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☆ A Deadly Toll as an Intense Heat Grips Saudi Arabia
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-19 | by ( Cassandra Vinograd | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Dozens of people have died amid scorching temperatures during the annual hajj pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia, according to reports from official media in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. With forecasts saying that temperatures would top 113 degrees Fahrenheit, or 45 degrees Celsius, on Tuesday, Saudi officials issued advisories to pilgrims urging them to stay hydrated, minimize outdoor activities, and carry umbrellas to block direct sunlight. While Saudi Arabia had not reported deaths, news reports from a number of countries whose faithful went to the hajj suggested that the heat had proven deadly. On Sunday, Jordan’s official news agency said that 14 pilgrims had died from exposure to extreme sun and heat. On Wednesday, the agency said that burial permits had been issued for 41 Jordanian pilgrims in Mecca, but did not provide details on the causes of death.

Organizations: Saudi Locations: Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Europe, East, Africa

☆ Hundreds died during this year’s Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia amid intense heat, officials say
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-19 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

MECCA, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Hundreds of people died during this year's Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia as the faithful faced intense high temperatures at Islamic holy sites in the desert kingdom, officials said Wednesday as people tried to claim their loved ones' bodies. Saudi Arabia has not commented on the death toll amid the heat during the pilgrimage, required of every able Muslim once in their life, nor offered any causes for those who died. Already, several countries have said some of their pilgrims died because of the heat that swept across the holy sites at Mecca, including Jordan and Tunisia. More than 1.83 million Muslims performed the Hajj in 2024, including more than 1.6 million pilgrims from 22 countries, and around 222,000 Saudi citizens and residents, according to the Saudi Hajj authorities. Saudi Arabia has never acknowledged the full toll of the stampede.

Persons: Al Saud, King Salman Organizations: Associated Press, Public Health, Saudi National Center for Meteorology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Locations: Mecca, MECCA, Saudi Arabia, Al, Muaisem, Jordan, Tunisia, Mina, Saudi, Algeria, Egypt, India, Medina . Saudi Arabia, Islam, hajj

☆ 14 Jordanians Die in Intense Heat During Hajj Pilgrimage
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-16 | by ( Emma Bubola | More About Emma Bubola | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Fourteen Jordanian pilgrims died as they performed rituals related to Hajj, a holy trip to Mecca in Saudi Arabia that Muslims are encouraged to take once in their lives, Jordan’s official news agency said on Sunday. The pilgrims died as a result of exposure to extreme sun and heat, the agency said, based on a report from Jordan’s Foreign Ministry. In Mecca, temperatures reached nearly 110 degrees Fahrenheit on Sunday, and recent studies have indicated that climate change will increase health risks there. The Hajj is one of the largest mass gatherings in the world, with Muslim pilgrims traveling from near and far for the spiritual experience, which is also a physical and mental challenge. This year, Hajj started on Friday and will end on Wednesday; 1.8 million pilgrims were expected to take part, according to the General Authority for Statistics, a Saudi government agency.

Persons: Hajj Organizations: Jordan’s Foreign Ministry, General Authority, Statistics Locations: Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Saudi

☆ What this holiday of sacrifice teaches us about mindfulness
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-16 | by ( Monica Haider | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The three-day holiday of Eid-al-Adha commemorates the story in the Quran of God appearing to Ibrahim, or Abraham, in a dream and commanding him to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience. Muslims believe that as Abraham was about to sacrifice his son, an angel of God stopped him and gave him a ram to sacrifice in place of his son. Many people kick off the holiday by calling and texting Muslims they know throughout the world with “Eid Mubarak,” which means blessed feast or festival. Here are some mindful takeaways from the Eid holiday that you can include in your routine – no matter what you believe in. It sounds like a miraculous happening, but when applied to daily life, one can view it as doing one’s work and trusting that things fall into place.

