(WASHINGTON) — The leader of al-Qaeda, one of the FBI’s most wanted terrorists, was killed in a drone strike in Kabul over the weekend, ABC News can confirm through sources familiar with the operation.
A source briefed on the operation confirmed that al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri was killed in the U.S. strike in Afghanistan.
A senior administration official said earlier Monday that the U.S. conducted a successful counterterrorism operation against a “significant” al-Qaeda target in Afghanistan over the weekend, adding that there were no civilian casualties.
The counterterrorism attack took place in Wazir Akbar Khan, one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in Kabul and literally walking distance to the main diplomatic areas, including the U.S. Embassy.
President Joe Biden is expected to deliver remarks on the operation tonight at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Al-Zawahiri, who was born in Cairo in 1951, trained as a physician before founding the Egyptian Islamic Jihad, the FBI said. His organization had sought to overthrow the Egyptian government “through violent means” before merging with al-Qaeda between 1998 and 1999, the U.N. Security Council said.
As Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaeda deputy, al-Zawahiri helped coordinate the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people in the United States, the U.S. Justice Department said.
Al-Zawahiri and bin Laden appeared together the day after the attacks in a video, in which an al-Qaeda spokesperson threatened the West, saying a “great army is gathering against you,” U.S. officials said.
The Justice Department named al-Zawahiri and bin Laden as unindicted co-conspirators for their roles in coordinating the attacks.
Both had been indicted in the Southern District of New York in 1999 for the bombing of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, which killed 224 people the previous year.
After bin Laden’s death in 2011, al-Zawahiri took over as al-Qaeda’s leader, officials said.
The FBI had placed al-Zawahiri, who was sometimes known as “The Doctor” or “The Teacher,” on its list of Most Wanted Terrorists, offering a $25 million reward for his capture.
The strike that killed al-Zawahiri is a major success of U.S. counterterrorism efforts and the result of countless hours of intelligence collection over many years.
This mission shows the tenacity and absolute dedication of U.S. intelligence and military professionals toward pursuing those responsible for the attacks of 9/11.
The message for al-Qaeda and its affiliates should be that the U.S. will never relent in its mission to hold those accountable who would seek to harm America and its people.
ABC News’ Mick Mulroy, Martha Raddatz, Sohel Uddin and Kevin Shalvey contributed to this report.
Fourteen new dates have just been added to the 2022 edition of the star-studded Celebrating David Bowie tribute tour, which is scheduled to kick off October 6 in San Diego and run through a November 13 performance in Phoenix.
The newly added shows, which expands the previously announced North American trek from 15 to 29 dates, include an October 14 concert in Chicago, an October 24-25 stand in New York City and a second performance in Annapolis, Maryland, on November 1.
As previously reported, the lineup for the 2022 Celebrating David Bowie trek includes Todd Rundgren, ex-King Crimson guitarist Adrian Belew, Spacehog‘s Royston Langdon, Fishbone frontman Angelo Moore and singer/songwriter Jeffrey Gaines. The tour was created by veteran guitarist and record producer Angelo Bundini, a.k.a. Scrote, who also will perform on the trek.
The Annapolis shows, scheduled for October 31 and November 1, will feature ’80s synth-pop star Thomas Dolby as a special guest.
Tickets for the new concerts will go on sale this Friday, August 5. Visit CelebratingDavidBowie.com for more details.
The trek will partner with Rundgren’s Spirit of Harmony Foundation to promote making music education more available for children. Volunteers will be on hand at all of the concerts to help share information about the organization and explain how people can get involved in promoting music education in their local communities.
Bad Religion has canceled the remaining dates on their tour of the U.K. and Europe due to a “family emergency.”
“There has been a family emergency within the band, and as a result we must cancel the remainder of our U.K. and European tour dates for this year,” the punk outfit writes in a statement. “We apologize for any inconvenience, and thank you for your patience and understanding.”
The trek was scheduled into mid-August and included various headlining dates and festival sets.
Bad Religion is currently set to return to the U.S. for a run of festival shows in September and October, including Riot Fest and Aftershock.
(ST. CROIX COUNTY, Wis.) — A 52-year-old Minnesota man was ordered on Monday to be held on a $1 million cash bail after homicide charges were filed against him stemming from a weekend stabbing incident on a Wisconsin river that left a 17-year-old boy dead and four other people seriously injured.
