Virgin Islands suit alleges decadeslong abuse by Epstein
HAVANA — A lawsuit filed by prosecutors in the Virgin Islands says multimillionaire sex offender Jeffery Epstein used two private islands in the U.S. ...
Small Iowa city agrees to plan for huge federal ghost town
KNOXVILLE, Iowa — After watching for more than a decade as a once busy Veterans Affairs campus deteriorated into a sprawling ghost town of crumbling b...
100s of migrants advance to Guatemala from Honduras
EL CINCHADO, Guatemala — Hundreds of mainly Honduran migrants started walking and hitching rides Wednesday from the city of San Pedro Sula and crossed...
Emphasis on US exports, trade secrets in China trade deal
WASHINGTON — The United States and China reached a trade deal Wednesday that eases tensions between the world’s two biggest economies, offers massive ...
Reporters claim new rules will hinder impeachment coverage
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial in the Senate promises to be one of the most heavily scrutinized events in American political ...
Asylum agreements with Central American nations challenged
WASHINGTON — Trump administration agreements with Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras that allow U.S. immigration officials to send asylum seekers to ...
Smelly Rio de Janeiro water supply has residents on edge
RIO DE JANEIRO — There’s a creeping sense of alarm in Rio de Janeiro after more than a week of foul tasting and smelling tap water in dozens of neighb...
Crab fishermen survive harrowing capsize off Oregon coast
PORTLAND, Ore. — Three men were in good condition early Wednesday after being cut from inside the hull of a capsized crab boat off the Oregon coast. T...
AP Exclusive: Justice changing how inmate risk is assessed
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department is changing the system it uses to assess whether an inmate is likely to commit crimes after being released from pr...
Putin engineers shake-up that could keep him in power longer
MOSCOW — President Vladimir Putin engineered a surprise shake-up of Russia's leadership Wednesday, proposing changes to the constitution that could ke...
Judge revokes bail for Avenatti, cites new crime evidence
SANTA ANA, Calif. — A federal judge revoked bail Wednesday for attorney Michael Avenatti after prosecutors detailed evidence of new financial crimes h...
Warren-Sanders rift has progressives nervous about fallout
DES MOINES, Iowa — For nearly a year, Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders pushed strongly progressive ideas into the Democratic primary spotlight, fee...
Virginia moves to brink of becoming 38th state to ratify ERA
RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia moved to the brink of becoming the crucial 38th state to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment on Wednesday, a momentous victory ...
Little Big Town strike a nerve with Grammy-nominated song
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Little Big Town’s Grammy-nominated song “The Daughters” struck such a nerve with its pointed lyrics about double standards for wome...
‘OK, Boomer’ makes a Supreme Court appearance in age case
WASHINGTON — “OK, Boomer" made its first appearance in the Supreme Court Wednesday, invoked by baby boomer Chief Justice John Roberts 12 days before h...
Ahead in the clouds: Alibaba plans to change the Olympics
LAUSANNE, Switzerland — Alibaba’s promise to the Olympic family is to bring its technological might to help organizers, broadcasters and fans.
Fever chart: Earth had its hottest decade on record in 2010s
WASHINGTON — The decade that just ended was by far the hottest ever measured on Earth, capped off by the second-warmest year on record, two U.S. agenc...
Tagliabue, NFL Films’ Sabol headed to Hall of Fame
Former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue has made the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his fifth attempt.
UN court to rule next week in Rohingya genocide case
THE HAGUE, Netherlands — The United Nations' top court announced Wednesday that it will issue a decision next week on a request to order Myanmar to ha...
EU legal opinion: mass data retention at odds with EU law
BRUSSELS — A legal adviser at the European Union’s highest court said Wednesday that the bloc's data protection rules should prevent member states fro...
US firm offers free cybersecurity help to federal campaigns
WASHINGTON — A major U.S. web infrastructure and security company will provide free support to federal election campaigns to help thwart any repeats o...
Protests take toll on Hong Kong tourism
HONG KONG — Visitor numbers to Hong Kong fell by nearly 40% in the second half of last year amid clashes between police and anti-government protesters...
US-China pact signing to ease tension but leaves much undone
WASHINGTON — After 18 months of economic combat, the United States and China are set to take a step toward peace Wednesday. At least for now.
Analysis: Dems strain for civility, contrasts burst through
WASHINGTON — Electability questions persist. Anxieties about gender and sexism are resurgent. And three leading candidates are about to get yanked off...
UK inflation at lowest since late 2016, stokes rate cut talk
LONDON — Inflation in Britain has fallen to its lowest level since late 2016, official figures showed Wednesday, in a development that is likely to he...
World shares slip on jitters over China-US trade deal
BANGKOK — World shares were mostly lower on Wednesday as conflicting reports raised concerns over the likely outcome of a trade deal to be signed by t...
Environmental issues top worries for those heading to Davos
LONDON — Environmental issues dominate the global risks for top decision-makers over the coming decade, organizers of next week's World Economic Forum...
China blasts human rights report, praises current situation
BEIJING — China has blasted a report from Human Rights Watch that accused it of constructing a surveillance state at home while seeking to silence cri...
China: Possible that new virus could spread between humans
BEIJING — The possibility that a new virus in central China could spread between humans cannot be ruled out, though the risk of transmission at the mo...
Asian shares decline on revived jitters over trade deal
BANGKOK — Shares retreated in Asia on Wednesday as conflicting reports raised concerns over the likely outcome of a trade deal to be signed by the U.S...