内容摘要：Islamic tradition holds that the Kaaba, a stone structure draped in black silk at the centre of Mecca’s Grand Mosque where many Hajj rituals take place, was built by Prophet Abraham (Ibrahim) and his son Ishmael (Ismaeel) under God’s command. This marks the origins of the Hajj, which was instituted as a divine ritual for the first time.

Islamic tradition holds that the Kaaba, a stone structure draped in black silk at the centre of Mecca’s Grand Mosque where many Hajj rituals take place, was built by Prophet Abraham (Ibrahim) and his son Ishmael (Ismaeel) under God’s command. This marks the origins of the Hajj, which was instituted as a divine ritual for the first time.

Former President Joseph Kabila has returned to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, just days after heamid accusations he has helped armed rebels fighting in the eastern DRC, according to the Reuters and AFP news agencies.

Kabila, on Thursday, was visiting the eastern city of, which had been seized by the Rwanda-backed M23 militia along with several other areas in the resource-rich east of the country earlier this year.A team of AFP journalists saw Kabila meet local religious figures in the presence of M23’s spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka, without giving a statement.

Citing three unidentified sources close to Kabila, Reuters also said the ex-president held talks with locals in Goma.The visit comes despite the former president facing the possibility of a treason trial over his alleged support for M23.

Earlier this month, the DRC Senate voted to lift Kabila’s immunity, paving the way for him to be prosecuted.

The ex-president, who has been in self-imposed exile since 2023, denies the allegations and has slammed the charges against him as “arbitrary decisions with disconcerting levity”.However, tea consumption in countries in Europe and North America has been declining due to increasing competition from other beverages while for Russia, tea imports have been negatively impacted by the war in Ukraine.

Five odd teas around the worldTo mark this year’s International Tea Day, here are five somewhat unusual teas from around the world and how to make them:

Tibet and other Himalayan regionsIt’s in the name. Made with yak butter, black tea and salt, butter tea is broth-like. Apparently, there is a tradition where the host will refill your cup with butter tea until you refuse or until they stop filling it, signalling it’s time for you to leave.