World News liveblog
Reuters live coverage of events around the world. Follow @ReutersWorld on Twitter for top news and @ReutersLive for live video events.
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Six Turkish Airlines staff in hotel attacked in Mali - officialANKARA, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Six Turkish Airlines staff members are among those in a luxury hotel attacked by gunmen in Mali's capital Bamako on Friday, a Turkish government official said."There are six Turkish Airlines personnel in the hotel," the official told Reuters. -
French Presidential source says French people are among those held in Bamako hotel siege in Mali.
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Turkish official says - Turkish airlines has six staff members inside the attacked hotel in Mali capital.
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Mali hotel gunmen free some hostages, including those able to recite verses of the Koran - Security sources
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Gunmen take 170 hostage in hotel in Mali's capital - hotel groupLONDON, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Two attackers have taken 170 people hostage in a luxury hotel in the Malian capital Bamako on Friday, the group that runs the hotel said."The Rezidor hotel group, which manages the Radisson Blu hotel in Bamako, understands that a hostage-taking is under way at the site today," the group said in a statement quoted by the BBC."According to our information, two people are holding 140 clients and 30 employees".
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Gunmen arrived at around 7am, aboard a vehicle, forced through security barrier at Bamako Radisson Blu hotel - Head security guard.
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At least two private security guards injured in attack on luxury hotel in Mali capital - Head security guard says.
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Several Chinese trapped as hotel attacked in Mali- XinhuaBEIJING, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Several Chinese guests are among those "trapped" at a hotel in Mali's capital Bamako which as been attacked by gunmen, China's state-run Xinhua news agency said on Friday."A Chinese guest surnamed Chen told Xinhua via WeChat mobile app that he was among a number of Chinese guests trapped in the hotel," Xinhua said in a brief English-language report.
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Rezidor Hotel Group, Manager of the Radisson Blu hotel is quoted by the BBC - 170 people have been taken hostage by two attackers in Bamako hotel in Mali.
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Xinhua is reporting that several Chinese tourists are trapped inside the hotel in Mali.
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Senior security source says - Gunmen entered the Radisson Blu hotel in the Mali capital, shooting and screaming 'Allahu Akbar'.
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We're now turning to live updates from Mali where a hostage situation is developing.
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Saudi security forces block the way to an area where a stampede occurred at the camp city at Mina, near the holy city of Mecca September 24, 2015. At least 717 pilgrims from around the world were killed on Thursday in a crush outside the Muslim holy city of Mecca, Saudi authorities said, in the worst disaster to strike the annual haj pilgrimage for 25 years
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Saudi government responsible for haj 'catastrophe': Iran leaderIran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said the Saudi Arabian government should accept responsibility for a crush outside the Muslim holy city of Mecca on Thursday that killed more than 700 worshippers performing the haj pilgrimage."The Saudi government should accept the responsibility of this sorrowful incident ... Mismanagement and improper actions have caused this catastrophe," Khamenei said in a statement published on his website.
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Pope expresses closeness to world's Muslims after haj stampede
ReutersPope Francis expressed "closeness" with the world's Muslims on Thursday after more than 700 pilgrims were killed in a stampede outside the Islamic holy city of Mecca in the worst disaster to strike the annual haj pilgrimage in a quarter century. -
by Reuters_LindaNoakes via Pdf.reuters edited by jamillah.knowles 9/25/2015 8:50:26 AM -
At least 717 pilgrims were killed on Thursday in a crush outside the Muslim holy city of Mecca, the Saudi authorities said, the worst disaster to strike the annual haj pilgrimage in 25 years.At least 863 others were injured at Mina, a few kilometers east of Mecca, when two large groups of pilgrims arrived together at a crossroads on their way to performing the "stoning of the devil" ritual at Jamarat, Saudi civil defense said.Thursday's disaster was the worst to occur at the pilgrimage since July 1990, when 1,426 pilgrims were crushed to death in a tunnel near Mecca. Both stampedes occurred on Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice), Islam's most important feast and the day of the stoning ritual.Photographs published on the Twitter feed of the Saudi civil defense on Thursday showed pilgrims lying on stretchers while emergency workers in high-visibility jackets lifted them into an ambulance.
Members of Saudi Red Crescent tend to pilgrims who were victims of a crush caused by large numbers of people pushing at Mina, outside the Muslim holy city ofMecca in this handout picture published on Facebook account of the Saudi Red Crescent September 24, 2015. REUTERS/Saudi Red Crescent/Handout via Reuters -
The death toll from a stampede on Thursday during the annual Muslim haj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia has risen to 717 people of various nationalities. It's the worst disaster to strike the annual event in a quarter of a century. Mana Rabiee reports.
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More than 717 pilgrims die in stampede in worst haj disaster in 25 years
At least 717 pilgrims were killed on Thursday in a stampede outside the Muslim holy city of Mecca, Saudi authorities said, the worst disaster to strike the annual haj pilgrimage in 25 years.
