THOUSANDS of Muslim pilgrims massed in a valley near the Saudi holy city of Mina yesterday for the stoning of Satan, the last and most dangerous rite of the annual hajj.

Rival Palestinian leaders have signed an agreement on a power-sharing government in Saudi-brokered talks.

Rival Palestinian factions focussed on two key issues as they headed into a second full day of talks today: the composition of a coalition Cabinet, and what commitments the West would require to lift its financial boycott of a government involving the militant group Hamas.

Rival Palestinian leaders began crucial talks in the Saudi holy city of Mecca today, vowing to reach a power-sharing agreement to avert civil war between them, a key step toward resuming the peace process with Israel.

Rival Palestinian delegations met in the dark hours of the morning as they prepared for crucial talks in the Saudi holy city Macca today on ending their bloody street battles and resuming the peace process with Israel.

Saudi Arabia brought the two main Palestinian leaders to Mecca, Islam’s holiest city, today for a last-ditch attempt to end their bloody conflict and complete a power-sharing agreement on a coalition government.

Muslim pilgrims circled the Kaaba, Islam’s holiest site, for a final time today, bringing to a close what may have been the largest ever Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, passing without the deadly stampedes that have marred the event in the past.

Nearly three million Muslims from around the world will spend today in prayer on Mount Arafat, in the first major ritual of their annual hajj pilgrimage.

Nearly three million Muslims from around the world, chanting “I am here, Lord” and raising their hands to heaven, marched through a desert valley outside Mecca in Saudi Arabia today on the first day of the annual hajj pilgrimage.

More than two million Muslim pilgrims from almost 180 countries raised their hands to heaven and chanted in unison as they hiked through a desert valley yesterday to a tent city on the outskirts of Mecca in preparation for the annual hajj.

Pilgrims circled the Kaaba – the huge black cube in the centre of the Grand Mosque in Mecca – raising their hands heavenward in prayer Saturday, asking for God’s bounty and forgiveness.

Rescue workers today still hoped to find survivors from an eight-storey hostel building that collapsed in Islam’s holiest city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia, killing at least 27 people and marring the start of the annual gathering of millions of pilgrims.

Rescuers aided by bright spotlights worked into the night tonight, searching for survivors and clearing rubble from the collapse of an eight-storey building that killed at least 15 people, the latest tragedy to mar the annual gathering of millions of Muslims in Islam’s holiest city.

A five-storey hotel at a gate to the Grand Mosque in Islam’s holiest city Mecca in Saudi Arabia collapsed into a pile of rubble today as millions of Muslims converged on the city for the annual hajj pilgrimage.

Islamic militants attacked a security checkpoint in the holy city of Mecca today, killing one policeman and sparking clashes.

Pilgrims began returning home after circling the cubic stone Kaaba in the Saudi holy city of Mecca, bringing to a close the annual hajj which was marred by the death of 251 people in a stampede.

The death toll from a stampede during the stoning ritual at the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca rose to 251 today.

Waves of pilgrims today jostled or shoved their way through crowds for devil-stoning rituals, a day after 244 people were crushed to death during the same rites at the annual Muslim pilgrimage in Mina, Saudi Arabia.

NEARLY 250 Muslim worshipers died in a hajj stampede yesterday during the annual stoning of Satan ritual in one of the deadliest tragedies at the notoriously perilous ceremony.

A stampede during a stoning ritual at the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca killed 244 worshippers, a Saudi Hajj Ministry official said today.

FOURTEEN pilgrims were trampled to death yesterday during a ritual in the annual Muslim pilgrimage in which crowds of people throw pebbles at three stone pillars representing the devil’s temptations.