Taliban cancels higher education for girls despite pledges

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers have decided against reopening schools to girls above the sixth grade, reneging on a promise and opting to appease their hard-line base, at the expense of further alienating the international community. The surprise decision is bound to disrupt Taliban efforts to win recognition from potential donors abroad at…

Hearing opens for Jackson with pointed comments from GOP

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate Judiciary Committee has kicked off Supreme Court confirmation hearings for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman nominated for the nation’s highest court. At Monday’s hearing, Democrats sought to preemptively rebut Republican criticism of her record on criminal matters as a judge and before that, as a federal public…

Russia widens social media crackdown by blocking Instagram

Russian regulators said internet users will be blocked from accessing Instagram because it’s being used to call for violence against Russian soldiers. It’s Moscow’s latest move to restrict the reach of foreign social platforms. The regulator said Friday it’s tightening access to Instagram because the platform is spreading “calls to commit violent acts against Russian…

Republican ‘unforced errors’ threaten path to Senate control

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican missteps that include intense infighting are threatening the GOP’s path to the Senate majority. Arizona Republican Gov. Doug Ducey dealt his party its latest setback by announcing he would not challenge Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly this fall. But the GOP’s shortcomings extend well beyond Arizona. Republican candidates in virtually every major…