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Muslims at Hajj brave intense heat to cast stones at pillars representing the devil

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:40 GMT

MINA, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Hundreds of thousands of Muslim pilgrims on Wednesday braved intense heat to perform the symbolic stoning of the devil during the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.With morning temperatures rising past 42 degrees Celsius (107 degrees Farenheit), huge crowds of pilgrims walked or took buses to the vast Jamarat complex just outside the holy city of Mecca, where large pedestrian bridges lead past three wide pillars representing the devil.Using pebbles collected the night before at a campsite known as Muzdalifa, the pilgrims stone the pillars. It’s a reenactment of the story of the Prophet Ibrahim — known as Abraham in Christian and Jewish traditions — who is said to have hurled stones at Satan to resist temptation.The ceremony was marred by tragedy on a number of occasions in the 1990s and 2000s, when hundreds died in stampedes during the stoning ritual. Saudi authorities have since built an expanded network of massive pedestrian bridges and redesigned the...

In Uruguay’s capital, salty water coming out of taps exasperates residents

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:40 GMT

MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay (AP) — Residents of Uruguay’s capital are increasingly exasperated after two months of salty-tasting tap water that has damaged water heaters, boosted demand for bottled water and reportedly caused stomach ailments.The water “comes out saltier and saltier so you can’t drink it, but you’re thirsty and so you need to drink it,” said homemaker Natalia Moreira, 33, who lives in one of Montevideo’s poorer neighborhoods. She added that she and her children have been suffering stomach aches and diarrhea. “Now I have a coffee and go straight to the bathroom. Before, that didn’t happen to me,” Moreira said.People in Uruguay have always been able to safely drink the water that comes from their taps, unlike in some other Latin American countries. But the country is now suffering its most severe drought in 44 years, following decades without investment in freshwater reservoirs. The reservoir behind Uruguay’s largest dam, Paso Severino, is only 2.6% filled. The Sa...

4 males threaten TTC employee with knife at Warden Station: police

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:40 GMT

Toronto police say they’re investigating after four males threatened a TTC operator with a knife at Warden Subway Station on Wednesday.No injuries have been reported, and police say one person is in custody.The other suspects remain at large, but no descriptions are currently available.Trains were temporarily bypassing the station, but regular service has since resumed.The investigation is ongoing.Line 2 Bloor-Danforth Regular service has resumed at Warden. https://t.co/e7kBd9P8F8— TTC Service Alerts (@TTCnotices) June 28, 2023

Federal judge temporarily blocks part of Kentucky law banning gender-affirming care for trans youths

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:40 GMT

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A federal judge temporarily blocked Kentucky’s ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youths on Wednesday, taking the action shortly before the measure was set to take effect.In issuing the preliminary injunction, U.S. District Judge David Hale sided with seven transgender minors and their parents, who sued the state officials responsible for enforcing the provisions banning the use of puberty blockers and hormones.“Justice is served today as the most egregious parts of Kentucky’s anti-trans law are struck down by a federal judge,” said Chris Hartman, executive director of the Fairness Campaign, a Kentucky-based LGBTQ+ advocacy group.Kentucky Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron called it a “misguided decision” that “tramples the right” of state lawmakers to make public policy for the state. Cameron said his office will continue doing “everything in our power” to defend the measure.At least 20 states have now enacted laws restricting or banning gen...

US commits more lawyers to address Native American disappearances and killings

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:40 GMT

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The U.S. Department of Justice on Wednesday announced it will be funneling more resources toward addressing the alarming rate of disappearances and killings among Native Americans.As part of a new outreach program, the agency will dispatch five attorneys and five coordinators to several regions around the country to help with investigations of unsolved cases and related crimes.Their reach will span from New Mexico and Arizona to Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Michigan and Minnesota. Attorney General Merrick Garland acknowledged that the crisis has shattered the lives of victims, their families and entire tribal communities.“The Justice Department will continue to accelerate our efforts, in partnership with tribes, to keep their communities safe and pursue justice for American Indian and Alaska Native families,” Garland said in a statement.The announcement came as a special commission gathered in Albuquerque for one of its final fie...

