Worshippers have returned to Mecca after Saudi authorities partially resumed the year-round umrah pilgrimage after seven-month coronavirus hiatus. Millions of Muslims from around the world usually descend on Saudi Arabia for the umrah and haj Islamic pilgrimages. The two share common rites, but the haj, held once a year, is the main lengthier ritual that is … Read more
The ex-mistress of Spain‘s scandal hit former King Juan Carlos I has opened up about their tumultuous relationship and admitted she avoided his children because meeting them made her ‘uncomfortable’. Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein, 56, who lives in London, had an affair with the 82-year-old royal between 2004 and 2009. Juan Carlos, who is married to … Read more
Saudi Arabia’s ambitious young crown prince won over Donald Trump by flattering his ego, savaging Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton and making Jared Kushner feel important, a new book reveals. Mohammed bin Salman welcomed Trump’s election victory in 2016 because the new president hated Obama’s deal with Iran and seemed to care little about human … Read more
Jamal Khashoggi killers have death sentences overturned in Saudi Arabia: Five men will now serve 20-year jail terms after journalist’s sons ‘pardoned’ them By Sophie Tanno For Mailonline Published: 14:27 BST, 7 September 2020 | Updated: 14:57 BST, 7 September 2020 Saudi Arabia has convicted eight people of killing journalist Jamal Khashoggi and has given … Read more
Saudi’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman launches fresh purge as he sacks country’s top military commander in its war in Yemen and his son for ‘suspicious financial dealings’ Top Saudi Arabian military commander and his son are removed from their posts Statement released by state-run media refers to ‘suspicious financial dealings’ Lt Gen Fahad bin … Read more
A man who survived a plane crash in India has described the terrifying moment of impact which has left at least 18 people dead. Both pilots were among those killed after the Air India Express plane flying from Dubai to Calicut with 191 passengers onboard skidded on runway and crashed into a valley. The two pilots … Read more
A Dubai desert barbecue and camel ride trip has been named by Tripadvisor as its No1 experience, with a pizza and gelato cooking class in a Tuscan farmhouse in second place. They have both been honoured in the 2020 Travellers’ Choice Experiences awards, with the Harry Potter Walking Tour for Muggles in London claiming the … Read more
Muslims around the world continue to celebrate Eid al-Adha as they slaughter livestock amid scaled back festivities because of the coronavirus pandemic. Today marks the second of the four-day Feast of the Sacrifice, which coincides with the last days of the Hajj in Saudi Arabia. Eid al-Adha commemorates Muslims’ belief that prophet Abraham was willing to … Read more
Strict social distancing measures were in place during the third day of the hajj pilgrimage in Mecca amid the coronavirus pandemic. A limited number of Muslim pilgrims of Saudi Arabia residents gathered at the Great Mosque in Mecca to pray during one of the Islamic rituals of pilgrimage, the Tawaf Al-Ifadah. The symbolic ritual of ‘Stoning … Read more
Were it not for coronavirus, the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia would be teeming with humanity. Every year, around two million Muslims gather there to mark the Hajj, the annual pilgrimage that began this week, with millions more joining in prayers from around the world. But this year, as Covid-19 continues to spread … Read more