Saudi bans hajj camel Slaughter over MERS

Saudi Arabia on Friday banned the slaughter of camels during this year's hajj pilgrimage, after a surge in deaths from the MERS virus linked to the animals. Camels will not be allowed to enter the holy sites of Makkah and Medina, the Permanent Committee for Fatwa said in a statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency. Hajj is expected to begin on September 21.