World

President Donald Trump has issued new restrictions on people trying to enter the United States from eight nations -- adding North Korea and Venezuela to a list that also includes Iran -- to replace his expiring travel ban.

Trump signed a proclamation on September 24 implementing a range of limitations that will apply to citizens of Chad, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Yemen, North Korea, and Venezuela.

Restrictions on citizens of Sudan were lifted while Iraqi citizens face enhanced scrutiny, or vetting, but will not be subject to travel prohibitions.

The new restrictions will go into effect on October 18, eight days after the court is due to hear oral arguments over the legality of Trump's previous ban.

"Making America Safe is my number one priority. We will not admit those into our country we cannot safely vet," Trump said in a tweet.

The measures restricting travel to the United States include an indefinite ban on visas for citizens of countries like Syria.

A suspension of nonimmigrant visas for citizens of Venezuela will apply only to certain government officials and their immediate families.

Venezuela and North Korea are the only two non-Muslim majority nations on the list.

The current ban, which sparked international outrage and legal challenges when enacted in March, expired on September 24.

The new policy may complicate the Supreme Court's review of the expired ban, which is scheduled for argument next month.

Based on reporting by Reuters, AP, and AFP

Officials in Saudi Arabia declared a successful end to this year’s hajj pilgrimage, which drew 2.3 million Muslims from around the world without reports of major problems.

Prince Khalid al-Faisal, who led the government-run committee that oversaw the hajj, on September 3 said this year’s celebration attracted 30 percent more people than the event last year.

“More than 2 million pilgrims have come to this holy land in order to embody the correct humanitarian image of Muslims,” Faisal said.

He added that no significant problems were reported in the five-day event.

In recent years, the hajj has been hit by deadly riots, fires, and stampedes.

The 2015 hajj saw some 2,300 pilgrims, many of them from Iran, crushed to death in a ritual near Mecca -- a tragedy that led to rising tensions between the host Saudis and rival Iran.

Tehran ordered a boycott of the event in 2016, but they allowed participation again this year.

As host, Saudi Arabia has made great effort to make hajj rituals easier and safer for pilgrims, including widening roads and deploying more than 100,000 security personnel.

Muslims are expected to perform the hajj at least once in their lifetime if they are fit enough and have the financial means to make the pilgrimage

Based on reporting by dpa and AP