Persons: Ibrahim, Abraham, God, “ Eid Mubarak, Abraham’s, Yasmine Saad, ”, Rania Awaad, Gabriel Reynolds, ” Reynolds, Eid, Prophet Abraham's, Ismail, Babu Babu, —, doesn’t, ” Saad, Jes Aznar, Getty, David Spiegel, “ we’ve, “, Awaad Organizations: CNN, Stanford Muslim Mental Health, Islamic Psychology, Islamic Studies, University of Notre Dame, Stress, Health, Stanford Medicine Locations: Saudi Arabia, Mecca, Islam, New York City, Chennai, India, Mamasapano, Central Mindanao, Philippines

CNN —Six people have died from heatstroke during the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, amid warnings from Saudi officials that temperatures during the annual gathering could reach 48 degrees Celsius (118 degrees Fahrenheit) this year. More than 1.8 million people are taking part in Hajj this year, according to the Saudi General Authority for Statistics. The Hajj is one of the biggest religious gatherings in the world and the largest annual event in Saudi Arabia. This year, Saudi Arabia is expected to experience extreme heat over the five-day pilgrimage, with temperatures reaching 48 degrees Celsius (118 degrees Fahrenheit) in Mecca. A Muslim pilgrim splashes water on his head to cool off at the base of Saudi Arabia's Mount Arafat during the Hajj pilgrimage on June 15, 2024.

Persons: Mount Arafat, Ramadan, Fadel Senna, Muhammad Al, Abdulaali, Jordan, Hajj – Organizations: CNN, Saudi, Saudi General Authority, Statistics, Getty Locations: heatstroke, Mecca, Jordanian, Jeddah, Jordan, Arafat, Saudi Arabia, Hajj, Saudi, AFP

☆ Nigeria plunged into darkness as union workers shut down national grid in minimum wage protest
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-03 | by ( Nimi Princewill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Cane-swinging union workers were also seen in photos circulating on social media Monday ordering personnel of the country’s tax agency out of their offices. This strike comes after failed negotiations with the government to raise the federal minimum wage. The unions’ demands include raising the minimum wage from 30,000 naira ($22.4) to 494,000 naira ($369.6). Despite being Africa’s fourth-largest economy, Nigeria’s minimum wage is not among the continent’s top ten, lagging far behind countries like Seychelles, where workers receive a minimum wage of $465.4 monthly. 30k or 60k minimum wage in 2024 Nigeria is unsustainable and unacceptable,” wrote lawyer Festus Ogun in a post on X.

Persons: Bayo Onanuga, Onanuga, Olusina Ajidahun, “ I’m, ”, Lateef Fagbemi, Festus Ogun, Dipo Awojide, Bola Tinubu’s, Ajuri Ngelale Organizations: CNN, Transmission Company, Nigeria, Nigerian Labor Congress, Trade Union Congress, TUC, TCN, Health, Healthcare, Nigerian, Onanuga, NLC Locations: Nigeria, Seychelles, Lagos, Abuja, Nigerian

☆ Ahead of Hajj, CDC alerts doctors to look out for meningococcal disease tied to travel to Saudi Arabia
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Jen Christensen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is urging doctors to be on the lookout for potentially deadly meningococcal disease linked to travel to Saudi Arabia. Meningococcal disease is highly contagious among unvaccinated people. Meningococcal disease, including meningitis, is an uncommon illness caused by the bacteria Neisseria meningitidis. Meningococcal disease can be treated with antibiotics if it’s caught early enough. One such instance is before travel to countries where meningococcal disease is more common.

Persons: Prophet Muhammad, it’s, serogroup C, Dr, Sanjay Gupta Organizations: CNN, Centers for Disease Control, Research, CDC, Pfizer, Hajj, Health Alert Network, CNN Health Locations: Saudi Arabia, Mecca, United States, France, United Kingdom, People

☆ This Ramadan, queer and transgender Muslims made their own community
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Shahamat Uddin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Queer and transgender Muslims came together to break their Ramadan fasts. But for queer and transgender Muslims, this practice of ummah, or the connectedness Muslims feel while exercising their faith together, has often made them feel excluded from traditional Ramadan celebrations. Courtesy of Dinean RobinsonThe iftar — which included prayers led by a queer Muslim community member named Shiffa, and joyful drag-queen performances — was just one of many ways queer and transgender Muslims fostered community this Ramadan. Dena Igusti celebrated this Ramadan with fellow queer Muslims, saying it helped them get back in touch with their faith. In New York City, queer Muslims joined in song and dance at the LGBT Community Center's iftar to celebrate their layered identities.