The suspect, Nicolae Miu of Prior Lake, Minnesota, made his first court appearance Monday afternoon via Zoom from the St. Croix County, Wisconsin, jail. He was arraigned on one count of first-degree intentional homicide and four counts of attempted first-degree intentional homicide.
A prosecutor had asked Judge R. Michael Waterman to set Miu’s bail at $500,000 cash, but the judge doubled that, citing the serious nature of the crimes and concern for the safety of the community.
“Upon conviction, you face a sentence of life imprisonment,” Waterman told Miu, referring to the charge of first-degree intentional homicide.
Miu was represented at the hearing by a public defender, who told the judge the defendant did not financially qualify to be represented by his office. Assistant State Public Defender Jeremiah Harrelson informed Waterman that Miu is married, owns his own home and has a full-time job as a mechanical engineer who designs residential, commercial and automotive ventilation and cooling systems. He said Miu has no previous criminal record.
Harrelson said Miu didn’t know any of the alleged victims.
“This appears to have been a completely chance encounter on the river, a very unfortunate one,” Harrelson said in court.
The judge denied Harrelson’s request that Miu be granted $50,000 cash bail along with an order to wear an electronic monitoring ankle bracelet.
Miu did not enter a plea to the charges and the judge informed him that he can hire his own attorney or request the court to appoint one to represent him.
He was ordered to return to court on Friday for a status conference to update the court on his legal representation. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Aug. 12.
Miu was arrested on Saturday after fleeing the scene of the stabbing attack on the Apple River in Somerset, Wisconsin, according to the St. Croix County Sheriff’s Office.
A motive for the attack remains under investigation.
“We’re still interviewing people. We have yet to interview one of the victims. So that’s all still a work in progress,” St. Croix County Sheriff Scott Knudson told ABC News on Monday.
The five victims were stabbed while tubing on the winding Apple River in Somerset Saturday afternoon, the sheriff said.
According to a criminal complaint filed in the case, Miu, his wife and friends were floating down the river on inner tubes when one of his friends accidentally dropped a cellphone in the water and Miu went back to look for it. While using goggles and a snorkel to search the water, he encountered the alleged victims, who were also tubing on the river and accused him of bothering young girls.
“Witnesses described Nicolae as punching or slapping a female that was in the group confronting him. Nicolae was then punched by a male and fell into the river,” according to the complaint.
Witnesses told investigators that Miu then pulled out a knife and began stabbing people, according to the complaint.
But Miu’s wife told investigators she witnessed part of the fatal confrontation from a distance and saw several men take the knife away from Miu and attack him, according to the complaint.
Miu’s wife claimed her husband told her right after the encounter that at least one of the men “swung the knife at him and that he grabbed it and moved it away,” according to the complaint. She said the encounter lasted for about five minutes, according to the complaint.
Citing video taken of the incident, investigators said it appeared that several people converged on Miu and yelled at him several times to leave. But as the situation escalated, at least one person touched Miu on the shoulder, according to the complaint.
“From the video, it does appear to show people on three sides of Nicolae at different distances. The video and elapsed time shows opportunity for Nicolae to leave the confrontation,” the criminal complaint alleges.
As the confrontation grew more heated, Miu was allegedly seen in the video pulling out a folding knife and holding it at his side, according to the criminal complaint. As the confrontation grew physical, the video showed Miu falling backward into the water, getting back on his feet and allegedly stabbing a man in yellow swimming trunks who had pushed him in the back.
After allegedly stabbing five people, Miu was seen on the video climbing out of the water and running away, according to the complaint. He was later tracked down at a nearby campground, where he had parked his car, and was arrested, according to the complaint.
Investigators recovered the black-handled folding knife discarded on the river bank, according to the complaint.
A teenager slain in the episode is from Stillwater, Minnesota. Authorities are withholding his name pending an autopsy.
The four other victims, three men and a woman, were taken to area hospitals with injuries ranging from serious to critical, according to the sheriff’s office. Two were released from hospitals on Monday, Knudson told ABC News.
The wounded victims, whose names were not released, ranged in age from 20 to 24, the sheriff’s office said.
All of the victims suffered stab wounds to the chest and torso, according to the sheriff’s office.
