Muslim authorities say Ramadan fasting to begin Thursday
Workers fry vermicelli for the upcoming Muslim fasting month of Ramadan in Karachi, Pakistan, March 21, 2023. (AP Photo/Fareed Khan)
Dubai,United Arab Emirates -
Muslim authorities in Saudi Arabia and several other Middle Eastern countries say this year's fasting month of Ramadan will begin Thursday based on the expected sighting of the crescent moon.
Clerics across the region said the moon was not visible Tuesday night, meaning it will almost certainly appear the following evening, heralding the start of the monthlong observance.
During Ramadan, Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking, and sexual intercourse from sunrise until sunset. Even a tiny sip of water or a puff of smoke is enough to invalidate the fast. At night, family and friends gather and feast in a festive atmosphere.
The fasting is aimed at bringing the faithful closer to God and reminding them of the suffering of the poor. Muslims are expected to strictly observe daily prayers and engage in heightened religious contemplation. They are also urged to refrain from gossip, fighting or cursing during the holy month.
Fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam and is required for all healthy Muslims. But there are exemptions for those who are ill, and for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. Small children are not expected to fast.
Islam follows a lunar calendar, so Ramadan begins around a week and a half earlier each year. At the end of Ramadan, Muslims celebrate the joyous Eid al-Fitr holiday, when children often receive new clothes and gifts.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trudeau raises Poland's democratic backsliding as prime minister visits Toronto
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he raised concerns about reports that LGBTQ2S+ rights and democracy are under threat in Poland during a Friday visit with its prime minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, in Toronto.
Air Canada says to expect further travel disruptions following Thursday's IT issues
Air Canada says travellers should be prepared for further flight disruptions as it works to return service to normal following a technical malfunction Thursday.
'Torch has been passed': What younger generations need to know about inheriting a family cottage
As more Canadians pass their family cottages down to the next generation, 'major shifts' in the ownership of recreational homes will occur, according to Re/Max. But amid concerns around the cost of housing, some may be wondering whether they can afford to keep that family cottage. Here's what younger generations need to know about inheriting a recreational property and the market today.
Canadian Army sergeant fined, reprimanded for 'anti-Jewish' comments while instructing trainees
A 38-year-old sergeant in the Canadian Army was fined $3,000 and issued a severe reprimand after he made what a military judge described as 'utterly disgusting' anti-Jewish comments while conducting an infantry training course in 2021.
Poilievre tries to head off PPC vote as Bernier bets on social conservatives
Pierre Poilievre is off to Manitoba to rally Conservative supporters ahead of a byelection that Maxime Bernier is hoping will send him back to Parliament. The far-right People's Party of Canada leader lost his Quebec seat in the 2019 federal vote and lost again in the 2021 election.
Experts warn of 'rapid' growth of IBD as number of Canadians diagnosed set to reach 470K by 2035
The number of people in Canada with inflammatory bowel disease is increasing rapidly and is expected to grow to 470,000 by 2035, according to a new report from Crohn's and Colitis Canada.
Trudeau continues to stand by David Johnston despite calls that he step down
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he is committed to keeping David Johnston in place as Canada's special rapporteur on foreign interference, despite a majority of MPs voting in favour of his stepping down from the gig.
Camping during fire season? Here's some things you should know
With dry conditions preventing people from having campfires across the country, some may wonder what they can bring into a campground or if there are alternatives to the traditional flames.
Statue of Queen Elizabeth repaired and reinstalled at Manitoba legislature, 2 years after vandalism
A bronze statue of Queen Elizabeth that was toppled on the grounds of the Manitoba legislature has been repaired and put back in place.
Canada
-
Statue of Queen Elizabeth repaired and reinstalled at Manitoba legislature, 2 years after vandalism
A bronze statue of Queen Elizabeth that was toppled on the grounds of the Manitoba legislature has been repaired and put back in place.
-
Canadian Army sergeant fined, reprimanded for 'anti-Jewish' comments while instructing trainees
A 38-year-old sergeant in the Canadian Army was fined $3,000 and issued a severe reprimand after he made what a military judge described as 'utterly disgusting' anti-Jewish comments while conducting an infantry training course in 2021.