Persons: —, affirmations, I've, Armana Khan, Dinean Robinson, Khan, Islam, Reimagining, they'd, Kahani, Dinean Robinson Sophia Uppal, Uppal, wouldn't, Dena Igusti, Ramie Ahmed, Ramadan, Igusti, Imam Daayiee Abdullah, We're, MASGD, Shiffa, Center's iftar, Yaffa Organizations: Service, LGBT Community, The, New York, LGBT Community Center, BI, Mecca Institute, Muslim Alliance, Sexual, Diversity, Queer, Shia, LGBT Locations: New York, queerness, Queens , New York, New, Hajj, Mecca, Palestinian, New York City

Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X met. It was on March 26, 1964, and the two civil rights leaders were both in Washington for a Senate debate on the Civil Rights Act. The moment is also depicted in the new installment of National Geographic's “Genius” anthology series called “ Genius: MLK /X," premiering Thursday. Kelvin Harrison Jr. (King) and Aaron Pierre (Malcolm X) now can be at ease about being scheduled to shoot the scene on the first day of filming. Their hope is that with “Genius: MLK/X," viewers will recognize the contributions of both men to civil rights and U.S. history.

Persons: Martin Luther King Jr, Malcolm X, Kelvin Harrison Jr, Aaron Pierre, ”, Harrison, “, Pierre, Gina Prince, Reggie Rock Bythewood, we’re, Malcolm, Martin, Albert Einstein, Pablo Picasso, Aretha Franklin, Bythewood, Coretta Scott King, Betty Shabazz, King, ” Harrison, ‘, “ Malcolm X, Malik el, Shabazz Organizations: Civil, Civil Rights Movement Locations: Washington, curriculums, Birmingham

☆ The best things to experience in Saudi Arabia according to the people who know it
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Selina Julien | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —Closed to tourists until recently, Saudi Arabia is still an unknown quantity for many would-be travelers. Omran is also hopeful visitors will explore destinations across Saudi Arabia. Saudi Tourism Authority“You can’t talk about islands in Saudi Arabia without talking about a new tourist favorite, but a treasured local one, Al Nawras Island,” Saudi professional boxer Ziyad Almaayouf tells CNN. “What I love most about Al Nawras Island, isn’t the island itself, but the waters surrounding it,” he adds. The resort on the Red Sea coast is often promoted as “the Maldives of Saudi Arabia,” offering water sports and cultural experiences.

Persons: Lojain Omran, Omran, ”, Al Balad, Mai Eldib, Hajj, ” Eldib, Jeddah’s, “ It’s, ” Al, Ziyad Almaayouf, ” Ziyad, Ziyad, “, Mishaal Ashemimry, Mishaal, Tamtam, Reem Altamimi, Al Zal, Ba’a, Hatem Alakeel, Authenticite, “ Diriyah, Umluj, ” Tasneem Organizations: CNN, Netflix’s, Saudi Tourism Authority, MISHAAL Aerospace, Abaca, Saudi Locations: Saudi Arabia, Saudi, Netflix’s UAE, Al Balad, Al, Jeddah, Mai, ” Al Nawras, Nawras, Al Nawras, California, “, Unaizah, Riyadh, ”, Souk Al Zal Souk Al Zal, USA Riyadh, Al Zal, Riyadh’s Al Dirah, Los Angeles, Maldives

☆ An Israeli airstrike on the Syrian capital killed at least 4 Iranian advisers, state media say
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-20 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

An Israeli strike on the Syrian capital on Saturday destroyed a building used by the Iranian paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, killing at least four Iranians, Syrian and Iranian state media reported. Iranian state television said four advisers from the Revolutionary Guard had been killed in the strike in Damascus, without identifying them, adding that Israel was behind the strike. Last month, an Israeli airstrike on a suburb of Damascus killed Iranian general Seyed Razi Mousavi, a longtime adviser of the Iranian paramilitary Revolutionary Guard in Syria. Iranian and Syrian officials have long acknowledged Iran has advisers and military experts in Syria, but denied there were any ground troops. Earlier this month, a strike said to be carried out by Israel killed top Hamas commander Saleh Arouri in Beirut.

