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‘Hajj is not Mecca’: Why prayers at Mount Arafat are the spiritual peak of Islamic pilgrimage

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:27 GMT

ARAFAT, Saudi Arabia (AP) — They came in the dark of night, in the thousands, to clamber up the rocky hill called Mount Arafat. The mound southeast of Mecca is little-known outside Islam. For non-Muslims, the circling of the Kaaba — the black, cube-shaped structure in the holy city — is the most arresting visual moment associated with the annual Hajj pilgrimage.But for Muslims, it was Tuesday’s rite of praying at Arafat that represented the sum and substance of the Hajj.The hill and the Day of Arafat, as the second day of the annual pilgrimage is called, hold immense significance in Islam. Arafat is mentioned in the Quran and it is where the Prophet Muhammad is said to have given his last sermon on his final Hajj. According to traditional sayings of the prophet, the Day of Arafat is the most sacred day of the year, when God draws near to the faithful and forgives their sins. The moment of closeness to God makes it the most personally resonant part of the pilgrimage for many.By 4 a.m...

Ex-Audi boss convicted of fraud in automaker’s diesel emissions scandal

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:27 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — Former Audi boss Rupert Stadler was convicted of fraud Tuesday in connection with the automaker’s diesel emissions scandal, making him the highest-ranking executive found guilty over cars that cheated on emissions tests with the help of illegal software. A German court handed Stadler a suspended prison sentence of 21 months and ordered him to pay a fine of 1.1 million euros ($1.2 million), some of which will go to charitable groups. The sentence resulted from an agreement between his lawyers, the judge and prosecutors after he pleaded guilty last month.The former head of Volkswagen’s luxury division admitted wrongdoing and regret for his failure to keep rigged cars off the market even after the scandal had become public knowledge.The Munich regional court also sentenced the former head of engine development, Wolfgang Hatz, and a former Audi engineer, identified only as Giovanni P. for privacy reasons, to suspended prison sentences and fines. They were accused of ...

4 dead, 900 evacuated after landslides triggered by flash floods in southwest China

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:27 GMT

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Four people died and three others were missing after landslides hit a county in China’s southwestern Sichuan province on Tuesday, leading authorities to evacuate more than 900 people.The landslides, triggered by flash floods, occurred in Miansi and Weizhou townships in Wenchuan county, according to the county’s emergency management bureau.More than 400 rescuers searched for missing people after the landslides hit early Tuesday, state media said. Four people, including a couple from Miansi township, were found dead later on Tuesday, while three others remained missing, according to official broadcaster CCTV.More than 900 people in the area were evacuated, Xinhua news agency reported.Wenchuan county was the site of a devastating earthquake in 2008 that claimed at least 69,000 lives, according to the Chinese government.China is experiencing extreme weather patterns, with heavy rainfall in southern regions and record-breaking temperatures in the north including in ...

Slowly turning down the heat over the next week

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:27 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The good news? Temperatures will gradually come down over the next several days. The bad news? It's going to take AWHILE.The heat peaks today with all of Central Texas likely to top 100°+ this afternoon. Austin's forecast high of 106° is likely to tie the current record last set in 2012.'Feels like' temps reaching 105°-113° Tuesday afternoonA Heat Advisory (orange) and Excessive Heat Warning (pink) are in effect until 9 p.m. tonight for heat index values up to 113°.Heat alerts continue through 9 p.m. Tuesday for most areas (exception: Lampasas & Milam County until 9 p.m. Wedneseday)The stubborn ridge of high pressure responsible for this ongoing heat wave will gradually push east and breakdown late week into the weekend. This will allow temperatures to drop just slightly (upper 90s) and open the door for rain chances (10%-20%) Sunday into the Independence Day holiday.Temperatures gradually coming down in the days aheadOur Summer Fan Drive is underway! Please cli...

The Dakota has a new head chef after former chef leaves industry

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:27 GMT

The Dakota, Minneapolis’ premier jazz venue, has a new chef after Remy Pettus, who was previously in charge of the kitchen, left the restaurant business altogether.Pettus is moving to the Carolinas to start his new life, and sous chef Asher Larson has been named executive chef.Asher Larson has been named executive chef at The Dakota. (Courtesy of Travis Anderson Photo)“Asher has the perfect combination of talents to take on this role,” Pettus said in a news release. “He has the rare intangibles that make a great chef and leader. He’s curious, creative and has a great palate. He’s constantly seeking to both learn and share his knowledge, which is a quality I think you see in all the best chefs. He’s also at the right stage of his career to step into a higher profile role.”Larson’s résumé includes stints under chef Blake Meier at Fika, chef Adam Lerner (né Eaton) at Meyvn, and Peter Campbell at Red Wagon Pizza Co. He also was one of the opening chefs at Hi Lo Diner, working under Heid...

