Muslims mark start of Ramadan, many under cloud of war

BEIRUT: More than a billion Muslims observed the start of Ramadan on Monday, but in the besieged cities of Syria and Iraq residents were struggling with how to mark the holy month.

Islamic authorities across much of the world -- from the most populous Muslim-majority country Indonesia to Saudi Arabia, home to the faith's holiest sites -- announced the start of the fasting month with the sighting of the crescent moon.