LONDON (AP) — London’s famed Beefeaters and other workers at several Royal Palaces have gone on a rare strike in a dispute over pension payments.

There were picket lines Friday at the Tower of London, a UNESCO World Heritage site popular with tourists, and more work actions are planned for ...

Thursday night football is here to stay, even if it’s gone for the rest of 2018.

In past years, some — make that many — would have said “good riddance.” That would be misguided this year.

First off, Fox’s presentation generally was strong and on target. Indeed, Troy Aikman, who has ...

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — The acquisition of 1,500 documents and artifacts for the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum a decade ago firmly established Illinois as a leading repository of all things Lincoln, the prairie lawyer who led the U.S. through the Civil War.

So forgive ...

PARIS (AP) — The yellow vest protests, which have brought particular chaos to Paris over the past few weeks, abated Saturday, though one small gathering around the presidential palace did lead to police firing tear gas and using batons.

The number of protesters demonstrating on Paris’ ...

NEW YORK (AP) — The mass shooting at a Parkland, Florida, high school — which killed 17 students and staff, and sparked nationwide student-led marches for gun control — was the top news story of 2018, according to The Associated Press’ annual poll of U.S. editors and news directors. ...

NEW YORK (AP) — Less than two years after he shook up the New York fashion world with a splashy runway debut for Calvin Klein, designer Raf Simons is leaving the company.

The company and the Belgian designer announced they had “amicably” decided to part ways after Calvin Klein “decided on ...

WASHINGTON (AP) — Melania Trump’s cranberry topiary trees may have left some of her critics seeing red, but they turned out to be a Christmas hit — one of several new ideas the Trumps introduced this holiday season.

In a four-week stretch of 21 holiday parties, the president also did fewer ...

COURCHEVEL, France (AP) — Mikaela Shiffrin wrote more World Cup history Saturday, winning a slalom for a women’s record-equaling 35th career victory in the discipline and 50th win overall.

Shiffrin extended her first-run lead of 0.04 seconds to finish 0.29 clear of Petra Vlhova, who has ...

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on the government shutdown (all times local):

8:50 a.m.

Negotiations are expected to continue in Washington to try to end the partial government shutdown, and the House and Senate have scheduled rare Saturday sessions.

White House budget chief Mick ...

MADRID (AP) — Those holding the ticket number 03347 struck it rich Saturday when they won the top prize in Spain’s bumper Christmas lottery.

The lottery, known as El Gordo, or “The Fat One,” dished out 2.4 billion euros ($2.7 billion) in prize money this year.

The top prize for a ...

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — The Christmas lights are up in Zimbabwe’s capital but the mood is less than festive as the country grapples with an economic crisis that prevents many families from enjoying the holiday season.

Some people sleep in their cars in long lines for fuel because of a ...

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — As the roar of “strongman” politics rose in 2018, extraordinary developments in Africa offered an alternative to the noise. Millions watched, astounded, as one of the world’s most reclusive leaders accepted a reformist’s peace offer, bringing a two-decade conflict to a ...

SEATTLE (AP) — The hemp industry still has work ahead to win legal status for hemp-derived cannabidiol, or CBD oil, as an ingredient in food or dietary supplements despite the big farm bill President Donald Trump signed this week designating hemp as an agricultural crop.

CBD oils have ...

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Notre Dame All-American cornerback Julian Love already knows all about Clemson. Blame his roommate.

Love’s roomie is Troy Pride Jr., another cornerback for the Fighting Irish, who will play Clemson on Dec. 29 in a playoff semifinal in Arlington, Texas. Pride is from ...

LOS ANGELES (AP) — New Orleans coach Alvin Gentry made it clear Friday that center Anthony Davis will not be traded to the Los Angeles Lakers or anywhere else as long as he remains under contract to the Pelicans.

Gentry’s stance on comments by Lakers forward LeBron James about Davis was ...

LONDON (AP) — British police say two people were arrested early Saturday morning for suspected “criminal use of drones’” in the Gatwick Airport case that has created nightmarish holiday travel delays for tens of thousands of passengers.

Sussex police did not release the age or gender of ...

ISLAMABAD (AP) — The Taliban welcomed news of the U.S. plan to withdraw half its troops in Afghanistan by the summer, as Afghan generals warned it would be a blow to the morale of the country’s beleaguered ...

LONDON (AP) — The Latest on disruption at London’s Gatwick Airport caused by drones (all times local):

2:35 a.m.

UK police say two people have been arrested for suspected “criminal use of drones” in the Gatwick Airport case.

Sussex police said early Saturday morning the two ...

