ap-breaking
Ukraine opposition leader and Putin ally under house arrest
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) A top Ukrainian opposition politician with close links to Russian President Vladimir Putin was placed under house arrest Thursday, days after being charged with treason.Viktor Medvedchuk, who heads the Opposition Platform for Life party, the largest opposition force in parliament, denies the charges brought against him last week and says they re politically motivated. Medvedchuk, who has close personal ties with Putin, the godfather of Medvedchuk s daughter, could face 15 years in prison if tried and convicted.Prosecutors had asked a court in Kyiv to put Medvedchuk in jail, but a judge ordered house arrest instead.Medvedchuk, 66 is accused of transferring oil and gas production licenses from one of the fields in Crimea to Russian authorities. Russia annexed the Black Sea peninsula in 2014, weeks after Ukraine s former Moscow-friendly president was ousted by protesters.Medvedchuk is also charged with allegedly disclosing secret data on the deployment of Ukrainian military units last year.The new accusations are part of a broader campaign against Medvedchuk launched by Ukrainian authorities in February, when his financial assets were frozen for three years. In February, authorities also shut down three pro-Russian TV channels, 112, Zik and NewsOne, which Medvedchuk controlled.
Israel begins firing shells into Gaza as fighting escalates
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) Hamas sent a heavy barrage of rockets deep into Israel on Thursday as Israel pounded Gaza with more airstrikes and shells and called up 9,000 more reservists who could be used to stage a ground invasion. The hostilities escalated despite intense mediation efforts by Egyptian negotiators who held in-person talks with both sides.The artillery and tank shells that began falling into Gaza in the evening forced scores of families to flee their homes, Palestinian witnesses said. The use of artillery fire in Israel s four-day-old offensive raised the likelihood of civilian casualties.Previous fighting between Israel and Gaza s Hamas rulers, including a devastating 2014 war, was largely confined to the impoverished and blockaded Palestinian territory and Israeli communities on the frontier. But this round seems to be rippling farther and wider than at any time since the 2000 Palestinian intifada, or uprising.While some rocket attacks have reached the Tel Aviv area, Arab and Jewish mobs have rampaged through the streets, savagely beating people and torching cars. Flights have been canceled or diverted away from the country s main airport.Weary Palestinians, meanwhile, somberly marked the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan on Thursday as militants fired one barrage of rockets after another and Israel carried out waves of bone-rattling airstrikes. Since the rockets began Monday, Israel has toppled three high-rise buildings that it said housed Hamas facilities after warning civilians to evacuate.Gaza s Health Ministry said the death toll has climbed to 87 Palestinians, including 18 children and eight women, with 530 people wounded. Islamic Jihad confirmed the deaths of seven militants, while Hamas has acknowledged 13 of its militants killed, including a senior commander. Israel says the number of militants dead is much higher.Seven people have been killed in Israel. Among them were a soldier killed by an anti-tank missile and a 6-year-old child hit in a rocket attack.Many world leaders have condemned the violence and urged restraint, and a visit by Egyptian security officials was a significant development in international efforts to bring about a cease-fire; such efforts have been key to ending past rounds of fighting. The officials met first with Hamas leaders in Gaza before holding talks with the Israelis in Tel Aviv, two Egyptian intelligence officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the press.Still, both Israel and Hamas seemed determined to press ahead.Even as word came of the mediators presence, Gaza militants fired a volley of some 100 rockets nearly simultaneously, raising air raid sirens around southern and central Israel.There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties but the barrage appeared aimed at demonstrating that Hamas arsenal was still full even after three nights of airstrikes and the killing Wednesday of several Hamas leaders involved in the rocket program.The decision to bomb Tel Aviv, Dimona and Jerusalem is easier for us than drinking water, a spokesman for Hamas military wing declared in a video message. Dimona is the site of Israel s nuclear reactor.The evening shelling occurred in northern communities near the Israeli frontier and in eastern Gaza City. Resident Ibrahim Jamal said about 200 people sought shelter in a United Nations school.In another sign fighting could escalate further, Israel s defense minister approved the mobilization of 9,000 more reservist troops, and Israel s military spokesman said forces were massing on the border with the Gaza Strip.The Defense Ministry said Thursday that the latest mobilization approved by Defense Minister Benny Gantz was an exceptional call-up.The military s chief spokesman, Brig. Gen. Hidai Zilberman, said forces were preparing the option of a ground maneuver. He told Israeli public television station Kan that tanks, armored personnel carriers and artillery were being readied for this option for mobilization at any given moment.But the level of forces was not believed to be strong enough yet for a possible ground invasion.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited batteries of the Iron Dome missile defense system, which the military says has intercepted 90% of the 1,200 rockets that have reached Israel from Gaza so far.It will take more time, but ... we will achieve our goal to restore peace to the State of Israel, he said.The previous evening, Israeli TV reported Netanyahu s Security Cabinet authorized a widening of the offensive that the military says has already hit 600 targets in Gaza.In Gaza, a pall was cast over Eid al-Fitr, the holiday at the end of Ramadan s month of daily fasting. It is usually a festive time when families shop for new clothes and gather for large feasts.Instead, Hamas urged the faithful to mark communal Eid prayers inside their homes or the nearest mosques instead of out in the open, as is traditional.Hassan Abu Shaaban tried to lighten the mood by passing out candy to passers-by after prayers, but acknowledged there is no atmosphere for Eid at all.It is all airstrikes, destruction and devastation, he said. May God help everyone.In Gaza s southern town of Khan Younis, dozens of mourners marched through the streets carrying the bodies of an 11-year-old and a 13-year-old killed when an Israeli airstrike hit near their home Wednesday.In Israel, rocket fire brought life to a standstill in southern communities near Gaza, but also reached as far north as the Tel Aviv area, about 70 kilometers (45 miles) away, for a second straight day.Israel diverted some incoming flights from Ben Gurion International Airport, near the city, to the Ramon airfield in the country s far south, the Transportation Ministry said. Several flights have also been canceled.Hamas said it fired its most powerful rocket, the Ayyash, toward Ramon, 180 kilometers (110 miles) from Gaza. The rocket landed in a desert area, and no air raid sirens sounded, Israeli media reported. Still, flights were briefly suspended at the airport, with several planes left circling before landings and takeoffs were resumed, according to