CNN By Scottie Andrew, CNN (CNN) — Being a pageant winner takes more than beauty and talent. The newly crowned Miss Kansas Alexis Smith showed that winning the title sometimes requires bravery, too. Smith stunned the judges during her final interview at the Miss Kansas competition last month when she said that her abuser was
Continue Reading By Anna Chernova and Nathan Hodge, CNN (CNN) — A Moscow court has sentenced exiled Russian journalist Mikhail Zygar in absentia to eight years and a half years in prison for disseminating “fake news” about the Russian army, the latest conviction in Russia’s campaign of legal retribution against independent and opposition media. Zygar was found
Continue Reading By Nimi Princewill, Mek Tekeste and Louis Mian, CNN (CNN) — The death toll from two landslides in a remote region of southern Ethiopia on Monday has risen to 229, according to local authorities. The communication affairs department of Gofa Zone said Tuesday that 148 males and 81 females had been killed. A local official,
Continue Reading By Catherine Nicholls, CNN London (CNN) — Violence against women and girls in England and Wales has reached “epidemic levels,” UK police have warned, saying forces should prioritize their response to the issue in the same way as they do terrorism and organized crime. In a major report, police estimate that at least one in
Continue Reading By Abeer Salman, Kareem Khadder and Tim Lister, CNN (CNN) — Dozens of Palestinians have been killed and thousands more forced to flee after Israel launched a fresh ground assault against what it said were Hamas targets in the southern Gazan city of Khan Younis. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced Monday that it was
Continue Reading By Haley Britzky, CNN (CNN) — A US Army investigation into Robert Card — the Army reservist who shot and killed 18 people in Lewiston, Maine, last year — found a series of failures and breakdowns in communication among Card’s military chain of command, civilian law enforcement and medical providers, occurred ahead of the mass shooting. The investigation found communication failures “impacted [Sgt. 1st Class] Card’s continuity of
Continue Reading CNN By Abeer Salman and Lauren Izso, CNN Jerusalem (CNN) — Masked Israeli settlers attacked a group of Palestinian farmers and foreign activists accompanying them for protection in the West Bank town of Qusra on Sunday, according to victims of the attack and videos obtained by CNN. Eight activists were participating as part of a
Continue Reading By Chandelis Duster, CNN (CNN) — An author whose novel about book banning was removed from a Florida school district’s library shelves has asked the school board to reinstate his book, saying that its removal is “erasure of the highest order.” Alan Gratz, author of “Ban This Book,” said in a letter read during the
Continue Reading CNN Editorial Research (CNN) — Here’s a look at the life of author, television personality and entrepreneur, Martha Stewart. Personal Birth date: August 3, 1941 Birth place: Jersey City, New Jersey Birth name: Martha Helen Kostyra Father: Edward Kostyra, pharmaceuticals salesman Mother: Martha (Ruszkowski) Kostyra, schoolteacher Marriage: Andrew Stewart (1961-1990, divorced) Children: Alexis Education: Barnard
Continue Reading CNN Editorial Research (CNN) — Here’s a look at the life of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Iraq’s most influential Shiite cleric. Personal Birth date: August 4, 1930 Birth place: Mashhad, Iran Birth name: Sayyid Ali Husaini Sistani Father: Sayyid Mohammad Baqir, a religious scholar Mother: Name unavailable publicly Marriage: Information unavailable publicly Children: Muhammad Rida
Continue Reading CNN Editorial Research (CNN) — Here’s a look at the Statue of Liberty, located on Liberty Island in New York Harbor. Facts The Statue of Liberty was a gift to the United States from the people of France to commemorate 100 years of Franco-American friendship. The statue also commemorates the centennial of America’s independence. The
Continue Reading CNN Editorial Research (CNN) — Here’s a look at the Taj Mahal, India’s most popular tourist attraction. The monument is located on the banks of the Yamuna River in Agra, India. Facts The Taj Mahal was built in the 17th century by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan to honor his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died
Continue Reading By Chris Boyette and Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN (CNN) — A 500-acre fire in Riverside, California, that has burned homes and caused $10 million in damage was sparked by fireworks, according to local officials. “Camera footage has shown suspects fleeing the area and we also have a vehicle of interest that’s being reviewed by investigators,” Riverside
Continue Reading By Christian Edwards and Anna Chernova, CNN (CNN) — Russia’s lower house of parliament has proposed punishing Russian soldiers caught using smartphones while fighting in Ukraine, state media TASS reported, amid growing concerns that electronic devices can reveal troops’ location on the battlefield. According to a draft law supported by the State Duma Committee on
Continue Reading By Larry Madowo, CNN Nairobi, Kenya (CNN) — Protesters in Kenya have vowed “a total shutdown” as they seize control of Nairobi’s main international airport on Tuesday as deadly anti-government demonstrations intensify, now entering their sixth week. At least 50 people have been killed during the protests and more than 400 injured, according to the Kenya National
Continue Reading By Simone McCarthy, Isaac Yee and Abeer Salman, CNN Hong Kong (CNN) — Palestinian factions including rivals Hamas and Fatah have signed an agreement on “ending division and strengthening Palestinian unity” in Beijing, China said Tuesday. The announcement followed reconciliation talks hosted by China involving 14 Palestinian factions starting Sunday, according to China’s Foreign Ministry,
Continue Reading By Kathleen Magramo, CNN (CNN) — The Philippines has announced plans to ban offshore gaming operators, targeting an industry that mostly caters to Chinese gamblers and has sparked growing alarm from law enforcement over its alleged connections to organized crime. Known locally as POGOs, Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators have spawned across the country, both licensed
Continue Reading CNN By Eric Levenson, Jillian Sykes and Brad Parks, CNN (CNN) — Body-camera footage showing the fatal police shooting of Sonya Massey, a 36-year-old Black woman who had called 911 for help, was released Monday in a case that has led to murder charges against a deputy. The 36-minute video released via the Illinois State
Continue Reading By Scottie Andrew, CNN (CNN) — Being a pageant winner takes more than beauty and talent. The newly crowned Miss Kansas Alexis Smith showed that winning the title sometimes requires bravery, too. Smith stunned the judges during her final interview at the Miss Kansas competition last month when she said that her abuser was in
Continue Reading By Michael Mitsanas, CNN (CNN) — General Min Aung Hlaing, leader of Myanmar’s military junta, became the country’s interim president on Monday after figurehead leader Myint Swe was placed on medical leave, state media reported. “The Interim President’s Office has sent a letter to the State Administration Council Office notifying it to delegate the responsibilities,”
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