Persons: Israel, Nour, Sadegh Omidzadeh, Hajj Gholam, Rami Abdurrahman, Khaled Mawed, Seyed Razi Mousavi, Bashar Assad, Bashar Assad's, Saleh Arouri Organizations: Iranian, Revolutionary Guard, Quds Force, Hajj, Syrian, Human Rights, Security, Windows, Associated Press Locations: Wafideen, Damascus, Syria, Israeli, Syrian, Iran, Mazzeh, Venezuela, South Africa, Israel, Gaza, Beirut, Golan, Lebanon, Red

☆ Biden hopes for extension of Israel-Hamas truce as more hostages released
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( James Mackenzie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Thirty-nine teenage Palestinian prisoners were released by Israel on Sunday, taking the total since the truce began to 117. The four-day truce agreed last week is the first halt in fighting in the seven weeks since Hamas killed 1,200 people and took about 240 hostages back into Gaza. Some 14,800 Palestinians have been killed, Gaza health authorities say, and hundreds of thousands displaced. The latest three Thai hostages released were in good health, Thailand's prime minister said. Hamas released 24 hostages on Friday, the first day of the truce.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Abigail Edan, Abigail, Carmel Edan, he's, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Omar Abdullah Al Hajj, he'd, Thais, Sunday's, Israel, gaunt, children's agency's James Elder, Elder, Raphael Satter, Diane Craft, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Sunday, International Committee, Red Cross, Reuters, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Saturday, Palestinian, West Bank, Thomson Locations: Israel, Gaza, U.S, Ramallah, Qatar, Egypt, United States, Palestinian, Gaza's, Qatari, Gaza City

☆ Biden Hopes for Extension as Israel-Hamas Truce Enters Final Day
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-26 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +5 min

Thirty-nine teenage Palestinian prisoners were released by Israel on Sunday, taking the total since the truce began to 117. Her grandfather, Carmel Edan, told Reuters he "simply could not believe" she had been returned, thanking Biden "for all the help he's offered us." The four-day truce agreed last week is the first halt in fighting in the seven weeks since Hamas killed 1,200 people and took about 240 hostages back into Gaza. Some 14,800 Palestinians have been killed, Gaza health authorities say, and hundreds of thousands displaced. Hamas released 24 hostages on Friday, the first day of the truce.

Persons: James Mackenzie JERUSALEM, Joe Biden, Biden, Abigail Edan, Abigail, Carmel Edan, he's, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Omar Abdullah Al Hajj, he'd, Israel, gaunt, children's agency's James Elder, Elder, Raphael Satter, Diane Craft, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Sunday, International Committee, Red Cross, Reuters, Palestinian, West Bank Locations: Israel, Gaza, U.S, Ramallah, Qatar, Egypt, United States, Palestinian, Gaza's, Qatari, Gaza City

☆ Mass visa cancellations at Saudi airport puts relations with Nigeria in spotlight
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Nimi Princewill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Abuja, Nigeria CNN —Diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Nigeria have come under scrutiny after 177 Nigerians were refused entry to the country on Monday. The mass cancellation of visas occurred as Nigera’s President Bola Tinubu was still in Saudi Arabia after holding bilateral talks with the Saudi government. “There was a total lack of sensitivity (by Saudi officials) because the president (of Nigeria) was visiting that country,” Okhai said. Saudi Arabia is a popular pilgrimage destination for thousands of Nigerian Muslims. However, Monday’s deportation of Nigerian nationals is not the first time travelers have been refused entry to Saudi Arabia.

Persons: Bola Tinubu, It’s, ”, ” Victor Okhai, ” Okhai, Reno Omokiri, ” Omokri, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan Organizations: Nigeria CNN —, Air, country’s Ministry, Hajj, Saudi, Jeddah …, Africa Summit, Guinea Bissau, African Diaspora Foundation, CNN, United Arab Emirates, UAE, reoccurrence Locations: Abuja, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Jeddah, Mecca, Saudi, Guinea, Independence, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