tracking websites.We re coping, sitting at home, hoping it will be OK, said Motti Haim, a resident of the central town of Beer Yaakov and father of two children. It s not simple running to the shelter. It s not easy with the kids.U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the indiscriminate launching of rockets from civilian areas in Gaza toward Israeli population centers, but he also urged Israel to show maximum restraint. U.S. President Joe Biden called Netanyahu to support Israel s right to defend itself, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he was sending a senior diplomat to the region.The current eruption of violence began a month ago in Jerusalem, where heavy-handed Israeli police tactics during Ramadan and the threatened eviction of dozens of Palestinian families by Jewish settlers ignited protests and clashes with police. A focal point of clashes between Palestinians and Israeli police was Jerusalem s Al-Aqsa Mosque, built on a hilltop compound that is revered by Jews and Muslims.Israel regards Jerusalem in its entirety as its capital, while the Palestinians want east Jerusalem to be the capital of their future state.The recent fighting has also set off violent clashes between Arabs and Jews in Israel, in scenes unseen in more than two decades. Netanyahu warned that he was prepared to use an iron fist if necessary to calm the violence.Ugly confrontations erupted again late Wednesday. Jewish and Arab mobs battled in the central city of Lod, the epicenter of the troubles, despite a state of emergency and nighttime curfew. In nearby Bat Yam, Jewish nationalists dragged an Arab motorist from his car and beat him until he was motionless.Israeli police said two people were shot and wounded in Lod and an Israeli Jew was stabbed. An Arab citizen was stabbed and seriously wounded in Jerusalem s central Mahane Yehuda market.In the occupied West Bank, the Israeli military said it intervened in a Palestinian shooting attack that wounded two people. The Palestinian Health Ministry said the suspected gunman was killed.Still unclear is how the fighting in Gaza will affect Netanyahu s political future. He failed to form a government coalition after inconclusive parliamentary elections in March, and now his political rivals have three weeks to try to form one.They have courted a small Islamist Arab party, but the fighting could hamper those efforts.___Krauss reported from Jerusalem. Associated Press writers Samy Magdy in Cairo, Isabel DeBre in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Karin Laub in the West Bank and Ashraf Sweilam in al-Arish, Egypt, contributed.
Biden pledges aggressive response to pipeline cyberattackers
President Joe Biden pledged an aggressive response to the cyberattack that temporarily shut down the Colonial Pipeline and warned gasoline stations on Thursday not to engage in price gouging as motorists wait for fuel to start flowing back to their communities.Do not, I repeat, do not try to take advantage of consumers during this time, Biden said at the White House. Nobody should be using this situation for financial gain. That s what the hackers are trying to do. That s what they re about, not us. That s not who we are.The closed pipeline which reopened Wednesday posed a fresh set of risks to a presidency still in its early stages. The administration knew it needed to react decisively to fix the problem and ward off Republican critics who were eager to compare Biden to Jimmy Carter, whose own presidency more than four decades ago was stung by a nationwide gas shortage.But Biden ascended to the White House as a crisis manager and knows that the possible economic damage from spiking gas prices could also jeopardize his ambitious agenda and Democrats control of Congress.The president said he expects the pipeline to resume normal operations by next week and stressed the importance of improving the durability of U.S. infrastructure as part of his $2.3 trillion jobs plan. Biden said the government would take action to stop future cyberattacks, though he declined to comment on whether Colonial had paid a ransom.We do not believe the Russian government was involved in this attack, but we do have strong reason to believe that the criminals who did the attack, are living in Russia, he said. We re also going to pursue a measure to disrupt their ability to operate. And our Justice Department has launched a new task force, dedicated to prosecuting ransomware hackers to the full extent of the law.The administration had been highlighting its efforts to deliver gas to service stations in affected areas. After ransom-seeking hackers shut down the pipeline last Friday, Biden s team understood the risk of 45% of the East Coast s gas being unavailable as lines of autos began to snake around service stations and drivers loaded up on as much fuel as possible.The president said Thursday the extraordinary measures being taken had been enough to fill the fuel tanks of 5 million vehicles in the past few days, a response to service stations in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia running out of gas.Rules were relaxed so that pipeline operators could run their systems manually, instead of relying on computers. Emergency orders lifted the highway weight restrictions and expanded the hours that fuel could be transported. The Environmental Protection Agency issued waivers on gas blends and other regulations to ease supply challenges.The cyberattack showed the daily barrage of events that can quickly derail the White House s focus on the coronavirus pandemic. Republican lawmakers found an opening after the shutdown to blast Biden for previously canceling plans to construct the Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada. The president had canceled that permit citing risks of spills and worries that climate change would worsen with the burning of oil sands crude that would have flowed through the pipeline.We now have gas lines we haven t had since Jimmy Carter, House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy said during a TV interview on Fox Business.World events have disrupted the Biden administration s control of its economy narrative. Over the past week, it has faced a disappointing monthly jobs report, worrisome signs of inflation and escalating violence in Israel with deaths that could foreshadow a war. All the while, Biden is still attempting to vaccinate the nation against the coronavirus, distribute hundreds of billions of dollars in economic aid and negotiate his own infrastructure and families plans that total a combined $4 trillion.Republican lawmakers saw a chance with the cyberattack to go after Biden s competency and improve their own political chances. The 1979 oil shock contributed to Carter losing his reelection campaign a year later to Ronald Reagan.The political risks of energy costs go beyond America. The World Bank published research last year that found an oil price spike a year before an election would systematically lower the odds of incumbents being reelected. It did not matter if the politicians were liberal or conservative based on the analysis of 207 elections across 50 democracies.Key ways for Biden to respond have included showing he understands how rising gas prices can hurt family budgets as well as moving quickly to help fix the pipeline problem.It s important for the president to show empathy and recognize the position that the average American is in vis- -vis gas prices, said Mark Jones, a political science professor at Rice University in Houston. Gas prices are something that don t affect the elite and our politicians are all among the elite.