At least 805 others were injured in the crush at Mina, a few kilometres east of Mecca, caused by two large groups of pilgrims arriving together at a crossroads on their way to performing the "stoning the devil" ritual at Jamarat, Saudi civil defence said.
Thursday's disaster was the worst to befall the pilgrimage since July 1990, when 1,426 pilgrims were crushed to death in a tunnel near Mecca. Both stampedes occurred on Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice), Islam's most important feast and the day of the stoning ritual.
Read More -
Iranian state news agency IRNA said at least 47 Iranians were among the dead and cited Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian as saying Saudi Arabia was responsible.
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Members of Saudi Red Crescent tend to pilgrims who were victims of a crush caused by large numbers of people pushing at Mina, outside the Muslim holy city ofMecca in this handout picture published on Facebook account of the Saudi Red Crescent September 24, 2015. At least 717 pilgrims were killed on Thursday in a stampede outside the Muslim holy city of Mecca, Saudi authorities said, the worst disaster to strike the annual haj pilgrimage in 25 years. REUTERS/Saudi Red Crescent/Handout via Reuters -
A general view of members of the Saudi Red Crescent tending to pilgrims who were victims of a crush caused by large numbers of people pushing at Mina, outside the Muslim holy city of Mecca in this handout picture published on Facebook account of the Saudi Red Crescent September 24, 2015. -
An ambulance drives on the road at camp city at Mina, near the holy city of Mecca September 24, 2015. REUTERS/Ahmad Masood -
Medical personnel tend to a wounded pilgrim following a crush caused by large numbers of people pushing at Mina, outside the Muslim holy city of Mecca. REUTERS/Stringer -
LATEST: DEATH TOLL AT SAUDI HAJ STAMPEDE RISES TO 717, AT LEAST 805 OTHERS INJURED - SAUDI CIVIL DEFENCE
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Death toll at Saudi stampede rises to 453 - Saudi civil defence
DUBAI (Reuters) - The death toll from a stampede during the annual Muslim hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia on Thursday has risen to 453 people of various nationalities, the Saudi civil defence said.
It said that the crush, caused by large numbers of people gathering at Mina, outside the Muslim holy city of Mecca, had left 719 people injured. -
Medical staff carry a way wounded pilgrim following a crush caused by large numbers of people pushing at Mina, outside the Muslim holy city of Mecca. REUTERS/Stringer
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An ambulance evacuates victims following a crush caused by large numbers of people pushing at Mina, outside the Muslim holy city of Mecca. REUTERS/Stringer
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LATEST: DEATH TOLL AT SAUDI HAJ CRUSH RISES TO 453, NUMBER OF INJURIES AT 719 - SAUDI CIVIL DEFENCE
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MINA, Saudi Arabia - At least 310 pilgrims were killed on Thursday in a crush at Mina, outside the Muslim holy city of Mecca, where some two million people are performing the annual haj pilgrimage, Saudi authorities said.At least 450 others were injured in the stampede, which took place on Street 204 of the camp city at Mina, a few kilometres east of Mecca, where pilgrims stay for several days during the climax of the haj.The pilgrimage, the world's largest annual gathering of people, has been the scene of deadly disasters in the past, including stampedes, tent fires and riots.Safety during haj is a politically sensitive issue for the kingdom's ruling Al Saud dynasty, which presents itself internationally as the guardians of orthodox Islam and custodians of its holiest places in Mecca and Medina.
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A view of the camp city at Mina, near the holy city of Mecca September 24, 2015. At least 310 pilgrims were killed on Thursday in a crush at Mina, outside the Muslim holy city of Mecca, where some two million people are performing the annual Haj pilgrimage, Saudi authorities said. REUTERS/Ahmad Masood
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More than 300 people have died in a crush of pilgrims during the annual Haj gathering in Saudi Arabia. Rough cut (no reporter narration).
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More than 300 pilgrims were killed in a crush at haj on Thursday, the deadliest such incident since 2006.
Here are some other fatal events at haj in past years -
December 1975 - A cooking gas cylinder explodes in the pilgrim tent city, causing a fire that kills over 200 pilgrims.
July 1987 - Iranian protesters clash with Saudi police, leading to the death of more than 400 Iranian pilgrims.
July 1990 - Inside the al-Muaissem tunnel near Mecca in Saudi Arabia, 1,426 pilgrims are crushed to death. The accident occurs on Eid al-Adha (The Feast of Sacrifice), Islam's most important feast at the end of the haj and the day of the "stoning of the devil" ritual.
May 1994 - A stampede near Jamarat Bridge in Mina, near Mecca, kills 270 in the area where pilgrims ritually stone the devil.
April 1997 - 343 pilgrims are killed in a tent fire at the haj camp at Mina, prompting the government to construct a permanent, fireproof tent city there.
April 1998 - One hundred and nineteen Muslim pilgrims are crushed to death in Saudi Arabia at the Haj.
