(ISLAMABAD) — A suicide bomber detonated explosives inside a mosque in northwestern Pakistan on Monday, killing and wounding hundreds of worshippers, officials said.
The blast occurred at a Sunni mosque inside a major police facility in Peshawar, the capital of Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, not far from the country’s border with Afghanistan. More than 300 people were said to be praying there when the suicide bomber struck. An eyewitness told ABC News that the roof collapsed from the impact.
Security and government officials confirmed the explosion was from a suicide bomber. The Pakistan Taliban — known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP — have claimed responsibility for the attack.
At least 88 people were killed and more than 170 others were injured in the blast, a local hospital spokesperson told ABC News. Most of the wounded have since been discharged from the hospital but 65 remain for treatment. Many of the dead were police officers, according to the hospital spokesperson.
It was unclear how the suicide bomber was able to gain entry into the walled compound and get to the mosque. The facility also houses the police headquarters for Peshawar and is itself located in a high-security zone with other government buildings.
Pakistani Prime Minster Shehbaz Sharif, who visited the scene in Peshawar on Monday, condemned the bombing and urged people to donate blood to help save the wounded.
The U.S. Embassy in Islamabad also issued a statement condemning the “horrific attack.”
Royal Court of Saudi Arabia/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
(LONDON) — The use of the death penalty under the rule of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and his father, King Salman, has almost doubled annually since they rose to power, according to a new report seen by ABC News.
The report, published on Tuesday by the non-profit European Saudi organization for Human Rights (ESOHR) and the anti-death penalty charity Reprieve, titled “Bloodshed and Lies: Mohammed bin Salman’s Kingdom of Executions,” says that the average number of executions has risen 82% under their rule, even as the country has projected a modernizing image to the outside world.
The number of executions annually has risen from an average of 70.8 between 2010-2014, to 129.5 per year since 2015, when the current king and crown prince came to power. Despite official claims that the death penalty does not apply to minors, at least 15 child defendants have been executed in the Kingdom since 2010, according to the data published by the human rights groups. Over 1,000 executions have been carried out in Saudi Arabia since 2015, the report said.
The report also looked into the increasing use of mass executions, such as the record number of 81 people executed on a single day in March of last year on a range of charges, including terrorism. The UN’s High Commissioner Human Rights groups condemned the mass execution, saying that the regime had implemented “an extremely broad definition” of terrorism that includes non-violent acts.
“The explosion in the number of executions in Saudi Arabia under Mohammed bin Salman is a crisis the international community cannot continue to ignore,” Reprieve Director Maya Foya shared in a statement. “Every data point in this report is a human life taken … And all while MBS lies to the world that he has reformed the system to reduce the number of people executed. When the US, UK and EU go along with these lies, it makes the next mass execution more likely.”
Human rights groups have long expressed concerns that the kingdom’s human rights record has been overlooked by the international community in favor of geopolitical and economic interests. The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.
However, the BBC received a statement from the Saudi Embassy in London in response to an investigation into the death penalty, which said other countries around the world use the death penalty at their own discretion.
“As we respect their right to determine their own laws and customs, we hope that others will respect our sovereign right to follow our own judicial and legislative choices,” the statement said.
The judicial system that convicts defendants for capital crimes is shrouded in secrecy, according to the report, with the government often not notifying the defendants’ families and returning their bodies.
“This report provides a glimpse at what Saudi justice looks like now that MBS has been emboldened by Western governments that have failed to hold him accountable for the killing of Saudi dissident and journalist Jamal Khashoggi, as well as numerous other crimes and abuses including Yemen war,” Abdullah al Oudah, whose father currently faces a death sentence, said in a statement shared with ABC News. “My father is possibly facing the death penalty any moment just because he called for peace and tweeted for reforms.”
