NEWS
Families Search For Missing Pilgrims As Hajj Death Toll Surpasses 900
Friends and family members continued their frantic search for missing Hajj pilgrims on Wednesday as the death toll from the annual pilgrimage surged past 900.
The rituals, conducted in searing heat, saw temperatures in Mecca, Islam’s holiest city, soar to 51.8 degrees Celsius (125 degrees Fahrenheit) on Monday.
Relatives have been combing hospitals and posting pleas online, fearing the worst as about 1.8 million people, many elderly and infirm, participated in the predominantly outdoor pilgrimage, held this year during the scorching Saudi summer.
An Arab diplomat reported that deaths among Egyptians alone had risen to “at least 600,” up from more than 300 the previous day, largely due to the extreme heat. This figure brought the total reported deaths to 922, according to an AFP tally of figures released by various countries.
One of the missing pilgrims is Mabrouka bint Salem Shushana from Tunisia, in her early 70s, who has been unaccounted for since the pilgrimage’s climax on Saturday at Mount Arafat. Her husband, Mohammed, told AFP that due to her unregistered status and lack of an official Hajj permit, she was unable to access air-conditioned facilities.
“She’s an old lady. She was tired. She was feeling so hot, and she had no place to sleep,” he said. “I looked for her in all the hospitals. Until now I don’t have a clue.”
Social media platforms like Facebook have been inundated with pictures of the missing and requests for information. Among those searching for news is the family of Ghada Mahmoud Ahmed Dawood, an Egyptian pilgrim unaccounted for since Saturday. A family friend in Saudi Arabia, speaking anonymously to avoid angering the authorities, said, “The good news is that until now we did not find her on the list of the dead people, which gives us hope she is still alive.”
The Hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam, is an obligation for all Muslims with the means to complete it at least once. The timing is determined by the Islamic lunar calendar, causing the pilgrimage to shift forward each year in the Gregorian calendar. For the past several years, the rituals have taken place during the sweltering Saudi summer. A recent Saudi study noted that temperatures in the area are rising by 0.4 degrees Celsius (0.72 degrees Fahrenheit) each decade.
Fatalities have been confirmed by multiple countries including Jordan, Indonesia, Iran, Senegal, Tunisia, and Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region. However, many authorities have not specified the causes of death.
A second Arab diplomat reported that Jordanian officials were searching for 20 missing pilgrims, although 80 others initially reported missing were located in hospitals. An Asian diplomat stated there were “around 68 dead” from India, with more missing. “Some died from natural causes and many were old-age pilgrims. Others, we assume, succumbed to the weather conditions,” he said.
Saudi Arabia has not provided information on fatalities but reported over 2,700 cases of “heat exhaustion” on Sunday alone. Last year, more than 200 pilgrims were reported dead, most of them from Indonesia.
Many pilgrims attempt to perform the Hajj through unofficial channels due to the high cost of official permits. This has become easier since 2019 with the introduction of a general tourism visa. “For these tourists, it’s like being on the migrant route without any idea of what to expect,” explained Umer Karim, an expert on Saudi politics at the University of Birmingham.
The Arab diplomat noted that many of the deceased Egyptians were unregistered. Even those with official permits are not immune, such as 70-year-old Houria Ahmad Abdallah Sharif from Egypt, who has been missing since Saturday after visiting a public bathroom at Mount Arafat.
“We’ve searched for her from door to door and we have not found her until now,” said a friend. “We know many who are still searching for their family members and relatives and they are not finding them, or if they are finding them, they are finding them dead.”
International News
Tensions Rise As Hezbollah Launches Rocket Attack On Israel After Israeli Bombardment On Lebanon
Hezbollah launched a rocket attack on northern Israel on Saturday, its first strike following a series of intense Israeli airstrikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs overnight.
In response, the Israeli military confirmed new airstrikes targeting Hezbollah positions in eastern Lebanon, as tensions between the two sides escalate, raising fears of a broader conflict.
In a statement, Hezbollah claimed responsibility for targeting the kibbutz Kabri in northern Israel with a salvo of Fadi-1 rockets, asserting that the attack was a defensive measure against what they termed “barbaric” Israeli actions against Lebanese civilians.
