Muslim pilgrims flock to Mecca ahead of haj
Hisham Mostafa briefly forgot the war in Syria and his financial worries as he looked upon Islam’s holiest sites for the first time, standing among hundreds of thousands of white-clad Muslims gathered in Mecca ahead of the haj pilgrimage.
U.S. missionary thrust to the center of Turkey-U.S. crisis
When Andrew Brunson saw a police summons on his door in late summer 2016, the U.S. evangelical pastor thought it was a routine appointment to sort out his residency papers in Turkey, his home for nearly a quarter of a century.
Belarus’ Lukashenko dismisses top ministers, names new PM
Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko has dismissed the country’s prime minister and other top ministers, the presidential press service said on Saturday, in the biggest government reshuffle since 2014.
Factbox: Tributes laud Annan as man of peace and champion of rights
Leaders around the world paid tribute to former United Nations Secretary-General and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Kofi Annan, who died in hospital in Bern, Switzerland, in the early hours of Saturday aged 80.
Italy mourns victims of Genoa bridge collapse with state funeral
Italy mourned the victims of the collapse of a motorway bridge in the northern city of Genoa with a state funeral on Saturday, as rescue workers kept searching for the last few unaccounted people buried in the rubble.
More heavy rains likely in India’s Kerala as flood death toll jumps
(Corrects figure in 13th paragraph of Aug 18 story to say 200,000 people, not two million.)
Ghana mourns death of Annan, ‘one of our greatest compatriots’
Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo on Saturday hailed the late former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan as a consummate international diplomat who had brought immense pride to his country.
Former U.N. chief and Nobel peace laureate Kofi Annan dies aged 80
Former U.N. Secretary-General and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Kofi Annan died on Saturday at the age of 80, his foundation said, after decades of championing efforts to try to end protracted conflicts in Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
India’s Modi sees Kerala’s plight as flood death toll climbs
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised the flood-ravaged state of Kerala more helicopters, boats and other equipment needed to evacuate tens of thousands of stranded people as he was given an aerial tour of stricken areas on Saturday.
Iran anti-money laundering law faces challenge as deadline looms
A top Iranian constitutional body has demanded changes to anti-money laundering measures passed by parliament, state-run media said on Saturday, as Tehran nears a deadline to pass legislation to help it attract investment while facing U.S sanctions.
