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☆ What is the Golan Heights and who are the Druze?
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-28 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Tensions between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah have reached new heights in the wake of a deadly rocket attack in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Here’s what to know about the Golan Heights, and the religious and ethnic Druze minority that fell victim to the attack. What is the Golan Heights? More than 20,000 Druze live in the Golan Heights. Druze of the Golan Heights share the territory with around 25,000 Jewish Israelis, spread across more than 30 settlements.

Persons: Majdal Shams, Israel, Donald Trump, Israel’s, Golan, Jalaa Marey, Law, ” Organizations: CNN, Hezbollah, United Nations, UN, Golan Regional Council, Regional Council, UN Human Rights, Getty, Nation Locations: Israel, Lebanese, Golan, Majdal, Iran, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria’s, Damascus, Gaza, Egypt, Syrian, Majdal Shams, AFP, ”, Carmel, Galilee, Israel’s

☆ Israel vows to hit Hezbollah after rocket kills 12 on football field
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-28 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Thousands of mourners attended funeral ceremonies on Sunday for the 12 children and teenagers killed by a rocket strike in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights as Israel vowed swift retaliation against the Hezbollah militia in Lebanon. Hezbollah denied responsibility for the attack on Majdal Shams, the deadliest in Israel or Israeli-annexed territory since Palestinian militant group Hamas' Oct. 7 assault sparked the war in Gaza. Members of the Druze faith, which is related to Islam, Christianity and Judaism, make up more than half the 40,000-strong population of the Golan Heights. "A heavy tragedy, a dark day has come to Majdal Shams," said Dolan Abu Saleh, head of the Majdal Shams local council, in comments broadcast on Israeli television. Hezbollah initially had announced it fired rockets at Israeli military sites in the Golan Heights, but said it had "absolutely nothing" to do with the attack on Majdal Shams.

Persons: Majdal Shams, Benjamin Netanyahu, Antony Blinken, Washington, Dolan Abu Saleh, Shams Organizations: Hamas, U.S, Hezbollah Locations: Lebanon, Majdal Shams, Golan, Israel, Gaza, United States, U.S, Britain, Egypt, Majdal, Syria, Shams

☆ Man accused of stabbing author Salman Rushdie is charged with federal terrorism-related counts
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-24 | by ( Nicki Brown | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —The man accused of stabbing author Salman Rushdie was charged with three federal terrorism-related counts, according to a grand jury indictment unsealed Wednesday. Hadi Matar is charged with committing an act of terrorism transcending national boundaries, attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and providing material support to terrorists. Matar has already pleaded not guilty to state charges of second-degree attempted murder and second-degree assault in connection with the stabbing. Matar recently rejected a state plea deal that would have tied in a federal terrorism-related charge and reduced his state prison sentence. Matar will appear in federal court at 2 p.m. Wednesday in Buffalo, New York, according to court records.

Persons: Salman Rushdie, Hadi Matar, Rushdie, Matar, “, Matar “, Nathaniel Barone, ” Barone, ”, Ruhollah Khomeini, Prophet Mohammed, Nouran Salahieh Organizations: CNN, Chautauqua Institution Locations: New York, “, United States, Buffalo , New York

☆ Olympic security checks block 5,000 people, including 1,000 suspected of meddling and espionage
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-24 | by ( Saskya Vandoorne | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —France’s Interior Ministry rejected around 5,000 security accreditation requests for Olympics volunteers and workers, with roughly 1,000 of those cases blocked due to suspicions of meddling or espionage. The Ministry outlined in a statement on Tuesday that it conducted “about a million” administrative investigations into various staff for the 2024 Paris Games. Of those checks, varying threats were identified, including meddling and espionage, convicted criminal records, illegal alien statuses, radical Islam, and ultra-right and ultra-left ideologies. The statement re-iterated that this will be the first Opening Ceremony taking place outside of a stadium for the Summer Games, creating significant security challenges. However, the ministry expressed its confidence, stating that it’s “now ready” after final rehearsals took place on Tuesday evening.

