Prince Khalid Al Faisal and fellow dignitaries cleaned the inside walls of the Kaaba on Monday.
Prince Khalid Al Faisal and fellow dignitaries cleaned the inside walls of the Kaaba on Monday.
Prince Khalid Al Faisal and fellow dignitaries cleaned the inside walls of the Kaaba on Monday.
Prince Khalid Al Faisal and fellow dignitaries cleaned the inside walls of the Kaaba on Monday.

King Salman appoints Prince Khalid to lead ceremonial washing of Holy Kaaba


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Saudi Arabia's Prince Khalid Al Faisal, the governor of Makkah, performed the ritual of cleaning the Holy Kaaba on Monday.

King Salman announced on Sunday that Prince Khalid would perform the ceremony, which is part of a tradition set by the Prophet Mohammed.

Prince Khalid washed the interior of the Kaaba, using a cloth dipped in Zamzam water and rosewater.

Saudi Arabia's Prince Khalid Al Faisal, the governor of Makkah, arrives to clean the Holy Kaaba.
Saudi Arabia's Prince Khalid Al Faisal, the governor of Makkah, arrives to clean the Holy Kaaba.

Abdulrahman bin Abdulaziz Al Sudais, the President General of the Grand Holy Mosque and Prophet's Mosque Affairs, said the ceremony is part of the "great care" the country's leadership has for the two holy mosques.

The ceremony was subject to precautionary measures because of the pandemic.

The maintenance of the Holy Kaaba started earlier this month, under the supervision of the Ministry of Finance's Project Administration Office, in co-ordination with the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques and relevant government agencies, state news reported.

This is part of government efforts to preserve the Kaaba.

Prince Khalid Al Faisal performs the ceremony.
Prince Khalid Al Faisal performs the ceremony.

The Project Administration Office and high-ranking officials supervise all work, as per the government's directives.


The General Presidency of Haramain released pictures of tools used inside the Kaaba, including cups, perfume bottles, a copper incense burner, a piece of cloth used to clean the walls and a broom.

A gallon is used to store Zamzam water mixed with rose water to wash the interior of the Kaaba.
A gallon is used to store Zamzam water mixed with rose water to wash the interior of the Kaaba.
Special perfumes were used in the cleaning ceremony.
Special perfumes were used in the cleaning ceremony.

Electoral College Victory

Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate. 

 

Popular Vote Tally

The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.

MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW

Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman

Director: Jesse Armstrong

Rating: 3.5/5

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?

The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.

A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.

Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.

The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.

When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.

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SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities

Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails

Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies

Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments

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Key findings of Jenkins report
  • Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
  • Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
  • Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
  • Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
Updated: August 24, 2021, 1:46 PM`