VAR-aided victory for runaway leader Liverpool; Chelsea wins
LONDON — Liverpool fans ended 2019 by chanting “Champions of the world” for the first time at Anfield. “Champions of England" will surely be sung by t...
The King reigns: LeBron James is AP’s male athlete of decade
He left Cleveland for Miami, finally became a champion, went back to his beloved northeast Ohio, delivered on another title promise, then left for the...
Alligators, pricey bananas and naked people: 2019 in Florida
ST. PETERSBURG — In 2019, Florida Banana managed to eclipse Florida Man. From alligator antics to naked people doing wacky things, Florida did not dis...
California takes lead on laws affecting gig economy, privacy
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California’s long tradition of advancing nation-leading legislation continues into the new year, with laws reining in the gig eco...
States charge more for electric cars as new laws take effect
The new year will bring new charges for some owners of electric vehicles, as an increasing number of states seek to plug in to fresh revenue sources t...
Soul-searching in opera world after tumultuous #MeToo year
SAN FRANCISCO — It was a tumultuous year in the opera world, a year in which sexual harassment allegations against superstar Placido Domingo prompted ...
Denied asylum, migrants return to place they fear most: home
SAN PEDRO SULA, Honduras — By now, the young couple thought they’d be in the United States. Somewhere, anywhere, in the United States. They thought th...
Taiwan president: Island’s democracy under threat from China
TAIPEI, Taiwan — Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen said Sunday that the self-governing island's democracy remains under direct threat from rival China,...
2 ex-prime ministers vie for Guinea-Bissau presidency
BISSAU, Guinea-Bissau — Two former prime ministers of Guinea-Bissau are vying for the presidency in a runoff election Sunday after the incumbent faile...
Davis stops Gamboa in 12th, wins WBA lightweight title
ATLANTA — Gervonta Davis could tell early on that Yuriorkis Gamboa wouldn't go down easily, so Davis decided to be patient and wear him down.
5 stabbed at Hanukkah celebration north of NYC
MONSEY, N.Y. — A man attacked a Hanukkah celebration at a rabbi’s home north of New York City late Saturday, stabbing and wounding five people before ...
Sydney New Year’s fireworks to go ahead despite wildfires
PERTH, Australia — Sydney's iconic New Year's Eve fireworks will go ahead despite the wildfire crisis to show the world Australia’s resiliency, the pr...
N Korea begins key meeting before year-end deadline for US
SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea has opened a high-profile political conference to discuss how to overcome “harsh trials and difficulties," state medi...
No. 13 Penn State tops No. 15 Memphis 53-39 in Cotton Bowl
ARLINGTON, Texas — Journey Brown ran for 202 yards with two long touchdowns, Garrett Taylor returned an interception 15 yards for a score after anothe...
Human rights commission asks El Salvador for records
SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador — The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights asked El Salvador on Saturday to turn over records related to the country's ...
Klobuchar’s Iowa tour: Bragging point and caucus strategy
HUMBOLDT, Iowa — To Amy Klobuchar, her just-completed tour of all 99 Iowa counties proves a point: As president, she would go everywhere and represent...
Truck bomb in Somali capital kills at least 79 at rush hour
MOGADISHU, Somalia — A truck bomb exploded at a busy security checkpoint in Somalia's capital Saturday morning, killing at least 79 people including m...
Doctor charged in 25 deaths sues hospital for defamation
COLUMBUS, Ohio — An Ohio doctor accused of ordering drug overdoses in the deaths of 25 hospital patients has sued his former employer for defamation, ...
49ers-Seahawks prime-time showdown highlights Week 17
The return of Beast Mode. A division title on the line. Possible home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs.
Football-making town sets record for most thrown at once
ADA, Ohio — An Ohio town long associated with the manufacturing of footballs has set a Guinness World Record for the most thrown at the same time.
Southwest Virginia river the star of new state park
RICHMOND, Va. — As much of central Appalachia looks to reinvent itself amid the decline of coal, community leaders in southwest Virginia say they are ...
Ukraine, separatists expected to swap prisoners on Sunday
KYIV, Ukraine — Kyiv expects to swap prisoners with Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine on Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy sa...
Former deputy leader says UK’s Labour Party brutal, hostile
LONDON — The former deputy leader of Britain's Labour Party says he left politics in part because of the nasty mood inside the left-wing party, which ...
Libyan official: Turkish troops unwanted, destabilizing
NICOSIA, Cyprus — Turkey's willingness to dispatch troops to Libya is “unacceptable" and such a move would constitute unwanted meddling in the affairs...
Montenegro: Pro-Serb lawmakers released from detention
PODGORICA, Montenegro — A Montenegrin court early Saturday released from detention three pro-Serb opposition lawmakers who were jailed following turmo...
Kazakh officials investigating causes of deadly plane crash
ALMATY, Kazakhstan — Technical failure, pilot error and weather conditions are being considered as possible causes of the plane crash in which 12 peop...
Thousands of koalas feared dead in Australia wildfires
PERTH, Australia — Thousands of koalas are feared to have died in a wildfire-ravaged area north of Sydney, further diminishing Australia's iconic mars...
Drawn-out sex crimes case rattles Israel-Australia ties
JERUSALEM — Nicole Meyer endured years of sexual abuse allegedly at the hands of her former school principal. She’s had to watch as her alleged abuser...
Hundreds of accused clergy left off church’s sex abuse lists
Richard J. Poster served time for possessing child pornography, violated his probation by having contact with children, admitted masturbating in the b...
UN condemns human rights abuses against Myanmar’s Rohingya
UNITED NATIONS — The U.N. General Assembly approved a resolution Friday strongly condemning human rights abuses against Myanmar’s Rohingya Muslims and...