International
Updated: Muslim pilgrims converge on Mount Arafat as Hajj reaches peak
Updated: Muslim pilgrims converge on Mount Arafat as Hajj reaches peak
Muslims from around the world congregated Saturday at a sacred hill in Saudi Arabia for intense, daylong worship and reflection.
The ritual at Mount Arafat, known as the hill of mercy, is considered the peak of the Hajj pilgrimage.
It is often the most memorable for pilgrims, who stand shoulder to shoulder, feet to feet, asking God for mercy, blessings, prosperity and good health.
The mount is about 20 kilometres (12 miles) southeast of Makkah.
It is believed that Prophet Muhammad delivered his final speech, known as the Farewell Sermon, at the sacred mount 1,435 years ago.
In the sermon, the prophet called for equality and unity among Muslims.
“It’s indescribable,” Ahmed Tukeyia, an Egyptian pilgrim, said on his arrival Friday evening at a tent camp at the foot of Mount Arafat.
Hajj is one of the largest religious gatherings on earth. The rituals officially started Friday when pilgrims moved from Makkah’s Grand Mosque to Mina, a desert plain just outside the city.
Saudi authorities expect the number of pilgrims this year to exceed 2 million, approaching pre-coronavirus pandemic levels.
The pilgrimage is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. All Muslims are required to make the five-day Hajj at least once in their lives if they are physically and financially able to make the demanding pilgrimage.
The rituals largely commemorate the Qur’an’s accounts of Prophet Ibrahim, his son Prophet Ismail and Ismail’s mother Hajjar — or Abraham and Ismael as they are named in the Bible.
READ ALSO:
- Israel – Hamas war: Gazans unable to travel for Hajj pilgrimage
- South Africa’s Ramaphosa elected president
- Sudan’s army repels major assault on el-Fasher; kills RSF commander
The time of year when the Hajj takes place varies, given that it is set for five days in the second week of Dhu Al-Hijjah, the last month in the Islamic lunar calendar.
Most of the Hajj rituals are held outdoors with little if any shade. When it falls in the summer months, temperatures can soar to over 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit). The Health Ministry has cautioned that temperatures at the holy sites could reach 48 C (118 F). It urged pilgrims to use umbrellas and drink more water to stay hydrated.
After Saturday’s worship in Arafat, pilgrims will travel a few kilometers (miles) to a site known as Muzdalifa to collect pebbles that they will use in the symbolic stoning of pillars representing the devil back in Mina.
Pilgrims then return to Mina for three days, coinciding with the festive Eid Al-Adha holiday, when financially able Muslims around the world slaughter livestock and distribute the meat to poor people. Afterward, they return to Makkah for a final circumambulation, known as Farewell Tawaf.
Once the Hajj is over, men are expected to shave their heads, and women to snip a lock of hair in a sign of renewal.
Most of the pilgrims then leave Makkah for the city of Medina, some 340 kilometers (210 miles) away, to pray in Prophet Muhammad’s tomb, the Sacred Chamber.
The tomb is part of the prophet’s mosque, which is one of the three holiest sites in Islam, along with the Grand Mosque in Makkah and the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.
In recent years, Saudi authorities have made significant efforts to improve access and avoid deadly accidents.
Tens of thousands of security personnel were deployed across the city, especially around the holy sites, to control the crowds, and the government built a high-speed rail link to ferry people between holy sites in the city, which has been jammed with traffic during the Hajj season. Pilgrims enter through special electronic gates.
Saudi authorities have also expanded and renovated the Grand Mosque where cranes are seen around some of its seven minarets as construction was underway in the holy site.
Updated: Muslim pilgrims converge on Mount Arafat as Hajj reaches peak
![]()
International
Job Seeker Steals Bugatti CEO’s £2m Car After Finding Keys Inside
A man who reportedly visited the headquarters of luxury car manufacturer Bugatti in search of employment allegedly drove away in the company chief executive’s £2 million sports car after discovering that its keys had been left inside.
The incident involved Mate Rimac, the Croatian businessman and chief executive of Bugatti, whose personal Bugatti Chiron was stolen from the company’s production and technology campus near Zagreb, Croatia.
The suspect, a Croatian man in his mid-30s, reportedly entered the facility looking for a job before spotting the high-performance vehicle with its keys inside and driving away.
Rimac disclosed the incident in a series of posts on Instagram, explaining that he had routinely left the keys inside his vehicles because he considered Croatia a safe place.
He admitted that the habit had continued for years without any incident until the Chiron disappeared.
The theft was discovered after an employee alerted colleagues that an unfamiliar person had driven away in the expensive vehicle.
Rimac immediately contacted the police and used the car’s built-in tracking and telemetry system to monitor its movements.
