AP-National

By KEMO CHAM Associated Press FREETOWN, Sierra Leone (AP) — Sierra Leone says it is working with neighboring countries to step up the fight against piracy in the Gulf of Guinea after a Chinese fishing vessel was hijacked in its waters earlier this week. Twenty-three crew members on board Shenghai-2, including six Chinese nationals, were

By ELAINE KURTENBACH AP Business Writer BANGKOK (AP) — Asian shares were mixed on Friday after the Bank of Japan adjusted its bond purchase policy but kept its negative benchmark interest rate unchanged. Tokyo and Sydney slipped while Hong Kong and Shanghai advanced. U.S. futures were lower and oil prices fell. Japan’s central bank opted

By CURT ANDERSON Associated Press ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — For three decades, nobody knew for certain what happened to 12-year-old Jennifer Odom after she got off a school bus on a typical day in 1993. The girl was found dead in a Florida orange grove not long after. Now, authorities in Hernando County say

LEBANON, Pa. (AP) — An enormous Lebanon bologna sandwich billed as one of the world’s largest has been unveiled at a fair in central Pennsylvania. The 150-foot-long sandwich was created Tuesday night at the Lebanon Area Fair. Lebanon bologna is known for its distinct smoked and tangy flavor. Pennlive reports a large crew of volunteers,

By MIKE STOBBE AP Medical Writer NEW YORK (AP) — At least 100,000 people in the U.S. have become allergic to red meat since 2010 because of a weird syndrome triggered by tick bites. That’s according to a new government report. But health officials believe more have the problem and don’t know it, and the

By ADRIAN SAINZ and JONATHAN MATTISE Associated Press MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating how Memphis Police Department officers use force and conduct arrests, nearly seven months after the violent beating of Tyre Nichols by five officers after a traffic stop. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Civil Rights

By KAREEM CHEHAYEB Associated Press BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian state media, citing the interior ministry, say six people have been killed and dozens wounded when a motorcycle planted with explosives detonated in a Damascus suburb near a Shiite Muslim shrine one day before the solemn holy day of Ashoura. The reports say Syrian Health Minister

By KIMBERLEE KRUESI Associated Press NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Federal prosecutors are accusing a former Tennessee state senator of intentionally delaying his sentencing after the Republican unsuccessfully attempted to withdraw his guilty plea to federal campaign finance laws. Earlier this spring, Brian Kelsey announced that he pleaded guilty with an “unsure heart and confused mind”

By MATTHEW BROWN and RIO YAMAT Associated Press HAVRE, Mont. (AP) — An Arizona teenager who disappeared days before her 15th birthday nearly four years ago is safe after walking into a small-town police station in Montana this week, authorities announced Wednesday. Police in Havre, Montana, said Alicia Navarro, now 18, showed up alone Sunday

By GREG BEACHAM AP Sports Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — Bronny James has been discharged from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and is resting at home, three days after the 18-year-old son of LeBron James went into cardiac arrest. Dr. Merije Chukumerije, a consulting cardiologist for Bronny James, said in a statement issued by the hospital Thursday

By COREY WILLIAMS and JOEY CAPPELLETTI Associated Press EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Women who were sexually assaulted by former Michigan State University sports doctor Larry Nassar have filed a lawsuit claiming school officials made “secret decisions” about releasing documents in the case. The suit filed Thursday in Michigan names the school and its trustee

LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — Saudi Arabian soccer club Al-Ettifaq has signed Jordan Henderson weeks after luring Liverpool great Steven Gerrard to join as manager. Henderson was captain of Liverpool when the English club won the Premier League and Champions League titles. The England international is the the latest star to head to the oil-rich kingdom.

By HANNA ARHIROVA and DASHA LITVINOVA Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Fierce fighting raged Thursday in southeastern Ukraine, where a Western official said Kyiv has launched a major push and Russian President Vladimir Putin said “hostilities have intensified significantly.” Battles in recent weeks have taken place on multiple points along the over 1,000-kilometer (600-mile)

By MIKE CORDER Associated Press THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — A cargo ship packed with cars is still burning close to a world-renowned bird habitat off the coast of the Netherlands. Firefighters and salvage crews are waiting for the flames from a fire that started late Tuesday to subside before attempting to board the vessel.

By JOSH FUNK AP Business Writer OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The costs associated with Norfolk Southern’s fiery February derailment in Ohio have more than doubled to $803 million as the railroad works to clean up the mess and moves forward with all the related lawsuits. Norfolk Southern recorded another $416 million charge related to the

By CARA ANNA Associated Press More than 1,000 U.S. service personnel are in Niger, which until Wednesday’s coup by mutinous soldiers had avoided the military takeovers that destabilized West African neighbors in recent years. The country had been seen as the last major partner standing against extremism in a Francophone region where anti-French sentiment had

By CAMILLE FASSETT Associated Press SEATTLE (AP) — A rare and dangerous fungal infection has been spreading across the United States in recent years — and a primary theory is that climate change is driving its rapid rise. The fungus called Candida auris was first discovered in hospitals in New York in 2016. Last year,