Two of the male victims, a 20-year-old and a 22-year-old, are from Luck, Wisconsin. The other two victims are a 24-year-old woman from Burnsville, Minnesota, and a 22-year-old man from Elk River, Minnesota, the sheriff’s office said.
The attack unfolded just before 4 p.m. Saturday on a part of the river in Somerset on the Wisconsin-Minnesota border about 35 miles east of Minneapolis.
Sheriff’s deputies responding to reports of people being stabbed arrived at the scene to find good Samaritans, who had also been tubing, providing medical aid to those injured, according to the sheriff’s office.
ABC News’ Meredith Deliso contributed to this report.
David Leitch, the director of Deadpool 2, and the John Wick movies, says “everybody” wants Nobody.
The guy who called the shots on Bob Odenkirk‘s successful, surprising 2021 turn as action hero, tells Collider that a sequel is moving forward “full steam ahead.”
“Oh, I think everyone’s really excited about it,” Leitch explains, saying they’re “in the script process” now.
“I think we had so much fun making that,” the stuntman-turned-filmmaker says. “[Producer] Kelly [McCormick] and I had a blast, the actors had a blast, the studio loved the results, and it’s happening. I mean, I think it’s happening as fast as we can make it happen.”
Made for just $16 million, Nobody grossed an impressive $157.5 million — even more impressive considering it was released in the spring of 2021, when it was feared the pandemic would keep crowds away from the theaters.
In an interview earlier this year with Sirius XM’s The Howard SternShow, Odenkirk credited the great shape he was in playing the dorky suburban dad/unstoppable butt-kicking machine with saving his life after a near-fatal heart attack.
Lizzo is #1 again on the Billboard Hot 100. “About Damn Time” remains the top song in the country, while Harry Styles‘ “As It Was” maintains second place for another week.
Halsey channeled Marilyn Monroe to promote their new makeup line, af94. “A Marilyn Mon-red moment?” they teased on Instagram, which shows the singer rocking red hair and retro makeup.
BLACKPINK is back and announced their new album, Born Pink, due out next month. The group took to YouTube to tease the new effort and an upcoming new single.
Ed Sheeran showed off what a great husband he is, with Daily Mailscoring snaps of the “Shivers” singer enjoying a candlelit dinner with wife Cherry Seaborn on a balcony at a swanky Parisian restaurant.
Ava Max traded in her cherry-red hair to go “Au naturel.” She revealed her brunette makeover on Instagram.
Lady Gaga has completed the European leg of her Chromatica Ball tour with two sold-out shows in London. Gaga will now rest for a few days before kicking off her North American leg on August 6 in Toronto.
Shakira faces up to eight years in prison if convicted in her tax fraud trial, but her rep tells ABC News she’s confident she’ll be vindicated. “Unfortunately, the Spanish Tax Office, which loses one out of every two lawsuits with its taxpayers, continues to violate her rights and pursue yet another baseless case,” her rep said.
Meghan Trainor showed off her group of “mom friends,” which includes Ashley Tisdale and Hilary Duff. The photo was taken during a recent trip that involved comfy sweats, tasty food and flowers. One snap shows a letter from their husbands, which reads, “We love you! Enjoy breakfast on us tomorrow. You deserve this!”
Meghan Trainor showed off her group of “mom friends,” which includes Ashley Tisdale and Hilary Duff. The photo was taken during a recent trip that involved comfy sweats, tasty food and flowers. One snap shows a letter from their husbands, which reads, “We love you! Enjoy breakfast on us tomorrow. You deserve this!”
Ed Sheeran showed off what a great husband he is, with Daily Mail scoring snaps of the “Shivers” singer enjoying a candlelit dinner with wife Cherry Seaborn on a balcony at a swanky Parisian restaurant.
Ava Max has traded in her cherry-red hair to go “Au naturel.” She revealed her brunette makeover on Instagram.
Christmas is months away but Pentatonix polled their fans about what holiday songs of theirs are the best of all time. Voters chose their hit “Hallelujah.” The singers shared a video of them performing it in 2021 to celebrate.
Lady Gaga has completed the European leg of her Chromatica Ball tour with two sold-out shows in London. Gaga will now rest for a few days before kicking off her North American leg on August 6 in Toronto.
