Labour Party leader rules out any rise in income tax, for national insurance or VAT.
The UK’s opposition leader Keir Starmer has pledged to make wealth creation the top priority of his government in a pre-election pitch to voters.
Speaking ahead of the release of the Labour Party’s election manifesto on Thursday, Starmer said he would prioritise economic growth and not raise taxes.
“We will not raise tax on working people. That means no tax rises for income tax, for national insurance, for VAT [value-added tax],” Starmer said on Wednesday during a leaders’ debate hosted by Sky News.
“The manifesto tomorrow will be a manifesto, a plan, for wealth creation,” Starmer added. “Now you may not hear a Labour leader say that very often, but for me, that is the most important thing.”
Starmer, a former human rights lawyer-turned-prosecutor, is widely expected to win next month’s election after 14 years of Conservative Party rule.
Opinion polls have for months shown centre-left Labour to be leading the Conservatives by about 20 points.
Still, Starmer, 61, has sought to assure voters that Labour will govern with a pro-business and pro-growth agenda, after Jeremy Corbyn, the party’s most left-wing leader in decades, presided over its worst performance since 1935 at the last election.
As well as pledging not to raise personal taxes, Labour has ruled out raising corporation tax and said its plans do not require a hike in capital gains tax, although it has not committed to leaving the rate unchanged.
“I want to do things differently. I want to grow our economy. I accept that previous Labour leaders have sort of pulled the tax lever every single time and driven up spending,” Starmer said.
The UK has been among the worst-performing major economies in recent years.
The country slipped into recession in the last three months of 2023, with gross domestic product (GDP) declining 0.3 percent, following a 0.1 percent contraction in the previous quarter.
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has forecast the UK to grow 0.4 percent this year, slower than any other G7 economy apart from Germany.
The move comes as President Emmanuel Macron seeks alliance against France’s far right before upcoming elections.
France’s conservative Republicans party says it has removed leader Eric Ciotti for trying to strike an electoral alliance with the far-right National Rally (RN) of Marine Le Pen, although he insisted he was still in the post.
The Republicans’ political committee voted unanimously to remove Ciotti, Member of Parliament Annie Genevard said on Wednesday, adding that the party “will present candidates to the French public with clarity and independence” at snap polls called by President Emmanuel Macron for June 30 and July 7.
“I am and remain the president” of the party, Ciotti retorted in a post on X, calling the committee’s decision “a flagrant violation of our statutes” that was illegal and void.
La réunion organisée cet après-midi a été mise en œuvre en violation flagrante de nos statuts @lesRepublicains.
Aucune des décisions prises à cette réunion n’emporte de conséquence légale.
A mass revolt broke out among Republican heavyweights after Ciotti announced his deal with the RN on TV on Tuesday.
He closed the party headquarters near the National Assembly lower house for the day on Wednesday after the political committee called an emergency meeting, saying there had “never been any meeting planned at the HQ this afternoon”.
Ciotti claimed the move was for staff safety “after receiving threats”.
The politician from Nice in southeast France “was no longer president from the second he made this insane decision” to announce an alliance with the RN, senior lawmaker Aurelien Pradie had earlier told broadcaster France 2.
Long a “party of government” bringing presidents like Nicolas Sarkozy and Jacques Chirac to power, the Republicans have been squeezed between President Emmanuel Macron’s centrists and the far right since 2017.
Leaders have struggled to chart an independent course, at times allying with Macron’s minority government to pass key laws and at others threatening censure motions.
Macron defends snap polls
After Macron on Sunday announced snap elections in the wake of his own European vote battering, Ciotti on Tuesday declared he had made an electoral deal with the RN – taking much of his own party by surprise.
“In politics, the answer isn’t coalition deals, little pacts made behind closed doors to secure constituencies,” said Laurent Wauquiez, Republican president of the Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes region.
“We try to convince people, we may fail to convince people. But we do it clearly and with a spine,” he added. “The Republicans have to communicate their ideas simply but clearly in this legislative battle.”
