Month: October 2023

By CHINEDU ASADU Associated Press KANO, Nigeria (AP) — When the megaphone called out for the daily Islamic prayers, the nonbeliever grabbed his prayer beads and ambled through the streets to join others at the mosque in Kano, northern Nigeria’s largest city. Formerly a Muslim, he now identifies as an atheist but remains closeted, performing

By LUIS ANDRES HENAO and NATACHA PISARENKO Associated Press CAPILLA DEL MONTE, Argentina (AP) — In the pope’s homeland, there’s a woman who believes in angels and calls them aliens. Another proudly identifies as a witch. And there’s a spiritual guru so turned off by the Vatican’s opulence that he left the church to help

By ERIK VERDUZCO and SCOTT McFETRIDGE Associated Press PINEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — The Powerball jackpot climbed to an estimated $1.4 billion after no players matched all six numbers and hit it rich Wednesday night. The winning numbers announced were: 9, 35, 54, 63, 64 and the Powerball 1. Players will next have a shot at

By GIOVANNA DELL’ORTO Associated Press ISOLA DEL GRAN SASSO, Italy (AP) — Two children scribbled petitions to St. Gabriele dell’Addolorata in the vast sanctuary where the young saint is venerated in this central Italian mountain village. Andrea, 6, asked for blessings for his family and pets. Sofia, 9, gave thanks for winning a dance competition.

By PETER SMITH Associated Press Mike Dulak grew up Catholic in Southern California, but by his teen years, he began skipping Mass and driving straight to the shore to play guitar, watch the waves and enjoy the beauty of the morning. “And it felt more spiritual than any time I set foot in a church,”

By MARI YAMAGUCHI Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — Momo Nomura, a graphic artist and entrepreneur, visits a shrine near her business meetings or trips almost weekly. She prays first according to the Shinto rules, then heads to the reception to get a Goshuin, a seal stamp certifying her visit that comes with elegant calligraphy and

By DEEPA BHARATH Associated Press CHENNAI, India (AP) — Despite India’s millennia-old history of nonreligious movements, most atheists and rationalists choose to keep quiet about their skepticism of faith — it’s easier and far less risky than going public in one of the world’s most religious countries. The space that does exist for debating religious

By ILAN BEN ZION Associated Press MEVASSERET ZION, Israel (AP) — Israel is a nation perennially swept up in religious fervor and conflict. And yet, strikingly, a large portion of its population is secular, and even its insular ultra-Orthodox community loses a steady stream of members who tire of its strict religious rules. The country

By MARIAM FAM Associated Press There’s the Tunisian woman who fasts during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, though not for God. The Iraqi woman who, until recently, wore a hijab. And a man whose Egyptian identity card identifies him as “Muslim,” despite his efforts to change it. Such are the ways that some of

By BRIAN WITTE and LEA SKENE Associated Press ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Adnan Syed is now free after being imprisoned for the murder of his ex-girlfriend more than two decades ago. But his attorneys will be arguing for his freedom once again on Thursday, this time in front of the Maryland Supreme Court. The case

By BECKY BOHRER Associated Press JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Nearly every Alaskan will receive a $1,312 check starting this week, their annual share from the earnings of the state’s nest-egg oil fund. Some use the money for extras like tropical vacations but others — particularly in high-cost rural Alaska where jobs and housing are limited

By WILL WEISSERT and BRIAN SLODYSKO Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Kevin McCarthy spent years raising mountains of Republican campaign cash, flying around the country to recruit top candidates in key districts and painstakingly building political relationships as he worked his way toward becoming speaker of the House. Now that he’s been ousted from the

By YURI KAGEYAMA AP Business Writer TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares advanced Thursday after a plunge in oil prices aided a recovery on Wall Street. Benchmarks rose in Tokyo, Sydney and Hong Kong. Trading was closed in Shanghai for a holiday. Market sentiment was helped by a $5 decline in oil prices on Wednesday, although

By PETER SMITH Associated Press Thirty percent of Americans don’t identify with a religious group — but not all of them are atheists or agnostics. In fact, 43% of the group known as the “nones” say they believe in God, even if they largely dislike organized religion. Those are among the findings of a new