S Arabia announces start of Ramazan

RIYADH: The Islamic holy month of Ramazan will begin Thursday in Saudi Arabia, the land of the religion´s two holiest sites, authorities said. “The first day of the holy fasting month of Ramazan falls on Thursday corresponding to May 17, 2018,” the Royal Court said in a statement published by state news agency SPA. The start date is set by both lunar calculations and physical sightings which determine when the last day of one lunar month ends and a new one begins. Traditionally, many Muslim-majority countries have followed the dates set by Saudi religious authorities, but in recent years many have used their own astronomical calculations.