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Saudi Arabia

The hajj begins: what you need to know

Thousands begin the annual hajj pilgrimage in Mecca - the birth of Islam

USA

Papal visit underway in US

Pope Francis has begun his first visit to the United States. The pontiff arrived from Cuba on board an Alitalia airliner at Joint Base Andrews in the

USA

USA welcomes Pope Francis, after Cuba

The nearly 80 million Roman Catholics of the United States are rolling out the red carpet for Pope Francis. Hot on the heels of a weekend in

Saudi Arabia

How well do you know the Hajj? Ten facts about Islam's annual gathering

Today sees the start of the Hajj, considered to be the largest mass gathering in the world, with at least 2.6 million pilgrims expected to

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Cuba

Pope Francis visits holy shrine on last full day in Cuba

Pope Francis ended his last full day in Cuba at the country’s holiest shrine, the Virgin of Charity of El Cobre, outside the island’s second-largest

Cuba

Cuba: Thousands attend Pope's mass, dozens denied entry, reports suggest

Pope Francis has so far avoided overt discussion of Cuban politics during his first ever trip to the communist-run island. The 78-year-old Argentine

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Tens of thousands of Cubans hear Pope's Mass

Cuba

When Francis met Fidel: 'Relaxed' talks between visiting Pope and Cuba's revolutionary icon

Religion and world affairs were, not surprisingly, the two key talking points when Pope Francis visited Cuba’s revolutionary leader Fidel Castro on

Cuba

Pope Francis celebrates Mass in Havana's Revolution Square

Cuba

Pope Francis hails warming US-Cuba ties on arrival in Havana

Pope Francis has hailed improving ties between Cuba and the US, saying they are a model of reconciliation. He has touched down in Havana for an

USA

Trump under fire in US over Obama 'Muslim' comment

Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump is under fire in the US for not correcting a man who said Barack Obama is a Muslim. It happened at one

Cuba

Cuba prepares for the three-day visit of Pope Francis

Cuba has been preparing for the three-day visit of Pope Francis to Cuba. On Friday Washington eased sanctions on American companies which want to do

Cuba

Cubans emotional ahead of papal visit

Havana has been getting ready for Pope Francis’s visit on Saturday (September 19). On Thursday, many Cubans watched a televised message from the

World News

Pope calls for more co-operation to fight climate change

With worries that the December conference on climate change in Paris is heading towards a showdown and possible clash between rich and poor countries

India

"Un-Islamic" : India's Muslim clerics issue fatwa against IS

A fatwa, or religious ruling, condemning the self-titled Islamic State group as “un-Islamic” has been signed by the leaders of all the main mosques

Vatican

Pope Francis makes marriage annulments easier

Pope Francis has made it easier for Roman Catholics to get marriage annulments, streamlining procedures and calling on bishops to provide more help to divorced couples.

Vatican

Pope calls on every parish in Europe to take in one migrant family each

As thousands of refugees pour into Europe, Pope Francis has called on every parish and religious community to take in one family each.

Thailand

Bangkok's Erawan Shine restored to public view after bomb blast

The Hindu shrine damaged in last month’s bomb attack in Bangkok has been repaired and restored to public view at a ceremony in the Thai capital. The

World News

Pope to allow all priests to forgive abortion during Holy Year

Pope Francis is to allow all priests discretion to forgive abortion during the Roman Catholic church’s upcoming Holy Year. It is the Argentine’s

India

Hindus launch Kumbh Festival with mass bathing

Millions of Hindus have plunged into the Godavari River in the west of India to celebrate the first bathing day of the Kumbh Mela festival in a