Border Patrol tent facility in Texas evacuated during storm
DONNA, Texas (AP) A compound of tents to detain migrant children and families was evacuated for hours this week when struck by fierce winds in Texas Rio Grande Valley, authorities said.All migrants at the Border Patrol s holding center in Donna, Texas, were moved to other facilities in the Rio Grande Valley, parent agency U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a statement. Operations resumed at the Donna Processing Facility on Wednesday morning, with new arrivals being admitted.The U.S. Health and Human Services Department, which has an adjoining tent compound designed for longer stays, evacuated about 150 of 1,320 unaccompanied children held there after one of its dorms suffered storm damage, spokeswoman Isabel Estrada said. The children returned Wednesday morning.The storm developed late Tuesday and brought overnight wind gusts over 70 mph (112 kph), knocking out power to tens of thousands of customers.It was not immediately known how many migrants were evacuated by the Border Patrol. CBP said it had 421 unaccompanied children in custody as of Tuesday. The agency held more than 4,000 migrants at the Donna facility in late March mostly unaccompanied children and some families in a space designed for up to 250 under coronavirus pandemic guidelines.The Biden administration dramatically reduced time in Border Patrol custody as it massively expanded its network of Health and Human Services facilities. One of its 14 emergency intake centers adjoins the Border Patrol facility in Donna. As of Tuesday, Health and Human Services had 20,519 children in its care.
The Latest: Official: Govt to ease guidance on indoor masks
WASHINGTON The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is easing indoor mask-wearing guidance for fully vaccinated people, allowing them to safely stop wearing masks inside most places.That s according to a person briefed on the announcement, expected later Thursday from CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky.The new guidance will still call for wearing masks in crowded indoor settings like buses, planes, hospitals, prisons and homeless shelters, but could ease restrictions for reopening workplaces and schools.The CDC also no longer recommends fully vaccinated people wear masks outdoors in crowds.The more people get vaccinated, the faster infections will drop -- and the harder it will be for the coronavirus to mutate enough to escape vaccines, according to health experts.This move comes as nearly half of the U.S. population has received at least one dose of vaccine and coronavirus cases are at their lowest rate since September. Also, deaths are at their lowest point since last April.By Zeke Miller and Michael Balsamo___THE VIRUS OUTBREAK:More school nurses, health corps part of $7.4 billion virus planBritain s Johnson concerned about rise of Indian virus variant in UKNations once lauded for virus successes lag in vaccinationsDriven by despair, Lebanese pharmacist looks to life abroad___Follow more of AP s pandemic coverage at https: apnews.com hub coronavirus-pandemic and https: apnews.com hub coronavirus-vaccine___HERE S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:WASHINGTON -- Many Latinos are forgoing COVID-19 shots because of concerns about losing work hours, getting a bill and immigration worries.That s according to a new poll that offers insights into how to raise vaccination rates among the nation s largest ethnic minority. The Kaiser Family Foundation Vaccine Monitor poll finds that many Hispanics who remain unvaccinated want a shot. Overall, the poll found that 60% of white adults have gotten at least one shot, with 51% of Blacks and 47% of Latinos.Latinos who have gotten vaccinated were about twice as likely as whites or Blacks to have received their shots at a community health center. Federally funded health centers cater to low-income people regardless of the patient s immigration status.The poll found 38% of Hispanic adults say a friend or close family member had died of COVID-19, compared with 18% of white adults. The share of Latinos saying they are very worried that they or a family member will get sick from the virus (41%) was four times higher than among whites.___WASHINGTON The government is providing $7.4 billion to expand the nation s public health capacity by hiring school nurses to vaccinate kids and creating a service corps around health care.Biden administration coronavirus testing coordinator Carole Johnson says it s part of a strategy to respond to immediate needs in the COVID-19 pandemic while investing to break the cycle of boom and bust financing. About $4.4 billion will go to immediate priorities in fighting the pandemic.That includes $3.4 billion for states and local health departments to step up hiring of vaccinators, contact tracing workers, virus testing technicians and epidemiologists, who are disease detectives trained to piece together the evidence on the spread of pathogens.There s also $500 million for hiring school nurses, who could play a key role in vaccination now that the Pfizer vaccine has been cleared for use by teenagers.An additional $400 million will set up the Public Health AmeriCorps, a service program that enlists young people early in their careers. The money is expected to support tens of thousands of new jobs over a period of five years, Johnson says.___OKLAHOMA CITY Some students, faculty and staff at the University of Oklahoma will be required to receive the coronavirus vaccine beginning June 1.Those who interact with patients at the university s medical centers and those who study abroad are required to be vaccinated, according to Oklahoma President Joseph Harroz, Jr.OU is reducing its social distancing guidelines from 6 feet to 3 feet except in patient care settings and designated indoor eating areas. It s also easing masking requirements for certain outdoor activities, using federal CDC recommendations.