-
Hundreds of people claim they may have lost winning ticket for expiring $70M Lotto Max prize
Hundreds of people have come forward to claim they could be the winner of the expiring $70 million Lotto Max prize.
-
Edmonton teen bystander shot in downtown shooting during 'altercation': police
A teen bystander was shot during an altercation outside the Edmonton Convention Centre Thursday evening, police say.
-
Ottawa approves Nova Scotia's request for federal assistance combating wildfires
Ottawa has approved a request for federal assistance from Nova Scotia to support the province’s efforts to combat multiple out of control wildfires.
-
Tantallon-area residents who lost homes in N.S. wildfire offered chance to view neighbourhood
Halifax is offering residents whose homes have been destroyed by wildfires the chance to view their neighbourhoods as fires continue to burn.
World
-
Passenger trains derail in India, killing at least 50, trapping many others
Two passenger trains derailed in India on Wednesday, killing at least 13 people and trapping hundreds of others inside more than a dozen damaged coaches, officials said.
-
U.S. Justice Department says it won't charge Pence over handling of classified documents
The U.S. Department of Justice has informed former Vice President Mike Pence 's legal team that it will not pursue criminal charges related to the discovery of classified documents at his Indiana home.
-
Records detail Jeffrey Epstein's last days and prison system's scramble after his suicide
Nearly four years after Jeffrey Epstein's death, thousands of pages of records obtained by The Associated Press are shedding new light on the financier's time behind bars and a frantic response by federal corrections officials to his death.
-
FBI to bring internal Biden-related document to Capitol Hill and brief House Oversight leaders
The FBI is scheduled to bring an internal law enforcement document that some Republicans claim will shed light on an allegation that then-vice president Joe Biden was involved in a criminal scheme on Monday for U.S. House Oversight Chair James Comer and ranking Democratic member Rep. Jamie Raskin to review, spokespeople for the two lawmakers told CNN.
-
Despite flags, Border Patrol staff didn't review fragile 8-year-old girl's file before she died
Border Patrol medical staff declined to review the file of an 8-year-old girl with a chronic heart condition and rare blood disorder before she appeared to have a seizure and died on her ninth day in custody, an internal investigation found.
-
EU hopes for signs of Azeri-Armenian goodwill, more talks planned
European Council President Charles Michel said on Thursday he hoped a broad European summit in Moldova would offer the opportunity for Azerbaijan and Armenia to show their willingness to find a solution to their conflict.
Politics
-
Trudeau raises Poland's democratic backsliding as prime minister visits Toronto
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he raised concerns about reports that LGBTQ2S+ rights and democracy are under threat in Poland during a Friday visit with its prime minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, in Toronto.
-
Poilievre tries to head off PPC vote as Bernier bets on social conservatives
Pierre Poilievre is off to Manitoba to rally Conservative supporters ahead of a byelection that Maxime Bernier is hoping will send him back to Parliament. The far-right People's Party of Canada leader lost his Quebec seat in the 2019 federal vote and lost again in the 2021 election.
-
Trudeau continues to stand by David Johnston despite calls that he step down
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he is committed to keeping David Johnston in place as Canada's special rapporteur on foreign interference, despite a majority of MPs voting in favour of his stepping down from the gig.
Health
-
Experts warn of 'rapid' growth of IBD as number of Canadians diagnosed set to reach 470K by 2035
The number of people in Canada with inflammatory bowel disease is increasing rapidly and is expected to grow to 470,000 by 2035, according to a new report from Crohn's and Colitis Canada.
-
Black men were likely underdiagnosed with lung problems because of bias in software, study suggests
Racial bias built into a common medical test for lung function is likely leading to fewer Black patients getting care for breathing problems, a study published Thursday suggests.
-
New non-invasive tool can detect early stages of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's
Researchers at Carleton University's Department of Electronics in Ottawa created a ground-breaking testing device to detect early signs of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s through biomolecular activities in a person’s saliva.
Sci-Tech
-
Twitter's head of trust and safety says she has resigned
Twitter's head of trust and safety, Ella Irwin, told Reuters on Thursday that she has resigned from the social media company, which has faced criticism for lax protections against harmful content since billionaire Elon Musk acquired it in October.
