MINA — Deputy Emir of Makkah Region and Vice Chairman of the Permanent Hajj and Umrah Committee Prince Saud bin Mishaal announced on Friday the successful completion of the 1447H Hajj season. “I am pleased to announce the success of this year’s Hajj, a success marked by security, organized operations, and the complete delivery of services and support,” Prince Saud said in a televised address. He said the season leaves behind the image of “a nation that never sleeps, hearts devoted to service, and hands that worked tirelessly until the holy sites became a model of order and harmony.” “This…
Author: Editorial Team
MINA — A large number of Hajj pilgrims started leaving the tent city of Mina on Friday afternoon, the second day of Tashreeq, after performing the ritual of casting stones at three Jamarat, pillars symbolizing Satan. Chanting “Allahu Akbar” (God is the greatest), pilgrims hurled stones first at Jamarat Al-Sugra (small pillar), then at Jamarat Al-Wusta (medium pillar) and lastly at Jamarat Al-Aqaba (largest pillar), seven times each. They prayed after stoning the first two pillars and quit quickly after stoning at the third Jamarat, following the tradition of the Prophet (peace be upon him). They performed the ritual in…
What was supposed to be a relaxing Eid Al Adha holiday trip to Kalba turned into an anxious wait on the roadside for Dubai resident Talha Ahmed. About an hour into the journey, his car suddenly developed a problem after a short stop, forcing him to call for assistance and putting his family’s plans on hold. “We had planned to spend the day in Kalba with family. The car had been running perfectly in Dubai, so a breakdown was the last thing on my mind. When it suddenly refused to start, we were left waiting on the roadside instead of…
VIENNA — A 21-year-old Austrian man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for planning an attack on a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna during the US singer’s Eras tour in August 2024. The man, named only as Beran A in line with Austrian privacy laws, was also found guilty of a string of other terrorism-related offenses. Beran A, whose last name has not been made public in accordance with Austrian privacy rules, was arrested on August 7, 2024, after a tip-off from the CIA just before the first of three sold-out Taylor Swift concerts was due to take…
WASHINGTON — A federal judge on Thursday declined to halt an executive order President Donald Trump signed in March creating a federal voter list and limiting mail voting, clearing the way for potential sweeping changes in how American elections are run shortly before this year’s midterm vote. US District Judge Carl Nichols, a Trump appointee in Washington, rejected the request by Democrats and civil rights groups that had argued Trump’s order would likely be found unconstitutional because the states and Congress, not the president, have the power to set election rules. The decision allows the Trump administration to continue pursuing…
For years, UAE foster mothers navigated some of their biggest parenting challenges alone—from hospital visits where children without identity cards faced administrative hurdles to legal questions around custody, residency and even deciding what foster children should be called. Now, with the recent licensing of the UAE’s first Foster Families Society, mothers who once fought those battles privately are turning personal struggles into institutional reform. Officially licensed as a non-profit public benefit organisation under the Ministry of Community Empowerment and headquartered in Abu Dhabi, the society aims to support foster families, protect the rights of children without parental care and strengthen…
ROME — Anti-mafia investigators in Italy have seized cash, companies and other assets worth more than €200 million ($232 million)in an operation they say targeted the network of notorious late Sicilian mafia boss Matteo Messina Denaro. Messina Denaro was arrested in 2023 after spending 30 years on the run for his role in the Sicilian Cosa Nostra mafia’s war against the state between the 1980s and 1990s, which included the killing of top prosecutor Giovanni Falcone. Nicknamed “U Siccu” (the skinny one), Messina Denaro died of cancer a few months after his arrest, leaving prosecutors with the task of tracking…
PARIS — Portugal has set a new hottest day in May with 40.3C recorded in the central town of Mora, as countries in western Europe grapple with sweltering-hot weather. The temperature recorded on Wednesday bests Portugal’s previous record of 40C set in May 2001. The extreme temperatures come as a UN-backed report warns Europe is the world’s fastest-warming continent, heating more than twice as fast as the global average. Large parts of western and central Europe are in the grip of an extraordinary heatwave phase, with many places registering temperatures 10 to 15 degrees Celsius higher than normal. Several European…
Oftentimes one may find themselves too shy to even admit they want to give something like acting a go, because of all the preconceived notions that cling to the art form. But say you fight those inner voices and arrive at a place of simple wanting: to try acting the way you might try dancing, or singing, or any other art that lets your body and voice hold what your everyday life can’t always express. You make it to that workshop. You stand in front of strangers, you let your vulnerability show, you feel something shift inside you. Then, the…
An act of honesty was met with honour by Dubai Police, when an Indian national was acknowledged for his integrity after he handed over Dh100,000 that he found in a parking lot to the authority. The money was then returned to its owner who was not aware of his loss. The incident took place when Dubai expat, Mohammed Ali Sherakal Mohi, arrived at the parking lot and was surprised to find this big amount of money in front of him. He took a photo of the bundle that contained Dh100,000 and the location where he found it, then headed to…