BERLIN – Authorities in Germany say they have arrested a Somali man suspected of being among a group of pirates who seized a German freighter four years ago. The MV Susan K, operated by a German shipping firm, was hijacked off the coast of Oman in 2011. Pirates held the …

MUNCIE, Ind. – An incoming freshman has won free tuition for a semester at Ball State University after sinking a half-court shot. Lem Turner of Illinois made the lucky shot Thursday night during a freshman pep rally for this year’s athletic events at Worthen Arena. The event was held as …

HOUSTON – It could have been the plot of a movie: A Houston couple improvises a hospital wedding in less than an hour after the bride goes into labor early. Stephanie Tallent was eight months pregnant and having an ultrasound Friday when she went into labor at Texas Children’s Pavilion …

LONDON – The British government has rewarded advisers, staff and defeated or retired lawmakers with seats in the House of Lords. The prime minister’s office on Thursday announced 45 new peers, including former Conservative Foreign Secretary William Hague, former Treasury chief Alistair Darling of the Labour Party and ex-Liberal Democrat …

PARIS – French authorities have handed two journalists preliminary extortion charges on accusations that they tried to blackmail Moroccan King Mohammed VI. The Paris prosecutor’s office said Saturday that French writers Eric Laurent and Catherine Graciet were released under judicial supervision after being given the charges. A French lawyer for …

BERLIN – German Chancellor Angela Merkel says she’s open to holding a new summit with the leaders of Russia, Ukraine and France but that there would have to be hope of progress for it to make sense. France and Russia issued statements talking of a possible summit with Ukraine’s leader …

ATLANTA – Georgia’s parole board has released a transgender inmate who had sued alleging mistreatment. Records show Ashley Diamond was released Monday after serving about a third of her 12-year sentence for burglary and other convictions. The Southern Poverty Law Center sued in February, saying prison officials failed to provide …

JERUSALEM – Israeli authorities say five American students escaped serious harm after their car was firebombed in the volatile West Bank city of Hebron. Officials said the ultra-Orthodox seminary students were on their way to pray at a holy site when they took a wrong turn and accidentally entered a …

MADRID – Spanish authorities who raided what is thought to be the country’s largest outdoor marijuana planation didn’t have far to look for the prime suspect. He was in jail. The 47-year-old Spaniard arranged for others to cultivate a three-hectare (7.4 acre) olive grove he had purchased while on prison …

BEIJING – A European business group warned Tuesday that China is running out of time to keep slowing economic growth on track and needs to speed up market-opening reforms promised in a 2-year-old development plan. In some areas, the ruling Communist Party is moving backward on reform pledges by reducing …