☆ In a Report Card on Global Warming, Nations Get a Very Poor Grade
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Somini Sengupta | More About Somini Sengupta | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Despite the clear human and environmental toll of global warming, countries are taking only “baby steps” to rein in greenhouse gas emissions, a senior United Nations official said, summarizing a new U.N. report card on the promises made by governments so far. The U.N. findings, published Tuesday, are the latest of several assessments that paint a dire picture in which the countries aren’t doing nearly enough to keep global warming within relatively safe levels. “Today’s report shows that governments combined are taking baby steps to avert the climate crisis,” said Simon Stiell, the executive secretary of the U.N. climate change agency. That’s roughly the level of warming that is projected if every country meets its climate goals. Saudi Arabia is of course one of the world’s biggest oil producers, and it is the burning of oil and other fossil fuels that’s warming the planet by releasing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

Persons: “, ”, Simon Stiell Organizations: United Nations Locations: Saudi Arabia

☆ Climate Change Is Causing Severe Drought in a Volatile Mideast Zone, Study Finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Manuela Andreoni | More About Manuela Andreoni | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Human-made climate change is driving a yearslong extreme drought in Iran, Iraq and Syria, an area that encompasses a region known as the Fertile Crescent and a cradle of civilization, scientists said on Wednesday. In the last three years, the drought, the second worst on record, has shriveled wheat crops and led to tensions between neighboring countries and communities over access to dwindling water supplies. It has also displaced tens of thousands of people, and helped push millions into hunger. The crisis is evidence of how global warming caused by the burning of fossil fuels can act “as a threat multiplier,” said Rana El Hajj, a technical adviser at the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Center in Lebanon, and one of the 10 authors of the study. It was put out by the World Weather Attribution initiative, an international scientific collaboration that specializes in rapid analysis of extreme weather events.

Persons: ”, Rana El Hajj Organizations: Climate Locations: Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon

A three-year drought that has left millions of people in Syria, Iraq and Iran with little water wouldn’t have happened without human-caused climate change, a new study found. The team looked at temperatures, rainfall and moisture levels and compared what happened in the last three years to multiple computer simulations of the conditions in a world without human-caused climate change. “With every degree of warming Syria, Iraq and Iran will become even harder places to live.”Computer simulations didn’t find significant climate change fingerprints in the reduced rainfall, which was low but not too rare, Otto said. But evaporation of water in lakes, rivers, wetlands and soil “was much higher than it would have been’’ without climate change-spiked temperatures, she said. In addition to making near-normal water conditions into an extreme drought, study authors calculated that the drought conditions in Syria and Iraq are 25 times more likely because of climate change, and in Iran, 16 times more likely.

Persons: ”, Friederike Otto, It’s, Mohammed Rahimi, Otto, Kelly Smith, Rana El Hajj, ” Otto, Seth Borenstein Organizations: Imperial College of London, Semnan University, U.S ., Mitigation, Climate, Twitter, AP Locations: Syria, Iraq, Iran, West Asia, Nebraska, Climate Centre, Lebanon

CNN —Dozens were killed and many more injured in a blast at the Al-Maghazi refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip late Saturday night, according to an official at a nearby hospital and eyewitnesses who spoke with CNN. One resident of the camp told CNN: “We were sitting in our homes, suddenly we heard a very, very powerful sound of an explosion. People check the damage at the Al-Maghazi refugee camp on Sunday. Alaloul, who is a freelance photojournalist with the Turkish news agency Anadolu, said his home was destroyed in an Israeli airstrike that targeted the Al-Maghazi refugee camp. The Al-Maghazi refugee camp is located in the central part of the coastal enclave south of Wadi Gaza, the waterway that divides north from south Gaza.

Persons: Mohammad al Hajj, Dr Eyad Abu Zaher, ”, Khalil Al, “, Mahmud Hams, Muhammed Alaloul, Alaloul, Kenan, Rahaf, Ahmad, …, Qais, ” Alaloul, Jamal Al Aloul, Samah Shaqoura, CNN “, Sundos Shaqura, Israel, Antony Blinken, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Blinken, Mohammed Shia, ” “ Israel, We’ve Organizations: CNN, Hamas, of Health, Al, Israel Defense Forces, Aqsa Martyr’s Hospital, IDF, Getty, Israel, Palestinian Ministry of Health, Sunday, Anadolu, United Nations Relief, Works Agency, Iraqi Locations: Gaza, Aqsa, AFP, Wadi Gaza, Ramallah, Turkish, Jordan, Iraq, Sudani, Baghdad

