Hajj nears climax for world's Muslims

Close to 1.5 million Muslims from around the world converged on a rocky hill known as Mount Arafat on Saturday night to prepare for the climax of the annual hajj pilgrimage. The pilgrims will mark Sunday with day-long prayers and recitals of the Koran holy book at the spot in western Saudi Arabia where they believe their Prophet Mohammed gave his last hajj sermon. Masses of Iranian faithful held an alternative pilgrimage on Saturday in the Shiite holy city of Karbala, south of the Iraqi capital.