President Joe Biden’s education chief plans to meet Wednesday with students at Dartmouth College to discuss antisemitism and Islamophobia on college campuses amid the the Israel-Hamas war. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona will hold a roundtable including Jewish and Muslim students as part of recently launched Dartmouth
Continue ReadingBy Arlette Saenz, CNN (CNN) — Senior White House officials pushed the Pentagon to release a statement on Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s hospitalization after learning of his status on Thursday, two administration officials told CNN. White House chief of staff Jeff Zients and national security adviser Jake Sullivan called Austin’s chief of staff, Kelly Magsamen, on Thursday
Continue ReadingBy ZIMO ZHONG and MATT OTT Associated Press Wall Street was quiet early Wednesday following a lackluster session a day earlier as markets await U.S. inflation data and high-profile corporate earnings reports later in the week. Futures for the S&P 500 were essentially flat before the bell, while futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average
Continue ReadingHewlett Packard Enterprise is buying Juniper Networks in an all-cash deal valued at about $14 billion, which is anticipated to double HPE’s networking business. Shares of both companies rose before the market open on Wednesday. A Wall Street Journal report about a potential deal saw Juniper’s stock surge 22% and HPE’s stock dip 9% before
Continue ReadingBy ROD McGUIRK Associated Press MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Australia’s online safety watchdog says the owner of the social media platform formerly known as Twitter has slashed its global trust and safety staff by 30% including an 80% reduction in the number of safety engineers since billionaire Elon Musk took over in 2022. Australia’s eSafety Commission
Continue ReadingBy LEANNE ITALIE AP Lifestyles Writer NEW YORK (AP) — The fight against climate change requires the mass cooperation of industries, companies, governments and communities around the globe. But individuals have a role to play, too. In New Year’s resolution season, there are lots of small, easily achievable ways to lead more climate-friendly lives. Start
Continue ReadingBy Nicole Chavez, CNN (CNN) — Antisemitism has “skyrocketed” across the United States in the three months since the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel, according to new data released Wednesday by the Anti-Defamation League. The ADL has tracked a total of 3,283 antisemitic incidents between October 7 and January 7, the group said. This marks a 361% increase in reported antisemitic incidents when compared
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