Chasing baseball gold: Israeli team has big dreams for Tokyo
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Danny Valencia ducked out of the scorching Arizona sun, reached into a cooler to grab an ice-cold drink and took a seat on the ben...
US sending new aid to Palestinians as conflict intensifies
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration notified Congress this week that it will send millions of dollars in U.S. assistance to the Palestinians aimed a...
Kirill the thrill: Russian rookie Kaprizov big boost to Wild
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Wary of all kinds of pressure on Kirill Kaprizov and resolute in their team-first culture, the Minnesota Wild tried to keep a lid on...
The Latest: Pirates lift mask rule for fully vaccinated fans
The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:
Oklahoma bucks red-state trend, extends early voting
OKLAHOMA CITY — On Election Day last year, state Rep. Jon Echols was mortified to see a 3 1/2-hour line to vote in his district, which stretches from ...
Virus business limits, most mask mandates end in N. Carolina
RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper on Friday immediately ended the state's capacity limits on businesses and nearly all the remaining stat...
Putin bemoans Ukraine’s crackdown on pro-Russia opposition
MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday harshly criticized Ukrainian authorities for what he described as their crackdown on the Moscow-fr...
A university honors its grads 51 years after police shooting
JACKSON, Miss. — Days after National Guard members killed four Kent State University students who were protesting the Vietnam War, white police office...
Disney CEO says attendance caps at parks being raised
ORLANDO, Fla. — Disney's top executive says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's decision to ease up mask-wearing requirements for fully v...
N Ireland’s main unionist party picks traditionalist leader
LONDON — Northern Ireland’s largest British unionist party chose a religious conservative from the party's traditionalist wing as its new leader on Fr...
Facebook loses court fight over halting EU-US data transfers
LONDON — Facebook lost a legal battle Friday with Ireland's data privacy watchdog over a European Union privacy decision that could result in the soci...
Turkish tourism video sparks outcry, unequal treatment claim
ISTANBUL — A video promoting tourism in Turkey amid the pandemic has caused an uproar on social media for showing tourism employees wearing masks that...
Analysis: Israel, Hamas race to claim victory before truce
JERUSALEM — Israel and Hamas know that a fourth Gaza war, like the three before, would be as inconclusive as it is devastating for the impoverished te...
Gucci marks 100 years with exhibit on Michele code-breaking
FLORENCE, Italy — Alessandro Michele has radically shifted Gucci codes and challenged fashion norms in his 6½ years as creative director of the brand ...
Thai PM tells UN envoy he won’t push back Myanmar refugees
BANGKOK — Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha promised a United Nations special envoy on Friday that he will not force back people fleeing violence ...
Penpa Tsering elected president of Tibetan exile government
DHARMSALA, India — Penpa Tsering, the former speaker of Tibet's parliament-in-exile, has been elected the new president of the exile government, the e...
UK backs plans for in-person COP26 climate meeting
LONDON — Britain hopes to host the U.N.'s delayed COP26 climate summit in person in November despite the challenges caused by the coronavirus pandemic...
‘We will talk:’ Klopp unfazed by Mane’s handshake snub
LIVERPOOL, England — Add an upset player to Jürgen Klopp's list of team problems as Liverpool scrambles for a Champions League qualification spot.
Afghan police say Kabul mosque bombing kills 12 worshippers
KABUL, Afghanistan — A bomb ripped through a mosque in northern Kabul during Friday prayers, killing 12 worshippers, and wounding 15, Afghan police sa...
Barcelona, Chelsea eye 1st Women’s Champions League title
Don't expect a slow start when Barcelona and Chelsea square off in the Women's Champions League final on Sunday night in Gothenburg, Sweden.
US joins global push against violent extremism online
PARIS — Tech giants and governments around the world — including the U.S. for the first time — are gathering virtually Friday and Saturday to find bet...
UK fraud agency probes Liberty Steel owner’s Greensill links
LONDON — The business empire of Liberty Steel owner Sanjeev Gupta, including its financing arrangements with bankrupt Greensill Capital U.K., is being...
Lions tour to SA cut to 3 cities, no fans because of virus
CAPE TOWN, South Africa — The British and Irish Lions will play in only three cities on their tour of South Africa to mitigate the risks posed by the ...
Japan expands virus emergency ahead of Tokyo Olympics
TOKYO — Japan on Friday further expanded a coronavirus state of emergency, currently in Tokyo and five other prefectures, to nine areas, as Prime Mini...
Atlético can clinch title with win and Madrid stumble
BARCELONA, Spain — With a little help from their hated local rivals, Atlético Madrid can clinch its first Spanish league title in seven years on Sunda...
German infection rate at 2-month low, vaccinations speed up
BERLIN — Germany's coronavirus infection rate dropped to its lowest level in nearly two months on Friday, while the health minister said the country h...
Thousands of Bangladeshi Muslims rally against Israel
DHAKA, Bangladesh — Thousands of Muslims led by activists from an Islamic political party demonstrated in Bangladesh's capital on Friday to denounce a...
Laporte switches from France to Spain ahead of Euro 2020
ZURICH — Manchester City defender Aymeric Laporte is switching from France to Spain ahead of the European Championship.
Turkish firm shuts down power supply for crisis-hit Lebanon
BEIRUT — A Turkish company that provides electricity to Lebanon from two power barges shut down its operations on Friday over delayed payments. The mo...
Diplomats, donors concerned about sex abuse reports at WHO
LONDON — British, European and American diplomats and donors have voiced serious concerns about how the World Health Organization handled sex abuse al...