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Pilgrims gather for Hajj amid sweltering heat
Deutsche Welle
15 Jun 2024, 09:02
Photo: AFP
More than a million Muslims from around the world have amassed around the Saudi Arabian city of Mecca for the Hajj pilgrimage.
More than 1.5 million people from across the globe gathered amid intense heat in and around the Saudi city of Mecca on Friday for the annual Hajj pilgrimage.
The event takes place against the backdrop of war in Gaza, which has sparked fears of a wider regional war in the Middle East.
What's notable about this year's Hajj?
People living in the coastal Gaza Strip were unable to visit Mecca for the Hajj this year because of the closure of the Rafah crossing to Egypt in May.
That happened in May when Israel extended its ground offensive to Gaza's southernmost city.
Palestinian authorities said some 4,200 pilgrims from the occupied West Bank had arrived in Mecca for the event.
Meanwhile, Saudi authorities said 1,000 more family members of Palestinians killed or wounded in the war in Gaza also arrived to take part in the Hajj at the invitation of Saudi Arabia's King Salman. Those guests were understood to have been outside Gaza when the crossing was closed.
The gathering this year falls during the hot Saudi summer. Officials have forecast average highs of 44 degrees Celsius (111 degrees Fahrenheit). Last year, large numbers of heat-related illnesses were reported.
This year's Hajj also saw Syrian pilgrims arrive in Mecca with direct flights from Damascus for the first time in over a decade.
Flights resumed after a thaw in relations between Saudi Arabia and Syria, with Riyadh appointing its first ambassador to Syria since it severed ties in 2012 under the shadow of the Syrian Civil War.
More pilgrims already living in Saudi Arabia were also expected to arrive in Mecca.
What is the Hajj?
The Hajj is one of the world's largest religious gatherings, involving a series of rituals that take days to complete.
As one of the "five pillars of Islam," all Muslims with the means and health to participate are expected to do so at least once.
Initially, the pilgrims perform the "tawaf," circling seven times around the cube-shaped Kaaba of the Grand Mosque — Islam's holiest site.
The climax comes on Saturday with prayers on Mount Arafat, where Islam's Prophet Mohammed is said to have delivered his final sermon.
Nearly 2.5 million Muslims performed Hajj in 2019 before the coronavirus pandemic stopped religious and other gatherings globally.
The Hajj last year was the first since 2020 to be held without COVID-19 restrictions.
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Cyclone Remal likely to hit coastal areas by Sunday evening: state minister
State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief, Md Mohibur Rahman said that cyclone Remal is expected to hit in the coastal districts Satkhira and Cox's Bazar during the early hours of Sunday (May 26).
He said this at a press briefing at the Secretariat on Saturday (May 25).
Mohibur Rahman said, 'In coordination with the Meteorological Office of Bangladesh, India, China, Japan and Meteorological Offices of other countries of the world, we clearly understand that the cyclone is imminent. We are preparing accordingly.'
The state minister stated that about 4,000 shelter centres have been readied in the coastal districts and they are equipped with adequate dry food supplies.
The state minister said the meeting will be held again at 8 pm. We have called an inter-ministerial meeting at 11 am tomorrow. In a word, this cyclone is imminent, keeping that in mind, we have completed the preparations and started our activities.
The deep depression has moved further towards the coast. It was about 60 to 65 kilometers ahead of the morning and was 425 kilometers away from the coast at noon. Distant Warning Signal No. 1 has been diverged and instead hoisted local cautionary signal No. 3. All fishing boats and trawlers in the sea have been advised to go to a safe shelter immediately.
Notice to avoid confusion with HSC exam date
A notice spread through social media on Friday (May 31) that the upcoming HSC examination has been deferred by one month. Pointing it fake, the Ministry of Education said that the notice spread on Facebook is fake, the exam will be held on June 30.
In this regard, a notification from the Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Dhaka on Saturday (June 1) said that there is no reason to be confused with the date of HSC examination. The exam will held on time. The HSC exam will be held on June 30.
The advice was given in an emergency notification of the Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education on Saturday morning.
Professor Md Abul Bashar, convener of the examination controller of the Inter-Education Board and controller of examinations of the Dhaka Education Board confirmed that no decision has been taken to postpone the pre-announced examination.
AMD launches new AI chips to take on leader Nvidia
Advanced Micro Devices (AMD.O), opens new tab unveiled its latest artificial intelligence processors on Monday (June 3).