Persons: ”, it’s, Gerald Darmanin, “, ” Darmanin Organizations: CNN, France’s, Olympics, Olympic Games, Summer, French Locations: Islam, Russia, France, Paris, Seine, “ France

☆ Turkey’s Erdogan courts ‘terrorist’ Assad over Syrian refugee problem
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-24 | by ( Scott Mclean | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

In the capital Ankara, opposition parties are calling for mass deportations, and the government is calling on the Syrian regime it once sought to topple to help resolve the problem. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is now publicly seeking a meeting with President Bashar al-Assad, the man he once labeled a terrorist, to reset relations. Before the Syrian civil war, the two leaders vacationed together, but years later, after the Syrian regime brutally crushed a public revolt, Erdogan sought to oust him from office and backed local forces fighting against him. Turkish troops remain in control of a swath of Syrian territory along the Turkish border where Syrian opposition groups are sheltering. Syrian opponents denounce the Turkish President's statements for normalization with the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime in the city of Idlib, Syria on July 12.

Persons: CNN — It’s, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Bashar al, Assad, vacationed, Erdogan, “, ” Erdogan, ”, Bilal Bagis, “ It’s, ” Assad, Aaref Watad, Ali Yerlikaya, Ebubekir Hussamoglu, He’s, Anas, Mohammad Shbeeb, Abdullah Resul Demir, they’re, Shbeeb, didn’t, Cenk Ozatici, Iyi, Ozatici, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu Organizations: CNN, Turkish, International Refugee Rights Association, Ibrahim Usta, AFP, Getty, Party, European Union, Istanbul Mayor Locations: Turkey, Ankara, Turkish, Damascus, Syria, Afrin, AFP, Anatolian, Kayseri, Syrian, Antalya, Istanbul, Idlib, Gaziantep, Azaz, Ibrahim, Europe

☆ Israel strikes Yemen for the first time following deadly Houthi drone attack. Here’s what we know
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-21 | by ( Sophie Tanno | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —For the first time, Israel has struck inside Yemen, following a deadly drone attack launched by Houthi rebels on Tel Aviv. Soon after the Israeli attack, the Houthis said they launched a fresh barrage of missiles towards Israel, promising a response that will be “huge and great.”Here’s what we know. The US and UK have responded to those attacks by carrying out strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen. A tipping point for Israel appears to have come on Friday, when a drone attack was launched on Tel Aviv, killing one Israeli citizen and injuring several others. Oded Balilty/APThe attack marked the first time Tel Aviv, Israel’s commercial center, has been struck by a drone in an attack claimed by the Houthis.

Persons: ”, Allah, Hussein, Mohammed Hamoud, Israel, Yahya Sare’e, ” Sare’e, Houthi, Oded, Daniel Hagari, Samad, Masirah, Mohammed Abdulsalam, Yehya Saree, Osamah, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, ” Netanyahu, “ It’s, ” Charles Lister, Yoav Gallant, Yoel Organizations: CNN, Houthi, Red, US, US Central Command, Tel, Israel Defense Forces, Israel, Israel’s, Middle East Institute, Israel’s Defense, Hezbollah, AP, for National Security Studies, National Security Council Locations: Israel, Yemen, Tel Aviv, Red, Gaza, Iranian, Iran, Islam, Saudi Arabia, Sana'a, Israel’s, Hodeidah, Yemen’s, Lebanon, Lebanese

☆ Bangladesh army enforces curfew as students-led protests spiral
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-20 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Bangladesh students vowed on July 18 to continue nationwide protests against civil service hiring rules, rebuffing an olive branch from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina who pledged justice for seven killed in the demonstrations. Bangladesh soldiers patrolled the deserted streets of the capital Dhaka on Saturday during a curfew meant to quell deadly students-led protests against government job quotas that have killed at least 105 people this week. In addition to the deaths, the clashes have injured thousands, according to data from hospitals across Bangladesh. With the death toll climbing and police unable to contain the protests, Hasina's government imposed the national curfew and deployed the military. Those venturing out on the streets had their identification cards inspected by army personnel at different check points, TV footage showed.

