Saudi Arabia to hold 'very limited' hajj due to coronavirus
Saudi Arabia said Monday that this year's hajj will not be cancelled, but that due to the coronavirus only "very limited numbers" of people will be allowed to perform the major Muslim pilgrimage.
The kingdom said that only people of various nationalities already residing in the country would be allowed to perform the hajj. The government did not specify how many people would be permitted to take part.
The annual pilgrimage, which is set to begin this year at the end of July, traditionally draws around 2 million Muslims from around the world for five intense days of worship and rituals in Makkah.
Saudi Arabia has never canceled the hajj in the nearly 90 years since the nation's establishment. It halted the minor umrah pilgrimage, which can be performed year-round, in February, as the coronavirus began spreading across the region.
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Man held with Rs 6.23 lakh drugs in Palghar
Palghar (PTI): Police have arrested a man after seizing drugs valued at Rs 6.23 lakh from his possession in Maharashtra's Palghar district, officials said on Sunday.
Based on intelligence inputs, the police conducted a raid at Dhaniv Bagh in the Nalasopara area on December 4 and apprehended the man.
During a search, they recovered brown sugar valued at Rs 6 lakh and Nitrazepam (a psychotropic drug) tablets costing Rs 23,628 from his possession, a police release said.
The accused, identified as Salim Bagion alias Sardar Chacha (40), was arrested and booked under provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, the release said.
The accused is a habitual offender. He has 12 previous cases registered against him, including three under the NDPS Act, the police said.