February 2004 - A stampede kills 251 Muslim pilgrims in Saudi Arabia near the Jamarat Bridge during the stoning of the devil.
January 2006 - Some 362 Muslim pilgrims are crushed to death at the eastern entrance of the Jamarat Bridge during the stoning ritual.
September 2015 - A crane crashes into the Grand Mosque days before haj begins, crushing 111 people to death.
September 2015 - A crush of pilgrims travelling from the camp at Mina to the Jamarat bridge kills at least 310, Saudi civil defence says. -
An ambulance drives towards the camp city at Mina, near the holy city of Mecca September 24, 2015. REUTERS/Ahmad Masood -
Pilgrims walk on a road in Mina, near the holy city of Mecca September 24, 2015. REUTERS/Ahmad Masood -
UPDATE: Saudi civil defence says that the death toll at the Mina Haj crush rises to 310
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@juilababa - not yet, we'll bring you more when we have it
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Members of Saudi civil defense try to rescue pilgrims following a crush caused by large numbers of people pushing at Mina, outside the Muslim holy city of Mecca in this handout picture published on Twitter account of the Directorate of the Saudi Civil Defense September 24, 2015. REUTERS/Directorate of the Saudi Civil Defense/Handout via Reuters
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Members of Saudi civil defense try to rescue pilgrims following a crush caused by large numbers of people pushing at Mina, outside the Muslim holy city of Mecca in this handout picture published on Twitter account of the Directorate of the Saudi Civil Defense September 24, 2015. The death toll from the crush of pilgrims on Thursday during the annual Muslim haj in Saudi Arabia has risen to 220, the Saudi civil defence said.REUTERS/Directorate of the Saudi Civil Defense/Handout via Reuters
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MINA, Saudi Arabia - At least 220 pilgrims were killed in a crush at Mina, outside the Muslim holy city of Mecca, where some two million people are performing the annual haj pilgrimage, Saudi Arabia's civil defence authority said.
At least 450 others were injured in the crush, which took place on Street 204 of the camp city at Mina, a few kilometres east of Mecca, where pilgrims stay for several days during the climax of the haj.
The pilgrimage, the world's largest annual gathering of people, has been the scene of deadly disasters in the past, including stampedes, tent fires and riots.
The last major incident in haj took place in 2006, when at least 346 pilgrims were killed as they attempted to perform the stoning of the devil at Jamarat.
However, massive infrastructure upgrades and extensive spending on crowd control technology over the past two decades had made such events far less common.
Street 204 is one of the two main arteries leading through the camp at Mina to Jamarat, where pilgrims ritually stone the devil by hurling pebbles at three large pillars.
Reuters reporters in another part of Mina said they could hear police and ambulance sirens, but that roads leading to the site of the disaster had been blocked to prevent a further crowds developing.
Photographs published on the civil defence Twitter feed showed pilgrims lying on stretchers while emergency workers in high-visibility jackets lifted them into an ambulance.
It said more than 220 ambulances and 4,000 rescue workers had been sent to the stampede's location to help the wounded. Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya television channel showed a convoy of ambulances driving through the Mina camp.
"Work is underway to separate large groups of people and direct pilgrims to alternative routes," the Saudi Civil Defence said on its Twitter account.
Thursday is also Eid al-Adha, when Muslims slaughter a sheep. It has traditionally been the most dangerous day of haj because vast numbers of pilgrims attempt to perform rituals at the same time in a single location.
Two weeks ago 110 people died in Mecca's Grand Mosque when a crane working on an expansion project collapsed during a storm and toppled off the roof into the main courtyard, crushing pilgrims underneath.
Such disasters are politically sensitive for the kingdom's ruling Al Saud dynasty, which presents itself internationally as the guardians of orthodox Islam and custodians of its holiest places in Mecca and Medina.
King Salman, like his predecessors, is officially styled "Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques". -
Members of Saudi civil defense try to rescue pilgrims following a crush caused by large numbers of people pushing at Mina, outside the Muslim holy city of Mecca in this handout picture published on Twitter account of the Directorate of the Saudi Civil Defense September 24, 2015. REUTERS/Directorate of the Saudi Civil Defense/Handout via Reuters
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DUBAI - The death toll from a crush of pilgrims on Thursday during the annual Muslim haj in Saudi Arabia has risen to 220, the Saudi civil defence said.
It said that 450 other people had been injured in the crush caused by large numbers of people pushing at Mina, outside the Muslim holy city of Mecca. -
Death toll at Haj crush rises to 220 according to Saudi Arabian civil defence authority.
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DUBAI - The death toll in a crush of people at the annual haj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia has risen to 150, the country's civil defence said on its Twitter account.
The report said the number of people injured in the incident outside the Muslim holy city of Mecca stood at 400. -
Saudi civil defence says that the death toll has risen to 150.
Putin says Russia will follow up fast after Ukraine call with Biden
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