Bigotry mars return of Italy hostage who converted to Islam
ROME — A right-wing lawmaker in Italy was reprimanded Wednesday after he called a young Italian woman who converted to Islam while being held hostage ...
Safety protocols include Fox calling NASCAR race from studio
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Jeff Gordon thought his wife, a former model, was kidding when she asked the NASCAR Hall of Famer to color her graying roots. He rea...
New refugees struggle to find footing in US during pandemic
SALT LAKE CITY — Afghan refugee Mahmood Amiri arrived in the United States more than a month ago, but his children are still waiting for their first d...
Missouri moving ahead with execution plans
O'FALLON, Mo. — Missouri is moving ahead with plans to execute a man next week for killing a trailer park operator nearly three decades ago, despite n...
North Dakota governor funds PAC targeting fellow Republican
BISMARCK, N.D. — North Dakota Gov. Burgum is helping bankroll a political action campaign that so far has set its sights on defeating one of the state...
Kremlin spox has virus-induced double-sided pneumonia
MOSCOW — Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday that he has been diagnosed with double pneumonia caused by the coronavirus and that he hadn't ...
Witherspoon, Lovato open up on Jamil’s anti-shame podcast
LOS ANGELES — Reese Witherspoon says she still feels marginalized in corporate boardrooms dominated by men. Demi Lovato describes living in a “mental ...
Children let out to play as Turkey mulls tests for tourists
ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey's parks filled with the sound of children Wednesday as the government allowed people ages 14 and under to leave home for the f...
Faxes and email: Old technology slows COVID-19 response
On April 1, a researcher at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention emailed Nevada public health counterparts for lab reports on two travelers ...
Common’s #WeMatterToo push urges jail releases amid virus
NEW YORK — Rapper and activist Common went into quarantine concerned about incarcerated people he has met during visits to jails, prisons and juvenile...
US says Chinese hackers might be targeting virus researchers
WASHINGTON — Organizations conducting research into COVID-19 may be targeted by computer hackers linked to the Chinese government, according to the FB...
Fourth region of upstate New York cleared to slowly reopen
NEW YORK — A fourth region of upstate New York has met the criteria to gradually restart its economic activity as the state prepares to slowly relax i...
IndyCar to close season at rescheduled St. Petersburg race
IndyCar plans to crown its champion on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida, with the original opener being rescheduled for Oct. 25 as the finale.
High-tech devices help NFL teams keep players safe, in shape
INDIANAPOLIS — Darius Leonard works relentlessly at his rural South Carolina home to prepare for another football season. He's also wary of pushing to...
Hillary Clinton pays tribute to late CEO of Simon & Schuster
NEW YORK — Hillary Clinton is mourning the death of Simon & Schuster CEO Carolyn Reidy, whose publishing house has been working with Clinton since...
VIRUS DIARY: On a river, with rod and reel, he finds peace
ROSCOE, N.Y. — The Catskills village that calls itself “Trout Town USA” is all but a ghost town this spring.
Happy golfers, anxious commuters as England eases lockdown
LONDON — The sound of crisply struck golf balls could be heard in England for the first time in nearly two months as courses reopened Wednesday, part ...
The Latest: Swiss federal loans for soccer, hockey teams
The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:
Prodded by US, Mexico aims to restart industrial plants
MEXICO CITY — President Andrés Manuel López Obrador pledged Wednesday to begin reopening Mexico's economy next week — encouraged by U.S. officials — e...
Pandemic piles new pressures on foster children, caretakers
NEW YORK — Jessica Overstreet first entered foster care at age 14, separated from her siblings and knowing very little about what her new life meant a...
With No. 1 hit, once-ousted producer Dr. Luke marks comeback
NEW YORK — In 2013, songmaster Dr. Luke had logged his 16th No. 1 with Katy Perry’s “Dark Horse,” solidifying his place as pop music’s reigning prince...
Ramadan Lights to pick Detroit area’s best-decorated homes
DEARBORN, Mich. — Detroit-area Muslims who've had to socially distance themselves from the more communal aspects of Ramadan because of the coronavirus...
Merkel urges virus vigilance; Germany loosens border checks
BERLIN — Chancellor Angela Merkel urged Germans to be “courageous and vigilant” Wednesday as the country emerges from its shutdown, calling on them to...
New Zealand barber snips away at midnight as nation reopens
WELLINGTON, New Zealand — The raggedy hairstyles and scruffy beards have been there for all to see on video calls, so barber Conrad Fitz-Gerald decide...
Outbreak at German slaughterhouse reveals migrants’ plight
COESFELD, Germany — Big white trailers with pictures of juicy roasts and the wholesome slogan “Straight from the farmer” sit idle on the edge of Coesf...
Top UK court quashes Gerry Adams’ prison break convictions
LONDON — Britain’s Supreme Court on Wednesday quashed Irish nationalist politician Gerry Adams’ convictions for trying to break out of prison in the 1...
Death toll from attack on Kabul maternity clinic rises to 24
KABUL, Afghanistan — Afghan officials on Wednesday raised the death from the militant attack on a maternity hospital in Kabul the previous day, saying...
Italy’s South Tyrol invokes autonomy to pry open lockdown
BOLZANO, Italy — The blazing orange letters of fire spelled out a familiar message in Italy’s South Tyrol province, an old call to resistance repurpos...
Kenyan ballet student struggles in slum with no remote class
NAIROBI, Kenya — The coronavirus pandemic is forcing children to stay home and learn remotely. But in the depths of Kenya’s slums, 12-year-old ballet ...
Despite virus, Pompeo in Israel to talk West Bank annexation
JERUSALEM — Amid a new outbreak of violence in the West Bank, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his n...