World Sep 12 Warring Afghans meet to find peace after decades of war Afghanistan’s warring sides started negotiations for the first time, bringing together the Taliban and delegates appointed by the Afghan government Saturday for historic meetings aimed at ending decades of war.
World Jul 31 Final days of Islamic hajj and Eid al-Adha holiday impacted by coronavirus The pandemic has pushed millions of people around the world closer to the brink of poverty, making it harder for many to fulfill the religious tradition of purchasing livestock. …
World Jul 30 Pilgrims pray on peak day of hajj in shadow of coronavirus Masked pilgrims arrived Thursday at Mount Arafat, a desert hill near Islam's holiest site, to pray and repent on the most important day of the hajj, the annual pilgrimage in Mecca in Saudi Arabia.
World Jul 27 Pilgrims arrive in Mecca for downsized hajj amid pandemic Muslim pilgrims have started arriving in Mecca for a drastically scaled-down hajj as Saudi authorities balance the kingdom’s oversight of one of Islam’s key pillars and the safety of visitors in the face of a global pandemic.
Nation Jun 22 Saudi Arabia to hold ‘very limited’ hajj due to virus Saudi Arabia has never canceled the hajj in the nearly 90 years since the country was founded.
Economy May 11 Saudi Arabia triples taxes, cuts $26 billion in costs amid pandemic Saudi Arabia has tripled taxes on basic goods, raising them to 15%, and has announced spending cuts of around $26 billion as it grapples with blows from the coronavirus pandemic and low oil prices on its economy.
World May 08 Amid pandemic, the world’s working poor hustle to survive From India to Argentina, untold millions who were already struggling to get by on the economic margins have had their lives made even harder by pandemic lockdowns, layoffs and the loss of a chance to earn from a hard day’s…
World May 07 Foreigners on the frontlines of pandemic in Arab Gulf states The global pandemic has drawn attention to just how vital foreigners are to the Arab Gulf countries where they work, particularly as countries like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Oman expel foreigners from certain sectors to create jobs for their own…
Health Mar 18 Iran reports single biggest jump in coronavirus as 147 more die It marks the biggest 24-hour rise in deaths since officials first acknowledged cases of the virus in Iran in mid-February.
World Mar 12 Iran asks for billions in loans as virus death toll climbs Iran asked the International Monetary Fund for a $5 billion loan to fight the coronavirus, the first time since the 1979 Islamic Revolution that it has sought such assistance, in a staggering admission of how fragile its economy has become…