Annie Genevard, general secretary of the French conservative party Les Republicains, talks next to Bruno Retailleau, Michele Tabarot and Laurent Wauqiez during a news conference after an emergency meeting called by LR party chiefs in Paris [Sarah Meyssonnier/Reuters]
Meanwhile, Macron on Wednesday defended his decision to call the snap vote in what amounted to a campaign speech, and urged parties on both sides of the political centre to join him in the battle against the hard right.
Macron, who ruled out quitting if his ruling alliance loses, called on “our compatriots and political leaders who do not recognise themselves in the extremist fever” to “build a new project … a coalition to govern”.
Macron called the election on Sunday after the anti-immigration, eurosceptic RN came out on top in a vote for the European Parliament.
The RN is expected to win 31 percent of votes in the first round national vote on June 30, while a left-wing alliance would get 28 percent, an Elabe poll on Wednesday showed.
Macron’s ticket is seen clinching 18 percent.
Political commentators say the battle between the far right and left will determine who comes out on top in the legislative election, which will be decided in the second round on July 7.
Euro 2024 kicks off in Germany when the hosts take on Scotland at Munich’s Allianz Arena in Group A on June 14, Friday.
High-profile players and breakout stars from the best leagues in the world will compete in the month-long Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) championship.
Here’s a look at our top 10 players to watch during the tournament:
⚽ Jude Bellingham (England)
Jude Bellingham’s stunning debut season at Spanish mega club Real Madrid has rapidly turned the attacking English midfielder into one of the hottest commodities in European football.
Bellingham took the Spanish giants by storm with 18 league goals in the 2023-24 season, helping Madrid win the La Liga title and reach the Champions League final.
Apart from his impressive statistics, the 20-year-old’s leadership qualities and winning mentality have earned him the status of a hero among the Bernabeu faithful.
Bellingham will be keen to build on his spectacular club performance and could be the X factor in England’s Euro 2024 campaign, as they look to claim a maiden European nations title.
England’s chances at Euro 2024 may rest with how well star midfielder Jude Bellingham performs in Germany [Matthew Childs/Reuters]
⚽ Florian Wirtz (Germany)
Florian Wirtz was named the Bundesliga’s Player of the Year for his key role in Xabi Alonso’s revolutionary 2023-24 title-winning team at Bayer Leverkusen, as the attacking midfielder racked up the joint second-most assists (11) and scored an equal number of goals.
Wirtz is one of the brightest stars to emerge out of Germany in the last decade, with a rare talent to control and dominate the midfield in a way few other players in world football can.
If host Euro 2024 nation Germany is to have any chance of winning the trophy on home soil, Wirtz will need to be at his impactful best in order for them to succeed.
Germany’s hopes of securing a home Euros title rest on the 21-year-old shoulders of attacking midfield sensation Florian Wirtz [Thilo Schmuelgen/Reuters]
⚽ Xavi Simons (Netherlands)
Xavi Simons is a product of Barcelona’s La Masia Academy and his game boasts admirable traits of ‘Total Football’ – a tactical system common in Dutch and Spanish football in which any outfield player can take over the role of any other player – allowing the 21-year-old to impact a game from a multitude of positions.
At RB Leipzig, Simons operated on both wings and also as an attacking midfielder, carrying the ball around, maximising possession and creating goal-scoring opportunities for his teammates.
If given the game time and attacking liberty by manager Ronald Koeman, Simons can be a standout player for the Netherlands, allowing the Dutch a puncher’s chance to defeat the main contenders at Euro 2024.
Xavi Simons’ sublime talent on the Dutch national team elevates the Netherlands from pretenders to contenders at Euro 2024 [Piroschka Van De Wouw/Reuters]
⚽ Rasmus Hojlund (Denmark)
Having joined Manchester United as their most expensive signing in the summer of 2023, Rasmus Hojlund fully justified his price tag, scoring 10 English Premier League goals and at just 21 years old, becoming the youngest player to reach double-figure goals in the 2023-24 EPL season.
After overcoming injury issues and a form slump, Hojlund emerged as a promising attacking talent in the final months of the Premier League and will be keen to carry that form into Euro 2024.
