Stampede kills more than 700 at Hajj pilgrimage near Mecca...more

Stampede kills more than 700 at Hajj pilgrimage near Mecca  A stampede during one of the last rituals of the Hajj season -- the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca -- has killed more than 700 people and injured 800 others in Saudi Arabia.

The stampede occurred Thursday morning during the ritual known as "stoning the devil" in the tent city of Mina, about 2 miles from Mecca, Islam's holiest city

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Footage taken just after the stampede -- obtained by CNN Arabic -- shows a disturbing scene. Bodies piled upon bodies, a few moving, but most appearing lifeless. Workers in hard hats and reflective vests can be seen working the edges of the pile of faithful, pulling dead bodies away to get to those who are still alive...

 

WSJ: More Than 700 People Killed in Mecca Stampede

A stampede during the annual pilgrimage to Islam’s holiest city left more than 700 dead and nearly 900 injured on Thursday, Saudi officials said.

Pope Francis Meets With Little Sisters of the Poor to Protest Obama Forcing Them to Obey HHS Mandate In Washington D.C., Pope Francis decided to meet with the Little Sisters of the Poor, the religious order that sued the Obama Administration over the president’s HHS mandate. In 2012, the sisters filed a lawsuit citing religious freedom concerns since it forces them to pay for birth control and drugs that may cause abortions, which is in direct violation of their religion.

Father Federico Lombardi said that the Pope’s visit was a surprise that “was not in the program.” He added that “this is a sign, obviously, of support for them” in their court case. Archbishop Joseph Kurtz of Louisville, president of the U.S. Bishops Conference, was pleased to hear of the Pope’s visit and commented on their current lawsuit...

Volkswagen chief quits over emissions scandal as car industry faces crisis ...The resignation of Winterkorn follows five days of growing pressure on VW after the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) accused the carmaker of using a defeat device to cheat emissions tests on diesel cars.

The crisis could lead to millions of VW and Audi vehicles being recalled around the world and legal claims from motorists. Leigh Day, a UK law firm, said that if VW also manipulated tests in Europe then UK consumers could claim compensation...