☆ Lebanon Says Fires Destroy 40,000 Olive Trees, Blames Israeli Shelling
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Riham AlkousaaBEIRUT (Reuters) - Fires caused by Israeli shelling in south Lebanon have burned some 40,000 olive trees and torched hundreds of square km (miles) of land, dealing a serious blow to a major Lebanese crop, the agriculture minister said. The Israeli army denied the accusation and said the types of smoke-screen shell it uses do not contain white phosphorus. "These olives have not been harvested yet, meaning we lost the trees and the season," Hajj Hassan said. (But) we have olives trees that are 200 years old." Mohammad el Husseini of the south Lebanon farmers syndicate said the Lebanese government would not be able to compensate farmers for the losses, with the country four years into a devastating financial meltdown.

Persons: Israel, Abbas Hajj Hassan, Hajj Hassan, Dory Farah, Alma Alashaab, Mohammad el Husseini, Riham Alkousaa, Emily Rose, Mark Heinrich Organizations: Hezbollah, Hamas, Reuters, Agriculture, Agriculture Organization, FAO Locations: Riham, BEIRUT, Lebanon, Iran, Lebanese, Israel, Palestinian, Alma, Food, Olive, Beirut, Jerusalem

☆ Dubai to start robotaxi trials next month in major autonomous push
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Aimee Look | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Dubai hopes to become the first Middle Eastern city to introduce driverless taxis, Bahrozyan said. Autonomous taxis currently operate in several cities around the world, mostly in the US and China. Bahroyzyan said he foresees autonomous vehicles eventually making up the majority of the Middle East tourist hub’s taxi fleet. Selling and buying autonomous cars was also regulated. WeRide, a Chinese autonomous car technology company began trialing robotaxis in the UAE’s capital, Abu Dhabi, in 2022.

Persons: Ahmed Bahrozyan, Bahrozyan, ” Bahrozyan, “, Cruise, Bahroyzyan, GM’s Cruise, trialing, WeRide Organizations: UAE CNN —, General Motors, United Arab Emirates, Transport Authority, Cruise, CNN, RTA, ”, WeRide, Saudi Artificial Intelligence Company, Authority Locations: Abu Dhabi, UAE, UAE CNN — Dubai, robotaxis, Jumeirah, Dubai’s Roads, Dubai, Eastern, China, San Francisco, Dubai …, California, ” Dubai, robobuses, WeRide, Mecca

[1/5] A view of Palestinian goods trucks in front of the commercial crossing of Kerem Shalom after the Israeli ban on Gaza exports deals a blow to the long-suffering economy, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip September 5, 2023. Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said the Israeli decision "would increase the already existing tension because of continued Israeli blockade and aggression against our people". In Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Palestinian economy minister Khaled Assaili demanded Israel cancel the ban which stops Gaza exports to Israel and the West Bank. Gaza exports are estimated at $134 million per year, mostly to Israel and the West Bank, according to the enclave's ministry of economy. As well as fish and agricultural produce, Gaza exports significant quantities of textiles and other products.

Persons: Kerem Shalom, Abu Mustafa, Bahar, Mohammad Al, Hajj, Hazem Qassem, Khaled Assaili, Assaili, Osama Nofal, Wadhah Bseisso, Nidal, Peter Graff Organizations: REUTERS, Israel, West Bank, Palestinian Authority, Hamas, Palestinian Industries Union, Thomson Locations: Kerem, Rafah, Gaza, Israel, Ramallah, Hamas

☆ Microsoft and Google may have to surrender people's data to Saudi Arabia after signing huge deals there
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

But Saudi Arabia has weak privacy laws and a track record of persecuting dissidents. They are warning tech giants like Microsoft and Google that they could be forced to hand over private citizen data to Saudi hitmen. Data handed over a silver platterMarwa Fatafta, an analyst with digital rights group Access Now, described Saudi Arabia as a country with a "dismal" human rights record. "Have they really [Google and Microsoft] investigated how they plan to mitigate potential human rights abuses or privacy violations, building such infrastructure?" Countries such as Saudi Arabia, he said, often told companies that "if you want to operate in this country, you've got to keep the data in this country.

