Middle East & North Africa

NICOSIA, Sept 21 (NNN-Xinhua) — Cypriot rescuers saved at least 477 irregular migrants in two separate operations in unfavorable sea conditions in the past 24 hours, the Joint Rescue Coordination Center (JRCC) said.

It said that in one operation, the JRCC responded to a distress call for an 18-meter boat with more than 300 people on board, which was drifting about 110 nautical miles off the west coast of Cyprus.

A JRCC spokesman said that the call was received by JRCC’s Larnaca headquarters at 7 p.m. local time on Monday. The boat was experiencing engine trouble.

TEHRAN, Sept 21 (NNN-IRNA) – Iranian Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, said, his country is ready to help meet Lebanon’s energy demand.

Amir-Abdollahian made the remarks, in a meeting with his Lebanese counterpart, Abdallah Bou Habib, on the sidelines of the 77th session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in New York.

During the meeting, the two sides exchanged views on important regional and global issues, and discussed bilateral relations, according to the report.

ANKARA, Sept 21 (Reuters) - Turkish defence firm Baykar has delivered 20 armed drones to the United Arab Emirates this month and could sell more, two Turkish sources said, as a diplomatic detente between the former regional rivals expands into military contracts.

International demand for Baykar's drones soared after their impact on conflicts in Syria, Ukraine and Libya, where their laser-guided armour-piercing bombs helped repel an offensive by UAE-supported forces two years ago.

Sept 21 (Reuters) - Iran curbed access on Wednesday to Meta Platforms' (META.O) Instagram and WhatsApp, two of the last remaining social networks in the country, amid protests over the death of a woman in police custody, residents and internet watchdog NetBlocks said.

Last week's death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was arrested by morality police in Tehran for "unsuitable attire", has unleashed anger over issues including freedom in the Islamic Republic and an economy reeling from sanctions. 

DUBAI, Sept 21 (Reuters) - Iranian authorities said three people including a member of the security forces had been killed on Tuesday during unrest sweeping the country, as anger at the death of a woman in the custody of the morality police fuelled protests for a fifth day.

Official sources now say a total of seven people have been killed since protests erupted on Saturday over the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old from Iranian Kurdistan who died last week after being arrested in Tehran for "unsuitable attire".

RIYADH, Sept 21 (Reuters) - Russia on Wednesday released 10 foreign prisoners of war captured in Ukraine following mediation by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi foreign ministry said.

The freed prisoners were American, British, Croatian, Moroccan and Swedish nationals, the ministry said in a statement, adding that a plane carrying the prisoners landed in the kingdom.

"The relevant Saudi authorities received and transferred them from Russia to the kingdom and are facilitating procedures for their respective countries," the statement said.

BEIRUT (AP) — The International Monetary Fund on Wednesday said the Lebanese government’s slowness to implement desperately-needed reforms was exacerbating the country’s economic meltdown, even as officials met to discuss an urgent and long-delayed bailout.

The IMF statement followed a three-day visit to Beirut of the fund’s representatives to discuss with Lebanese officials the implementation of reforms drawn up under a staff-level agreement between the two sides in April.

JERUSALEM (AP) — The head of the International Olympic Committee apologized Wednesday for the organization’s longtime failure to commemorate 11 Israeli athletes killed by Palestinian militants at the 1972 Munich Olympics.

Thomas Bach spoke at a ceremony in Tel Aviv marking the 50th anniversary of the deadly attack on the Munich Olympics, two weeks after Germany’s president apologized at a memorial ceremony in Germany for his country’s failures before, during, and after the attack.

Beijing, Sep 21 (PTI) Trade connectivity among the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) countries with transit rights should not be a problem unless “protectionism comes in the way” and the issue could be discussed at the next summit of the eight-member grouping in India, Deputy Secretary General of the bloc Sohail Khan has said.

20 Sep 2022; MEMO: Israel and Bahrain on Tuesday announced the start of negotiations to reach a free trade agreement between the two countries, Anadolu News Agency reports.

Israeli Economy Minister, Orna Barbivai, held official talks on Monday with her Bahraini counterpart to establish a free trade agreement between Tel Aviv and Manama, the Israeli Economy Ministry said in a statement.