Kaaba Deserted as Saudi Arabia Suspends Pilgrimage

CORONAVIRUS: The holiest site in Islam - the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca - was empty during Friday prayers, in a dramatic illustration of Saudi Arabia’s fight to stop the spread of the coronavirus. ––––––––– READ MORE: Saudi Arabia has banned citizens and residents from performing the voluntary Muslim Umrah pilgrimage in Mecca over fears about new virus. The announcement came on the state-run Saudi Press Agency on Wednesday, quoting an unnamed Interior Ministry official announcing the ban. It gave no