For the first time in 30 years, South African lawmakers will elect a president on Friday with the outcome not a mere formality. Cyril Ramaphosa is seeking a second term as leader of Africa's most industrialized economy but his African National Congress party has been weakened after losing its long-held majority in an election last month and he will need the support of other parties if he is to return as president. The ANC is hoping that a general coalition agreement with others — particularly the main opposition Democratic Alliance — will hold and they will back Ramaphosa's reelection. The ANC ..read more

A comet must have landed at the 2024 Songwriters Hall of Fame induction ceremony. The members of R.E.M. had joked only hours before it would take “a comet” to get the band to perform together one last time. Yet there they were, reunited during the gala at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City Thursday night. The annual event celebrated a talented group of songwriters that included R.E.M., Steely Dan and Timbaland, who conducted a medley of his massive hits. R.E.M. 's Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills and Michael Stipe were behind numerous alt-rock hits such as “Everybody Hurts” and “It ..read more

The artificial intelligence startup Perplexity AI has raised tens of millions of dollars from the likes of Jeff Bezos and other prominent tech investors for its mission to rival Google in the business of searching for information. But its AI-driven search chatbot is already facing challenges as some news media companies object to its business practices and tech giants Google, and now Apple, are increasingly fusing similar AI features into their core products. Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas has spent much of the past week defending the company after it published a summarized news story with in ..read more

Asian shares were mixed Friday after Wall Street’s continued frenzy around artificial-intelligence technology nudged indexes on Wall Street to more records. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 gained 0.4% to 38,868.94 after the Bank of Japan kept its monetary policy intact, though it did say it intends to begin reducing its government bond purchases as it eases itself out of its ultra-lax stance. “Even if the BOJ wants to convey that the direction of travel is for tightening, the key guiding principle is gradualism,” Tan Jing Yi at Mizuho Bank said in a commentary. “Fact is, underlying economic confi ..read more

He was the poetic voice of the Cuban Revolution, an inspiration for millions of Latin Americans living under dictatorships throughout the 1960s and 1970s who dreamt of the ideal Cuba that he — and his guitar — helped to evoke. Cuban troubadour Silvio Rodríguez, 77, one of Latin America's most famous musicians, has released a new album, his first in three years. But life on the island, which is undergoing its worst economic crisis in decades, has changed much since the time he wrote “Vivo en un país libre cual solamente puede ser libre” (I live in a free country, which can only be free). “I fee ..read more

The United Nations envoy charged with reporting on violations against children in conflicts around the world said Thursday that first and foremost she is worried about what’s happening to youngsters in war-torn Sudan, followed by Congo and Haiti. Virginia Gamba told a news conference officially launching the secretary-general’s annual report and U.N. blacklist of violators that she is also very worried about children caught in Myanmar's civil war and the spillover into neighboring Bangladesh. “For the future, on the horizon,” she said, “I’m worried about Somalia and Afghanistan.” The report fo ..read more

In a dreary part of downtown Atlanta, shipping containers have been transformed into an oasis for dozens of previously unsheltered people who now proudly call a former parking lot home. The gated micro community known as “The Melody” doesn't look like a parking lot anymore. Artificial turf is spread across the asphalt. Potted plants and red Adirondack chairs abound. There's even a dog park. The shipping containers have been divided into 40 insulated studio apartments that include a single bed, HVAC unit, desk, microwave, small refrigerator, TV, sink and bathroom. On a recent afternoon, a half ..read more

In sweltering temperatures, Muslim pilgrims in Mecca converged on a vast tent camp in the desert on Friday, officially opening the annual Hajj pilgrimage. Ahead of their trip, they circled the cube-shaped Kaaba in the Grand Mosque, Islam’s holiest site. More than 1.5 million pilgrims from around the world have already amassed in and around Mecca for the Hajj, and the number was still growing as more pilgrims from inside Saudi Arabia joined. Saudi authorities expected the number of pilgrims to exceed 2 million this year. This year’s Hajj came against the backdrop of the raging war in the Gaza S ..read more

A summit meeting of the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations is expected to focus on migration on its second day Friday, seeking ways to combat trafficking and increase investment in countries from where migrants start out on often life-threatening journeys. Migration is a priority for summit host Italy and its right-wing Premier Giorgia Meloni, who's seeking to increase investment and funding for African nations as a means of reducing migratory pressure on Europe. The gathering in a luxury resort in Italy’s southern Puglia region is also focusing on global conflicts and the spread of ..read more

A fatal crash is causing traffic delays on State Road 40 in Marion County on Monday evening, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. The crash was reported around 8 p.m. on East State Road 40 at NE 10th Lane, troopers said. No other information was released. [EXCLUSIVE: Become a News 6 Insider (it’s FREE) | PINIT! Share your photos] This is a developing story. Check back with News 6 for the latest updates. Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily ..read more