LOS ANGELES (AP) — As Dr. Seuss neared the end of his life, the children’s author told his wife that she would have to look after the Cat in the Hat, the Lorax, the Grinch and all the beloved characters he created.

It was a mission Audrey Geisel embraced for more than a quarter-century. As ...

NEW YORK (AP) — After almost 10 years, Wall Street’s rally looks like it’s ending.

Another day of big losses Friday left the U.S. market with its worst week in more than seven years. All of the major indexes have lost 16 to 26 percent from their highs this summer and fall. Barring huge ...

DENVER (AP) — The fiance of a Colorado woman who has been missing since Thanksgiving Day was arrested Friday on allegations of killing the mother of his child, and police said she likely died at her house in a mountain town.

But authorities declined to say whether they had found the body ...

NEW YORK (AP) — Saoirse Ronan says she was “more than ready” to make the transition on film, and in real life, from young girl to commanding woman. Her new role in “Mary Queen of Scots,” gave her the opportunity to do both.

Ronan, who is Irish, says she was not only excited to play Mary ...

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Chinese billionaire Richard Liu will not face charges over a rape accusation by a Chinese woman studying in Minnesota because prosecutors said Friday they could not prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Liu, founder of the Beijing-based e-commerce site JD.com, was ...

NEW YORK (AP) — Left-hander CC Sabathia had a stent inserted after a blockage was found in an artery from his heart, and the New York Yankees anticipate the 38-year-old pitcher will report to spring training on time.

“CC was experiencing some chest pain which turned out to be a blockage in ...

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Latest on prosecutors decision in U.S. not to file charges against Chinese billionaire in alleged assault (all times local):

6:30 p.m.

The attorney for a University of Minnesota student who alleges she was sexually assaulted by Chinese billionaire Richard Liu ...

CINCINNATI (AP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers had a surplus of outfielders. With one attention-getting deal, they reshaped their roster in hopes of another pennant run.

The reigning NL champions shook up their lineup on Friday, trading Yasiel Puig, Matt Kemp and left-hander Alex Wood along ...

BALTIMORE (AP) — John Harbaugh will return to coach the Baltimore Ravens next season, and the team says it’s working on an extension beyond 2019.

Harbaugh took over as Baltimore’s coach in 2008 and has taken the team to the playoffs six times, winning the Super Bowl in 2012.

The ...

WASHINGTON (AP) — ’Twas four days before Christmas, and all through the House — and Senate — not a shutdown solution was stirring and lawmakers, they did grouse.

The chaos that is President Donald Trump’s White House seemed to engulf the Capitol on Friday. While the workings of Congress ...

DENVER (AP) — A dancing FBI agent who accidentally shot a man in the leg after doing a backflip at a Denver bar will avoid jail time after pleading guilty Friday to third-degree assault.

Chase Bishop, 30, struck a plea deal with prosecutors and was sentenced to two years of probation, The ...

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — U.S. government attorneys filed notice Friday that they are appealing a court ruling that blocked the first public hunts of grizzly bears in the Northern Rockies in decades.

The appeal challenges a judge’s ruling that restored threatened species protections for more ...

NEW YORK (AP) — Every relationship has a breaking point. Even yours with Facebook.

There’s a way out, though the social network will try to win you back with promises to do better. Maybe even flowers.

For some users, though, the past two years of privacy scandals, election ...

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina’s top elections official issued an urgent plea nearly two years ago for the Trump administration to file criminal charges against the man now at the center of ballot fraud allegations that have thrown a 2018 congressional race into turmoil.

N.C. Board of ...

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Ruth Bader Ginsburg film “On the Basis of Sex” was about to fall apart when Felicity Jones got her hands on the script. The origin story about the future Supreme Court justice written by Ginsburg’s nephew Daniel Stiepleman had been in various stages of development since ...

DETROIT (AP) — A special prosecutor on Friday accused Michigan State University of stonewalling his investigation into the school’s handling of the sexual abuse scandal involving disgraced former sports doctor Larry Nassar and called for “top-down cultural change” at the school.

Bill ...

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. economy has turned in a stellar performance this year. But mounting problems, from trade tensions to jittery financial markets and political gridlock in Washington, are expected to sharply slow growth in 2019.

The Commerce Department estimated Friday that the ...

WASHINGTON (AP) — A year defined by the political power of women is ending with men enjoying much of the attention.

Outgoing Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke, former Vice President Joe Biden and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders have emerged as early favorites in the opening phase of the 2020 campaign. ...

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw American troops from Syria was made hastily, without consulting his national security team or allies, and over strong objections from virtually everyone involved in the fight against the Islamic State group, according to U.S. and ...