Mecca

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AFP 20th Apr 2020 08:31:18 GMT +0300 Ramadan is considered an auspicious period to travel to Mecca to perform the year-round umrah pilgrimage, which Saudi authorities suspended last month due to the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving the usually packed area around the sacred Kaaba empty. From cancelled iftar feasts to suspended…

Riyadh (AFP) - From cancelled iftar feasts to suspended mosque prayers, Muslims across the Middle East are bracing for a bleak month of Ramadan fasting as the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic lingers.Ramadan is a period for both self-reflection and socialising. Believers fast from dawn to dusk and then gather…

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The COVID-19 lockdown could become an unprecedented natural experiment in noise pollution. Some of the world's most vocal animals — birds and whales — might already be benefiting from a quieter environment. While a drop in transportation during the coronavirus lockdowns has led to lower pollution levels across the world, the slowdown…

More than 100,000 people around the world have died from COVID-19. Meanwhile, Italy and Ireland have extended their lockdowns until May in an effort to curb the virus outbreak. Follow DW for the latest. Global confirmed cases stand at over 1.6 million with over 100,000 dead, according to a tally by…

More than 100,000 people around the world have died from COVID-19. Meanwhile, Italy and Ireland have extended their lockdowns until May in an effort to curb the virus outbreak. Follow DW for the latest. Global confirmed cases stand at over 1.6 million with over 100,000 dead, according to a tally by…

The coronavirus pandemic is likely to be a watershed event in world history, with a deep impact on society, politics, and religions. One can expect the rise of new messianic movements, for example, with some claiming that the pandemic is a sign that the apocalypse is coming, as some already…

Longstanding uprisings that have brought down leaders from Lebanon to Iraq have largely left the streets as COVID-19 stifles public life. But that hasn't stopped protesters from pursuing political change. From North Africa to the Middle East, several Arab countries have witnessed mass protest movements bring down longstanding political leaders…

The number of COVID-19 infections in the United States grew to over 200,000 as the global total neared 1 million. Aid agencies fear a global food shortage if the pandemic is badly handled. Follow DW for the latest. Over 900,000 COVID-19 cases have been reported worldwide, with more than 45,000…