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

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:21 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 Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:21 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 Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:21 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 Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:21 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 Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:21 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 Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:21 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...

Miami’s Jesús Sánchez makes game-saving catch as Marlins top Mariners 4-1

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:21 GMT

SEATTLE (AP) — Miami’s Jesús Sánchez made a leaping, game-saving catch at the wall in the bottom of the ninth inning to rob Seattle’s Eugenio Suárez of a grand slam, and the Marlins avoided a three-game sweep with a 4-1 win over the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday night.Seattle loaded the bases with one out in the ninth inning against A.J. Puk thanks to a pair of errors by Luis Arraez. Suárez lined a 2-1 pitch from Puk deep to right field, but Sánchez quickly tracked his way to the wall and made a leaping grab and pulled back the potential game-tying homer. Ty France scored on the play to break up the shutout, but Cal Raleigh lined out to Sánchez to end the game. Sánchez’s defensive gem made a winner out of 20-year-old rookie Eury Pérez, who dazzled in just his seventh start. Pérez limited the Mariners to just a pair of hits and pitched into the sixth for the first time. Pérez (4-1) struck out six and walked only one and helped Miami’s pitching recover after getting ...

Wacha earns 7th win; Tatis and Machado homer in Padres 5-0 victory

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:21 GMT

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Michael Wacha pitched seven shutout innings and Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado hit two of San Diego’s four solo homers in the Padres’ 5-0 win over the Cleveland Guardians on Wednesday night.Juan Soto and Nelson Cruz also homered for the Padres, who have won five of their last six games and have an opportunity to sweep the three-game series versus Cleveland and reach the .500 mark for the first time since May 11th.Wacha (7-2), who has a major league best 0.91 ERA since the beginning of May, gave up four singles in 6 2/3 innings. He lowered his season ERA to 2.89.Tatis led off the first inning with his 14th homer of the season, a shot that cleared the left-field wall by a few feet for a 364-foot home run. It was his 11th career lead-off homer and came against Aaron Civale (2-2).Machado hit a solo home run to left-center in the third to stake the Padres to a 2-0 lead against Civale, who gave up two runs in 3 2/3 innings. He struck out seven and allowe...

White Sox manager Grifol ejected in 6th inning vs Dodgers

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:21 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Chicago White Sox manager Pedro Grifol was ejected in the sixth inning of a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday night.The Dodgers had just tied it 2-all when Grifol came out of the dugout to argue with home plate umpire Pat Hoberg. The first-year manager kept pointing to his right as Hoberg tossed him.Grifol continued jawing as crew chief Brian O’Nora came over from his position at third base. A member of the White Sox coaching staff separated Grifol from O’Nora while the manager’s rant went on.It was Grifol’s third ejection of the season.The Dodgers rallied for four runs in the inning to take a 4-2 lead.___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_SportsSource

Canadian quits Chinese-founded development bank, complains ‘Communist Party hacks’ dominate it

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:21 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — A Canadian public relations manager for a Chinese-founded development bank announced his resignation Wednesday in a statement that accused it of being dominated by “Communist Party hacks” and said Canada’s interests weren’t served by being a member.The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank confirmed in an email that Bob Pickard resigned as its director general of global communications and rejected his criticism as unfounded.The AIIB, seen by some as a Chinese rival to the World Bank and Asian Development Bank, was founded in 2016 to finance railways and other infrastructure. It has 106 member governments including most Asian countries and Australia, Canada, Russia, France and Britain. Japan and the United States aren’t members.Pickard, who worked for AIIB for 15 months, said in a statement on Twitter that resigning was his only course as a “patriotic Canadian.” He complained that the bank was dominated by “Communist Party hacks” who were “like an in-house K...