It detailed its plan to develop AI chips over the next two years in a bid to challenge industry leader Nvidia (NVDA.O), opens new tab.
At the Computex technology trade show in Taipei, AMD CEO Lisa Su introduced the MI325X accelerator, which is set to be made available in the fourth quarter of 2024.
The race to develop generative artificial intelligence programs has led to towering demand for the advanced chips used in AI data centers able to support these complex applications.
Source: Reuters
Rain likely in all divisions including Dhaka: Met office
According to the Meteorological Department, there is a possibility of moderate, heavy and very heavy rains in different divisions of the country in the next three days. At the same time, mild heat wave may continue over 9 districts.
This information has been given in the 72-hour forecast of the weather given on Friday (June 7) morning.
According to the Met office, till 9 am on Saturday (June 8), Light to moderate rain or thundershowers accompanied by temporary gusty wind is likely to occur at many places over most places in Mymensingh, Sylhet divisions, Rangpur, Rajshahi, Dhaka, Barishal and Chattogram divisions with moderately heavy to heavy falls at places over the country.
Moderately heavy to very heavy rains are likely to occur at places over Mymensingh and Sylhet divisions with moderate to heavy falls at places over the country.
Light to moderate rain or thundershowers accompanied by temporary gusty wind is likely to occur at many places over Rangpur, Mymensingh and Sylhet divisions and at one or two places over Dhaka, Barishal, Chattogram and Barishal divisions with moderately heavy to heavy falls at places over the country till 9 am tomorrow. Moderately heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely to occur at places over Rangpur, Mymensingh and Sylhet divisions with moderate to heavy falls at places over the country.
Light to moderate rain with gusty winds or thundershowers may occur at many places in Rangpur, Mymensingh and Sylhet divisions and at two places in Rajshahi, Dhaka and Chittagong divisions till 9 am on Monday (June 10).
Along with this, there may be moderate to very heavy rainfall at some places in Rangpur, Mymensingh and Sylhet divisions. Elsewhere in the country, the weather will remain mainly dry with partly cloudy skies. The ongoing heat wave may continue.
'Students don't even have time to sleep under the new curriculum'
Parents protest to demand of the cancellation or reform of the new curriculum. They said that the students-parents of the country are not yet ready for the new curriculum.
The cost of the child's education has increased in this curriculum. Although the government has assured to reduce the cost, it is not possible in reality. Besides, children are forced to stay awake throughout the night for various tasks including assignments, projects, presentations. Childrens are getting sick.
Guardians formed a human chain in front of the main gate of Viqarunnisa Noon School and College on Bailey Road in the capital at 12:30 pm on Monday (June 10). In the program, the parents elaborated on why the new curriculum is not suitable and how it is affecting the students and parents.
Tahera Akhter Rupa, mother of a seventh-grade student of Viqarunnisa School, said, 'Teachers, students and guardians are not ready for the new curriculum. I am a parent and graduated from university. I don't understand much either. After the introduction of the new curriculum, our expenses have increased a lot. Students don't even have time to sleep under the new curriculum. Kids don't have time to sleep while preparing their lessons. What kind of curriculum is this?'
She said, 'If the education minister had a meeting with the parents, we could explain the problems to him.'
Another guardian, Marjan Akhter, said, 'Students are moving away from basic education due to the new curriculum. He sleeps less at night and goes to class at 7 am.'
Educational institutions on vacation for 17 days
Educational institutions are going on 17-day vacation on the occasion of holy Eid ul-Adha and summer holidays. The holidays will begin on Thursday (June 13) and end on June 29.
The holiday notice has already been drawn in various educational institutions in the capital on Tuesday (June 11).
Classes will remain closed for 17 days from June 13 to June 29 on the occasion of summer holidays and holy Eid ul-Adha. Half-day classes will continue as usual from June 30. However, full-day classes will continue from July 1.
Professor Syed Zafar Ali, director (secondary) of the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education, said, 'We have different thoughts about summer vacation. However, since the Eid holidays will start from next Thursday (June 13), any organization can give summer vacation in coordination with the Eid holidays. If there is any change in the summer vacation, it will be informed later.'
Most drug deaths due to 'polysubstance' use, EU report
Synthetic opioids continue to concern European drug agencies. A new report states that 'polydrug' use is leading to new health risks. Data on cannabis since Germany's legalization, however, is still sparse.