The premiere of Three Women, starring Shailene Woodley, DeWanda Wise, Betty Gilpin and Blair Underwood, has been scrapped at Showtime, despite having completed production, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The drama series is one of three to get the axe, along with Let the Right One In and American Gigolo, as a result of the premium cable channel’s consolidation with Paramount+. The move follows the announcement that Showtime’s linear network will be rebranded later this year as Paramount+ on Showtime. Three Women sparked a bidding war back in 2019 and is expected to be picked up by another outlet…
Apple TV+ on Monday renewed the comedy series Acapulco for a third season. The series, inspired by the feature film How to Be A Latin Lover, follows a young Mexican man who lands the job of a lifetime at the hottest resort in Acapulco, but learns the job harder than he imagined. In season three, “it’s a time of reconciling past mistakes and exciting new beginnings,” per the streamer. “In the present story, older Maximo — played by Eugenio Derbez — finds himself returning to a Las Colinas he no longer recognizes. While in 1985, younger Maximo continues his climb up the ladder of success while potentially jeopardizing all the relationships he’s worked so hard to build.” Seasons 1 and 2 are now streaming globally on Apple TV+…
Reboot, the comedy series from Modern Family co-creator Steve Levitan, has been canceled at Hulu after one season, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Reboot followed the cast of a fictional sitcom who reunite in an effort to reboot the series for Hulu. Keegan-Michael Key, Johnny Knoxville and Judy Greer starred alongside Paul Reiser and Rachel Bloom…
The Nigerian singer released the music video for the song on Monday. It follows the artist as he returns to a village in Nigeria and takes on the role of a regular person, although the community is well aware of his stardom. From helping to make food, to helping push a stalled car, the video highlights the everyday stories of ordinary people in the country and conveys the message that the Grammy Award-winner hasn’t forgotten his roots.
“Common Person” is from Burna Boy’s sixth studio album Love, Damini, which was released in July 2022, and is available to stream now.
(NEW YORK) — Now that the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs are officially set to face-off in Super Bowl LVII in Glendale, Arizona, on Feb. 12, one mom faces the ultimate dilemma: Who should she root for?
Donna Kelce is the first mother to have two children go head-to-head in a Super Bowl. Her sons — Jason Kelce on the Eagles and Travis Kelce on the Chiefs — will be competing in a few short weeks for the Lombardi Trophy.
“My mom can’t lose,” Travis Kelce told the press in a post-game interview on Sunday.
Jason Kelce, meanwhile, acknowledged his brother’s win Sunday night, shortly after the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20, tweeting that he’s “officially done being a Chiefs fan this season!!”
The brothers grew up in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, and played as teammates at the University of Cincinnati in 2008.
On Sunday night, Donna Kelce tweeted “#HeightsHighandUCBearcatSuperBowl” to celebrate both her sons.
Jason Kelce, the older brother of the two, was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2011 and has since played 12 seasons with the team as a center, according to ESPN. Just two seasons behind his brother, Travis Kelce has played as a tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs for 10 seasons after he was drafted in 2013.
The Kelce brothers are both offensive players for their respective teams so the two won’t be on the field at the same time during the competition. Both are looking to claim their second Super Bowl titles.
(NEW YORK) — A California man who prosecutors say intentionally drove his Tesla off a cliff with his family inside is facing attempted murder charges.
Dharmesh Arvind Patel, 41, of Pasadena, was arraigned on three felony counts of attempted murder at the San Mateo County Superior Court in Redwood City on Monday afternoon. He did not enter a plea and was ordered to remain held without bail in the San Mateo County Jail in Redwood City.
Patel’s attorney, Josh Bentley, did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.
Patel is accused of intentionally trying to kill his wife and two young children by driving their car off a cliff on California’s scenic Highway 1, just south of the Tom Lantos tunnels, on the morning of Jan. 2. The California Highway Patrol said its officers were dispatched to the scene about 15 miles south of San Francisco at approximately 10:50 a.m. local time and, upon arrival, located a white Tesla some 300 feet down the cliff.
First responders repelled down the cliff to rescue the occupants from the vehicle — two adults and two children. All four were then transported to a local hospital with “serious injuries,” according to the California Highway Patrol.
After interviewing witnesses and gathering evidence from the scene, investigators developed probable cause to believe the incident was an intentional act and placed the driver — identified as Patel — under arrest for attempted murder and child abuse. Investigators were unable to determine what driving mode the Tesla was in at the time, but “that does not appear to be a contributing factor in this incident,” the California Highway Patrol said in a Jan. 3 press release.
On Friday, Patel was released from the hospital and subsequently booked into the San Mateo County Jail. The San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office filed the attempted murder charges against Patel on Monday. Two of three three counts have domestic violence and great bodily injury enhancements, according to the complaint obtained by ABC News.
After Patel’s arraignment, San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe held a brief press conference to give an update on the investigation. He said evidence shows there were no signs of braking or skid marks before the car plunged off the cliff. Eyewitnesses who were driving behind Patel’s Tesla at the time have told investigators that the vehicle’s brake lights did not illuminate as it turned and drove off the edge, according to Wagstaffe.