Persons: Prince Mohammed bin Salman's, Rewan Al, Haddad, umOfUs, FAYEZ NURELDINE, Fatima al, Salma al, Alan Woodward, you've, James Lynch, Fairsquare, Crown Prince Mohammed, James, Lynch, Prince Mohammed, it's, Woodward Organizations: Microsoft, Google, Service, Saudi, Human Rights Watch, New York Post, Getty, Twitter, Leeds University, University of Surrey, Crown Locations: Saudi Arabia, Wall, Silicon, Riyadh, Saudi, AFP

☆ Opinion | We Muslims Used to Be the Culture War Scapegoats. Why Are Some of Us Joining the L.G.B.T.Q. Pile-On?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Wajahat Ali | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Somehow, though, this issue has managed to rally an array of Muslim scholars. kids or L.G.B.T.Q. parents that simply reading a book or learning about their existence might be so threatening and offensive that it requires an opt-out option in schools? How would Muslim parents feel if this was applied to children’s books about Ramadan or hajj? Muslims have also joined this campaign in Hamtramck, Mich., which has an all-Muslim City Council.

Persons: It’s, who’s, you’d, “ It’s, ”, Raef Haggag, Kareem Monib, Laura Ingraham, Ingraham, Laura, Mr, Monib, Semafor Organizations: Washington , D.C, Liberty, Southern Poverty Law, of Virtue, Fox News, Muslim City Council Locations: Montgomery County, Md, Washington ,, Hamtramck, Mich

☆ Pakistan's economic meltdown spurs more people to risk lives to reach Europe
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Gibran Naiyyar Peshimam | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

He is missing and presumed dead, according to his brother, highlighting the perils faced by people who seek to enter Europe illegally. Cash-strapped Pakistan's $350 billion economy is in a meltdown, with inflation at a record 38%. Pakistan's information ministry did not respond to questions from Reuters about economic factors fuelling migration. 3 nationality registered in Italy coming from Libya, after Egyptians and Bangladeshis, a Frontex spokesperson told Reuters in an email. At least 209 Pakistanis were believed to be on board, according to official data based on information provided by relatives.

Persons: Muhammad Sarwar Bhatti, Hameed Iqbal Bhatti, Salahuddin, Bhatti, Hafeez Pasha, Muhammad Nadeem, Nadeem, Kosar Bibi, Bibi, Sarwar Warraich, Muhammad Zubair, Muhammad Nazim, Nazim, Muhammad Ali, Anish Raza, Haji Ilyas, Ilyas, puffing, Israr Mirza, Mirza, Gibran Peshimam, Ariba Shahid, David Crawshaw Organizations: Reuters, REUTERS, Cash, Federal Investigation Agency, FIA, OF, International Monetary Fund, Migrant Resource Centre, College, Thomson Locations: Greece, Khuiratta, Pakistan, Kashmir, Saudi Arabia, Europe, Libya, Italy, Gujrat, Italian, Ferrara, Turkey, Bhojpur, Gujrat district, Spain, EU, Lahore, Islamabad

☆ Israel says hoped-for direct Hajj flights to Saudi Arabia won't happen now
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( Dan Williams | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

JERUSALEM, June 19 (Reuters) - Israel said on Monday that hoped-for direct flights to Saudi Arabia for the Muslim Hajj pilgrimage would not happen this year, and played down any prospects of an imminent U.S.-mediated normalisation of relations with Riyadh. Regional powerhouse Saudi Arabia gave its quiet assent to Gulf neighbours United Arab Emirates and Bahrain forging ties with Israel in 2020. "Perhaps for the next Hajj we will be in a position to help in this matter, and (direct) flights will depart from here," National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi told Kan radio. "Since we thought a Saudi-U.S. agreement was the precursor for any (Israeli) peace deal with Riyadh, we assessed that ... it would not have a high chance of being realised," Hanegbi told Israel Hayom. Visiting Saudi Arabia on June 8, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the administration would continue working on normalisation "in the days, weeks and months ahead".

Persons: Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, Tzachi Hanegbi, Kan, Biden, normalisation, Hanegbi, Israel Hayom, Antony Blinken, Eli Cohen, Dan Williams, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Riyadh ., Saudi, United, Israel, Transport Ministry, Channel, Thomson Locations: Saudi Arabia, U.S, Riyadh, Riyadh . Regional, Gulf, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Hajj, Saudi, Iran, Washington, Israel, United States

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