___WELLINGTON, New Zealand Some countries praised last year for controlling the coronavirus are lagging when it comes to vaccinating their populations.And some, especially in Asia, are experiencing surges in coronavirus cases. In Japan, South Korea and New Zealand, vaccination rates are languishing in the single figures. Not only do those three countries rank worst among all developed nations in vaccinating their people against COVID-19, they also rank below many developing countries, such as Brazil and India. Australia is also performing comparatively poorly.That compares to the U.S., where nearly half of all people have gotten at least one shot, and Britain and Israel, where rates are even higher.Japan has fully vaccinated only about 1% of its population. The nation is facing a significant coronavirus outbreak just 10 weeks before it is to host the already delayed Tokyo Olympics although without spectators from abroad.Japan went through a more traditional approval process that required an extra layer of clinical testing for vaccines that had already been tested elsewhere and widely used. Then Japan faced a shortage of medical staff to administer them.___CAIRO Egypt received its second shipment of vaccines from the international Covax initiative on Thursday.Health Minister Hala Zayed says a shipment of 1.7 million AstraZeneca vaccines had arrived at Cairo international airport from the international alliance aimed at providing vaccines to middle and low-income countries.The new shots arrive as the country encourages citizens to register for its vaccination campaign, expanding it beyond medical and tourism workers to the general population.Health ministry spokesman Khaled al-Megahed says the country also received 500,000 additional doses of the Sinopharm vaccine, and materials for the country to begin production of that vaccine domestically by the end of the year. These two latest shipments put the total number of vaccines at 5 million, according to the ministry.The daily reported coronavirus cases have surpassed 1,000 in the past two weeks. Last week, the government ordered a 9 p.m. curfew for restaurants, shops, cafes and social clubs and closed public beaches and parks for the duration of the Eid holiday, which starts on Thursday and continues through the weekend.Egypt, with a population of 100 million people, has registered more than 240,927 confirmed cases and 14,091 deaths.___BUCHAREST, Romania Coronavirus restrictions in Bucharest will be eased after its infection rate dropped below 1.5 per 1,000 inhabitants, authorities said on Thursday.Restaurants, cafes, cinemas, and performance halls can operate indoors at 50% capacity. Between March and May, they faced weeks of indoor closures as the capital grappled with rapidly escalating coronavirus infections.The capital s prefect Alin Stoica says schools in Bucharest will continue to operate partly online until the capital s infection rate drops below one per 1,000 inhabitants. He also says it is encouraging that one million Bucharest residents have received at least one vaccine dose.This week, Romania s government extended a state of alert for 30 days. Authorities are trying to vaccinate 5 million people by June 1 in the nation of more than 19 million.So far, Romania has confirmed more than one million COVID-19 infections and nearly 30,000 deaths.___LONDON British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says he s concerned about the rise in the U.K. of the coronavirus variant first identified in India.A closely monitored study of coronavirus infections in England has found that the variant of the virus is becoming more prevalent ahead of the next big easing of the lockdown.In its latest assessment published Thursday, Imperial College London said overall cases have fallen to their lowest level since last August following a strict lockdown and a successful rollout of vaccines. The so-called REACT study found the Indian variant was identified in 7.7% of the 127,000 cases tested between April 15 and May 3.The next easing in England is set to take place on Monday when two households will be able to mix indoors and pubs and restaurants will be able to serve customers inside, among other changes. The other nations of the U.K. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have also laid out similar plans for the coming weeks.The government hopes to lift most remaining restrictions on social contact in June. It s unclear whether that will lead to a big increase in hospitalizations and deaths given most of those people deemed vulnerable have been vaccinated.New infections are averaging around 2,000 a day across the U.K., compared with nearly 70,000 in January. There were 11 reported deaths on Wednesday. Overall, Britain has Europe s highest confirmed death toll at more than 127,600.___TAIPEI, Taiwan Taiwan has reported 13 domestic cases of COVID-19 as part of an emerging cluster of infections discovered this week across multiple parts of the island, its health minister Chen Shih-chung said at a daily press conference Thursday.The source of infection is still under investigation for one case.The remaining 12 cases, as well as other domestically transmitted cases discovered earlier in the week, all showed the same strain of the COVID-19 virus as the earlier cluster of cases that had started among pilots with the island s China Airlines, health officials said.The island on Tuesday raised its emergency preparedness, banning indoor events with more than 100 people and outdoor events with more than 500 until early June. Stricter measures could be imposed if cases continue to rise, and outlets found in violation would be fined, Chen said.Taiwan has counted a total of 1,256 cases of COVID-19 in the pandemic, and 12 deaths.