Biden’s brother says the president is ‘very open-minded’ about psychedelics for medical treatment

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:40 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s youngest brother said in a radio interview Wednesday that the president has been “very open-minded” in conversations the two have had about the benefits of psychedelics as a form of medical treatment.Frank Biden made the comments during a call into The Michael Smerconish Program on SiriusXM. The host had just interviewed a Wall Street Journal reporter who recently wrote about powerful Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and employees who believe the use of psychedelics and similar substances can help lead to business breakthroughs. “He is very open-minded,” Frank Biden said when asked by Smerconish about conversations he’s had with the president on the topic. “Put it that way. I don’t want to speak, I’m talking brother-to-brother. Brother-to-brother,” the younger Biden said. “The question is, is the world, is the U.S. ready for this? My opinion is that we are on the cusp of a consciousness that needs to be brought ...

BlackBerry Ltd. reports US$11 million loss in first quarter as revenue rises

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:40 GMT

WATERLOO, ONT. — BlackBerry Ltd. reported losses of US$11 million in its latest quarter, up 93 per cent from a loss of US$181 million a year earlier.The Waterloo, Ont.-based company, which reports in U.S. dollars, says revenue for the first quarter ended May 31 was US$373 million, up 122 per centfrom US$168 million during the same quarter last year. Diluted loss per share was two cents US, up from a loss of 35 cents US last year.Executive chair and CEO John Chen says in a press release that revenue growth was driven in part by billings, anchored on strength in the company’s core verticals, particularly government.BlackBerry says cybersecurity revenue was US$93 million, down from US$113 million a year earlier, while Internet-of-Things revenue was also lower.Licensing and other revenue rose to US$235 million from just US$4 million last year, including US$218 million related to BlackBerry’s recent patent sale to Malikie Innovations Ltd. This report by The Canadian Press was...

5 new shelter locations being considered for migrants in Chicago

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:40 GMT

CHICAGO -- The Immigrant and Refugee Rights Committee held their first meeting under the new city administration on Wednesday to discuss the possible creation of five new shelters for migrants who are sleeping at Chicago police stations.The five shelters prosed would be able to house 2,500 people.The locations being considered for the five shelter are: the former Marine Corps Reserve Center on Foster Avenue, the Broadway Armory in Edgewater, Taylor Park, the Community Justice Center on the city's south side, and a former CVS Pharmacy building in Little Village. Chicago celebrates cultural diversity on World Refugee Day Discussions of the need to find more spaces to convert them into shelters for migrants, but the bulk of the meeting was spent on Mayor Brandon Johnson's administration laying out long-term plans to help them.According to Illinois State Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas, there were nearly 5,000 individuals in 12 shelters, with over 650 of those migrants located at polic...

16 states, DC currently under poor air quality alerts - here's when things will change

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:40 GMT

(NEXSTAR) - Residents in more than a dozen states are currently blanketed in hazy skies and poor air quality as smoke from Canadian wildfires moves through the Midwest and Northeast. For many, the worsening air is expected to stick around for at least another day. As of Wednesday afternoon, five U.S. cities - Chicago, Detroit, Minneapolis, and Washington, D.C. - rank among the 10 metropolitan areas with the worst air quality in the world, according to IQ Air. Toronto, Canada, had the worst air quality at 186 AQI (air quality index). Areas in the U.S. are worse though. Decatur, Illinois, 40 miles east of Springfield, had the worst air quality in the country - 282 AQI - as of 4 p.m. ET, according to the Environmental Protection Agency’s AirNow. Cities from Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, and Wisconsin also had AQIs over 220. Amid wildfire smoke and sweltering heat, don’t overlook this button in your car Many of the Midwestern cities that have had high AQIs for much of the week are expecte...

Glen Ellyn police searching for missing and endangered woman; car last seen in Naperville

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:40 GMT

GLEN ELLYN, Ill. — Glen Ellyn police are searching for a missing and endangered woman whose car was last seen Tuesday in Naperville.According to the Glen Ellyn Police Department, Lauren Irby, 72, was reported missing on Tuesday but was last heard from on Thursday. Delphi documents: Richard Allen told wife he killed girls; investigators believe knife used in murders Her car, a 2021 sliver Kia Soul, was last seen Tuesday in Naperville, according to police. The car has Massachusetts license plate 1MEJ87.Irby is described as being about 5 feet 7 inches tall, weighing about 148 pounds, with blonde hair and brown eyes.Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to call Glen Ellyn police at 630-469-1187.