The tracking technology provided information about the vehicle’s location, speed and fuel level, allowing the Bugatti team to follow its journey and share updates with law enforcement officers.
READ ALSO:
- Netanyahu Faces Political Setback as Israeli President Picks Rival to Form Government
- 2027: Tinubu Challenges Atiku to Explain How He Financed University
- Afenifere Crisis: ‘There Is Only One Afenifere’, Secretary Insists Amid Breakup Allegations
After discovering that the stolen vehicle was heading towards Slovenia, Rimac jumped into a Porsche 911 and pursued it.
The pursuit continued across borders, with the Chiron eventually reaching Austria. Rimac and his team maintained communication with the police through a group chat, providing updates that helped Austrian officers locate and intercept the vehicle.
The suspect was subsequently arrested in Austria, where Rimac later met him at a police station.
According to the Bugatti boss, the man explained that he had initially visited the company’s premises to seek employment but decided to take the car after noticing that its keys were inside.
Rimac said he was not planning to press charges against the suspect. However, he acknowledged that the man could still face prosecution because of the high value of the stolen vehicle.
The CEO also revealed that he had considered giving the suspect a lift home to his family but police officers did not allow him to do so.
The recovered Chiron sustained some damage during the incident, although Rimac said it could be repaired.
The businessman thanked the Austrian police for their intervention, saying he was relieved that nobody was injured during the incident.
He also admitted that the experience had taught him an expensive lesson, promising never again to leave the keys inside his vehicles.
The Bugatti Chiron, unveiled in 2016, is one of the world’s most powerful luxury hypercars. The model has a starting price of about €2.4 million, equivalent to approximately £2 million, and a manufacturer-limited top speed of 420 kilometres per hour.
Bugatti operates under Bugatti Rimac, a joint venture in which Rimac Group holds a majority stake.
The unusual theft has attracted international attention because of the vehicle’s value, the suspect’s reported reason for visiting the facility and the extraordinary cross-border pursuit involving the Bugatti chief executive.
Job Seeker Steals Bugatti CEO’s £2m Car After Finding Keys Inside
![]()
International
Netanyahu Faces Political Setback as Israeli President Picks Rival to Form Government
Netanyahu Faces Political Setback as Israeli President Picks Rival to Form Government
Israeli President Isaac Herzog has given opposition leader and former military chief Gadi Eisenkot the first opportunity to form the country’s next government, dealing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a major political setback after a closely contested general election.
Herzog announced his decision on Saturday, November 7, 2026, following consultations with political parties elected to the 26th Knesset, Israel’s parliament.
Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar party, emerged with the highest number of recommendations from lawmakers, receiving the backing of representatives from factions controlling 67 seats, compared with 46 seats for Netanyahu. Representatives of another faction controlling seven seats did not recommend either candidate.
The decision followed the October 27 general election, which left neither Netanyahu’s governing bloc nor the opposition grouping with the 61 seats required for a parliamentary majority in the 120-member Knesset.
Netanyahu’s religious-nationalist coalition secured 53 seats, while the four-party opposition alliance led by Eisenkot won 48. The two Arab-led parties made significant gains, securing a combined 19 seats, placing them in a potentially decisive position in negotiations over the next government.
Eisenkot is expected to receive the formal mandate from Herzog at a ceremony at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem on Sunday, November 8.
READ ALSO:
- 2027: Tinubu Challenges Atiku to Explain How He Financed University
- Afenifere Crisis: ‘There Is Only One Afenifere’, Secretary Insists Amid Breakup Allegations
- Illicit Donations: Adeboye Orders RCCG to Refund Billions Traced to Church Projects
Under the Israeli government-formation process, he will have 28 days to negotiate a coalition, with the possibility of a further 14-day extension.
The former military chief will face difficult negotiations because his opposition alliance does not have enough seats to govern independently. Although the Arab-led parties have endorsed him, Eisenkot has previously expressed reservations about forming a coalition with them.
One possible route is to establish a minority government with support from Arab-led lawmakers on confidence votes and key legislation. Another option would involve reaching an agreement with ultra-Orthodox parties that have traditionally aligned with Netanyahu.
However, both options could create tensions within Eisenkot’s own political alliance, particularly among members who oppose relying on Arab parties or making concessions to religious parties.
A broader national unity government involving Netanyahu’s Likud party is another possibility, although the two leaders have significant disagreements over key political and security issues.
Eisenkot has previously ruled out serving in a government alongside Netanyahu, while criticising the prime minister’s handling of the war in Gaza and his reliance on far-right political partners.
Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, had sought to prevent an opposition-led government from emerging with the support of Arab-led parties.