Persons: Sheikh Hasina, Hasina, Tarique Rahman, Nahid Islam Organizations: Overseas, Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Supreme, AFP, Bangladesh Nationalist Party . Police Locations: Dhaka, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Narsingdi, Spain, Brazil

☆ Gambian parliament rejects bid to overturn historic FGM law
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-15 | by ( Nimi Princewill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Gambia’s parliament has voted to uphold a landmark law that bans female genital mutilation (FGM) in the largely Muslim nation, after religious groups pushed for the legislation to be repealed. If Monday’s bid had been successful, the tiny West African country would have been the first in the world to relegalize FGM after criminalizing it. The law also punished perpetrators with life sentences in cases where the practice led to death. In Gambia, 73% of women aged between 15 and 49 years had experienced FGM as of 2020, according to the United Nations. More than 65% of those women were subjected to the practice “before the age of five years,” the UN said.

Persons: CNN —, Yahya Jammeh, Mai Ahmad Fatty, Antonio Guterres Organizations: CNN, Amnesty, United Nations, UN Locations: Gambia

☆ Militant group blamed for 2002 Bali bombings to be disbanded, say senior leaders
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-05 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Senior members of Jemaah Islamiyah, the Southeast Asian militant network blamed for the deadly Bali bombings, have announced they are disbanding the group, according to a report by a Jakarta-based think tank on Thursday. The report from the Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict (IPAC) confirmed the authenticity of a June 30 video statement by 16 Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) leaders announcing they were dissolving the extremist network. The Al-Qaeda-linked militant group is accused of orchestrating some of the deadliest attacks in Indonesia, including the 2002 bombing of Bali nightclubs that killed more than 200 people. Indonesia’s National Counter Terrorism Agency (BNPT) declined to comment on the development, but said it planned to hold a press conference soon. Despite the clout of the figures involved, IPAC noted the group has a history of splinters and it was possible one could emerge in the future, although probably not immediately.

Persons: CNN —, Jemaah Islamiyah, Jemaah, ”, Sidney Jones, Jones, IPAC, ” Adhe Organizations: CNN, Institute for, JI, Counter Terrorism Agency, Radicalism, Deradicalization Locations: Jakarta, Indonesian, Islam, Indonesia, Bali

☆ Serbia: Police officer shot with arrow in suspected terror attack at Israeli embassy in Serbia
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-29 | by ( Mostafa Salem | Eve Brennan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —A police officer at the Israeli Embassy in the Serbian capital Belgrade was shot in the neck with a crossbow in a suspected terror attack on Saturday, CNN affiliate N1 reported. The police officer shot the attacker who later died, according to N1. The officer has been taken to hospital and will need an operation to remove an arrow from his neck. Serbia’s Interior Minister Ivica Dacic called the incident a “terrorist attack,” saying several people believed to have been linked to the incident had been arrested. A spokesperson for the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs also called the incident an “attempted terrorist attack” in a statement.

Persons: Ivica Dacic, Dacic Organizations: CNN, Embassy, Belgrade, Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Hamas Locations: Serbian, Islam, Israel, Europe, Gaza

☆ For many Muslim pilgrims, a dangerous unauthorized Hajj is the only option
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-25 | by ( Magdy Samaan | Clamping Down On Unauthorized Pilgrimage | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

He was among the more than 1,300 pilgrims who died during this year’s Hajj as temperatures in Saudi Arabia reached record levels. The tragedy, resulting in one of the highest Hajj death tolls in years, has brought attention to the shadowy industry of unauthorized pilgrimage agents. It is unclear how many unauthorized pilgrims made it to this year’s Hajj, but Saudi news outlet Al Sharq Al Awsat reported Tuesday that 141,000 such pilgrims received free medical treatment during the Hajj season. Clamping down on unauthorized pilgrimageBefore this year’s Hajj season started, Saudi authorities warned pilgrims against using agents selling unauthorized Hajj packages and had been in contact with other governments in an effort to crack down on the trend. Authorities had also arrested some illegal agents and issued warnings about penalties for those found to assist unauthorized pilgrims.