___MADRID Spain s prime minister is announcing an increase in the number of COVID-19 vaccines available in his country to help achieve the national target of 33 million inoculated people by mid-August.Prime Minister Pedro S nchez says Spain will receive 13 million doses from Pfizer next month. That allows authorities to ramp up their vaccination campaign to 2.7 million people a week from 1.7 million.S nchez says Spain has 97 days to hit its target and overcome the pandemic we ve lived and suffered through for more than 12 months.___COLOMBO, Sri Lanka Sri Lanka s government has banned travel throughout the country for three days in an effort to contain rapidly increasing COVID-19 cases.The ban is effective from Thursday night until Monday morning. It does not apply to people engaged in essential services such as health, food supply and power. Those going to the airport for air travel or seeking medical treatment will also be allowed on the roads.All others are banned from leaving their houses and traveling on the roads, said Gen. Shavendra Silva, the army commander and head of the National Operation Center for Prevention of COVID-19 Outbreak.Health officials are grappling with a surge in cases since last month. The country has already banned public gatherings and parties, and has closed schools and restricted public transport.Officials warn that cases could rise further in the next two weeks because of celebrations and shopping by people last month to mark the traditional new year.The health ministry has confirmed 131,098 cases, including 850 fatalities.___F TIMA, Portugal The Catholic shrine at F tima in Portugal has allowed 7,500 worshippers to attend two annual Masses marking the day when three illiterate shepherd children first reported seeing visions of the Madonna.Traditionally, around 100,000 people come for the two Masses at the small rural town s huge shrine on the night of May 12 and morning of May 13, though last year it remained closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.The capacity was quickly reached on both Wednesday and Thursday, leaving hundreds outside the shrine s gates, which were guarded by police.Like the shrine at Lourdes, France, Fatima draws millions of pilgrims from around the world every year to give thanks to Our Lady of Fatima, or to pray for help.Portuguese Cardinal Jos Tolentino Mendon a presided over the ceremonies and told the faithful he hoped that the suffering over the past year of the pandemic can help to make us better: more spiritual, more human and more fraternal.___
Global Forecast-Celsius
Global Forecast as of 18:00 GMT Thursday, May 13, 2021_____City Town, Country;Thursday s Weather Condition;Thursday s High Temp (C);Thursday s Low Temp (C);Friday s Weather Condition;Friday s High Temp (C);Friday s Low Temp (C);Friday s Wind Direction;Friday s Wind Speed (KPH);Friday s Humidity (%);Friday s Chance of Precip. (%);Friday s UV IndexAbidjan, Ivory Coast;Nice with some sun;32;26;Clouds and sun;32;26;SW;14;77%;59%;11Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates;Sunny and very warm;38;27;Plenty of sunshine;37;27;WNW;17;44%;0%;12Aleppo, Syria;Mostly sunny, warm;32;16;Very warm;33;16;W;21;24%;0%;11Algiers, Algeria;Sunshine;25;16;Mostly sunny, breezy;21;14;ESE;18;51%;2%;11Amsterdam, Netherlands;Turning out cloudy;18;9;Partly sunny;15;7;NNE;12;77%;41%;3Anchorage, United States;Partly sunny;13;5;Breezy in the p.m.;14;6;SSE;12;47%;35%;5Ashgabat, Turkmenistan;Increasing clouds;33;18;Sunny and nice;29;18;SW;11;14%;0%;10Astana, Kazakhstan;Sunny intervals;21;9;Sunny and nice;22;5;E;17;46%;1%;7Asuncion, Paraguay;Sunshine, pleasant;24;15;Partly sunny, nice;24;16;ESE;6;76%;55%;5Athens, Greece;Sunshine, pleasant;25;15;Partly sunny;26;15;S;12;43%;0%;10Auckland, New Zealand;Windy this morning;14;5;Clouds and sunshine;15;14;NNE;10;68%;64%;3Baghdad, Iraq;Sunshine and hot;41;25;Hazy sun and hot;42;24;NNW;16;14%;0%;11Banda Aceh, Indonesia;Downpours;34;25;A morning t-storm;32;24;S;8;78%;72%;5Bangalore, India;A t-storm around;30;21;High clouds;31;23;SSE;13;61%;44%;6Bangkok, Thailand;Partly sunny, warm;36;28;Partial sunshine;35;28;S;13;63%;55%;12Barcelona, Spain;Very windy;20;13;Spotty showers;18;13;NNE;18;69%;60%;9Beijing, China;Cloudy;22;16;Partly sunny;28;19;ESE;15;54%;36%;10Belgrade, Serbia;Spotty showers;16;12;Spotty showers;21;10;SSW;8;57%;73%;7Berlin, Germany;Cool with rain;13;9;A shower or two;11;6;W;13;93%;67%;3Bogota, Colombia;Mostly cloudy;21;11;Some brightening;22;11;SE;10;59%;44%;6Brasilia, Brazil;Partly sunny;26;15;Increasing clouds;26;14;ESE;12;46%;4%;7Bratislava, Slovakia;Cooler with rain;14;10;Spotty showers;16;9;NNE;18;79%;81%;4Brussels, Belgium;Spotty showers;15;7;Spotty showers;15;8;SSW;9;77%;71%;6Bucharest, Romania;Couple of t-storms;20;10;Partly sunny, nice;22;9;WSW;16;63%;14%;9Budapest, Hungary;Spotty showers;16;9;Partly sunny, cool;16;7;WNW;15;82%;41%;5Buenos Aires, Argentina;Becoming cloudy;20;6;Mostly cloudy;19;7;NE;8;77%;0%;3Bujumbura, Burundi;A stray a.m. t-storm;30;17;Morning rain, cloudy;27;19;NNE;9;64%;90%;3Busan, South Korea;Partly sunny;26;15;High clouds;24;18;NE;14;64%;77%;5Cairo, Egypt;Sunny and pleasant;32;19;Sunny and hot;36;20;NE;18;24%;0%;11Cape Town, South Africa;Decreasing clouds;20;11;Decreasing clouds;20;14;NNW;14;71%;78%;3Caracas, Venezuela;Partly sunny;28;18;Nice with some sun;28;17;SSE;7;61%;9%;12Chennai, India;Partly