Eyder Peralta

And on the 18th try, the Philadelphia 76ers finally snapped their losing streak, beating the Minnesota Timberwolves 85-77 on Wednesday.

Yes, they managed to right the ship to avoid tying the record for worst start to an NBA season and, yes, a win is a win.

But it wasn't pretty. ...

The Yemen branch of al-Qaida is threatening to kill a hostage who says he is a British-born American citizen.

Reuters reports the video of the man was first noticed by SITE, an organization that tracks terrorist groups. The video shows a man who says his name is Luke Somers, ...

We've written a lot about the emotions that poured out onto the streets of U.S. cities and across the Internet when a grand jury in Staten Island declined to indict the police officer involved in the death of Eric Garner.

There is one piece of tape, however, that ...

Super Typhoon Hagupit is gathering strength in the Western Pacific and threatening to deal another significant blow to the Philippines.

The Weather Channel reports that the tropical cyclone is already significant:

"At 8 p.m. EST Wednesday, the U.S. military's Joint Typhoon Warning Center estimated Hagupit's maximum sustained 1-minute wind ...

Saying President Obama does not have the authority to wage a war against the so-called Islamic State, Sen. Rand Paul, a Republican from Kentucky, introduced a measure declaring war against the Sunni militant group.

Obama declared a war against the group back in September. Administration officials have said that they ...

We're a little late to this news, but we're pointing it out to set the record straight: The White House says immigrants protected under President Obama's executive action will be eligible for Social Security benefits.

When Obama made a Nov. 20 announcement that he was shielding from deportation some ...

A federal appeals court has halted the execution of Scott Panetti, a Texas prisoner convicted in the 1992 murder of his in-laws.

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals granted a reprieve just hours before the 56-year-old inmate was scheduled to be killed via lethal injection. The court said it ...

Kalashnikov, the maker of the world-renowned AK-47, has unveiled a new logo and a new slogan.

In a briefing for reporters, Rostec Corp. said the new branding emphasizes that its weapons are "protecting peace."

"The rebranding is a symbol of changes in the way our business works and our ...

Meeting with representatives of nations that have joined the United States in its fight against the so-called Islamic State, Secretary of State John Kerry said the offensive was having "significant impact."

Reuters reports:

"'Our commitment will be measured most likely in years but our efforts are already having ...

Rain has been falling on Southern California.

That's news because the region is now into its fourth year of drought — the worst in centuries — so when the skies finally opened up on Tuesday, the world took notice.

The New York Times reports:

"No matter ...

President Obama is likely to nominate Ashton Carter as his next secretary of defense, CNN, The Associated Press, The Washington Post and The New York Times are reporting.

Carter served as the No. 2 defense official under Leon Panetta, and while he's relatively unknown to the public, ...

For the first time, the captain of the doomed Costa Concordia took the stand to defend himself in an Italian courtroom on Tuesday.

Francesco Schettino said he didn't change the route of the cruise liner to impress a Moldovan dancer he was having an affair with.

Instead, The Associated ...

Militants opened fire on workers at a quarry in northeast Kenya early Tuesday, leaving at least 36 of them dead.

Reuters reports the attack happened near the border with Somalia, where just a week earlier al-Shabab militants hijacked a bus and killed 28 people. The wire service reports:

...

Lebanese officials say they have detained the wife and son of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the so-called Islamic State.

According to the BBC, the two, who were said to be traveling with forged documents, were detained 10 days ago near the Syrian border.

The BBC adds:

...

Elizabeth Lauten, the GOP staffer who criticized President Obama's daughters, has resigned, The Washington Post, NBC News and USA Today are reporting.

Lauten, communications director for Rep. Steve Fincher, R-Tenn., drew the ire of the Internet over the weekend for her comments about Sasha and Malia as ...

The slump of oil prices is continuing to have global economic repercussions.

At home, you may have noticed lower gas prices at the pump, but in other countries more dependent on oil, the effects are serious. Here are five headlines that tell the story:

-- "Iran Minister: Currency Market to ...

Ending what had been a weeks-long peace, protesters in Hong Kong tried to storm a government complex on Sunday, sparking violent clashes with police.

As The New York Times reports, police responded with batons and tear gas to repel the protesters. For weeks now, the government and protesters had ...

After a day spent meeting with his Cabinet, civil rights leaders and other officials about the mistrust of police in communities of color, President Obama will ask Congress for $263 million in part to equip local police with body cameras.

Update at 6:55 p.m. ET: Other Possible Changes

As the ...

Over the past couple of days, we've been reading through the trove of documents released by the prosecutor in the matter of Michael Brown.

We've looked at what Darren Wilson — the police officer who shot and killed the 18-year-old Brown — has to say, at what ...

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the leader of the Supreme Court's liberal wing, is "resting comfortably" after a heart procedure, the court said in a statement.

Ginsburg, 81, "experienced discomfort during routine exercise" on Tuesday and was taken to a Washington, D.C., hospital. According to the statement, doctors inserted a stent ...