MAKKAH, AUG 28 (DNA) – Two million Muslims from across the globe are converging on Mecca in Saudi Arabia for the hajj pilgrimage, a religious duty and for some pilgrims the journey of a lifetime. This year sees the return of pilgrims from Shiite Iran, regional rival to Sunni powerhouse Saudi Arabia, and comes with the Gulf mired in political crisis and Islamic State group jihadists squeezed in Iraq and Syria. “I m so excited because many people dream of coming to this place,” said 47-year-old Eni from Indonesia, her face framed in a sand-coloured veil trimmed with lace. “We feel more religious when we leave this place,” she said.

BEIRUT, AUG 27 (DNA) – Seen from the highway out of Lebanon s capital Beirut, the Ouzai neighbourhood is a jumble of haphazard construction, but venture inside and its low-slung buildings transform into street art canvases. Artists taking part in the “Ouzville” project have painted walls in brilliant blues, reds, yellows and greens, adorning others with enormous murals, doodles, and cartoon characters. The project is a breath of fresh air for Ouzai, a rundown and largely informal neighbourhood on the Mediterranean coast south of Beirut. It was once a sleepy seaside village, with long stretches of beach that attracted sunbathers from miles away.

CORPUS CHRISTI, AUG 26 (DNA) – Hurricane Harvey slammed into the Texas coast late Friday, unleashing torrents of rain and packing powerful winds as it became the first major storm to hit the US mainland in 12 years. President Donald Trump granted Texas Governor Greg Abbott s call to declare a “major disaster” zone in the state in order to speed federal aid to the millions in harm s way. The arrival of the storm — which was packing sustained winds of 130 miles (215 kilometers) an hour — was the first major domestic challenge for Trump, who the White House said would head to the affected region early next week.