Associated Press stories, Page 1059

COLUMBUS, Ohio — J.T. Tuimoloau stood in front of the Buckeyes before practice the week after Ohio State’s second straight loss to Michigan. As the sting of defeat began to set in and the prospect of missing the playoff remained a possibility, the second-year defensive end offered a reminder to...

Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers led comeback wins, and the Los Angeles Rams dominated Russell Wilson and the Broncos. It was a triumphant Christmas for the Buccaneers, Packers and Rams as many figured it would be when the schedule was released in May. The NFC’s top three preseason Super Bowl...

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — Three endangered freshwater dolphins have died within 10 days of each other, alarming conservationists in Cambodia. The death of a third healthy dolphin in such a brief period indicates “an increasingly alarming situation and the need for an intensive law enforcement be urgently conducted in the...

KYIV, Ukraine — The Russian military reported on Monday that it shot down a Ukrainian drone approaching an airbase deep inside Russia, the second time the airbase has been targeted this month, raising questions about the effectiveness of Russia’s air defenses if drones can fly that far into the country....

SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea has formally ended a ban on the import of full-body sex dolls, ending years of debate over how much the government can interfere in private life. Although there are no laws or regulations banning the import of sex dolls, hundreds and perhaps thousands have...

SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea’s military fired warning shots, scrambled fighter jets and flew surveillance assets across the heavily fortified border with North Korea on Monday, after North Korean drones violated its airspace for the first time in five years, officials said. South Korea’s military detected five drones from...

PITTSBURGH — Josh Shapiro will be taking office as Pennsylvania’s next governor in January after running a campaign in which he spoke early and often about his Jewish religious heritage. At a time of rising concern about overt expressions of antisemitism, some observers are seeing a bright spot in his...

WASHINGTON — Three buses of recent migrant families arrived from Texas near the home of Vice President Kamala Harris in record-setting cold on Christmas Eve. Texas authorities have not confirmed their involvement, but the bus drop-offs are in line with previous actions by border-state governors calling attention to the Biden...

BUFFALO, N.Y. — The deep freeze from a deadly winter storm that walloped much of the United States will continue into the week as people in western New York deal with massive snow drifts that snarled emergency vehicles and travelers across the country see canceled flights and dangerous roads. The...

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis used his Christmas message Sunday to lament the “icy winds of war” buffeting humanity and to make an impassioned plea for an immediate end to the fighting in Ukraine, a 10-month-old conflict he decried as “senseless.” At noon in Rome, Francis delivered the traditional “Urbi...

BOBRYTSIA, Ukraine — Ukrainians usually celebrate Christmas on Jan. 7, as do the Russians. But not this year, or at least not all of them. Some Orthodox Ukrainians have decided to observe Christmas on Dec. 25, like many Christians around the world. Yes, this has to do with the war,...

LONDON — King Charles III evoked memories Sunday of his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, as he broadcast his first Christmas message as monarch in a speech that also paid tribute to the “selfless dedication” of Britain’s public service workers, many of whom are in a fight with the government...

NEW YORK — Emergency responders evacuated a JetBlue flight at JFK International Airport in New York City as a result of a small fire in a passenger’s laptop on Saturday evening, officials said. Officials from the FAA, JetBlue and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said the...

HONOLULU — Zeke Rankin kicked four field goals, including a 37-yarder for the go-ahead score with 2:05 left, and Middle Tennessee State beat San Diego State, 25-23, in the Hawaii Bowl on Saturday night. The Blue Raiders (8-5) overcome a 14-0 first-quarter deficit to turn back the Aztecs (7-6) in...

CLEVELAND — Without a roof over their heads, the Saints went outside and handled the frightful weather — and the Browns. They’re still in the playoff mix. Alvin Kamara and Taysom Hill each had touchdown runs and New Orleans left its comfortable dome and withstood Cleveland’s arctic-like conditions in a...

BALTIMORE — Tyler Huntley threw a first-half touchdown pass, and the Baltimore defense kept the Atlanta Falcons out of the end zone in a 17-9 victory Saturday that ended up assuring a playoff spot for the Ravens. About a half-hour after Baltimore (10-5) took care of the Falcons, New England...

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Joe Burrow threw three touchdown passes and the Cincinnati Bengals forced a late turnover in the red zone to preserve a 22-18 win over the New England Patriots on Saturday. The Bengals (11-4) won their seventh straight game and remained in the driver’s seat for a second...

AUSTIN, Texas — The woman who called police to report a family violence assault by Texas basketball coach Chris Beard said Friday that Beard did not strangle her, and she never wanted him arrested or prosecuted. Beard was suspended indefinitely without pay after his Dec. 12 arrest on a felony...

New York Jets wide receivers coach Miles Austin was suspended by the NFL for a minimum of one year for violating the league’s gambling policy. NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy on Friday confirmed the suspension, which Austin is appealing. McCarthy added the league would have no further comment until the appeal...

TAMPA, Fla. — Sam Hartman completed 23 of 36 passes for 280 yards and three touchdowns in what was expected to be his final game with Wake Forest, a 27-17 win over Missouri in the Gasparilla Bowl on Friday night. The redshirt junior now will look at entering the NFL...

DALLAS — A judge ordered Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones to take a paternity test as part of a legal dispute with a 26-year-old woman who claims the billionaire is her biological father. A Texas judge issued the order for genetic testing Thursday in a paternity case brought by Alexandra...

WASHINGTON — Alex Ovechkin has passed Gordie Howe for second on the NHL career goals list. Ovechkin scored his 801st goal during the first period of the Washington Capitals’ game against the Winnipeg Jets on Friday night. He received a drop pass from Dylan Strome at the top of the...

Thousands of travelers were stranded at airports or stuck on hold trying to rebook flights this week as a massive storm snarled travel in the U.S. and Canada ahead of the holidays. As of Friday afternoon, more than 4,800 flights into or out of U.S. airports had been canceled, according...

WASHINGTON — A $1.7 trillion spending bill financing federal agencies through September and providing more aid to a devastated Ukraine cleared the House on Friday as lawmakers raced to finish their work for the year and avoid a partial government shutdown. The bill passed mostly along party lines, 225-201. It...