Persons: Cairo CNN —, Mahmoud, Salem, “, Abdelzaher Abdo Salem, Om Waleed, Abdelzaher, Mount Arafat, Salem’s, ” Mahmoud, –, Atef, ”, ” Aglan, Aglan, Al Sharq Al Awsat, Hania Hassan Salama, Salama, Mustafa Mohammed, Ahmad, General Muhammad bin Abdullah Al, Rafiq Maqbool Organizations: Cairo CNN, Al, Ma’aisam, Saudi, Egyptian Travel Agents Association, CNN, Hajj, Authorities, Public Security, Hajj Security Locations: Cairo, Abdo Salem, Mecca, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Salem, Abdelzaher, Mount, Mina, “, AFP, Saudi, Medina , Saudi Arabia

☆ Marjayoun, Lebanon: Residents along border with Israel fear another war
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-24 | by ( Ben Wedeman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Marjayoun, Lebanon CNN —In the town of Marjayoun in southern Lebanon, around five miles north of the Israeli border, the main square seems almost abandoned. Tensions between Israel and Lebanon have risen sharply since the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and the ensuing military campaign by Israel in Gaza. Damaged property in the town of Marjayoun, southern Lebanon. Sunday mass at the Maronite Church in the town of Marjayoun, southern Lebanon. I decide not to interfere with annoying questions about Israel, Hezbollah, impending war, death, destruction and displacement.

Persons: Virgin Mary, Saint Charbel, Claude, ”, Aita Al, Muhammad Darwish, Israel, ” Edouard Achy, Amal, We’re, ‘, Abu Nabil, Jordan, “, it’s, It’s, Fatin, you’d Organizations: Lebanon CNN —, Journalists, Hezbollah, CNN, South Lebanese Army, Israel, Maronite Locations: Marjayoun, Lebanon, Lebanese, Israel, Gaza, The Iran, Hasbaya, Syria, France, “, Jerusalem

☆ More than 1,300 people died during Hajj, many of them after walking in the scorching heat
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-24 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

More than 1,300 people died during this year's Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia as the faithful faced extreme high temperatures at Islamic holy sites in the desert kingdom, Saudi authorities announced Sunday. All but 31 of them were unauthorized pilgrims, according to two officials in Cairo. Egypt has revoked the licenses of 16 travel agencies that helped unauthorized pilgrims travel to Saudi Arabia, authorities said. Those agencies left pilgrims in limbo in Mecca and the holy sites in scorching heat, the newspaper said. AP journalists saw pilgrims fainting from the scorching heat, especially on the second and third days of the Hajj.

Persons: Fahd bin Abdurrahman, Jalajel, Egypt's, Mina Organizations: Sunday, Saudi Health, Saudi, Saudi National Center for Meteorology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Locations: Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Saudi, Riyadh, Cairo . Egypt, Mecca's Al, Muaisem, Egypt, Ahram, Indonesia, India, Jordan, Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, Malaysia, U.S, Islam

☆ ‘We are happy he’s buried in Mecca,’ says daughter of man who died in Hajj heat wave
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-24 | by ( Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Sentono had registered for the Hajj in 2018 and traveled to Mecca with his 83-year-old wife and neighbors from the Indonesian city of Yogyakarta, Jumartiyah said. Some 241,000 Indonesian pilgrims were scheduled to make the journey to Mecca this year, according to Indonesian officials – the country’s largest ever quota. Mecca, the holy city that is central for Hajj pilgrims, saw temperatures soar to a record 125 degrees Fahrenheit (51 Celsius) on Monday. “Everybody is affected by deadly heat and sadly I am not surprised by (the Hajj) death toll,” he added. “Spending time outdoors in the extreme Mecca heat is risking death … so I am afraid there will be more deadly Hajj pilgrimages in the future.”