Investigators have also recovered video from surveillance cameras near the Tom Lantos tunnels that show the Tesla driving out of a tunnel and off a cliff. Based on the evidence, prosecutors are certain that this was attempted murder. The footage will not be released to the public, the district attorney said.
The California Highway Patrol is still examining the car to make sure no malfunction occurred, in which case the charges would be changed, according to Wagstaffe, who noted that he does not anticipate this to happen.
Patel’s 41-year-old wife suffered “major injuries” from the crash and remains hospitalized, the district attorney said. Their 7-year-old daughter was also badly hurt, while their 4-year-old son “miraculously” sustained only bruises, according to Wagstaffe, who said that’s why there were no enhancements added to the third count of attempted murder.
“By some miracle that I don’t understand, all of them have survived. I’m glad for that,” Wagstaffe told reporters on Monday afternoon. “But it doesn’t change [what] we’ve charged him with.”
The district attorney said his office views the case as domestic violence. The judge denied prosecutors’ request for a no contact order and instead granted a no harassment order, according to Wagstaffe.
A potential motive remains under investigation.
“I mean, we know the motive was he didn’t want any of them to live any longer,” Wagstaffe added. “But what led to this, what has caused this, what was the trigger — that’s still under investigation. We’re hoping to learn more when the wife is hopefully available for an interview and is willing to speak with us at that point.”
If convicted on all charges with the special circumstances, Patel could be sentenced to a maximum of life in prison. He is due back in court on Feb. 9 and is expected to enter a plea, according to Wagstaffe.
(MEMPHIS, Tenn.) — Two additional Memphis police officers, including the white officer seen encountering Tyre Nichols during his traffic stop, were relieved of duty and three Memphis Fire Department personnel were fired as the investigation into the Jan. 7 death of Nichols continues, officials announced Monday.
Officer Preston Hemphill and an unidentified officer were relieved of their duty a day after the incident, Memphis PD revealed Monday.
The Memphis Fire Department also announced Monday that it fired two EMTs and a lieutenant who responded to the scene for failing to properly assess Nichols as he lay beaten on the ground.
Hemphill, who is white, allegedly deployed his Taser during the confrontation. In his own body camera video, Hemphill is seen chasing Nichols down the road, but then turns back to the scene of the initial traffic stop.
Hemphill was heard on his body camera video saying twice, “I hope they stomp his a–.”
Hemphill and the unidentified seventh officer haven’t been fired or charged, according to the Memphis PD.
“Officer Preston Hemphill and [the] other officer’s actions and inactions have been and continue to be the subject of this investigation since its inception on January 8, 2023,” the department said in a statement.
Five other officers, who are all Black, were previously fired and charged with second-degree murder in connection with Nichols’ beating at a traffic stop. Nichols, 29, died three days later.
Hemphill’s attorney, Lee Gerald, said earlier that Hemphill was the third officer at Nichols’ initial traffic stop. The first body camera footage released Friday was from Hemphill’s device.
“As per departmental regulations Officer Hemphill activated his bodycam,” Gerald said earlier in a statement. “He was never present at the second scene. He is cooperating with officials in this investigation.”
The Memphis FD revealed more details Monday about their members’ actions during the incident.
Memphis Fire Dispatch received a call from the Memphis PD at 8:31 p.m., to respond to a person pepper sprayed at the intersection of E. Raines Road and Ross Road, according to the fire department. An ambulance arrived at the scene and then directed to the second location where the cops encountered Nichols, the fire department said.
EMT-Basic Robert Long and EMT-Advanced JaMicheal Sandridge made the scene where Tyre Nichols was located handcuffed on the ground leaning against a police vehicle, while an unidentified ambulance driver and Lt. Michelle Whitaker remained inside the vehicle at approximately 8:41 p.m., the according to the fire department.
The department said the EMTs requested another ambulance to respond after their “initial interaction with Mr. Nichols,” and the additional ambulance didn’t arrive on the scene until 8:55 p.m.
“Our investigation has concluded that the two EMTs responded based on the initial nature of the call (person pepper sprayed) and information they were told on the scene and failed to conduct an adequate patient assessment of Mr. Nichols,” Memphis FD said in a statement.
