Muslim pilgrims converge at Mount Arafat for daylong worship as Hajj reaches its peak
MOUNT ARAFAT, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Masses of Muslims gathered at the sacred hill of Mount Arafat in Saudi Arabia for worship and reflection on the second day of the Hajj pilgrimage. The ritual at Mount Arafat, known as the hill of mercy, is considered the peak of the Hajj. It’s often the most memorable event for pilgrims, who stand shoulder to shoulder, asking God for mercy, blessings, prosperity and good health. Hajj is one of the largest religious gatherings on earth. It officially started Friday when pilgrims moved from Mecca’s Grand Mosque to Mina, a desert plain just outside the city. This year, Saudi authorities expected that the number of pilgrims would exceed 2 million, approaching the pre-coronavirus pandemic levels.
A usually joyous Muslim holiday reminds families in Gaza of war’s punishing toll
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Last summer, Palestinians in the Gaza Strip celebrated the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha the way it’s supposed to be. They hosted large family feasts, shared meat with those less fortunate, and surprised their children with new clothes and gifts. But this year, after eight months of devastating war between Israel and Hamas, many families will eat canned food in stifling tents. There’s hardly any meat or livestock at local markets, and no money for holiday treats or presents — only war, hunger and misery, with no end in sight.
US military targets Houthi radar sites in Yemen after a merchant sailor goes missing
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The United States military has unleashed a wave of attacks targeting radar sites operated by Yemen’s Houthi rebels over their assaults on shipping in the crucial Red Sea corridor. The U.S. military’s Central Command also said Saturday that one merchant sailor remains missing following an earlier Houthi strike on a ship. It said U.S. strikes destroyed seven radars within Houthi-controlled territory. The U.S. separately destroyed two bomb-laden drone boats in the Red Sea, as well as a drone launched by the Houthis over the waterway. The Houthis, who have held Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, since 2014, did not acknowledge the strikes nor the losses. That’s been typical since the U.S. began its airstrikes targeting the rebels.
Biden goes straight from G7 to Hollywood fundraiser, balancing geopolitics with his reelection bid
WASHINGTON (AP) — Hollywood’s A-list is turning out for President Joe Biden’s campaign at a glitzy fundraiser headlined by George Clooney and Julia Roberts that features former President Barack Obama as well. Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel will interview all four of them at Saturday night’s event at the Peacock Theater in downtown Los Angeles. Top luminaries from the entertainment world have increasingly lined up to help Biden’s campaign. But hobnobbing with the megastars this time means Biden is skipping a summit in Switzerland about ways to end Russia’s war in Ukraine. It’s a stark reminder that his responsibilities as president and his reelection effort can sometimes conflict.
Speaker Johnson says House will go to court for Biden audio after Justice Dept. refused to prosecute
WASHINGTON (AP) — Speaker Mike Johnson says the House will go to court to enforce the subpoena against Attorney General Merrick Garland for access to President Joe Biden’s special counsel audio interview. The decision came hours after the Justice Department on Friday refused to prosecute Republicans’ contempt of Congress charge against Garland. In a letter to Johnson, a Justice Department official cited the agency’s “longstanding position and uniform practice” to not prosecute officials who don’t comply with subpoenas because of a president’s claim of executive privilege. The House voted Wednesday to hold Garland in contempt of Congress. Biden has asserted executive privilege to block the release of the recording and has accused Republicans of seeking it only for political purposes.
Many Senate Republicans were done with Trump after Jan. 6. Now they want him back in the White House
WASHINGTON (AP) — After the 2020 election, many Republican senators distanced themselves from Donald Trump. Many were certain his political future was over. But it wasn’t. The former president is now the party’s presumptive nominee to challenge President Joe Biden. And on Thursday, he returned to Capitol Hill to meet with Republicans, the first such official meetings since his presidency. He arrived to enthusiastic and near-unanimous support from the Senate GOP conference, including many of the same senators who condemned him for his actions as he tried to block Biden’s legitimate victory. The hard feelings and any memories of the violent end to his presidency seemed to have faded completely.
Ukraine employs a flexible defense while waiting for new Western ammo to get to the front
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian firepower has been improving since U.S. lawmakers approved a much-needed military aid package this spring, though not quickly enough to halt the Russian offensive in eastern Ukraine. Although the influx of Western munitions has shrunk Kyiv’s glaring artillery disadvantage, Moscow’s forces are still gaining in the Donetsk region, getting closer to crucial Ukrainian supply routes and enabling them to inflict heavy losses during Ukrainian troop rotations. Kyiv has turned to a bend-but-don’t-break strategy to buy time until it can get more Western weapons and ammunition to the front. Senior Ukrainian military officials and soldiers in the field say that by ceding some territory, Ukraine has been able to fight from better defended positions.
World leaders to meet at Swiss resort on possible Ukraine peace roadmap. Russia is notably absent
GENEVA (AP) — The presidents of Ecuador, Ivory Coast, Kenya and Somalia will join many Western heads of state and government and other leaders at a conference this weekend aimed to plot out first steps toward peace in Ukraine – with Russia notably absent. Swiss officials hosting the conference say more than 50 heads of state and government, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, will join the gathering at the Bürgenstock resort overlooking Lake Lucerne. Some 100 delegations including European bodies and the United Nations will be on hand.
What we know about the fight between conspiracist Alex Jones and Sandy Hook families over his assets
HOUSTON (AP) — Bombastic conspiracy theorist Alex Jones has been ordered to liquidate his personal assets as he owes $1.5 billion for his false claims that the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was a hoax. But the future of his Infowars media platform and the money behind the the business enriched Jones remain uncertain. A federal bankruptcy judge ordered the asset liquidation Friday but dismissed a separate bankruptcy case involving Free Speech Systems, which controls Infowars. It is not immediately clear what will happen to Free Speech Systems and Infowars. Many of the Sandy Hook families had asked that the company also be liquidated.
Doncic scores 29, Mavericks roll past the Celtics 122-84 to avoid a sweep in the NBA Finals
DALLAS (AP) — Luka Doncic scored 25 of his 29 points in the first half, Kyrie Irving added 21 points and the Dallas Mavericks emphatically extended their season on Friday night, fending off elimination by beating the Boston Celtics 122-84 in Game 4 of the NBA Finals. The Mavs’ stars were done by the end of the third quarter, with good reason. It was all Dallas from the outset, the Mavs leading by 13 after one quarter, 26 at the half and by as many as 38 in the third before both sides emptied the benches. The Celtics still lead the series 3-1, and Game 5 is in Boston on Monday.