Persons: Heru Jumartiyah, Ngatijo Wongso Sentono, ”, Sentono, Jumartiyah, “, ” Jumartiyah, Pariyem, –, CNN ‘, Ahmad, Maximiliano Herrera, ” Herrera Organizations: CNN, Saudi, Indonesian Ministry of Religious Affairs Locations: Indonesian, Mecca, Indonesia, Mina, Yogyakarta, Hajj, Saudi, Saudi Arabia, ”

☆ More Than 1,000 Hajj Pilgrims Died. Here’s What to Know.
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-24 | by ( Cassandra Vinograd | Vivian Nereim | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

At least 1,300 people died during the annual hajj pilgrimage in Mecca this year. It was unclear whether the death toll was higher than usual, as each year pilgrims die from heat stress, illness and chronic disease. But the toll has raised questions about whether Saudi Arabia made adequate preparations for intense heat and the influx of unregistered pilgrims who, the authorities say, relied on illicit tour operators to skirt the official permit process. Here’s what to know about this year’s hajj. The hajj, a pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, is one of the five pillars of Islam, and all Muslims who are physically and financially able are obliged to perform it at least once in their lives.

Locations: Mecca, Saudi Arabia

☆ Egypt to revoke licenses from Hajj tourism companies over illegal pilgrimages amid reports of hundreds of deaths
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-23 | by ( Zahid Mahmood | Housam Ahmed | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The Egyptian government will revoke the licenses of 16 Hajj tourism companies involved in making illegal pilgrimages to Mecca and refer the company’s managers to the public prosecutor amid fears hundreds of Egyptians could have died in this year’s Hajj. The decision was made in a cabinet meeting on Saturday after a report highlighted the dubious nature of how some tourism companies operate. The official toll among Egyptians stands at 31, but it is being reported by Reuters news agency and other outlets that as many as 500 to 600 Egyptians died during the pilgrimage. A CNN tally puts the total dead from Hajj at nearly 500 but the figure is likely to rise. Muslim pilgrims perform the farewell circumambulation or "tawaf", circling seven times around the Kaaba, Islam's holiest shrine, at the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Mecca.

Persons: Mostafa Madbouly, ”, Ahmed Organizations: CNN, Reuters, Getty, Egyptian Locations: Mecca, Hajj, AFP, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, ”

☆ ‘They saved their whole lives for this’: American woman’s heartbreak as parents die on Hajj
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-22 | by ( Pauline Lockwood | Maija-Liisa Ehlinger | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Saida Wurie said it was her parents’ lifelong dream to participate in Hajj, the religious pilgrimage that brings Muslims from around the world to Saudi Arabia each year. Speaking to CNN’s Whitfield on Saturday, Wurie said she had been in close contact with her parents while they were in Saudi Arabia via a family group chat. As of Saturday, diplomats have not committed to meeting them in person in Saudi Arabia, she said. Mecca, the holy city that is central for Hajj pilgrims, saw temperatures soar to a record-setting 125 degrees Fahrenheit on Monday. Fadel Senna/AFP/Getty ImagesBut CNN has spoken to other Hajj pilgrims who said the preparations weren’t enough, with one describing seeing fellow worshipers lose consciousness and walking past bodies covered in white cloths.

Persons: Saida Wurie, They’d, “, ”, CNN’s Fredricka Whitfield, Wurie, Isatu Tejan, Alieu Dausy, Prince George’s County, CNN’s Whitfield, Arafat, Mount Arafat, Whitfield, Fadel Senna, Mina . Organizations: CNN, Kaiser Permanente, ”, Saudi Interior Ministry, US Embassy, General’s Office, US State Department, Saudi, Ahram Locations: Hajj, Saudi Arabia, Maryland, Bowie , Maryland, Kaiser, Prince George’s, Mina, Jeddah, Saudi, Mecca, AFP, Egypt, Saudi Arabian

At least 14 Malaysians, 165 Indonesians, 68 Jordanians, 35 Pakistanis, 35 Tunisians, 11 Iranians and 98 Indians have died, according to authorities in each country. According to a CNN tally, this brings the latest official death toll for this year’s pilgrimage to at least 460. The death tolls are expected to rise much further, as Saudi Arabia and Egypt have yet to release official figures. The Bernama report did not specify if the dead were members of the country’s official Hajj delegation. The government is targeting 30 million pilgrims by 2030.