sunny;36;28;High clouds;36;28;SSE;16;60%;23%;6Chicago, United States;Mostly sunny;18;10;Sun, then clouds;18;11;SE;9;40%;31%;9Colombo, Sri Lanka;Cloudy, a t-storm;31;27;Cloudy, a t-storm;30;27;W;7;81%;81%;5Copenhagen, Denmark;Clouds and sun;13;7;Spotty showers;15;8;WSW;10;73%;77%;4Dakar, Senegal;Partly sunny;26;21;Breezy in the p.m.;27;21;N;25;65%;0%;12Dallas, United States;Turning sunny;23;14;Clouds and sun;24;19;SSE;13;57%;6%;6Dar es Salaam, Tanzania;Inc. clouds;30;22;A shower in places;31;23;S;19;69%;48%;5Delhi, India;Turning out cloudy;33;24;Mostly sunny;36;26;WNW;14;42%;7%;12Denver, United States;Clouds and sunshine;24;8;A t-storm around;22;9;NNW;11;45%;50%;8Dhaka, Bangladesh;A strong t-storm;32;24;Clouds and sun;33;25;SSW;9;68%;37%;5Dili, East Timor;Sunny and less humid;35;23;Plenty of sun;33;23;SSE;8;62%;3%;8Dublin, Ireland;Clouds and sun;14;3;A passing shower;14;6;S;15;71%;83%;6Dushanbe, Tajikistan;A t-storm around;26;14;A t-storm around;27;14;NNE;10;29%;41%;11Gibraltar, Gibraltar;Sunshine and nice;25;17;Mostly sunny, nice;25;17;W;21;58%;0%;11Hanoi, Vietnam;Heavy p.m. t-storms;33;27;Partly sunny, warm;35;27;SSE;17;67%;41%;13Harare, Zimbabwe;Mostly sunny, nice;22;10;Mostly sunny;23;10;NE;9;48%;2%;6Havana, Cuba;A stray p.m. t-storm;31;25;A t-storm around;31;25;NE;16;57%;64%;12Helsinki, Finland;Sun, some clouds;24;9;Cooler;16;9;E;17;63%;69%;4Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam;A t-storm in spots;36;28;Showers around;34;28;SE;11;70%;88%;6Hong Kong, China;A shower or two;33;26;A stray a.m. t-storm;33;27;SE;15;72%;73%;12Honolulu, United States;Brief p.m. showers;29;23;Brief a.m. showers;29;22;ENE;27;57%;87%;10Hyderabad, India;Hazy sun;38;24;A stray thunderstorm;35;23;SE;8;56%;51%;12Islamabad, Pakistan;Partly sunny, nice;30;20;Some sun, pleasant;30;20;N;14;44%;26%;11Istanbul, Turkey;Nice with sunshine;22;13;Sunny, nice and warm;25;14;SW;13;54%;2%;9Jakarta, Indonesia;Breezy in the p.m.;33;26;An afternoon shower;34;26;ESE;11;62%;69%;8Jeddah, Saudi Arabia;Sunny and very warm;36;29;Sunny and very warm;37;27;N;21;32%;0%;13Johannesburg, South Africa;Sunny and pleasant;23;7;Sunny and nice;23;8;W;7;32%;0%;5Kabul, Afghanistan;Mostly sunny;28;13;Sunny and nice;27;11;NNE;12;17%;0%;12Karachi, Pakistan;Sunny and breezy;37;27;Warm, turning breezy;37;28;WSW;19;50%;0%;12Kathmandu, Nepal;A stray a.m. t-storm;22;14;A stray p.m. t-storm;24;14;S;9;71%;45%;13Khartoum, Sudan;Periods of sun;40;28;Plenty of sunshine;39;27;N;11;8%;0%;13Kiev, Ukraine;A stray p.m. shower;14;12;Spotty showers;21;11;SW;11;62%;69%;6Kingston, Jamaica;Windy;31;25;A stray p.m. t-storm;31;25;N;17;67%;70%;13Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo;A stray thunderstorm;34;24;Low clouds breaking;34;23;SSW;8;64%;44%;7Kolkata, India;A p.m. t-storm;32;25;Rain, a thunderstorm;32;26;SE;13;78%;80%;12Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia;A t-storm around;33;26;Rain, a thunderstorm;31;25;WSW;6;79%;74%;3La Paz, Bolivia;Partly sunny, mild;16;0;Mostly sunny, mild;16;1;NNW;11;31%;56%;8Lagos, Nigeria;A stray p.m. shower;32;25;Partly sunny;32;25;SSW;9;69%;44%;11Lima, Peru;Hazy sun;19;16;Some sun;19;16;SSE;13;83%;8%;7Lisbon, Portugal;Clouds and sun;19;14;Inc. clouds;23;14;NNW;12;55%;1%;10London, United Kingdom;Cooler with showers;13;8;A passing shower;14;9;S;10;67%;82%;3Los Angeles, United States;Clouds breaking;23;16;Clouds, then sun;23;15;SSW;10;60%;4%;10Luanda, Angola;Partly sunny;30;24;More sun than clouds;31;24;SSW;9;75%;30%;8Madrid, Spain;Clouds and sun;21;11;Periods of sun;23;11;WNW;10;41%;1%;10Male, Maldives;A stray p.m. t-storm;31;28;A stray p.m. t-storm;32;29;WSW;33;76%;87%;3Manaus, Brazil;Cloudy;28;24;A t-storm around;30;24;ENE;7;78%;73%;6Manila, Philippines;Mostly sunny;34;27;Mostly sunny, warm;36;28;E;12;47%;28%;12Melbourne, Australia;Cooler, p.m. rain;14;6;Clouds and sun;14;7;W;20;66%;73%;3Mexico City, Mexico;A shower and t-storm;19;12;A p.m. t-storm;22;13;NNE;12;57%;76%;12Miami, United States;A p.m. t-storm;31;24;A stray p.m. t-storm;29;24;NNE;15;68%;59%;4Minsk, Belarus;Cooler with showers;11;10;Spotty showers;19;8;SSE;16;83%;85%;3Mogadishu, Somalia;Breezy;35;26;Breezy in the p.m.;32;27;SW;22;67%;47%;6Montevideo, Uruguay;Sun and clouds;18;6;Partly sunny;17;5;NNE;8;81%;0%;3Montreal, Canada;Mostly sunny;20;10;Mostly sunny;21;11;WSW;5;42%;18%;8Moscow, Russia;A t-storm around;19;10;A stray p.m. t-storm;22;14;SSE;13;69%;86%;4Mumbai, India;Clouds and sun;33;28;Partly sunny;33;29;WNW;13;63%;9%;13Nairobi, Kenya;A shower and t-storm;23;15;An afternoon shower;23;13;NNE;10;75%;60%;9New York, United States;Mostly sunny;21;11;Partly sunny;23;13;W;9;36%;34%;9Nicosia, Cyprus;Mostly sunny;30;15;Mostly sunny;31;14;WNW;11;44%;0%;11Novosibirsk, Russia;Clouds and sun, mild;20;7;Partial sunshine;17;8;NW;19;50%;5%;6Osaka-shi, Japan;Windy this morning;25;18;Mostly cloudy;27;18;WSW;10;58%;2%;10Oslo, Norway;Milder with some sun;17;8;Spotty showers;18;9;ENE;9;76%;84%;4Ottawa, Canada;An afternoon shower;20;8;Some sun, pleasant;21;8;SW;15;42%;4%;8Pago Pago, American Samoa;Partly sunny, nice;28;24;A morning shower;30;25;E;16;77%;75%;6Panama City, Panama;A little a.m. rain;32;25;A shower and t-storm;32;26;NW;12;78%;84%;6Paramaribo, Suriname;Variable clouds;32;23;A p.m. t-storm;29;24;ENE;12;89%;73%;6Paris, France;Spotty showers;16;7;Spotty showers;13;8;WSW;14;83%;88%;4Perth, Australia;Increasingly windy;20;15;Cloudy;22;17;ENE;19;51%;44%;2Phnom Penh, Cambodia;A t-storm in spots;36;28;A couple of t-storms;36;28;S;10;69%;86%;7Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea;Mostly cloudy;31;25;A t-storm around;32;25;N;15;78%;55%;4Port-au-prince, Haiti;A stray p.m. t-storm;34;22;A t-storm around;34;22;SE;12;51%;64%;13Prague, Czech Republic;Cooler