Hajj season starts with nearly 2 mn pilgrims
Riyadh, Aug 19 : The Hajj season started on Sunday with the Day of Tarwiyah, the first ritual of the holy pilgrimage, in Mina, a neighbourhood of the Islamic city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia, with 1,966,461 pilgrims.
The General Authority for Statistics announced the figure on Saudi Press Agency, with the total number of pilgrims to be announced on the evening of Arafat Day -- the most important Hajj ritual -- on Monday, Xinhua news agency reported.
To ensure the safety of pilgrims, a comprehensive security and safety plan has been set up to transport people between ritual sites.
Meanwhile, the Health Ministry announced another plan to protect the well-being of pilgrims with the allocations of 25 hospitals and 155 health centres at all sites with a capacity of 5,000 beds, 180 ambulances and 100 vehicles which were converted into ICU mobile units.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri to visit US
New Delhi (PTI): Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri will undertake a three-day visit to Washington DC beginning Wednesday to review the full spectrum of India-US ties.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said Misri's April 8-10 trip will provide an opportunity to advance ongoing bilateral cooperation across key areas.
"The visit will provide an opportunity to review the full spectrum of India-US bilateral relations and advance ongoing cooperation across key areas," it said in a statement.
The MEA said the foreign secretary will hold discussions with senior officials of the US administration on a wide range of issues, including trade, defence, science and technology, as well as regional and global developments of mutual interest.
"The visit follows the External Affairs Minister's visit to Washington DC in February and is in keeping with the regular high-level exchanges between the two sides," it added.