Persons: Mostafa Madbouly, Abdel Fattah el, Mecca Rafiq Maqbool, Mohd Na’im Mokhtar, ”, Arafat, Prophet Mohammed, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Edward Szekeres, Handi Alkhshali, Aishwarya S Iyer Organizations: CNN, Jordanian Foreign Ministry, Crescent, Saudi, Reuters, Saudi Ministry of Health, Associated Press, AP Malaysia’s, Religious, News Agency, Hajj, India’s Ministry, External Affairs, Saudi General Authority, Statistics Locations: Mecca, Jordanian, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Mina, Saudi

☆ Official Death Toll From Hajj Pilgrimage Climbs Into the Hundreds
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-21 | by ( Emad Mekay | Lynsey Chutel | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

During the annual hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, one of the most important events on the Muslim calendar, at least 450 died under a scorching sun as they prayed at sacred sites around the holy city of Mecca. The pilgrims, some who have saved their whole lives for the hajj, spend days walking and sleeping in tents during their journey to Mecca, the holist city for Muslims. The hajj is one of Islam’s five pillars, and all Muslims who are physically or financially able are obliged to embark on the pilgrimage. Indonesia has so far reported the most deaths, 199, and India reported 98. The number of dead is expected to rise as neither Saudi Arabia nor Egypt, where many pilgrims come from, have released death tolls for their citizens.

Locations: Saudi Arabia, Mecca, Indonesia, India, Egypt

Dubai CNN —Dozens of people have died and thousands have been treated for heatstroke while performing the annual Muslim Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca amid extreme temperatures of up to 49 degrees Celsius (120 degrees Fahrenheit). At least 41 Jordanians, 35 Tunisians and 11 Iranians are among the dead, according to authorities in each country. Additionally, the governments are only aware of pilgrims who have registered and traveled to Mecca as part of their country’s quota – more deaths are feared among unregistered pilgrims. While deaths among pilgrims are not uncommon (there were more than 200 last year), this year’s gathering is being held amid particularly high temperatures. On Monday, Saudi Arabia advised pilgrims against performing the ‘stoning of the devil’ ritual between certain hours after temperatures reached an extreme 49 degrees Celsius (120 degrees Fahrenheit).

Persons: Handi Alkhshali Organizations: Dubai CNN, Crescent, Saudi, Saudi General Authority, Statistics Locations: Dubai, Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Kingdom

☆ 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

☆ 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

☆ Europe’s center ground is shifting further to the right
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-09 | by ( Luke Mcgee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

And while the far right is on course to make large gains, the center parties remain ahead. For those on the center right, domestic political shifts to the hard right could make working with the hard right increasingly attractive at a European level. The deadline for this is months away, which leaves a lot of time for horse-trading, which could see elements of the center right and hard right cooperate. It’s not implausible that the center right could vote with the left on issues like support for Ukraine, but then work with the hard right on immigration and climate policy. That was the result of years of domestic politics shifting in the UK, the center right shifting to fend off the hard right, ultimately leading to that rupture.

Persons: –, it’s, It’s, Emmanuel Macron, Pen, Macron, Brothers, Benito Mussolini, Ursula von der Leyen, she’s Organizations: CNN, European Union, EU, European People’s Party, Socialists, Democrats, Europe Greens, Conservative Reformers, European Locations: Europe, Ukraine, Brussels, Netherlands, France, Italy, EU

☆ Dutch nationalist Wilders makes big gains at EU election, exit poll shows
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-06 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Geert Wilders, leader of the Freedom Party, campaigns ahead of the European elections, in The Hague, Netherlands, on Wednesday, June 5, 2024. Dutch nationalist Geert Wilders' anti-immigration party on Thursday was projected to have made large gains in the Netherlands' election for the European Parliament, an exit poll published by broadcaster NOS showed. Wilders' PVV party, which won the national election last year but secured no seat at the previous EU election, was predicted to have won seven seats, one less than the Labour/Green Left combination. Voting in the Netherlands kicked off four days of elections for the EU parliament across the 27 EU member states. The actual result of the Dutch election will be announced after voting has closed in all 27 member states, on Sunday at 2100 GMT.

Persons: Geert Wilders, Wilders Organizations: Freedom Party, Parliament, NOS, Labour Locations: The Hague, Netherlands

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