ECU baseball: Salute to the Pirates

Ukrainian authorities say Russian missile attacks on residential buildings in a coastal town near the port city of Odesa have killed at least 19 people, including two children. Video of the pre-dawn Friday attack showed the charred remains of buildings in the small town of Serhiivka, located about 50 kilometers (31 miles) southwest of Odesa. The Ukrainian president’s office said three X-22 missiles fired by Russian bombers struck an apartment building and two campsites. The assault came after Russian forces withdrew from a strategic Black Sea island on Thursday. Russia took control of Snake Island in the opening days of the war. Their withdrawal initially was seen as lessening the threat to the Odesa region.

European shares have edged higher after Asian benchmarks slipped as a quarterly report by Japan’s central bank rekindled worries about the world’s third largest economy. Benchmarks were higher in Paris, Frankfurt and London. They declined in Tokyo, Seoul, Sydney and Shanghai. Markets were closed Friday in Hong Kong for a holiday. Recent data suggest global growth is slowing as countries grapple with renewed waves of coronavirus outbreaks, soaring prices and the war in Ukraine. However, a survey by the Chinese business magazine, Caixin, showed China’s factory activity expanded in June at its strongest rate in 13 months.

American basketball star Brittney Griner has arrived at a Moscow-area court where she is scheduled to go on trial. Griner was arrested in February on cannabis possession charges at an airport while traveling to play for a Russian team. Police said she was carrying vape canisters with cannabis oil. Her trial is set to get underway on Friday. The Phoenix Mercury center and two-time U.S. Olympic gold medalist could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted of large-scale transportation of drugs. Fewer than 1% of defendants in Russian criminal cases are acquitted, and unlike in the U.S., acquittals can be overturned.

Summer travel is underway across the globe, but a full recovery from two years of coronavirus could last as long as the pandemic itself. Interviews by The Associated Press in 11 countries this month show that the most passionate travelers are thronging to locales like the French Riviera, Amsterdam and the American Midwest. But even as safety restrictions fall, places like Israel, India and Rome are reporting only fractions of the record-setting tourism of 2019. For them, a full recovery isn't forecast until at least 2024. China, once the world's biggest source of tourists, remains closed per its “zero-COVID” policy. That's holding down the rebound in many countries.

India banned some single-use or disposable plastic products Friday as a part of a federal plan to phase out the ubiquitous material in the nation of nearly 1.4 billion people. Officials said that making, importing, stocking, or selling these banned items will lead to fines and, in some cases, jail time. It's part of a long-term effort by India to cut down on plastic waste. Reducing the manufacture and consequent waste of plastic is crucial for India to meet its goal for reducing carbon emissions. The first step targets plastic items that aren’t very useful but have a high potential to become litter.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has defended his vision of the “one country, two systems” framework against accusations by the U.S., U.K. and others that Beijing has undermined the freedoms and autonomy promised to Hong Kong for 50 years. His presence in Hong Kong after not traveling during the coronavirus pandemic came as the city marked 25 years as a semi-autonomous Chinese region following its handover from Britain in 1997. Xi said the framework allowing Hong Kong to have its own laws and government was a good system that should be maintained. But he also said that Beijing had “comprehensive jurisdiction” and there would be no tolerance for foreign meddling in Hong Kong’s affairs.

Hong Kong has marked the 25th anniversary of its handover from British to Chinese rule. Former security chief John Lee was installed as its new leader Friday in a ceremony attended by Chinese President and head of the ruling Communist Party Xi Jinping. China had promised the territory could retain its civil, economic and political liberties for 50 years under the “one country, two systems” framework. However, in recent years Beijing has severely limited rights to free speech and assembly and virtually eliminated political opposition under the rubric of maintaining national security. Friday's ceremony featured officials bowing to Xi and was conducted entirely in China's national language of Mandarin, rather than the Cantonese dialect that is spoken by most Hong Kongers.