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After long waits, new pilgrims prepare for Hajj’s return, the first major one since COVID-19

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:05:06 GMT

This year’s Hajj is a landmark: the first full pilgrimage after three years when the COVID-19 pandemic sharply reduced the scale of one of Islam’s holiest rites.Millions of Muslims from around the world will start converging next week on Mecca in Saudi Arabia to begin several days of rituals. For pilgrims, it is the ultimate spiritual moment of their lives, a chance to seek God’s forgiveness for their sins and walk in the footsteps of revered prophets like Muhammad.It’s a mass, communal experience, with Muslims of every race and class performing it together as one. It is also deeply personal; each pilgrim brings his or her own yearnings and experiences. The Associated Press spoke to several pilgrims from across the world as they prepared for their journey.GAZAIt’s been hard, raising 10 children on her own in the Gaza Strip, blockaded on all sides and torn by multiple wars. But Huda Zaqqout says her life feels like a miracle because she is surrounded by her family, including 30 grand...

War disrupts education of Ukrainian kids, even those who’ve found safety abroad

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:05:06 GMT

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Nine-year-old Milana Minenko doesn’t play piano anymore. During the day, she attends public school in Poland, where she and her mother fled from the war in March 2022. In the evenings, her mother helps her follow Ukraine’s curriculum to keep up with lessons back home. There’s simply no time — and no money — for anything else.Russian forces occupied Milana’s hometown in the Zaporizhzhia region of Ukraine, destroyed her house with a missile on the second day of the war, and uprooted her family. Milana and her family lost nearly everything they loved. For Milana, that means school. The place that greeted her with balloons on her first day. Friends she can now only send text messages. The teacher who brought joy to learning. It also means her music school, where she studied piano and singing after her other lessons. That building now lies in ruins. Milana’s not sure what became of her primary school. She wonders whether it, too, was bo...

Florida set to execute man convicted of 1984 murders, rapes while children slept nearby

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:05:06 GMT

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — One of the longest-held inmates on Florida’s death row is set to be executed Thursday for two separate killings in 1984, the fatal stabbing of a 14-year-old babysitter as two children in her care were sleeping and the other a hammer attack on a mother of two.Duane Owen is scheduled to receive a lethal injection at 6 p.m. EDT at Florida State Prison in Starke. He drew death sentences for the March 24, 1984, rape and stabbing attack on Karen Slattery, 14, and for the rape and killling of Georgianna Worden, 38, in May 1984, both in Palm Beach County.Owen attacked two other women in Palm Beach County who survived. All four attacks occurred just before and after Owen’s 23rd birthday. Now 62, Owen is one of 293 people on Florida’s death row and one of the longest residing there. Besides his death sentences, he also received six life sentences.If the lethal injection is carried out, it would be Florida’s fourth execution this year after none since 2019. Repub...

Huge search seeks survivors of migrant boat sinking off Greece; hundreds feared missing

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:05:06 GMT

KALAMATA, Greece (AP) — With its human cargo of migrants filling every available space, the battered blue trawler was about halfway from Libya to Italy when its engine cut out in the night.The vessel wobbled sharply, flooded and capsized. Less than 15 minutes later, it sank into one of the Mediterranean’s deepest points, off the coast of Greece. Hundreds of people are thought to have been on board when the boat went down Wednesday, although authorities have no precise figure.Rescuers saved 104 passengers — including Egyptians, Syrians, Pakistanis, Afghans and Palestinians — and recovered 79 bodies. And the search went on early Thursday for more, with aircraft dropping flares to help search teams.“It’s one of the biggest (such) operations ever in the Mediterranean,” Greek coast guard spokesman Nikos Alexiou told state ERT TV. “We won’t stop looking.”The sinking could be one of the worst ever recorded on the feared central Mediterranean migration route, which is the ...

After long waits, new pilgrims prepare for return of Hajj, the first major one since COVID-19

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:05:06 GMT

This year’s Hajj is a landmark: the first full pilgrimage after a daunting three-year period when the COVID-19 pandemic sharply reduced the scale of one of Islam’s holiest and most beloved rites. Millions of Muslims from around the world will start converging next week on Mecca in Saudi Arabia to begin the several days of rituals at holy sites in and around the city. For pilgrims, it is the ultimate spiritual moment of their lives, a chance to seek God’s forgiveness for their sins and walk in the footsteps of revered prophets like Muhammad and Abraham.It’s a mass, communal experience, with Muslims of many races and classes performing it together as one. But it is also deeply personal; every pilgrim brings their own yearnings and experiences. The Associated Press spoke to several pilgrims from far-flung places as they prepared for their journey.GAZA:It’s been hard, raising 10 children on her own and living in the Gaza Strip, blockaded on all sides and torn by multiple wars. But Huda ...

