AP Explains: Why Syria’s M5 is Assad’s highway to victory
BEIRUT — It is arguably one of the most coveted prizes in Syria’s civil war, and after eight years of fighting, Syrian President Bashar Assad has got ...
Brothers of Chicago prep basketball star forgive his killer
CHICAGO — The brothers of Chicago high school basketball star Ben Wilson, who was viewed as the top player in the nation before his murder in 1984, sa...
Jehovah’s Witnesses report convictions, torture in Russia
MOSCOW — Two Jehovah's Witnesses have been convicted of extremism in Russia and four more arrested, one of whom reported being tortured in custody, th...
RBS changes name to NatWest in bid to shed legacy of bailout
LONDON — The majority state-owned U.K. bank RBS announced a name change on Friday as it tries to leave behind its near-collapse during the 2008 financ...
Prepping straw bedding for dogs signals Iditarod is near
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Volunteers slung bales of hay onto a table Thursday, where they were swiftly stuffed inside blue plastic bags, twirled and shut wi...
Global shares rise despite worries on China virus outbreak
TOKYO — Global shares mostly rose Friday despite continuing concerns about the virus outbreak that began in China and its possible impact on global gr...
Marchessault’s OT goal lifts Golden Knights past Blues 6-5
LAS VEGAS — Zach Sanford had the best game of his young NHL career — even if his thoughts were understandably far from the ice.
New York museum honors city’s rich basketball history
NEW YORK — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar smiled as he rattled off the names of his former high school teammates and opponents.
LA church leaders charged with marriage, immigration fraud
LOS ANGELES — Three officials with a Philippines-based church in Los Angeles have been charged as part of an alleged scheme to trick followers into be...
Asian stocks rebound from early losses as virus toll grows
Shares rebounded in Asia on Friday after an early sell-off, though Japan's benchmark declined as investors reacted to news of a growing number of case...
Determined: Ethiopian female migrants risk all for Saudi
They are among the most vulnerable of the tens of thousands of migrants making the long and perilous trek from Ethiopia to Saudi Arabia in search of j...
Transgender woman poised to make Argentine soccer history
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Dozens of trophies, balls and cups sit on two worn, wooden shelves in the small home in a Buenos Aires suburb of Mara Gómez,...
Logano, Byron win Daytona 500 qualifying races
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Joey Logano and William Byron won the qualifying races that set the field for the Daytona 500.
Gallinari, Paul push Thunder past Zion, Pelicans 123-118
NEW ORLEANS — Danilo Gallinari scored 29 points, Chris Paul had 14 points and 12 assists, and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the New Orleans Pelicans ...
Lightning win 9th straight, top Oilers 3-1
TAMPA, Fla. — Yanni Gourde scored a short-handed goal and Andrei Vasilevskiy finished with 29 saves to lift the Tampa Bay Lightning to their ninth str...
Kuchar shoots 64 to lead Riviera; Tiger wastes strong start
LOS ANGELES — Tiger Woods began with an unknowing tribute to Kobe Bryant by making an eagle putt that optical cameras measured at 24 feet, 8 inches. H...
Lawsuit: Mexican megachurch leaders abused woman for years
LOS ANGELES — A Southern California woman says the father and son leaders of a Mexican megachurch sexually abused her for 18 years starting when she w...
South Carolina receives NCAA notice for basketball program
COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina became the latest school to receive an NCAA notice of allegations over the federal probe into college basketball.
Ex-Waymo driver accused of deliberately causing crash
PHOENIX — A man described as a disgruntled former Waymo driver has been arrested on suspicion of deliberately crashing a passenger car into one of the...
President Trump to give command to start engines at Daytona
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — President Donald Trump will give the command for drivers to start their engines before the Daytona 500.
Jennifer Hudson set for Kobe Bryant tribute at All-Star Game
CHICAGO — Jennifer Hudson is coming to the All-Star Game to pay tribute to Kobe Bryant with her voice.
Trump says he might keep others from listening in on calls
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Thursday that he might end the long-running practice of letting other administration officials listen in on p...
1980 Lake Placid Olympics still resonate four decades later
Scott Hamilton gets goosebumps at the mention of Lake Placid.
Puerto Rico online scam targeted more than $4M amid crisis
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — An online scam that targeted Puerto Rican agencies attempted to steal more than $4 million, police said Thursday, deepening co...
2 Ohio State football players plead not guilty to rape
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Two former Ohio State football players pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges that they held a woman against her will and raped her t...
Trump slams ex-adviser who defended key impeachment witness
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Thursday lashed out against former White House chief of staff John Kelly for being disloyal after the ex-advise...
Booker to replace Lillard at All-Star, 3-point contest
CHICAGO — Devin Booker is finally headed to his first NBA All-Star Game.
South Sudan ignores reports on oil pollution, birth defects
PALOCH, South Sudan — The oil industry in South Sudan has left a landscape pocked with hundreds of open waste pits, the water and soil contaminated wi...
Ideas for amending Russian Constitution aired for Putin
MOSCOW — A meeting Thursday chaired by President Vladimir Putin on amending the Russian Constitution featured proposed changes on a variety of topics,...
UK Treasury chief quits as Johnson shakes up Cabinet
LONDON — U.K. Treasury chief Sajid Javid unexpectedly resigned on Thursday after resisting a reduction in his power, as Prime Minister Boris Johnson s...