Shortly before Herzog announced his decision, Netanyahu called for a national unity government and warned against the formation of an administration dependent on what he described as supporters of terrorism, referring to the Arab-led parties.
His comments drew criticism from Eisenkot’s political camp, which accused the prime minister of using divisive language to undermine the opposition’s efforts to form a government.
The Arab-led parties, which represent a significant section of Israel’s Palestinian citizens, have indicated their willingness to support efforts to end Netanyahu’s long tenure in office.
Their combined 19 seats could provide Eisenkot with the parliamentary backing needed to overcome the deadlock, although securing a workable arrangement remains uncertain.
Eisenkot, 66, served as chief of staff of the Israel Defence Forces from 2015 to 2019 before entering politics in 2022. He later served as an observer in Netanyahu’s wartime cabinet following the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023.
He subsequently became one of Netanyahu’s most prominent critics, particularly over the conduct of the war in Gaza, the government’s security decisions and the influence of far-right politicians.
If Eisenkot fails to form a government within the stipulated period, Herzog may give another candidate the opportunity to try. If the process remains unsuccessful, Israel could be forced into another general election.
Netanyahu will remain prime minister in a caretaker capacity until a new government is sworn in.
Herzog’s decision therefore represents an important development in Israel’s political transition, but the final outcome will depend on whether Eisenkot can overcome divisions among opposition parties and secure sufficient parliamentary support.
Netanyahu Faces Political Setback as Israeli President Picks Rival to Form Government
![]()
International
White House Reaffirms US Policy Recognising Only Two Genders
The White House has reaffirmed the United States government’s policy recognising only two sexes, male and female, under President Donald Trump’s administration.
The administration restated its position in a message published on its official X account on Friday, November 6, 2026, declaring that the United States government officially recognises only two genders.
“It is the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders: male & female,” the White House stated.
The latest declaration reinforces Trump’s position on gender identity and his administration’s efforts to make biological sex the basis for federal government policies, official documents and administrative procedures.
Trump formally established the policy on January 20, 2025, through an executive order titled Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government.
Under Section Two of the executive order, the President declared that it was the policy of the United States to recognise two sexes, male and female.
The directive defined sex as an individual’s unchangeable biological classification as either male or female, distinguishing it from gender identity.
READ ALSO:
- ‘Stop Blaming Us’, APC Tells Atiku, ADC Over Court Judgment
- Atiku to Tinubu: You Cannot Use Courts to Escape Nigerians’ Verdict
- University Funding Crisis: States Beg FG to Take Over Cash-Strapped Institutions
It also instructed federal agencies to adopt the definitions when interpreting and implementing federal laws, regulations and government policies.
Among other measures, the executive order directed government agencies to review and remove official statements, policies, regulations and communications considered inconsistent with the administration’s position.
It further required federal agencies to ensure that official forms requesting information about an individual’s sex provided only male and female options.
The policy marked a significant departure from measures introduced under former President Joe Biden, whose administration expanded federal recognition of gender identity in several areas of government operations.
In 2022, the Biden administration introduced an X gender marker option on US passports, allowing applicants who did not identify as male or female to select the alternative designation.
Trump’s executive order sought to reverse such measures and restore biological sex as the basis for federal government recognition.
The administration has maintained that the policy is intended to protect sex-based rights and ensure consistency in the interpretation of federal laws.
However, the policy has generated considerable debate over transgender rights, gender identity, discrimination and the legal recognition of transgender and non-binary people in the United States.
The White House’s latest declaration did not announce a new executive order or additional regulatory measures but reaffirmed the administration’s existing position on an issue that continues to attract political, legal and social debate.
White House Reaffirms US Policy Recognising Only Two Genders
![]()
-
Sports2 days agoBREAKING: Flamingos Make History, Defeat Japan 2–1 to Win First FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup
-
News3 days agoTinubu’s Visit: One Feared Dead, Several Injured as APC Women’s Bus Collides With Security Vehicle in Uyo
-
Auto3 days agoUwatse Joins Ade-Ojo, Maduka in Exclusive League of Nigeria Auto Legends
-
Entertainment2 days agoMohbad: Court-Supervised DNA Samples Collected From Singer’s Remains, Son Liam
-
News2 days agoPower Outage: Tegbe Gives Nigerians 72-Hour Timeline as FG Moves to Restore Electricity
-
metro3 days agoADC Leadership Crisis: Why Two Federal High Court Judgments Do Not Conflict – Obono-Obla
-
Africa2 days agoShakahola Massacre: Kenyan Court Jails Doomsday Pastor 200 Years Over 191 Deaths
-
Politics2 days ago‘Stop Blaming Us’, APC Tells Atiku, ADC Over Court Judgment
