Austrian authorities say the stabbing of six people that left a 14-year-old boy dead was carried out by a man with possible connections to the Islamic State group who appeared to have acted alone.

A 23-year-old man has stabbed six passersby in southern Austria in what police said was a random attack that left a 14-year-old dead and five others injured.

The Iditarod, the world's most famous sled dog race, starts Saturday with a fan-friendly ceremonial run through the streets of Anchorage, Alaska's largest city.