In the past year, Hojlund has also thrived at an international level, leading Denmark’s attack with a sizzling seven goals during the Euro 2024 qualifying campaign.
Euro 2024 could be forward Rasmus Hojlund’s breakout party as Denmark dare to dream of their first European championship since their miraculous Euro 1992 title [Liselotte Sabroe/Reuters]
⚽ Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium)
Playmaker Kevin De Bruyne was the midfield maestro behind Manchester City’s victorious 2023-24 English Premier League (EPL) title charge, orchestrating the Sky Blues’ charge to their fourth straight EPL title.
The Belgian was almost unstoppable in the second half of the season for City and is on form at the right time with Euro 2024 beginning mid-June.
Belgium will hope De Bruyne is fit and firing for the Euros, where they could benefit from his experience in a new-look squad that is hoping to improve on the team’s quarterfinal appearances at Euro 2016 and Euro 2020.
Victorious Manchester City captain Kevin De Bruyne, in white, will be hoping to lead Belgium to Euro 2024 glory, as well [Wolfgang Rattay/Reuters]
⚽ Kenan Yildiz (Turkey)
Eighteen-year-old Kenan Yildiz transformed Max Allegri’s dull Juventus side in Italy’s Serie A, helping the defensive-minded team score far more than expected.
His presence improved not only his fellow striker Dusan Vlahovic’s form, but also Juve’s wingbacks, allowing them space between the lines.
As one of Serie A’s most exciting attackers, Yildiz stands on the brink of stardom for Turkey, for whom he scored his first international goal against Germany in November last year.
Euro 2024 will be a homecoming of sorts for the lanky forward: Yildiz was born in Regensburg, Germany to a Turkish father and a German mother.
He will be hoping to elevate Turkey to at least the quarterfinals after the country was disappointingly knocked out at the group stage in the last two Euros.
Talented Turkish forward Kenan Yildiz will return to his place of birth in Germany with one thing on his mind: winning his country’s first Euro title [Fabrizio Bensch/Reuters]
⚽ Lamine Yamal (Spain)
At just 16 years old, Lamine Yamal already has set a list of extraordinary records in his young career: youngest scorer for Barcelona, youngest scorer in La Liga history and youngest scorer for the Spanish national team.
This Spanish wonderkid’s explosive nature on the wings and unique ability to find the back of the net makes him one of the best options the national team will have in attack at Euro 2024 in Germany.
Euro 2024 may turn out to be the global coming-out party for the player many believe is one of the greatest 16-year-old prospects to ever play the game.
Spain already co-holds the record for European championship victories with Germany at three a piece. Yamal’s once-in-a-generation potential might yield an unprecedented fourth trophy for Spain.
Lamine Yamal’s extraordinary talent landed him in the Barcelona team at just 16. Can this superbly gifted winger similarly impress at Euro 2024 as a key part of a stacked Spanish side hungry for glory? [Albert Gea/Reuters]
⚽ Phil Foden (England)
Phil Foden’s impressive haul of 19 goals and eight assists for Manchester City earned him the Player of the Season award, as his side clinched a record fourth successive English Premier League title.
The 23-year-old impressed in an attacking midfield position for City and should Gareth Southgate play him in the same position instead of out wide, Foden could be the Three Lions’ dangerman.
England nearly won their first Euro title just three years ago at the COVID-19-affected 2021 edition, agonisingly losing on penalties to Italy in the final.
A breakout tournament from Foden may be the extra weapon they need up front to finally end their Euros title drought.
England are hoping Phil Foden’s winning habits at Manchester City can rub off on the national team as they aim for a maiden Euro title in 2024 [Carl Recine/Reuters]
⚽ Kylian Mbappe (France)
Known for his mesmerising dribbling, speed and clinical finishing, Kylian Mbappe has been one of the premier players on an awesome France national team in recent years.
The 25-year-old, who will wear the captain’s armband at the Euros, heads into the tournament on the back of a terrific final season with Paris Saint-Germain, scoring a whopping 44 goals in all competitions. Mbappe has signed on to play for Real Madrid next season.
With Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo now in the twilight of their illustrious careers, Euro 2024 represents the ideal platform for Mbappe to signal to the global footballing community that he is ready to be crowned the world’s greatest player – and that there’s no better way to do that than by leading France to their first European Championship in 24 years.
A standout Euro 2024 performance by superstar striker Kylian Mbappe is France’s best chance of securing a first European Championship since 2000 [Stephane Mahe/Reuters]
⚽ Josko Gvardiol (Croatia)
Josko Gvardiol arrived at Manchester City primarily as a central defender, but the 22-year-old spectacularly transformed into a goal-scoring left back, making him one of the Premier League’s biggest matchup nightmares for opposing teams.
In the 2023-24 EPL season, when he wasn’t torturing opposing forwards and keeping clean sheets, Gvardiol also chipped in on the offensive end for City, scoring a handy five goals and bagging three assists in all competitions.
This rare defender-turned-attacker hybrid sensation is also versatile enough to play in a defensive midfield role for Croatia, allowing their captain Luka Modric to dictate the game in midfield.
Gvardiol’s unique skill set positions Croatia nicely to play the role of spoiler at Euro 2024.
As one of the best defenders in the world, Josko Gvardiol gives Croatia a great chance to record their best performance ever at a European Championship [Antonio Bronic/Reuters]
Deminer Tetiana Shpak crouched down in a once tranquil poppy-strewn field in southern Ukraine, now littered with Russian mines.
Just a few years ago this scene would have been impossible – until 2018 women were banned from becoming deminers, a profession long considered too dangerous for them.
“I did not think that my path would lead here,” said the 51-year-old former maths teacher whose face was covered with a thick protective mask.
But the Russian invasion in February 2022 changed that.
After first helping to build fortifications to repel Moscow’s soldiers and then losing her father in a bombardment, Shpak said she “really wanted to be useful”.
More women like her are joining mine-clearance teams, where they now account for 30 percent of personnel, according to official data.
A similar trend has unfolded in other professions once dominated by men who have been drained of labour by mobilisation and emigration.
“The family was initially against it, of course,” said Shpak, who has been working for the Halo Trust mine-clearing organisation in Snigurivka, in the southern Mykolaiv region, for the past year.
Her teenage daughter, in particular, was “nervous”.
But Shpak told her that the work is safe, as she only locates mines while other teams actually detonate them.
“Now my daughter says that when she grows up, she will also try something similar,” Shpak said.
While she does not see herself as a role model, she said she would “like to see more women doing this kind of work”.
Valeria Ponomareva, a 23-year-old former hairdresser who leads a team of deminers, says women can have advantages in this line of work.
“Girls are more attentive, careful,” she told the news service AFP.
She said her mother was “shocked” but she has no regrets about her “dramatic” career change.
“For the prosperity of Ukraine our work is necessary,” Ponomareva said.
Ukraine’s ranks of female deminers boast a former ballerina, a chemist who used to produce sparkling wine and a dentist, the Halo Trust says.
Ponomareva comes from the eastern Donetsk region, one of the most heavily mined areas in the country where war has raged since 2014.
Russian forces laid mines around Snigurivka when it was under their control for much of 2022.
Elsewhere, Ukrainian troops have also left a trail of their own explosives, which they hope will thwart Russian advances.
According to the Interior Ministry, almost a quarter of the country could be “contaminated with mines and explosive devices”.
More than 270 people have been killed in mine blasts since the Russia-Ukraine war started in February 2022, according to Kyiv.
The 2021 killing of high-profile investigative journalist known for exposing underworld had sent the Netherlands into shock.
A court in the Netherlands has sentenced three men to up to 28 years in prison for their roles in the murder of prominent crime reporter Peter R de Vries nearly three years ago.
The man who shot de Vries on a busy Amsterdam street on July 6, 2021, and another who drove the getaway car received sentences of 28 years in prison on Wednesday. Another man who organised the slaying was sentenced to 26 years and one month. Prosecutors had sought life sentences for them.
