Illinois is making it easier for gay couples to marry and moving toward gender-inclusive language in laws affecting LGBTQ+ youth in foster care through two new laws signed Friday by Gov. J.B. Pritzker

Israel expanded its military assault deeper into the northern Gaza Strip as the U.N. and medical staff expressed fears over airstrikes hitting closer to hospitals, where Palestinians have sought shelter alongside the wounded

The U.S. Women's Open is finally at Pebble Beach, the most recognizable of all U.S. Open courses

SAN ANTONIO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep 5, 2023--

The World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say measles deaths globally spiked by more than 40% last year

Whale hunting is set to return in Iceland despite hopes the temporary ban would remain. Iceland‘s Minister of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, Svandís Svavarsdóttir, announced on Thursday that this summer’s temporary ban on whaling would be lifted in a move international marine conservation organisation OceanCare has described as ‘disappointing’, A suspension on whaling was put in place by the Icelandic government in June, set to expire in August 2023, due to animal welfare concerns after monitoring by Iceland’s Food and Veterinary Authority on the fin whale hunt found that the killing of the animals took too long based on the main objectives of the Animal Welfare Act. An investigation found that around 40% of hunted whales did not die instantly, with an average time to death of 11.5 minutes. Iceland’s Food and Veterinary Authority found that two whales had to be shot four times. One of the whales took almost an hour to die, while the other took almost two hours. In anticipation of the ban being lifted, two Icelandic whaling vessels left port yesterday to resume whale hunting, OceanCare said. The organisation said they are “gravely disappointed” that the ban has been lifted, and claimed the decision could mean that there will now “be a race to kill as many whales as possible in the remaining weeks of reasonable hunting weather” before whale hunting season ends in mid-September. “It is deplorable that this cruel practice has been allowed to resume,” said Nicolas Entrup, OceanCare’s director of International Relations. “We are bitterly disappointed by the decision which entirely goes against the clear facts that are available to the government and people of Iceland. We can almost be certain that the Icelandic whalers will not meet the imposed requirements. “This cruel, unnecessary and outdated practice needs to stop,” he said. Iceland’s whaling season runs from mid-June to mid-September. Annual quotas authorise the killing of 209 fin whales, but none were killed between 2019-2021 due to a dwindling market for whale meat. Some 148 fin whales were killed in 2022 during whaling season. Iceland, Norway and Japan are the only countries in the world that have continued whale hunting in the face of fierce criticism from environmentalists and animal rights’ defenders. OceanCare said the lifting of the ban calls into question the announced phase-out of whaling over the next few years. A decision about Iceland’s self-allocated whaling quota for the next several years is expected towards the end of this year. In 2009, several countries including the UK, the US, Germany, France, Portugal and Spain condemned Iceland’s whaling policy. Japan, which is the biggest market for whale meat, resumed commercial whaling in 2019 after a three-decade hiatus. Read More Iceland suspends annual whale hunt due to ‘animal welfare concerns’ – and may never bring it back Humpback whale spotted off Cornwall coast in rare sighting Humpback whale found on beach died after entanglement in creel lines, tests show Zelensky makes long-range weapon claim after strike deep inside Russia Putin’s forces pushed back by Ukraine counteroffensive after ‘largest’ drone strike The ‘Vampire’ rocket system helping Ukraine shoot down Russia’s kamikaze drones

The 54-year-old 'Friends' star was seen in a '90s style sleek black strappy dress, accompanying the tech entrepreneur

Florida men arrested after attempting to buy $22,000 worth of automobile parts with fraudulent credit cards

Garth Brooks said the offer was a present from his wife, Trisha Yearwood, on their anniversary

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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

Just before talking about Logan Paul's next fight with Dillon Danis, Joe Rogan noted, 'Jake Paul is the f**king man. Like, what he’s done is pretty amazing'