with rain;10;8;Spotty showers;15;7;SSW;11;82%;72%;2Pyongyang, North Korea;Clouds and sunshine;28;14;Mostly cloudy, warm;30;15;NNW;7;55%;8%;10Quito, Ecuador;A little p.m. rain;21;10;Afternoon rain;21;11;WSW;13;62%;87%;12Rabat, Morocco;Clearing;22;12;Turning sunny;23;12;NE;15;67%;0%;11Recife, Brazil;Downpours;24;22;Downpours;24;22;SSE;10;98%;92%;7Reykjavik, Iceland;Spotty showers;7;3;A shower in the p.m.;7;1;E;9;75%;79%;1Riga, Latvia;Spotty showers;20;10;Spotty showers;18;11;SE;14;63%;77%;4Rio de Janeiro, Brazil;A little rain;23;20;Partly sunny, nice;24;18;ENE;9;67%;35%;5Riyadh, Saudi Arabia;Partly sunny, warm;41;28;Partly sunny and hot;42;26;N;10;8%;0%;13Rome, Italy;Partial sunshine;19;11;A shower and t-storm;18;11;ESE;14;69%;86%;4Saint Petersburg, Russia;Mostly sunny, warm;24;14;Not as warm;20;13;ESE;14;52%;24%;4San Francisco, United States;Low clouds, then sun;15;11;Low clouds breaking;16;11;WSW;22;62%;43%;9San Jose, Costa Rica;A p.m. t-storm;25;20;A shower and t-storm;26;20;ENE;18;80%;86%;6San Juan, Puerto Rico;Breezy with a shower;29;24;A shower in places;30;24;SE;21;72%;76%;13San Salvador, El Salvador;A p.m. t-storm;26;19;A p.m. t-storm;25;18;N;9;84%;78%;10Sana a, Yemen;Becoming cloudy;26;15;Sun, some clouds;28;17;NE;10;23%;11%;14Santiago, Chile;Clouds and sunshine;20;5;Clouds and sun, nice;21;7;SW;4;41%;4%;2Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic;Sunshine, a shower;31;23;Mostly sunny;31;23;E;13;71%;44%;13Sao Paulo, Brazil;Showers;17;11;Warmer;21;11;NNW;12;61%;4%;10Seattle, United States;Clouds and sun, nice;21;10;Mostly sunny;22;10;NNE;12;52%;2%;8Seoul, South Korea;Plenty of sunshine;30;15;High clouds and warm;30;16;SW;6;61%;22%;5Shanghai, China;Rain and drizzle;24;21;Rain and drizzle;28;23;W;12;78%;85%;4Singapore, Singapore;A t-storm in spots;33;27;Cloudy with showers;31;26;S;9;78%;86%;2Sofia, Bulgaria;A t-storm around;21;8;Partly sunny;20;8;W;16;52%;34%;9St. John s, Antigua and Barbuda;An afternoon shower;29;25;Sunshine, a shower;30;25;E;16;67%;74%;13Stockholm, Sweden;Sunny and nice;23;6;Spotty showers;17;6;NE;12;64%;89%;3Sydney, Australia;Sunny and warmer;23;13;Winds subsiding;19;10;W;25;47%;0%;3Taipei City, Taiwan;Turning cloudy, hot;34;27;A strong t-storm;36;27;SE;9;58%;48%;11Tallinn, Estonia;Breezy in the p.m.;23;12;Partly sunny;18;11;SE;12;57%;66%;5Tashkent, Uzbekistan;Brilliant sunshine;31;14;Abundant sunshine;30;14;ENE;11;29%;0%;10Tbilisi, Georgia;Sunshine, pleasant;26;14;Mostly sunny, warm;28;15;NE;13;52%;32%;9Tehran, Iran;Thickening clouds;30;18;A t-storm around;25;17;E;13;32%;64%;5Tel Aviv, Israel;Sunny and pleasant;25;18;Partly sunny;25;18;NNW;13;54%;0%;11Tirana, Albania;A stray p.m. shower;24;13;Mostly sunny;23;14;E;9;51%;79%;9Tokyo, Japan;Cloudy with a shower;17;16;Sunny and warmer;27;19;SE;14;53%;15%;11Toronto, Canada;Sunny;16;7;Mostly sunny;17;8;NNW;14;49%;3%;9Tripoli, Libya;Partly sunny, nice;24;17;Partly sunny;28;19;SE;13;38%;0%;11Tunis, Tunisia;Mostly sunny;26;15;Partial sunshine;28;15;WNW;10;44%;25%;10Ulan Bator, Mongolia;Turning cloudy;17;-3;Clearing and colder;8;-5;N;18;40%;0%;8Vancouver, Canada;Mostly sunny, nice;20;9;Mostly sunny, nice;21;10;SW;9;54%;1%;7Vienna, Austria;Rain, windy, cool;13;10;Warmer with showers;17;9;S;13;70%;77%;3Vientiane, Laos;A stray thunderstorm;36;25;Very hot;38;25;NNW;7;50%;66%;13Vilnius, Lithuania;Cooler with showers;11;10;Cloudy with showers;18;10;S;15;82%;92%;2Warsaw, Poland;Partly sunny;21;10;Spotty showers;21;11;W;9;57%;72%;6Wellington, New Zealand;Clouds and sun;11;3;Mostly sunny, warmer;15;12;N;15;68%;98%;3Yangon, Myanmar;A stray a.m. t-storm;39;26;Mostly sunny and hot;38;27;SW;10;53%;33%;11Yerevan, Armenia;Mostly sunny, warm;29;12;Mostly sunny, nice;26;13;NE;8;38%;3%;10_____Copyright 2021 AccuWeather
DeSantis: Florida will fill void if small cruise lines leave
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) Calling Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings not one of the bigger ones, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Thursday that if smaller cruise lines want to leave the state because of bans on vaccine requirements, their void will be filled.Miami-based Norwegian is the third-largest cruise line in the world and has three ports of departure in Florida Miami, Port Canaveral and Tampa. It also makes stops in Key West. But it hasn t operated in the U.S. since the federal government shut down all cruises last year because of the coronavirus pandemic.The federal government is getting ready to let cruises sail again, but only if nearly all passengers and crew are vaccinated against the virus. DeSantis, however, signed a bill banning business from requiring proof of vaccination, prompting Norwegian to say it might move Florida departures to other states or Caribbean ports.The major cruise lines, Norwegian s not one of the bigger ones, by the way ... have been operating in other parts of the world where there s no access to vaccine, much less the passengers required to be vaccinated, DeSantis said during a news conference in Ormand Beach.DeSantis later said that if one of the smaller cruise lines doesn t want to operate in Florida, that niche will get filled.We are the number one destination for people who want to come and take cruises, DeSantis said. These cruise lines are ready to go Royal Caribbean, Carnival they want to go, they re going to be able to do it. We re ready.DeSantis is suing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention over the no-sail order. The CDC is set to let cruises sail again if 98% of the crew and 95% of passengers are vaccinated and ships take other measures to limit the risk of transmitting the virus.Norwegian didn t immediately return a call and emails seeking comment.