De Vries died of his wounds nine days after being shot at age 64. The murder sent the Netherlands into shock and raised concerns about the ability of the underworld to eliminate a high-profile public figure who was considered a threat.
Dutch King Willem-Alexander called the shooting of de Vries “an attack on journalism, the cornerstone of our constitutional state and therefore also an attack on the rule of law”.
A total of nine men were charged in connection with the murder. Three of them were convicted of complicity and given sentences ranging from 10 to 14 years of imprisonment. One man was convicted of drug possession but was cleared of complicity in the murder. He was sentenced to four weeks in jail.
The full names of the suspects were not released in line with Dutch privacy regulations.
The killing of de Vries caused grief and anger in the Netherlands [File: Ramon van Flymen/EPA-EFE]
A regular talk show guest who did not mince his words, de Vries was well-known for his television programmes, in which he often worked with victims’ families and tirelessly pursued unsolved cases. He had received threats from the underworld in connection with his work.
The reporter received worldwide attention for his investigative work around the disappearance of US citizen Natalee Holloway in Aruba in 2005, for which he won an International Emmy Award.
At the time of his killing, de Vries was acting as an adviser to a suspect-turned-state witness in the trial against Ridouan Taghi, who was sentenced to life in prison for murder and drug trafficking earlier this year.
The state witness’s lawyer, Derk Wiersum, was shot dead in front of his home in Amsterdam in 2019.
That year, Taghi took the unusual step of making a public statement denying reports that he had threatened to have de Vries killed.
Prosecutors in the de Vries case said they were convinced that Taghi had ordered the Polish men to organise the murder, but Taghi was not part of the trial.
The court said it had therefore not been able to establish a link between the de Vries’s murder and his role as adviser to the state witness.
Dubbed a ‘competitiveness crisis’, the EU’s investment, income and productivity are lagging behind the US and China.
Struggling with slow growth, weak productivity and changing demographics, Europe’s share of the global economy is shrinking and lagging behind the United States and China.
Its leaders are worried the continent might not be able to catch up and want to make the European Union more competitive.
To achieve that, former President of the European Central Bank Mario Draghi says the bloc needs “radical change”. But getting more than two dozen nations in the bloc to act jointly and carve out a way forward is challenging.
Can India’s prime minister push through economic reforms? Plus, What are the economic benefits of Hajj?
From frozen Russian assets to growing West-China tensions, leading advanced economies have thorny issues to tackle.
Bari, Italy – Leaders of advanced economies are gearing up for the annual Group of Seven (G7) meeting in Italy in a year marked by wars – in Europe and the Middle East – and growing competition between the West and China.
The heads of state of what is often branded as a “like-minded”, exclusive and Western-oriented club are going to discuss thorny global challenges in the picturesque region of Apulia, which sits on the Adriatic Sea.
This will be the 50th G7 Summit — a three-day event from June 13 to 15 at Borgo Egnazia, a luxury resort.
Who’s coming?
The G7 countries are the United States, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Canada and Britain – so the leaders of each country will be there. They will also be joined by the chiefs of the European Council and the European Commission.
The G7 host also has the discretion to invite guests from other countries for extended sessions. It’s a practice that the grouping has increasingly turned to, as it has tried to present itself as a voice of more than just the wealthy West. But while the number of guests is usually small, Italy has invited a record number of leaders — from Pope Francis and Jordan’s King Abdullah II to the leaders of Ukraine, India, Brazil, Argentina, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Kenya, Algeria, Tunisia and Mauritania.
In addition, the secretary-general of the United Nations and heads of the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the African Development Bank, and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) will be present.
What’s on the agenda?
On June 13, discussions will kick off at 11am (09:00 GMT) with a session on Africa, climate change and development.
This will be followed by a session on the Middle East, where Israel’s war on Gaza is expected to dominate discussions.
A lunch break follows — visiting leaders might want to try Apulia’s famous le orecchiette pasta while they’re in the region. Right after lunch, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to arrive for two sessions on Ukraine.
