AP National News

LONDON (AP) — A Saudi human rights activist says soccer fans visiting Saudi Arabia for the 2034 World Cup will live in a “bubble” that doesn’t reflect real life there. Lina al-Hathloul is a London-based activist whose sister was jailed in Saudi Arabia then banned from travel after campaigning to end a ban on women

Associated Press CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — A newly elected state lawmaker in West Virginia is facing at least one felony and is accused of making terroristic threats. State police say 61-year-old Joseph de Soto was arrested in Martinsburg after an investigation found he made “several threatening/intimidating threats” against government officials. Authorities didn’t provide details about

NEW DELHI (AP) — Indian teenager Gukesh Dommaraju became the youngest chess world champion Thursday after beating the defending champion Ding Liren of China in the final match of their series in Singapore. Dommaraju, 18, secured 7.5 points against 6.5 of his Chinese rival in the contest, surpassing the achievement of Russia’s Garry Kasparov who

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The FBI should have done more to gather intelligence before the Capitol riot, according to a watchdog report Thursday that also said no undercover FBI employees were on the scene on Jan. 6, 2021, and none of the bureau’s informants was authorized to participate. The report from the Justice Department

Associated Press A prominent luxury real estate broker and his identical twin brother have appeared in a Florida courtroom Thursday on sexual assault charges. Another brother who co-founded the real estate firm is also charged in what federal officials call a longtime sex trafficking scheme. Oren and Alon Alexander were ordered held without bond Thursday

Associated Press COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Lawyers for Alex Murdaugh are taking two paths to appeal his murder convictions for killing his wife and son. They say in their appeal this week to the South Carolina Supreme Court that a court clerk pushed a guilty verdict to jurors to sell books. And they say the

AP Business Writer The average rate on a 30-year mortgage in the U.S. has eased for the third week in a row. That’s a welcome trend for prospective homebuyers during what’s typically a less competitive time of the year for the housing market. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday that the rate dropped to 6.6%

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell is still suffering from the effects of a fall in the Senate earlier this week and is missing votes on Thursday due to leg stiffness, according to his office. McConnell fell outside a Senate party luncheon on Tuesday and sprained his wrist and cut his

Associated Press AQABA, Jordan (AP) — Top U.S. officials are in the Middle East pressing for stability in Syria and an end to Israel’s 14-month war in the Gaza Strip in a last-ditch diplomatic push by the outgoing Biden administration. President-elect Donald Trump takes office in a few weeks. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is

AP Technology Writer Nearly half of American teenagers say they are online “constantly” despite concerns about the effects of social media and smartphones on their mental health, according to a new report published Thursday by the Pew Research Center. As in past years, YouTube was the single most popular platform teenagers used — 90% said

LONDON (AP) — U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer will attend a meeting of European Union leaders early next year. He’ll be the first U.K. leader to do so since the country’s departure from the bloc in 2020. Starmer was invited to the “informal” Feb. 3 meeting in Brussels by European Council President António Costa on

Associated Press DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Hundreds of Syrians marched through central Damascus in a funeral procession for one of the country’s most prominent anti-government activists, whose body was found after the ouster of President Bashar Assad. The procession for Mazen al-Hamada would have been unimaginable only a week earlier. Mourners turned the display into

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — IRS leadership on Thursday announced that the agency has recovered $4.7 billion in back taxes and proceeds from a variety of crimes. The announcement comes under the backdrop of a promised reckoning from Republicans who will hold a majority over both chambers of the next Congress and have long called

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Three taxi drivers have been arrested in Puerto Morelos in Mexico, just south of Cancun, for threatening a tourist for using a ride-share app. Drivers of traditional cabs at resorts along Mexico’s Caribbean coast have for years harassed and even beaten tourists who use Uber and other apps, and have attacked

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate is pushing toward a vote on legislation that would provide full Social Security benefits to millions of people. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer began the process on Thursday for a final vote on the bill, known as the Social Security Fairness Act. It would eliminate policies that currently

AP Sports Writer BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Travis Hunter is a throwback-type player — an elite receiver one moment, a lockdown cornerback the next — who rarely leaves the field and has a knack for making big plays all over it. The Colorado Buffaloes’ two-way standout ( see: unicorn ) even celebrates at an elite