Braves place 5-time All-Star Ronald Acuña Jr. on the injured list with Achilles tendon inflammation

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Atlanta Braves have placed Ronald Acuña Jr. on the 10-day injured list because of right Achilles tendon inflammation. The severity of the injury is still unclear. Acuña first felt discomfort on Monday night after scoring from first base during a game against Kansas City. Despite wanting to play on Tuesday, the five-time All-Star came up limping while chasing a ball and was removed from the game. The Braves recalled Jarred Kelenic from Triple-A Gwinnett to fill his roster spot. Acuña has faced multiple injuries in his career but returned this season with a strong performance. Eli White is expected to be his primary replacement.

German biathlete Laura Dahlmeier has died in a climbing accident in Pakistan

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — A government spokesman in Pakistan says that German biathlon champion Laura Dahlmeier has died on a mountain in northern Pakistan. That follows a climbing accident at remote site that rescuers have struggled to reach because of bad weather. The Olympic gold medalist was ascending Laila Peak in the Karakoram mountain range on Monday when she was struck by falling rocks while climbing with a partner who survived. Faizullah Faraq, a spokesman for the regional Gilgit-Baltistan government, says rescuers were able to confirm Dahlmeier’s death on Wednesday but not retrieve the body because of unfavorable weather. He says any final decision on retrieving the body would follow the wishes of Dahlmeier’s family.

Fans toast Grateful Dead’s 60th with concerts at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Tens of thousands of Deadheads are pouring into San Francisco for three days of Dead & Company concerts in honor of the Grateful Dead's 60th anniversary. Fans say it's appropriate that the jam band nearly synonymous with psychedelic San Francisco celebrate in their city of origin, and in Golden Gate Park. Members lived in a dirt-cheap Victorian in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood and became a significant part of the Summer of Love. San Francisco has planned a long weekend of events, including renaming a street for city native and guitarist Jerry Garcia, who died in 1995.

Former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has dinner with singer Katy Perry in Montreal

MONTREAL (AP) — Former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Katy Perry have sparked speculation after dining together in Montreal. A communications consultant for the restaurant Le Violon confirmed they spent about two hours there on Monday evening. Photos published by TMZ fueled rumors of a possible romance. However, Samantha Jin from the restaurant said there were no signs of public displays of affection. Perry recently split from Orlando Bloom and is currently on tour. Trudeau and his ex-wife Sophie Grégoire separated in 2023. Neither Trudeau nor Perry's representatives have not commented on the dinner.

3 men convicted in the theft of ancient Celtic gold coins from a German museum

BERLIN (AP) — Three men have been convicted in the theft of hundreds of ancient gold coins from a German museum in 2022 and handed prison sentences ranging up to 11 years. A state court in the southern city of Ingolstadt on Tuesday convicted the defendants of gang robbery over the museum heist. A fourth defendant was acquitted of involvement in the heist but convicted for other thefts carried out by the group. The suspects were arrested months after the Nov. 22, 2022 break-in at the Celtic and Roman Museum in the Bavarian town of Manching in which 483 Celtic coins discovered were stolen. The coins dated to around 100 B.C.

Union Pacific and Norfolk seek 1st transcontinental railroad through a massive merger

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Union Pacific is seeking to buy Norfolk Southern in a $85 billion deal that would create the first transcontinental railroad in the U.S, and potentially trigger a final wave of rail mergers across the country. The proposed merger, announced Tuesday, would marry Union Pacific’s rail network in the West with Norfolk’s rails that snake across Eastern states. The nation was first linked by rail in 1869, when a golden railroad spike was driven in Utah to symbolize the connection of East and West Coasts. Yet no single entity has controlled that coast-to-coast passage that so many businesses rely on. Regulators will take a close look at the impact of this deal before considering whether to approve it.

Fans reel after successive deaths of Hulk Hogan, Ozzy Osbourne and other celebrities

CHICAGO (AP) — Fans are reeling following the successive deaths of celebrities including “The Cosby Show” actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner, jazz performer Chuck Mangione, wrestler Hulk Hogan, heavy metal legend Ozzy Osbourne and baseball star Ryne Sandberg. Social media has been swamped with outpourings of love, regret and sadness. Syracuse University television and pop culture professor Robert Thompson says when celebrity deaths come in quick succession “it reminds people of their own mortality." Indigo Watts, a 23-year-old Black Sabbath fan, says, “When you’re a celebrity and you die, you leave an impact on the world.”

Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred confronted by Bryce Harper during meeting, AP source says

CHICAGO (AP) — Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred and Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper had a spirited exchange during a question-and-answer session between the commissioner and the team, according to a person with direct knowledge of the conversation. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation. Phillies slugger Nick Castellanos previously confirmed some details from the meeting in interviews with The Bandwagon and ESPN. Manfred met with the Phillies and Red Sox during their series last week in Philadelphia. The session with the Phillies lasted more than an hour.

Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase placed on paid leave as part of MLB sports betting investigation

Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase has been placed on non-disciplinary paid leave as part of a Major League Baseball investigation into sports betting. Clase, a three-time All-Star, becomes the second Guardians pitcher to be placed on leave in connection with a sports gambling probe. Luis Ortiz also is on non-disciplinary leave through Aug. 31. It was unclear if the cases were related in any way. The Guardians said in a statement they “have been informed that no additional players or club personnel are expected to be impacted.”

Ciara is among the first descendants of enslaved people granted citizenship by Benin

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — U.S. singer Ciara is one of the first public figures to become a citizen of Benin under a recent law by the small West African country granting citizenship to descendants of enslaved people. The Grammy-winning performer’s acquisition of citizenship at a ceremony Saturday in the city of Cotonou is part of a broader initiative by Benin to attract the Black diaspora, acknowledge the country’s role in the transatlantic slave trade, and promote tourism focused on slavery-related sites of remembrance.