The top takeaway from the European Drug Report 2024 : Drug users in Europe are increasingly using more than one drug at the same time — a practice known as "polydrug" or "polysubstance" use. And synthetic opioids remain a top-level concern for drug monitoring and drug addiction agencies.
These trends may or may not be voluntary as potent synthetic opioids are often being mis-sold or mixed with medicines and other drugs, and cannabis products are being adulterated with synthetic cannabinoids — so users don't always know what they are taking.
Polydrug use is the use of two or more psychoactive substances, licit or illicit, simultaneously or sequentially. Substances may be sold that contain one or more drugs other than the one the purchaser was expecting, either in a mixture with the substance they intended to buy or even as a replacement for it. (Source: Understanding Europe's drug situation in 2024 — key developments/European Drug Report 2024)
"Polydrug use can increase the risk of a drug overdose," stated the report, published by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) on June 11, 2024. "The majority of fatal overdoses involve the use of more than one substance […] cannabis was the drug most commonly reported in the cases of polydrug use toxicity."
Heroin is still the most commonly used illicit opioid in Europe. Cocaine use is second only to cannabis.
Synthetic opioids play a smaller role in Europe than they do in North America, according to the report, but their use is increasing in Europe, too. And they are "often highly potent and carry a significant risk of poisoning and death."
Six out of seven new synthetic opioids reported for the first time to the EU Early Warning System (EWS) in 2023 were nitazenes.
EU Drug Reports lacks data on synthetic opioids
By its own admission, and despite its 177-page heft, the report lacked data in a number of key areas essential for assessing public health effects and measures to curb addiction rates and drug overdoses.
Take nitazenes, for example: The report stated that in 2023, nitazenes were associated with a "sharp rise" in deaths in Estonia and Latvia and with localized poisoning outbreaks in France and Ireland.
But nitazenes and similar substances are not always detected in routine post-mortem toxicology tests in some countries, "so associated deaths may be under-estimated."
That means that the EMCDDA simply isn't getting the data it needs, especially when EU states fail to check for new and evolving drugs on the market.
"As drug consumption patterns are becoming ever more complex, there is also a growing need to improve our understanding of how changes in patterns of polydrug use are impacting on mortality," stated the report.
Another key area that lacked data was the impact of cannabis legalization. This is striking against two facts stated by top-level speakers at an EMCDDA briefing:
Ylva Johanssen, European Commissioner for Home Affairs said: 'After cannabis, cocaine is the second most common drug used in the EU.'
Alexis Goosdeel, EMCDDA Director said that the concentration of THC, the psychoactive element in cannabis resin had 'doubled in the last ten years' and it continues to rise, according the written report. Average THC was at 22.8% in the year 2022.
The report suggests that 'any policy development in this area' meaning legalization or toleration of cannabis, for instance 'should be accompanied by an assessment of the impact of any changes introduced. This sort of evaluation will depend on the existence of good baseline data; underlining again the need to improve our monitoring of current patterns of use of Europe's most commonly consumed illicit drug.'
The EMCDDA's 'national focal point' in Germany is the 'Deutsche Beobachtungsstelle für Drogen und Drogensucht" (DBDD), or the German observation office for drugs and drug addiction.
DBDD Director Eva Hoch told DW that the issue of missing baseline data — an agreed "starting point" from which to evaluate any changes or developments — could affect Germany's ability to evaluate the impact of its legalizing cannabis in April 2024.
'German researchers said a year ago that the scientific evaluation should start before the legalization, because we need that baseline data,' said Hoch.
Cannabis consumption had been on the rise for a decade before legalization, said Hoch, and this needed to be taken into account to properly track the impact of legalization.
'The picture is cracked in Germany,' said Hoch. 'There are many anecdotes on the internet and social media, but we don't have systematic data. It's unclear how the law has been adopted across the country's 16 federal states […]. There is no systematic data on the immediate impact of the new law we can't say whether cannabis consumption has increased in the two months since legalization or whether demand has increased, or whether there have been more traffic accidents since legalization in April.'
Those factors are just the start. Studies in the US and Canada had shown, said Hoch, that there were more than 100 factors that can help evaluate the effect of cannabis legalization. The German government had planned to evaluate the impact of the legalization of cannabis, she said, but that process had yet to start, and there was no sign of when it would begin.