Long, Sandridge and Whitaker were all fired for violating “numerous MFD Policies and Protocols,” the department said.
“Their actions or inactions on the scene that night do not meet the expectations of the Memphis Fire Department and are not reflective of the outstanding service the men and women of the Memphis Fire Department provide daily in our community,” Memphis FD said in a statement.
The three former fire department personnel haven’t been charged.
Nichols’ stepfather, Rodney Wells, told ABC News Live on Friday night that he thinks “everyone [who] was active in the whole scene … should be charged.”
Attorneys for Nichols’ family, Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci, said they were extremely disappointed that Hemphill was relieved of duty but not fired or charged. The lawyers are also questioning why the Memphis police did not immediately announce Hemphill’s name or that he was relieved of duty.
“Why is his identity and the role he played in Tyre’s death just now coming to light?” they said in a statement. “We have asked from the beginning that the Memphis Police Department be transparent with the family and the community — this news seems to indicate that they haven’t risen to the occasion. It certainly begs the question why the white officer involved in this brutal attack was shielded and protected from the public eye, and to date, from sufficient discipline and accountability. The Memphis Police Department owes us all answers.”
Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy said in a statement Monday that the investigation was ongoing and more charges could be filed.
“We are looking at all individuals involved in the events leading up to, during, and after the beating of Tyre Nichols,” the district attorney’s office said. “This includes the officer present at the initial encounter who has not — so far — been charged, Memphis Fire Department personnel, and persons who participated in preparing documentation of the incident afterward.”
“The DA’s Office worked extraordinarily swiftly but thoroughly to charge those whose offenses were plain and clear and directly contributed to the death of Mr. Nichols, but in no way is this investigation over,” the office added.
(NEW YORK) — Sam Bankman-Fried’s bond guarantors should be named publicly, a federal judge ruled Monday after news organizations objected to the names being redacted.
Bankman-Fried was released on a $250 million personal recognizance bond co-signed by his parents and two other non-parental sureties.
The judge agreed with news organizations who argued the public interest weighed in favor of allowing the two names to be released. Bankman-Fried argued there was a risk of physical threats to the parties if their names were exposed.
“If the names of the non-parental sureties are disclosed, it is reasonable to assume that those individuals will become subject to publicity that they would prefer not to attract,” Judge Lewis Kaplan said. “But that alone does not do the trick.”
The judge’s decision comes as prosecutors pushed again on Monday for a ban on Sam Bankman-Fried reaching out to potential witnesses
Kaplan stayed his order until Feb. 7 to allow for an appeal.
Bankman-Fried was charged with fraud and conspiracy following the collapse of the crypto platform he founded, FTX.
Prosecutors asked the judge to modify the conditions of the bond and order Bankman-Fried not to contact or communicate with current or former FTX or Alameda employees and not to use any encrypted messaging apps.
(NEW YORK) — The number of births in the United States increased in 2021 for the first time in seven years, reversing trends that continued during the pandemic, according to new federal data.
A report published early Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics showed there were 3,664,292 babies born in 2021, which is a 1% increase from 2020.
The figure marks the first increase seen since 2014. Between 2014 and 2019, births were declining by an average of 1% per year, and there was a decline of 4% from 2019 to 2020.
The report did not provide reasons for the increase, but Pew Research Center polls suggest women in the U.S. delayed having babies during the first year of the pandemic due to public health and economic uncertainty, so the rising number could be the result of a rebound.
The report also found the fertility rate for women in the U.S. rose by 1% from 2020 to 2021, sitting at 56.3 births per 1,000 women who are of reproductive age. It’s also the first increase since 2014 after the rate declined by 4% from 2019 to 2020 and by 2% per year on average from 2014 to 2019.
Although the overall number of births rose from 2020 to 2021, the figure was still lower than the 7.74 million recorded in 2019, according to federal data.
When researchers looked at the number of births by race/ethnicity, disparities could be seen.
Among white and Hispanic women, the number of births rose 2% for each group between 2020 and 2021.
For Black and Asian women, the number of births declined by 2% from 2020 to 2021, and for American Indian/Alaskan Native women, the number of births declined 3%, the report showed.
According to the report, birth rates declined for women aged 15 to 24, rose for those aged 25 to 44 and were unchanged for the youngest age group, ages 10 to 15, and the oldest, ages 45 to 59.