Pac-12 picks MGM executive as next commissioner
The Pac-12 hired sports entertainment executive George Kliavkoff to be the conference s next commissioner on Thursday, replacing Larry Scott with a person with a similar resume short on college sports experience.The conference presidents conducted a secretive nearly four-month search that included speculation about some familiar names in college sports being considered, such as former NCAA executive and NFL quarterback Oliver Luck, Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith and Texas AD Chris Del Conte.Instead, the Pac-12 s next commissioner much like its last - comes to the conference with no experience as an administrator in college sports.Kliavkoff has been in his current role with MGM since 2018 and has extensive experience with professional sports leagues and digital properties.He has previously worked with Major League Baseball Advance Media and as the chief digital officer with NBC Universal Cable.At each step of his career, George has navigated complex, quickly changing environments and has been a successful consensus builder. George is a visionary leader with an extraordinary background as a pioneering sports, entertainment and digital media executive, and we are delighted and honored that he has agreed to become our next Pac-12 Commissioner, University of Oregon President Michael H. Schill, chair of the five-member search committee, said in a statement. He is the new prototype for a sports commissioner.Scott announced in January that he would be stepping down at the end of June. The Pac-12 said the change in leadership was mutually agreed upon by Scott and the university presidents, but it had been apparent for a while that his term was likely to end before his contract expired in June 2022.Scott s 11-year tenure as commissioner began with the conference landing a transformational billion-dollar television deal, but the Pac-12 struggled to keep up with some of its Power Five peers when it came to revenue and exposure.The Pac-12 launched a television network under Scott, but it never became a cash cow like those in the Big Ten and Southeastern Conference. Scott, who came to the Pac-12 from the Women s Tennis Association, was often criticized for being out of touch with campus-level decision makers in college sports and overspending on the conference office.Kliavkoff, 54, takes over as commissioner as the Pac-12 tries to rebuild its football brand. The conference has only placed a team in the College Football Playoff twice since the CFP began in 2014. Scott began pushing for playoff expansion late in his tenure, and now it seems to be heading in that direction.The next Pac-12 commissioner will not only be charged with shaping the future of the conference, but also of the playoff.___More AP college football: https: apnews.com hub ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https: twitter.com AP_Top25
For Muslims in America, Eid al-Fitr comes as pandemic eases
For Qassim Abdullah, this year s Islamic holiday of Eid al-Fitr marked a bit of a milestone: Now fully vaccinated, the 66-year-old finally felt comfortable enough to return to his mosque for the Eid prayer today, his first time back since the start of the pandemic.It s overwhelming and exciting, the Maryland resident said. It s very nice to see the community. ...It s just a beautiful feeling.There were changes: He wore two masks and didn t stand shoulder-to-shoulder with other worshippers as he normally would have during prayers. But Eid still felt more celebratory than last year.It is definitely much better, he said. I don t think it is very close to normal (yet) but it s going that way. At least we re going out of our houses.Eid al-Fitr marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan when Muslims abstain from food and drink from sunrise to sunset. Traditionally, people gather for prayers, visit family and friends and huddle together around festive meals.Once again, Muslims are seeking ways to balance the holiday s rituals with coronavirus concerns. But for those in America, even as they observe precautions, this year s Eid comes as the pandemic eases its grip in the country amid ongoing efforts to put vaccine shots into more arms and chart a path back to normalcy.It s a contrast with many in other countries who are celebrating Eid al-Fitr in a subdued mood for a second year as the pandemic again forces varying restrictions.In Utah, Dunia Wafai said her community s Eid celebrations are inching closer to normal.Before the pandemic, she said, her family would dress up, go to the mosque for morning prayer and socialize with other congregants and friends.When the coronavirus put a halt to that, Wafai s family, like many, got creative. They hosted a COVID-19-safe drive-by celebration and handed out popcorn, cotton candy and goody bags to people in their cars.This year, she and her family are participating in communal Eid prayers and will be hosting a socially distanced celebration in their backyard on the weekend.To have people come and socialize and gather together, eat food together this is really one of the biggest pleasures for us after this month long of fasting, she said. Eid is a really big deal for us.At The Islamic Center of East Lansing, Michigan, the Eid al-Fitr celebration typically draws 4,000 to 5,000 people, so many that the center moves the event to a nearby convention center in neighboring Lansing, the state capital. Last year that was replaced by a virtual ceremony.The center held Eid prayers Thursday with some changes. Masks were required, and people s temperatures were taken at the door. Worshippers were asked to bring their own prayer rugs and bags for their shoes. Blue tape in the shape of an X marked the socially distanced spaces in which worshippers were to place their prayer rugs. And attendees had to pre-register.Families have been very eager to bring their kids to the prayers, said Thasin Sardar, an Islamic Center trustee. Up until now we ve been telling people not to bring kids below 13 years of age, but for the Eid, we made an exception.Doughnuts were available in the center s lobby and children doled out sweets from large bags in the parking lot as worshippers headed back to their cars. Some posed for pictures to mark the moment.People are overjoyed, Sardar said. The sense of community has been rebuilt today.In Philadelphia, the Masjidullah mosque is holding the Eid prayer with social distancing and other safety protocols such as temperature checks. It s also offering to-go meals and toys and hosting an outdoor Eid Bazaar with vendors.There are some people who have got vaccinated who are like, Let s go back to normal mode, and then you have others that are still not vaccinated or still, even if vaccinated, are cautious, imam Idris Abdul-Zahir said.Normally Masjidullah partners with other mosques to hold one big Eid prayer that draws thousands, but not this year to avoid crowding.Eid is a time to see people you perhaps may have not seen throughout the year, Abdul-Zahir said. Because we are not all together the way we normally are, it s going to be somewhat bittersweet. But again, we re thankful for the ability to come together in some capacity.In Bergen County, New Jersey, more than 2,000 people gathered at a park to mark Eid. Ather Usmani, president of Darul Islah mosque, said his organization worked closely with the county to get permission for the event.It s a huge, huge difference from the last year, Usmani said before the start of Eid, adding that it helps that many have been vaccinated with the encouragement of the mosque s leadership.We are instructing people not to embrace, not to hug, just say, Hello, hi, from 6 feet apart.The schedule also included a remembrance of community members who died of the virus.It s been tough for several families, and we will pray for the people who are still sick, and the message is for unity for the community, Usmani said.For 14-year-old Reem Kirja who lives in Iowa City, Eid normally means buying new clothes, receiving traditional cash gifts, eating out, going to a trampoline park or an arcade after prayers.It means a day where I can just relax and just remember that I m so happy to be a Muslim and I m so proud to be a Muslim.Now she has even more reason to celebrate. The eighth grader has been advocating for years for Eid to be a day off from school, and last month district officials approved two days off next school year to accommodate Eid al-Fitr and the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur, according to the Iowa City Press-Citizen.The decision sent a message, Kirja said, that we, as a community, welcome everyone that lives here.___Associated Press journalists Thalia Beaty, Seth Wenig and Sophia Eppolito contributed. Eppolito is a corps members for the Associated Press Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.___Associated Press religion coverage receives support from the Lilly Endowment through The Conversation U.S. The AP is solely responsible for this content.