KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — An Afghan official says a suicide bomber has struck a funeral for the victims of an earlier Taliban attack, killing 16 and wounding 39 in eastern Laghman province.

The Islamic State group threatened to execute a captured Jordanian pilot "immediately" unless Amman frees an Iraqi female jihadist by sunset Thursday in exchange for a Japanese hostage. In a new audio recording, a voice identifying itself as Japanese journalist Kenji Goto says his captors will kill airman Maaz al-Kassasbeh if the militant on death row is not handed over at the Turkish border in return for Goto's life. Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told journalists the recording seemed genuine. Amman has offered to free the Iraqi woman, who was convicted for her part in triple-hotel bombings in the Jordanian capital in 2005 that killed 60 people, if IS releases their airman.

Female protesters gathered in downtown Cairo on Thursday demanding an investigation into the deaths of activist Shaimaa Sabbagh and others they say were killed by Egyptian security forces around the anniversary of the 2011 uprising. Sabbagh was killed during a march on the eve of the Jan. 25 anniversary and another 25 - men and women - were killed on Sunday in demonstrations commemorating the onset of the popular revolt that toppled veteran autocrat Hosni Mubarak. The protesters assembled at the site of Sabbagh's death near Cairo's Tahrir Square, chanting "The interior ministry are thugs!" and holding signs with the word "Murderer" scrawled over Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim's face. About 100 had gathered at the time the demonstration was meant to start at 2.00 pm local time, and protesters appeared to be avoiding blocking the streets by staying on sidewalks.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — William Shatner is back as a shrewd, unflappable travel expert in his latest TV commercial for an online company.

TOKYO (AP) — Global shares and the price of oil stabilized on Thursday during European trading hours after the Federal Reserve issued a reminder it is still on track to raise interest rates this year.

By Claire Milhench LONDON (Reuters) - Brent oil futures held above $48 a barrel on Thursday as speculator buying on hopes for a price rebound offset data showing record-high U.S. crude stocks. U.S. crude was trading at $44.26 a barrel by 6:41 a.m. ET, down 19 cents but off a six-year low hit on Wednesday. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said domestic crude stocks had risen by almost 9 million barrels week-on-week to nearly 407 million, the highest level since the government began keeping such records in 1982. "It's a tug of war between the non-supportive fundamentals and investor flows - investors are more concerned about missing a potential bounce," said Ole Hansen, senior commodity strategist at Saxo Bank.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senators weigh Loretta Lynch's nomination for attorney general for a second day at a hearing certain to pile criticism on President Barack Obama and Eric Holder, the current occupant of the job.

By Suleiman Al-Khalidi and Linda Sieg AMMAN/TOKYO (Reuters) - An audio message purportedly from a Japanese journalist held by Islamic State militants said a Jordanian air force pilot also captured by the group would be killed unless a woman jailed in Jordan was released by sunset on Thursday. The message appeared to postpone a previous deadline set on Tuesday in which the journalist, Kenji Goto, said he would be killed within 24 hours if the Iraqi would-be suicide bomber in prison in Jordan was not freed. "I am Kenji Goto.

(Reuters) - Alibaba Group Holding Ltd's quarterly revenue fell short of analysts' expectations, showing signs of a slowdown in the Chinese e-commerce company's scorching growth.

(Reuters) - Time Warner Cable Inc , the second-largest U.S. cable TV operator, reported lower-than-expected revenue as more customers switch to internet streaming services offered by companies such as Netflix Inc . The company, which is being bought by market leader Comcast Corp for $45.3 billion, lost net 38,000 residential video customers in the quarter. The company lost net 85,000 residential video subscribers a year earlier. Video streaming service Netflix pulled in 1.9 million streaming U.S. customers in the fourth quarter and forecast signing up 1.8 million more in the current quarter. ...