The birth rate for those between ages 15 and 19 declined from 7% in 2020 down to 13.9 per 1,000 and the rate for those aged 20 to 24 fell by 3% to 63.3 per 1,000.
According to the report, both rates are record lows for their respective age groups.
By state, the number of births increased in 16 states from 2020 to 2021 and declined in one state, New Mexico. Of those 16 states, Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire had the highest increases of between 5% and 6%.
The report also looked at infant characteristics. Researchers found the premature birth rate rose 4% from 2020 to 2021, to 10.49%, which was the highest recorded figure since at least 2007.
The biggest increase was among early pre-term infants, or those born under 34 weeks gestation, at 4% from 2020 to 2021 compared to late pre-term infants, which are those born between 34 weeks and 37 weeks gestation.
Additionally, the number of babies with a low birth weight — less than 5 pounds, 8 ounces — rose 3% in 2021 to 8.52 from 2020.
It comes after the low birth weight declined from 2019 to 2020 following nearly 29 consecutive years of increases.
(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden is expected to pose two questions to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy during a Wednesday meeting and will challenge the speaker to commit to avoiding a catastrophic default and unveil a specific, detailed and comprehensive budget, according to a White House memo obtained first by ABC News.
The highly anticipated meeting comes amid an ongoing standoff over the debt limit.
According to the memo, the president is expected to ask McCarthy if he will “commit to the bedrock principle that the United States will never default on its financial obligations” and whether he agrees with “former presidents, including Presidents Trump and Reagan, that it is critical to avoid debt limit brinksmanship.”
The memo — written by senior advisors Brian Deese and Shalanda Young — notes Biden will release a budget on March 9 and challenges McCarthy to do the same.
“It is essential that Speaker McCarthy likewise commit to releasing a budget, so that the American people can see how House Republicans plan to reduce the deficit – whether through Social Security cuts; cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, and Affordable Care Act (ACA) health coverage; and/or cuts to research, education, and public safety – as well as how much their Budget will add to the deficit with tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans and large corporations, as in their first bill this year,” the memo states.
Republicans in the House have insisted on deep spending cuts in exchange for their cooperation on raising the debt ceiling.
The Republican Study Committee, which represents the largest group of Republicans in the House, previously called for revisions to Social Security and Medicare including raising the age for Medicare to 67 and Social Security to the age of 70 for younger workers.
But McCarthy recently said any cuts to Social Security and Medicare would be “off the table.”
McCarthy pointed to the “Commitment to America” plan presented by Republicans before the midterms, which he said “strengthens” Medicare and Social Security. The White House has accused McCarthy of being “evasive” on his plan for government spending.
Pressed on what he meant by “strengthen” and whether he sought to raise the retirement age — McCarthy said: “No, no, no. What I’m talking about Social Security, Medicare, you keep that to the side.”
“I want to find a reasonable and a responsible way that we can lift the debt ceiling but take control of this runaway spending,” McCarthy said.
Meanwhile, the White House has repeatedly said Biden will not negotiate or compromise by tying a debt limit increase to spending cuts, with the administration pointing to the bipartisan history of the ceiling being increased by both parties over the years.
“If Speaker McCarthy is prepared to rule out default — and once he releases a specific and detailed Budget that has the support of his Caucus — the President is prepared to engage in a conversation about economic and fiscal priorities as part of the normal budget process,” the White House memo states.
The memo calls the credit of the United States a “non-negotiable” insisting Biden “will not allow anyone to take the U.S. economy hostage.”
Earlier this month, McCarthy made it clear he was holding firm.
“For the president to say he wouldn’t even negotiate — that’s irresponsible. We’re going to be responsible. We’re going to be sensible, and we’re going to get this done together. So the longer he waits, the more he puts the fiscal jeopardy of America up for grabs,” McCarthy told ABC News’ Senior Congressional Correspondent Rachel Scott earlier this month. “We should sit down and get this done and stop playing politics,” he added.
The debt limit doesn’t allow government spending on new programs — instead it allows the U.S. to borrow any money it needs to pay for the nation’s existing bills.
The federal government hit the current debt ceiling, about $31.4 trillion, earlier this month prompting the Treasury Department to step in with “extraordinary measures” which will allow the nation to avert a catastrophic default until June.
“President Biden will ask Speaker McCarthy to publicly assure the American people and the rest of the world that the United States will, as always, honor all of its financial obligations,” the memo states.
