Beijing, China | AFP | China said Sunday that relations with the United States were “on the brink of a new Cold War”, fuelled in part by tensions over the coronavirus pandemic, as Muslims around the world celebrated a muted end to the holy month of Ramadan. Foreign Minister Wang Yi …
Read More »Eid al-Fitr: Museveni congratulates Muslims
Museveni to Muslims, God is everywhere; pray from home Entebbe, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | President Yoweri Museveni has told Muslims in Uganda to pray from their homes as they celebrate Eid al-Fitr this Sunday marking the end of the holy month of Ramadhan. Museveni said that while it will …
Read More »Young Tunisians eat in secret despite Ramadan and lockdown
Nicosia, Cyprus | AFP | Hiding snacks under their beds or behind piles of clothes, young Tunisians are finding ways to subvert the Ramadan fast — despite being locked down with their Muslim conservative parents. The generation gap in religious observance is not new but it took on a new dimension …
Read More »Coronavirus ‘takes flavour out of Ramadan’ in North Africa
Algiers, Algeria | AFP | North Africans say they are missing the taste of Ramadan, as coronavirus restrictions deprive them of traditional mealtime gatherings, evening outings and beloved sweets during the Muslim holy month. “It’s not the usual Ramadan,” said one woman shopping in Ariana, near the capital Tunis, looking desperately …
Read More »Egypt reopens slowly to revive pandemic-hit economy
Cairo, Egypt | AFP | Egypt’s economy had just started to recover after years of political turmoil and militant attacks when the coronavirus crisis hit, impacting especially its vital tourism sector. Now President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s government has loosened a strict curfew for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in an …
Read More »Tunisia medics spending Ramadan in isolation
Tunis, Tunisia | AFP | Amira Jamoussi, a doctor on the front line fighting the novel coronavirus in a hospital in Tunisia, is spending the Muslim holy month of Ramadan away from her family. “It’s been five weeks since I’ve held my children in my arms,” Jamoussi said, before putting on …
Read More »Over Ramadan iftar, Sudan protesters vow to get civil rule
Khartoum, Sudan | AFP | After a day of abstaining from food and drink, Sudanese protesters Monday broke their fast on the first day of Ramadan with chicken soup and vowed to press their campaign for a civilian rule. As the call for the sunset prayer rang out, crowds gathered …
Read More »Ramadan pushes Africa Cup of Nations back by one week
Cairo, Egypt | AFP | The 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt in June and July has been pushed back by a week to cater for the holy month of Ramadan, the tournament’s chief told AFP on Sunday. The four-week long event will now run from June 21-July 19 instead of June 15-July 13, …
Read More »Death toll from Pakistan attacks rises to 57
Peshawar, Pakistan | AFP | The death toll from multiple attacks in Pakistan rose to 57, officials said Saturday, a day after the bomb and gun assaults in three cities shook the country as it prepared to mark the end of Ramadan, Islam’s holiest month. Officials in Quetta said the …
Read More »Saudi Arabia, Uganda to mark end of Ramadan from Sunday
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | AFP | The Eid al-Fitr feast marking the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan is to start on Sunday in Saudi Arabia and neighbouring Gulf states, the religious authorities announced. Uganda in East Africa also announced the moon had been sighted. Sheikh Yahaya Kakungulu , …
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