Middle East & North Africa

CAIRO, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- Egypt said on Sunday that Ethiopia's filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) reservoir without a consensus with Egypt and Sudan, the two downstream countries, is a violation of the Declaration of Principles, a previously signed tripartite deal.

On Sunday, Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced on social media X, formerly known as Twitter, the completion of the fourth and final filling of the GERD reservoir.

CAIRO, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- The Arab League (AL) on Sunday welcomed the admission of the African Union (AU) as a permanent member to the Group of 20 (G20), expressing hope that the pan-Arab organization would enjoy the same status.

AL Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit welcomed in a statement the G20 leaders' decision on AU's entry into the group.

On Saturday, G20 members agreed to grant permanent membership to the AU in an effort to make the group more representative.

AMIZMIZ, Morocco (AP) — People in Morocco slept in the streets of Marrakech for a third straight night as soldiers and international aid teams in trucks and helicopters began to fan into remote mountain towns hit hardest by a historic earthquake.

The disaster killed more than 2,100 people — a number that is expected to rise — and the United Nations estimated that 300,000 people were affected by Friday night’s magnitude 6.8 quake.

TRIPOLI, Sept 9 (NNN-XINHUA) — The International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Friday said it repatriated 151 illegal Bangladeshi migrants from Libya.

“This week, IOM assisted 151 migrants to safely return home to Bangladesh through the VHR (Voluntary Humanitarian Return) program in a charter flight from Benghazi to Dhaka,” IOM said in a statement.

On Wednesday, Libyan Interior Minister Emad al-Tarabelsi repatriated 270 illegal migrants, confirming that more illegal migrants will be deported from Libya soon.

RIYADH, Sept 9 (NNN-SPA) – The Saudi Heritage Commission, announced yesterday, the discovery of cultural relics and monuments in an ancient mining site, in the south-western al-Bahah region.

The discoveries were made during the 2023 excavation season in al-Ma’malah, described by the commission as “one of the most important old mining sites in Saudi Arabia,” without detailing the era to which the site belongs.

TEHRAN, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi said on Saturday that his country is ready to play an effective role in preventing any new conflict and geopolitical change in the Caucasus region.

Raisi made the remarks in a phone call with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, during which he also expressed satisfaction with the "favorable" progress in bilateral economic cooperation and implementation of the joint agreements, according to a statement published on the website of the Iranian president's office.

CAIRO, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- Egypt condemned on Saturday the two terrorist attacks that took place in northeastern Mali, which killed and injured dozens, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Egypt offered its sincere condolences to the government and people of Mali, wishing a speedy recovery for the injured, the statement said, stressing the need for the international community to come together to uproot terrorism and dry up its sources of financing and support.

ANKARA, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- Türkiye welcomes the decision to grant the African Union (AU) in the Group of 20 (G20) as a full member, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said on Saturday.

"We are pleased that the AU became a permanent member of G20 by the decision adopted at the G20 Summit in New Delhi," the ministry said in a statement.

"As a strategic partner of the AU, Türkiye spares no effort to enhance the representation of the AU in international fora and to make Africa's voice heard," it said.

MARRAKECH, Morocco (AP) — A rare, powerful earthquake struck Morocco, sending people racing from their beds into the streets and toppling buildings in mountainous villages and ancient cities not built to withstand such force. More than 1,000 people were killed, and the toll was expected to rise as rescuers struggled Saturday to reach hard-hit remote areas where the dead were buried even as desperate efforts were underway to save those trapped.

TEHRAN, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanaani has called on members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to adopt a practical approach toward Iran, instead of making "unreal" claims, so as to prepare the ground for improving and deepening intra-regional relations.

He made the remarks in a statement released by his ministry on Friday, reacting to Iran-related claims in a communique at the end of the 157th Session of GCC Ministerial Council in the Saudi capital of Riyadh on Thursday.