‘Stand with Trump’ becomes rallying cry as Republicans amplify attacks on US justice system

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:05:06 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Moments after Donald Trump pleaded not guilty to federal charges that he hoarded classified documents and then conspired to obstruct an investigation about it, the Republicans in Congress had his back.Speaker Kevin McCarthy dashed off a fundraising email decrying the “witch hunt” against the former president and urging donors to sign up and “stand with Trump.”The Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell steered clear of criticizing the former president or assuring the nation justice will be impartial, refusing to engage in questions about the unprecedented indictment.And at a public meeting in the Capitol basement, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene compared the case against Trump to the federal prosecution of people at the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection, suggesting in both instances it was the Justice Department, not the defendants, under scrutiny.The mounting legal jeopardy Trump finds himself in has quickly become a political rallying cry for the Republicans, many of ...

Germany to give $1.4 billion to Holocaust survivors globally in 2024

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:05:06 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — The organization that handles claims on behalf of Jews who suffered under the Nazis said Thursday that Germany has agreed to extend another $1.4 billion (1.29 billion euros) overall for Holocaust survivors around the globe for the coming year.The compensation was negotiated with Germany’s finance ministry and includes $888.9 million to provide home care and supportive services for frail and vulnerable Holocaust survivors.Additionally, increases of $175 million to symbolic payments of the Hardship Fund Supplemental program have been achieved, impacting more than 128,000 Holocaust survivors globally, according to the New York-based Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, also referred to as the Claims Conference.“Every year these negotiations become more and more critical as this last generation of Holocaust survivors age and their needs increase,” said Greg Schneider, the Claims Conference’s executive vice president.“Being able to ensure ...

Police identify suspects in ATM robbery in Washington, Missouri

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:05:06 GMT

WASHINGTON, Mo. - Police have now identified four suspects involved in an ATM break-in early Monday morning.According to a spokesperson for the Washington Police Department, one person is in custody due to having warrants from other departments. However, they are working to charge all four suspects with the theft.The money stolen from the Bank of Franklin County on 8th Street has been recovered.The investigation is still ongoing. FOX 2 will give updates as more information becomes available.

9 teens arrested in gang-related Thousand Oaks attacks

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:05:06 GMT

Nine teenagers were arrested this week for their involvement in two gang-related attacks in Thousand Oaks.The suspects were all teenage boys and residents of Thousand Oaks, according to the Ventura County Sheriff's Office.The arrested teen gang members were identified as one 14-year-old, five 15-year-olds, two 16-year-olds and one 17-year-old.Both attacks involved battering victims before stealing their shoes, authorities said.A recent robbery committed by four juvenile gang members took place in a shopping center on the 200 block of North Moorpark Road.“During this attack, four juveniles attacked two juvenile members of a rival street gang,” authorities said. “One of the victims was battered and had his shoes forcefully stolen from him.” Taco Bell fined for violating California gift card laws Earlier on June 3rd, “the victims of the [recent] attack, along with three other male juveniles, attacked a juvenile victim in the 600 block of Avenida De La Plata in Newbury Park.”During th...

Oakland A’s have win streak snapped in front of familiar-sized crowd

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:05:06 GMT

OAKLAND – JJ Bleday’s three-run home run in the bottom of the second inning Wednesday was exactly the kind of big hit the Oakland A’s had been getting on their season-long seven-game win streak that began earlier this month.The rest of the A’s performance against the Tampa Bay Rays, though, bore more resemblance to the first two months of the season.Bleday’s homer accounted for the A’s only offense Wednesday in a 6-3 loss to the Rays before 7,055 at the Coliseum, roughly one-quarter of the announced crowd of 27,759 that attended Tuesday’s game when fans organized a ‘Reverse Boycott’ to implore team owner John Fisher to sell the franchise.Fisher wants to move the A’s to Las Vegas and on Wednesday, Nevada lawmakers gave final approval to public funding for a portion of a proposed $1.5 billion stadium located on the Las Vegas Strip.Against the Rays, the A’s left five runners on base and went 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position as they dropped their first game since June 5 w...