98.3 TRY Social Dilemma: Shouldn't My Friend Drive Me To the Airport If I've Driven Him?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:27 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Today's 98.3 TRY Social Dilemma is about giving and getting rides to the airport from friends. Here's the email: Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Hey Jaime. My name is Paul and I’m emailing you this morning because one of my best friends just blew me off after I asked him for a ride to the airport when I’ve taken him to the airport 4 times over the last two years. I’m really mad at him but my wife told me I shouldn’t have expected him to reciprocate. If I had only driven him once to the airport then I wouldn’t have assumed he’d do the same for me but I’ve driven him 4 times in the last two years. I’m the first guy he calls for any favor and this one time I need a ride he says to me to try and find someone else. My wife defended him by saying that favors for friends don’t come with strings attached but they do a little in my opinion when one friend is asking for all the favors and the other only asks ...

Ask Amy: Estranged daughter still yearns for her father

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:27 GMT

Dear Amy: My daughter is 36 years old.Her father and I divorced when she was a toddler. He had all the visitation he wanted, and (reluctantly) paid child support.When she was 16, he stopped seeing her because she got her driver’s license and he said that she could drive to see him instead of him driving to see her.He lived about 40 minutes away.She had a job and was still in high school, so she didn’t drive there.Consequently, her father stopped calling her. She has sent him birthday and Christmas cards, which came back unopened.She has two sons now, and pictures she sent to him came back unopened.A few years ago, she called him to say Happy Easter and he made a few grunting noises into the phone and said that he didn’t have a daughter.Of course, she was very hurt and tearful.She’s still trying to get a positive response out of him.I told her to forget it and to move on.Related ArticlesAsk Amy | Ask Amy: A successful survivor is stuck in her past ...

US's Blinken says Russia turmoil shows 'cracks' in Putin's power

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:27 GMT

The unprecedented challenge to Russian President Vladimir Putin (pictured) by Wagner fighters has exposed fresh "cracks" in the strength of his leadership that may take weeks or months to play out, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Sunday (25 June).Blinken and members of the US Congress said in a series of television interviews that the turmoil in Russia has weakened Putin in ways that could aid Ukraine's counteroffensive against Russian forces within its territory while benefiting Russia's neighbors, including Poland and the Baltic states."I don't think we've seen the final act," Blinken said on ABC's "This Week" program after an aborted mutiny by forces led by Yevgeny Prigozhin.Blinken said tensions that sparked the action had been growing for months and added that the threat of internal turmoil could affect Moscow's military capabilities in Ukraine."We've seen more cracks emerge in the Russian facade. It is too soon to tell exactly where they go, and when they get ther...

Single family residence sells in Oakland for $2.2 million

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:27 GMT

563 Walavista Avenue – Google Street ViewA spacious historic house located in the 500 block of Walavista Avenue in Oakland has a new owner. The 2,729-square-foot property, built in 1924, was sold on May 17, 2023, for $2,235,000, or $819 per square foot. The property features three bedrooms and two bathrooms. It sits on a 6,600-square-foot lot.Additional houses have recently been sold nearby:On Warfield Avenue, Oakland, in November 2022, a 2,511-square-foot home was sold for $1,700,000, a price per square foot of $677. The home has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.In October 2022, a 1,791-square-foot home on Rosal Avenue in Oakland sold for $1,650,000, a price per square foot of $921. The home has 3 bedrooms 1 bathroom.A 2,295-square-foot home on the 1000 block of Winsor Avenue in Piedmont sold in November 2022, for $2,100,000, a price per square foot of $915. The home has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. 

Word Game: June 27, 2023

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:27 GMT

TODAY’S WORD — QUERULOUS (QUERULOUS: KWER-uh-lus: Complaining; peevish.)Average mark 19 wordsTime limit 30 minutesCan you find 24 or more words in QUERULOUS? The list will be published tomorrow.YESTERDAY’S WORD — MUSICAL mail maul mica music sail scam scum slam slim slum sumac calm claim clam alms alum laicTo purchase the Word Game book, visit WordGameBooks.com. Order it now for just $5 while supplies last!RULES OF THE GAME:1. Words must be of four or more letters.2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed.3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. For example, if “bake” is used, “baked” or “bakes” are not allowed, but “bake” and “baking” are admissible.4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.Contact Word Game creator Kathleen Saxe at [email protected].