On June 14, key topics of discussion will include migration, Asia Pacific and economic security. Sessions on artificial intelligence, energy and the Mediterranean are also on the agenda. At 6:45pm (16:45 GMT) there will be the closing session with the adoption of the G7 Summit Communique.
On June 15, the host, Italy, will hold a news conference.
What should you keep your eyes on?
An Italian source told Al Jazeera that G7 and EU countries are hoping to announce an agreement over a $50bn loan for Ukraine which would be guaranteed by profits accrued on Russian assets frozen in the West soon after Moscow invaded its neighbour in 2022. Such an agreement, the source said, would send a strong message of unity to Kyiv.
There are no expectations of any strong reprimand for Israel’s brutal bombardment of Gaza. The G7 is expected to back US President Joe Biden’s three-phase ceasefire proposal, which the UN Security Council endorsed on Sunday, and on the demand for the return of all captives currently held in Gaza.
Italy’s Giorgia Meloni, stronger than ever after major gains in the European Parliament election over the weekend, is expected to expand her foreign policy’s crown jewel, the so-called Mattei Plan by trying to secure buy-in from the broader G7. The project aims to position Italy as a major energy hub between Europe and the African continent. Its big promise is to help boost growth in Africa and in turn curb immigration to Europe. “Italy’s priority is Africa and to show that G7 is advancing its outreach towards the continent although there won’t be many new initiatives due to scarce resources,” Ettore Greco, vice president of the Rome-based think tank Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI), said.
China will also be discussed. A government source told Al Jazeera that the US is strongly pushing Western allies to include in the final statement the group’s concern over China’s industrial overcapacity – when firms produce more than the demand, driving down prices.
A drone view shows Borgo Egnazia resort, the venue where the G7 Summit is scheduled to take place from June 13 to 15, about 55km (34 miles) from Bari, southern Italy [Alessandro Garofalo/Reuters]
Is the G7 more than a talk shop?
Yet, for all the weighty subjects on the agenda, the G7 Summit is not a place where agreements are sealed or treaties adopted. It’s rather an informal platform where a handful of major advanced economies discuss issues, traditionally related to global governance and finance, to then produce a final joint statement. That document indicates the direction the group’s members intend to follow while crafting future policies, while offering the rest of the world a window into their priorities.
As the world’s economic power centres have moved from the West towards Asia and emerging economies more broadly, the group’s significance has shrunk. Back in the 1970s, its members’ economies represented about 70 percent of the world’s gross domestic product (GDP). But as the 2008 global financial crisis hit and alternative groupings emerged – from the G20 to a recently expanded BRICS – the G7’s relevance shifted from being the most powerful economic club to a group of like-minded industrialised countries.
This is the first G7 Summit since the expansion of the BRICS — a group whose leading members include China and Russia — last year served as a pointer to the mounting disillusionment in the so-called Global South over the West’s policies.
“A diplomatic win for the Italian government is to have a G7 that clearly communicates that the club is united and unbreakable in the face of geopolitical threats from Russia and China,” said Tristen Naylor, a fellow in international relations at the London School of Economics.
“And to demonstrate that this is more than just paying lip service to the idea of broader engagement,” he added.
The frigate and submarine are part of a four-strong fleet that is due to arrive in Cuba on Wednesday.
A Russian naval frigate and a nuclear-powered submarine have conducted missile drills in the Atlantic Ocean while on their way to Cuba, the Russian Ministry of Defence has said.
The drills, by the submarine Kazan and the warship Admiral Gorshkov, involved firing high-precision missiles at mock enemy targets from a distance of more than 600km (370 miles), it said in a statement on Tuesday. The Admiral Gorshkov also conducted training in recent days to repel an air attack, the ministry said.
They are part of a group of four Russian vessels due to arrive in Cuba on Wednesday. Cuba said last week that such visits were standard practice by naval units from countries friendly to Havana, and that the ships carried no nuclear weapons and did not present a threat to the region.
The trip will nevertheless be closely watched by the United States at a time of acute tension with Russia over its war in Ukraine.