-
Woman walking on California beach finds ancient mastodon tooth
A woman taking a Memorial Day weekend stroll on a California beach found something unusual sticking out of the sand: a tooth from an ancient mastodon.
-
Newly discovered stone tools drag dawn of Greek archaeology back by a quarter-million years
Deep in an open coal mine in southern Greece, researchers have discovered the antiquities-rich country's oldest archaeological site, which dates to 700,000 years ago and is associated with modern humans' hominin ancestors. The find announced Thursday would drag the dawn of Greek archaeology back by as much as a quarter of a million years, although older hominin sites have been discovered elsewhere in Europe. The oldest, in Spain, dates to more than a million years ago.
Entertainment
-
Christopher Nolan breaks down the best ways to watch a movie, ahead of his 'Oppenheimer' release
In an exclusive interview with The Associated Press, director Christopher Nolan offers a guide to his favourite formats, explaining why it matters and even where he likes to sit so that audiences don't feel like they need a film school degree (or one in theoretical physics) before settling on a theatre.
-
Cynthia Weil, Grammy winning lyricist who had hits with husband Barry Mann, dead at 82
Cynthia Weil, a Grammy-winning lyricist of notable range and endurance who enjoyed a decades-long partnership with husband Barry Mann and helped write 'You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling,' 'On Broadway,' 'Walking in the Rain' and dozens of other hits, has died at age 82.
-
Netflix shareholders reject sky-high executive pay packages
Netflix shareholders voted on Thursday to reject multi-million dollar pay packages for the company’s top executives including for co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters.
Business
-
Air Canada says to expect further travel disruptions following Thursday's IT issues
Air Canada says travellers should be prepared for further flight disruptions as it works to return service to normal following a technical malfunction Thursday.
-
Wildfires, other extreme weather driving insurance costs up over time: experts
The wildfires plaguing residents in Alberta and Nova Scotia are part of a larger trend that's driving up the cost of home insurance as extreme weather becomes more common, insurance experts say.
-
'Torch has been passed': What younger generations need to know about inheriting a family cottage
As more Canadians pass their family cottages down to the next generation, 'major shifts' in the ownership of recreational homes will occur, according to Re/Max. But amid concerns around the cost of housing, some may be wondering whether they can afford to keep that family cottage. Here's what younger generations need to know about inheriting a recreational property and the market today.
Lifestyle
-
Ryan Gosling has a hilarious response to those who say he’s ‘too old’ to play Ken in ‘Barbie’ movie
Ryan Gosling channelled his “Ken-ergy” to defend himself against those who think he’s “too old” to play doll Ken in the new “Barbie” movie.
-
Meet the 14-year-old who won the Scripps National Spelling Bee with 'psammophile'
Dev, a 14-year-old from Largo, Florida, wins the National Spelling Bee.
-
Edmonton librarian takes second place in Jeopardy! debut
Kyle Marshall has always loved trivia and recently he got to show the world just how much.
Sports
-
NBA planning to announce latest Ja Morant decision after Finals, Silver says
The latest sanctions, if any, that the NBA plans to levy against Memphis guard Ja Morant for his second instance of displaying a gun on social media will be announced shortly after the finals, Commissioner Adam Silver said Thursday.
-
Bianca Andreescu advances to third round at French Open with win over wild-card Navarro
Bianca Andreescu beckoned the partisan Court 14 crowd for noise as she looked to put the finishing touches on a second-round win over American wild-card Emma Navarro.
-
Blue Jays pitcher Anthony Bass booed loudly by fans during first game since controversial Instagram post
Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Anthony Bass was booed at the Rogers Centre after he was called onto the field Wednesday night.
Autos
-
Volkswagen reboots its groovy 60s-era VW Bus. This time it's faster, roomier and electric
America apparently needs more car seats. So, when Volkswagen unveiled the ID. Buzz, a retro-styled electric van, last year, it noted that the version for the North American market would be longer and would have three rows of seats.
-
Vehicle sales rise in May, showing hope for strong summer: DesRosiers
DesRosiers Automotive Consultants Inc. says May brought hope after several years of disrupted sales patterns, as vehicle sales rose.
-
110,000 Honda vehicles recalled in Canada due to crash risks
More than 110,000 Honda vehicles are subject to a recall in Canada, due to the risk of rusting rear frames causing a crash.