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“Defending Lebanon and its people, and responding to the barbaric attacks on cities and villages,” the group said, reaffirming its commitment to retaliate against Israeli aggression.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) reported that sirens were activated in northern Israel as a response to Hezbollah’s claims, indicating the heightened state of alert in the region.
The IDF also stated that they were currently engaging “terror targets belonging to the Hezbollah terrorist organization in the area of Beqaa” in eastern Lebanon.
The tensions escalated significantly after the Israeli military executed a series of heavy bombardments on Friday, targeting what it identified as Hezbollah’s headquarters in Beirut.
The strikes resulted in substantial destruction, leveling several high-rise buildings and reportedly aimed at eliminating key figures within the militant group, including its leader, Hassan Nasrallah.
According to Lebanon’s Health Ministry, at least six people were killed and 91 others injured in the Israeli strikes, marking the largest blast to affect the Lebanese capital in the past year.
As rescue teams continue to sift through the rubble of six destroyed buildings, authorities fear the death toll may rise.
Sources close to the situation, including a U.S. official, indicated that Nasrallah was the primary target of the Israeli airstrikes, suggesting a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict.
The attacks have raised concerns that the situation could spiral into a full-fledged war as both sides prepare for further military engagement.
As regional tensions mount, the international community watches closely, hoping for a de-escalation in a conflict that has already inflicted significant casualties and devastation on both sides.
Barr Aloy Ejimakor, lead counsel to detained Indigenous People of Biafra’s (IPOB) leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has condemned the Department of State Services (DSS) for denying his legal team access to Kanu in custody.
In a statement via X on Friday, Ejimakor alleged that the DSS blocked Friday’s scheduled visit, violating court orders and constitutional rights.
He suggested this move was retaliation for Kanu’s successful request to recuse Justice Binta Nyako from his terrorism trial.
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He said, “Today, in violation of subsisting court orders and the constitution, the DSS blocked the legal team of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu from meeting with him at the detention facility.
“It appears that the DSS has cancelled all future visitations to Kanu as a retaliation against Kanu for chasing away Justice Binta Nyako from the case and causing her embarrassment.
“What this means is that the DSS, acting on behalf of the federal government of Nigeria, has unlawfully isolated Kanu from his lawyers, thus making his solitary confinement absolute. I don’t know when next, if ever, it may be possible to see Kanu again.”
The IPOB leader, who is being detained at the custody of the DSS in Abuja, is standing trial before a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja over terrorism-related charges.
Kanu had told the trial Judge, Justice Binta Nyako on Tuesday that he had lost confidence in her court and demanded she hands off his case.
Justice Nyako granted his request, excused herself from the case, and remitted the case file to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court for reassignment to another Judge to handle.
In a move set to revolutionize Africa’s agricultural sector, Nigeria has partnered with Mastercard to empower one million farmers across Nigeria, Kenya, and Tanzania.
This exciting partnership aims to boost agricultural productivity and yield by providing financial inclusion and digital access to essential services, with support from the African Development Bank.
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Vice President Kashim Shettima sealed the deal with Mastercard executives at the 79th Session of the UN General Assembly in New York.
He emphasized that this initiative has the potential to transform Africa’s food security landscape.
“This partnership is an important milestone in our quest for comprehensive financial inclusion and agricultural empowerment. By leveraging Mastercard’s global expertise, we’re set to create unprecedented opportunities for farmers across Nigeria, Kenya, and Tanzania.
Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy, Dr. ‘Bosun Tijani had earlier shed light on a groundbreaking partnership that’s set to revolutionize the agricultural sector.
According to him, this innovative collaboration aims to provide digital access to critical financial services for agricultural workers, which is expected to significantly boost productivity and economic growth in the sector ¹.
Dr. Tijani emphasized that the partnership goes beyond just introducing new technologies; it’s about reimagining the entire agricultural value chain.
He disclosed that the ultimate goal is to ensure that every farmer, regardless of their location, has access to modern financial tools and also tackles existing challenges in Nigeria’s digital payment ecosystem, making it easier for farmers to access financial services.
Tijani added, “We’re aware of the trust deficits that have hindered the full activation of contactless payments by some acquirers and banks. This partnership includes specific measures to bridge these gaps and ensure widespread adoption.”
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