Welcome to 5Cornerkicks Blog World

World figures have been paying tribute to former UN secretary-general and Nobel laureate Kofi Annan, who has died at the age of 80. Current UN chief Antonio Guterres hailed him as "a guiding force for good" and Russian President Vladimir Putin described a "remarkable person". Ex-US President Barack Obama said Annan had always pursued "a better world". The Ghanaian national served as UN chief from 1997 to 2006 and is the only black African ever to hold the post. Since then he has served as the UN special envoy for Syria, leading efforts to find a solution to the conflict. The career diplomat died in hospital in the Swiss city of Bern. He had been living near Geneva for several years. He "passed away peacefully on Saturday after a short illness ", the Kofi Annan Foundation said. He was a "deeply committed internationalist who fought throughout his life for a fairer and more peaceful world", the statement added. K o

More than two million Muslims have started the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. The five-day pilgrimage must be performed by all Muslims, who are financially and physically able, at least once in their lives. On Sunday, pilgrims started gathering in Mina valley, on the outskirts of Mecca, for the start of the Hajj. In temperatures reaching the 40-degree mark, these people will perform rites in the Mina valley, mount Arafat and in Mecca.  Male pilgrims wear two white unstitched pieces of cloth that cover their body, known as the 'ihram', while women wear loose fitted clothing. Pilgrims are not allowed to cut their hair, wear perfume, or engage in sexual acts. The ritual ends with men completely shaving their heads. The climax of the Hajj includes the Eid al-Adha festival, which is one of Islam's two major festivals and involves the sacrifice of an animal, usually a sheep, goat, or cow. Around 54 million pilgrims have attended the Hajj over the past 2