The Hajj, the largest annual pilgrimage in the world, is the fifth pillar of Islam, a religious duty that must be carried out at least once in the lifetime of every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so
Updated 28 July 2018
Arab News
JEDDAH: Saudi Hajj and Umrah Minister Mohammed Salih Bentin visited the National Tawafa Establishment for South Asian Pilgrims to oversee its preparations and services for this year’s Hajj season.
He viewed a simulation model of a pilgrim hostel, preparations by the emergency and safety committee, and a simulation model to introduce heads of pilgrims’ affairs offices and tourism companies to the Two-Story Family project, which aims to improve pilgrim housing.
Raafat bin Ismail Badr, chairman of the National Tawafa Establishment, said: “We are constantly working to improve performance and services every year, in a manner that is in line with the special care the country’s leadership gives to the visitors of Makkah.”
A week after catastrophic earthquake, focus turns to humanitarian crisis
Myanmar’s military and several key armed resistance groups have all declared ceasefires in the wake of the earthquake to facilitate the flow of humanitarian aid
Updated 1 min ago
AP
BANGKOK: Search teams in Myanmar recovered more bodies from the ruins of buildings on Friday, a week after a massive earthquake killed more than 3,100 people, as the focus turns toward the urgent humanitarian needs in a country already devastated by a continuing civil war.
UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher, who is also the emergency relief coordinator, will visit the area on Friday in an effort to spur action following the March 28 quake. Ahead of the visit, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed to the international community to immediately step up funding for quake victims “to match the scale of this crisis,” and he urged unimpeded access to reach those in need.
“The earthquake has supercharged the suffering with the monsoon season just around the corner,” he said.
FASTFACT
Myanmar’s military and several key armed resistance groups have all declared ceasefires in the wake of the earthquake to facilitate the flow of humanitarian aid.
Myanmar’s military and several key armed resistance groups have all declared ceasefires in the wake of the earthquake to facilitate the flow of humanitarian aid.
But the UN’s Human Rights Office on Friday accused the military of continuing attacks, claiming there were more than 60 attacks after the earthquake, including 16 since the military announced a temporary ceasefire on Wednesday.
“I urge a halt to all military operations, and for the focus to be on assisting those impacted by the quake, as well as ensuring unhindered access to humanitarian organizations that are ready to support,” said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk. “I hope this terrible tragedy can be a turning point for the country toward an inclusive political solution.”
Announcing its ceasefire, the military also said it would still take “necessary” measures against resistance groups, if they use the ceasefire to regroup, train or launch attacks, and the groups have said they reserved the right to defend themselves.
Myanmar’s military seized power in 2021 from the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, sparking what has turned into a civil war.
The quake worsened an already dire humanitarian crisis, with more than 3 million people displaced from their homes and nearly 20 million in need even before it hit, according to the United Nations.
Myanmar authorities said Thursday that 3,145 people had been killed in the earthquake, with another 4,589 people injured and 221 missing, and did not immediately update the figures on Friday.
Britain, which had already given $13 million to purchase emergency items like food, water and shelter, pledged an additional $6.5 million in funds to match an appeal from Myanmar’s Disasters Emergency Committee, according to the UK Embassy in Yangon.
The World Food Program said so far it has reached 24,000 survivors, but was scaling up its efforts to assist 850,000 with food and cash assistance for one month.
Many international search and rescue teams are now on the scene, and eight medical crews from China, Thailand, Japan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, the Philippines, Indonesia and Russia were operating in Naypyitaw, according to Myanmar’s military-run government. Another five teams from India, Russia, Laos and Nepal and Singapore were helping in the Mandalay region, while teams from Russia, Malaysia and the ASEAN bloc of nations were assisting in the Sagaing region.
The Trump administration has pledged $2 million in emergency aid and sent a three-person team to assess how best to respond given drastic cuts to US foreign assistance.
Rescuers search for a girl missing after boat disaster
Turkish authorities had reported the sinking of a boat carrying migrants in the same area on Thursday
Updated 8 min 51 sec ago
AP
GREECE: Greece’s Coast Guard said on Friday that a search and rescue operation off an eastern island near the Turkish coast had still not found any trace of a child reported missing after a rubber dinghy carrying migrants sank, leaving seven people dead and 23 rescued.
The search continued for a second day, after survivors told authorities there had been a total of 31 people in the small dinghy.
A Coast Guard patrol boat came across the vessel, measuring about 5 meters in length, in the early hours of Thursday morning when it was already taking on water and most of its passengers had fallen into the sea, the coast guard said.
BACKGROUND
Greece is one of the main entry points into the EU for people fleeing conflict and poverty in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.
The Coast Guard said on Thursday that all those on board were from Afghanistan.
One of the survivors, identified only as a 20-year-old man, was recognized by other passengers as having piloted the boat and was arrested on suspicion of migrant smuggling.