Lance Bass has a big announcement — he is George Jetson’s father. Fans have deduced The Jetsons patriarch was born on July 31, 2022. “Michael and I are pleased to announce the arrival of our new bundle of joy. We named him George after Prince George,” Lance joked on Instagram. “Excited for what the future brings for him.”
Shakira faces up to eight years in prison if convicted in her tax fraud trial, but her rep tells ABC News she’s confident she will be vindicated. “Unfortunately, the Spanish Tax Office, which loses one out of every two lawsuits with its taxpayers, continues to violate her rights and pursue yet another baseless case,” they said.
(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. conducted a successful counterterrorism operation against a “significant” al-Qaeda target in Afghanistan over the weekend, according to a senior administration official.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
ABC News’ Ben Gittleson contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — The death toll from the devastating flooding that hit eastern Kentucky continues to rise as more rain hits the region, according to officials.
A total of 37 people have been confirmed dead, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said Monday evening.
Among those killed are four siblings — ages 8, 6, 4 and 2 — who were swept away in the water, according to family members.
Beshear said Monday morning that “there are hundreds of unaccounted for people, minimum.”
“With so many more still missing. Let us pray for these families and come together to wrap our arms around our fellow Kentuckians,” Beshear said in a statement Monday evening.
More rain fell Monday as search and rescue teams continued to look for those who are unaccounted for, and a new round of heavy rain is expected early Tuesday.
A new flash flood watch has been issued for eastern Kentucky for Monday evening through Tuesday morning. Rainfall rates could reach 1 to 2 inches per hour.
Severe storms packing damaging winds are also possible in Louisville and Lexington.
The additional precipitation could cause water levels to rise again in the same area that experienced the catastrophic flooding that began with heavy rains last Wednesday.
Beshear described “widespread damage” that displaced thousands of people, including power outages for thousands of people as well as washed-out roads, destroyed homes and flooded schools.
More than 600 people have been rescued by aircraft and boat since the flooding began, Beshear said.
President Joe Biden has approved a disaster declaration.
The destruction in Kentucky is the latest extreme flooding event to take place in the U.S. in less than a week.
Heavy downpours caused flash flooding in Las Vegas on Friday, with rising waters seen on roadways and parking garages in busy parts of Sin City.
The megadrought has caused the soil in the region to become so dry that it could not absorb the heavy rains, which helped to contribute to the flooding.
Earlier in the week, a flash flooding emergency occurred near St. Louis, which had a record-breaking 8.56 inches of rain in less than 24 hours. One person was found dead in a car on Tuesday after the water began to recede, officials said.
ABC News’ Matt Foster, Kenton Gewecke and Melissa Griffin contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — The death toll from the devastating flooding that hit eastern Kentucky continues to rise as more rain hits the region, according to officials.
A total of 35 people have been confirmed dead, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said Monday afternoon.
Among those killed are four siblings — ages 8, 6, 4 and 2 — who were swept away in the water, according to family members.
Beshear said Monday morning that “there are hundreds of unaccounted for people, minimum.”
More rain fell Monday as search and rescue teams continued to look for those who are unaccounted for, and a new round of heavy rain is expected early Tuesday.
A new flash flood watch has been issued for eastern Kentucky for Monday evening through Tuesday morning. Rainfall rates could reach 1 to 2 inches per hour.
Severe storms packing damaging winds are also possible in Louisville and Lexington.
The additional precipitation could cause water levels to rise again in the same area that experienced the catastrophic flooding that began with heavy rains last Wednesday.
Beshear described “widespread damage” that displaced thousands of people, including power outages for thousands of people as well as washed-out roads, destroyed homes and flooded schools.
More than 600 people have been rescued by aircraft and boat since the flooding began, Beshear said.
President Joe Biden has approved a disaster declaration.
The destruction in Kentucky is the latest extreme flooding event to take place in the U.S. in less than a week.
Heavy downpours caused flash flooding in Las Vegas on Friday, with rising waters seen on roadways and parking garages in busy parts of Sin City.
The megadrought has caused the soil in the region to become so dry that it could not absorb the heavy rains, which helped to contribute to the flooding.
Earlier in the week, a flash flooding emergency occurred near St. Louis, which had a record-breaking 8.56 inches of rain in less than 24 hours. One person was found dead in a car on Tuesday after the water began to recede, officials said.
ABC News’ Matt Foster, Kenton Gewecke and Melissa Griffin contributed to this report.