The US does not see the move as threatening, but the US Navy will monitor the exercises, a US official told reporters last week.
“This is about Russia showing that it’s still capable of some level of global power projection,” the official said.
The Russian Defence Ministry said that the Admiral Gorshkov and the Kazan nuclear submarine held drills in the Atlantic [Russian Defence Ministry Press Service photo via AP]
Cuba, Russia strong bilateral relations
The Admiral Gorshkov is armed with new Zircon hypersonic missiles. The weapon has been designed to arm Russian cruisers, frigates and submarines and could be used against sea and ground targets.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has touted Zircon as a potent weapon capable of penetrating any existing antimissile defences by flying nine times faster than the speed of sound at a range of more than 1,000km (more than 620 miles).
The Admiral Gorshkov and the Kazan are accompanied by two support ships on their visit to Havana, which Cuban officials said reflected “historically friendly relations” between Russia and Cuba.
The Cuban Foreign Ministry said the Russian warships will be in Havana between Wednesday and June 17.
It is not the first time Russia has sent its warships to the Caribbean, but this week’s visit follows Putin’s warning that Moscow could respond to Ukraine’s Western allies allowing Kyiv to use their weapons to strike targets in Russia by giving similar weapons to adversaries of the West worldwide.
Al Jazeera takes a look at the world’s largest religious gathering Mecca sees every year.
Hajj, the largest annual Muslim gathering, occurs in Mecca from the eighth to the 10th of Dhul-Hijjah, the final month of the Islamic calendar.
This year, based on the moon sighting, Hajj will start on June 14, with Eid al-Adha being celebrated on June 16.
Hajj is a once-in-a-lifetime obligation for all able-bodied Muslims who can afford it, intended to cleanse them of sin and take them closer to God.
Hajj begins 10 to 12 days earlier each year. The infographic below shows when Hajj is expected to take place over the next 31 years.
When is Eid al-Adha?
Eid al-Adha, the festival of sacrifice, is celebrated on the 10th of Dhul-Hijjah, coinciding with the third day of Hajj and lasts for three days. This year, it falls on June 16.
Eid al-Adha is the second major Muslim festival after Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan, the month of fasting.
On the first day of Eid al-Adha, Muslims who can afford sacrifice an animal and distribute a set percentage of its meat to those less fortunate. This is done in symbolic remembrance of the Prophet Ibrahim, who, as per Islamic faith, was asked to sacrifice his son Ismail by God.
How is Hajj performed?
Muslim pilgrims from all over the world arrive in Mecca in a purified state of ihram and set their intention to perform Hajj.
The state of ihram is a symbol of humility and spiritual focus and serves to unify pilgrims from different backgrounds.
For men, this means being dressed in seamless white cloth only, with one piece wrapped around the waist and another draped over the left shoulder, with the right shoulder bare at all times.
Women can wear any plain clothing of their choice but should observe the rules of hijab and cannot cover their faces.
The Hajj re-enacts the Prophet Muhammad’s farewell pilgrimage in 632 AD, in which he traced the footsteps of the prophets Abraham and Ismail through the desert.
The infographic below takes a look at the process of Hajj at a glance.
Where do the pilgrims come from?
In 2023, some 1.85 million Muslims performed the annual pilgrimage. Nearly 90 percent (1.66 million) of pilgrims came from abroad, with the remaining 184,000 living in Saudi Arabia.
Asian countries contributed 1.05 million pilgrims, making up 57 percent of the total, followed by Arab countries (346,000) and African countries (222,000).
Male pilgrims numbered 969,694 (52.6 percent), while females were 875,351 (47.4 percent).
Hajj in 360 degrees
For millions unable to make the pilgrimage this year, a digital experience may offer a glimpse of what it is like to worship at Islam’s holiest site. Al Jazeera produced a 360-degree VR experience that takes viewers on a tour of the major landmarks that millions of Muslims visit during the Hajj.
Experience the journey by moving your phone around or drag the video around to see what Mecca looks like from all angles.
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