Turkish authorities had also reported the sinking of a boat carrying migrants in the same area on Thursday.
The Canakkale governor’s office said the Turkish coast guard received an emergency call for help from a migrant boat on Thursday morning.
Nine bodies were recovered, while one person was reported missing, and 25 people were rescued, the governor’s office said.
Greece is one of the main entry points into the EU for people fleeing conflict and poverty in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, with many making the short but often treacherous journey from the Turkish coast to nearby Greek islands in inflatable dinghies or other small boats.
Many are unseaworthy, or set out in bad weather, and fatal accidents have been common.
Senegal faces a challenging future, warns president
The IMF said in March that there were “significant” errors in Senegal’s public debt figures for 2019-23 and called for “corrective measures”
Updated 13 min 28 sec ago
AFP
DAKAR: Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has warned in his annual state of the nation speech that the country faces a challenging financial future that would need sacrifices.
Faye spoke after authorities and the International Monetary Fund said the previous government had underestimated the West African nation’s debt levels.
“The state of our country’s public finances, as revealed by the audit, means that we must count first of all on ourselves to redress the situation,” said Faye, who took office one year ago.
He said “collective sacrifices” would be needed but added: “We are very capable, and we will succeed with the mobilization of everyone.”
Social tensions have risen in recent months, and the government’s financial watchdog said in a report released in February that Senegal’s debt was at more than 99 percent of its gross domestic product, higher than the figure given by the last government.
It said the 2023 budget deficit was 12.3 percent of the GDP, when the last government said it was 4.9 percent.
The IMF said in March that there were “significant” errors in Senegal’s public debt figures for 2019-23 and called for “corrective measures.”
Faye called for “active solidarity” to confront the “numerous challenges” facing the country but said that “budget discipline is not negotiable.”
Hamas says Israeli offensive in Gaza ‘highly dangerous’ for hostages
“We have decided not to transfer these (hostages)... but (this situation) is highly dangerous to their lives,” said Abu Obeida
Updated 36 min 53 sec ago
AFP
GAZA CITY: Hamas on Friday said Israel’s offensive in Gaza was creating a “highly dangerous” situation for the hostages held there, warning that half of the living captives were in areas where the army had ordered evacuations.
“Half of the living Israeli (hostages) are located in areas that the Israeli occupation army has requested to be evacuated in recent days,” Abu Obeida, spokesman for Hamas’s armed wing, said in a statement. “We have decided not to transfer these (hostages)... but (this situation) is highly dangerous to their lives.”
Orchestra celebrates soundtracks of popular video games at Saudi Arabia’s Ithra
Concert features symphonic arrangements, in-game HD visuals
Updated 04 April 2025
Jasmine Bager
DHAHRAN: It is “game on” at the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture after it opened its doors to an event on Thursday.
The orchestral performance, which is being held nightly at the Ithra Theater — with two shows scheduled for Friday — celebrates the soundtracks of popular video games and attempts to breathe new life into them.
The concert features symphonic arrangements paired with in-game HD visuals and exclusive concept art from popular titles such as League of Legends, Overwatch, Assassin’s Creed, and The Witcher 3.
The event featured music from Guild Wars 2, World of Warcraft, The Witcher 3 and Assassin’s Creed 2, among many others. (Supplied)
Sergey Smbatyan, founder of the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra and the artistic director and principal conductor since 2005, was on hand to lend context and commentary between the scores on opening night.
He told the crowd before the show: “If you’re not a gamer, what I want you to do is to imagine that you’re in a museum — an art museum — but instead of a curator telling you about the images that you’re going to see on this huge screen, let these musicians tell you that exact story.
“Tonight there is no right time to clap; there is no wrong time to clap. If you hear something you like from these guys (gesturing to the orchestra behind him on stage), let us know.
“We're going to start off tonight with role-play games, or what are known as RPGs, where players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. The game is focused on interactive storytelling, decision-making and strategy.”
Dhahran resident Paul Blay took his two daughters Sylvia, 11, and Celeste, 10, to the show.
Blay, who is a father of six, told Arab News: “I get emails about Ithra events and saw this one and I thought it would be fun for me and the girls to go to. Like with anyone that you love, I shared the things I love with them.”
The Blay family moved to the Kingdom last year and were keen to attend an event that merged gaming with music.
Celeste told Arab News: “I really like video game music; the music is really pretty and I like listening to that. It is kind of what motivated me to come here. And, also, my dad likes video games.”
The older Blay sisters have both taken music lessons and play multiple instruments, including the piano, the harp and the clarinet.
Their father said: “Some of the best music that’s being composed nowadays is for movies and video games. I expected it to be really high quality and good (at Ithra).”
The event featured music from Guild Wars 2, World of Warcraft, The Witcher 3 and Assassin’s Creed 2, among many others.
The last show takes place on April 5, with tickets starting at SR200 ($53), available at the venue or via the Ithra website.
