Middle East & North Africa

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The world’s largest oil company, Saudi Aramco, reported $30.4 billion in third-quarter net income on Sunday, bolstered by a surge in oil prices and recovery in demand as the coronavirus pandemic eases.

Saudi Arabia’s majority state-owned oil giant Aramco said its net income more than doubled from $11.8 billion during the same three-month period a year earlier. Last year’s figure came after profits plunged dramatically as global lockdowns slammed oil prices. Net income refers to the amount left after taxes and preferred dividends have been paid.

RIYADH, Oct 30 (NNN-SPA) – Saudi Arabia announced yesterday that, it is bidding to host the World Expo 2030.

The bid was submitted to the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), World Expo’s organising body.

The theme proposed by Saudi Arabia for the World Expo 2030 is, The Era of Change: Leading the Planet to a Foresighted Tomorrow.

The event is scheduled to take place from Oct 1, 2030 to Apr 1, 2031.

TRIPOLI, Oct 30 (NNN-XINHUA) – The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) yesterday said, it deported 140 illegal Bangladeshi migrants to their country of origin.

The migrants, including nine with medical conditions, were assisted to return to Bangladesh from Benghazi on Thursday, in the first Voluntary Humanitarian Return (VHR) flight from the city, since the resumption of IOM’s VHR programme, the IOM said.

DUBAI, Oct 30 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's foreign minister said on Saturday the latest crisis with Lebanon has its origins in a Lebanese political setup that reinforces the dominance of the Iran-backed Hezbollah armed group and continues to allow endemic instability.

Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries expelled Lebanese envoys in a diplomatic spat that risks adding to Lebanon's economic crisis, following critical comments about the Saudi-led military intervention in Yemen by Lebanon's Information Minister George Kordahi. 

BEIRUT, Oct 30 (Reuters) - Lebanon's president said on Saturday he wants the best relations with Saudi Arabia, looking to heal a rift with the kingdom after it expelled Beirut's envoy and banned Lebanese imports in a diplomatic spat that risks adding to Lebanon's economic crisis.

In a tweet Michel Aoun said Lebanon is keen on strengthening links via bilateral deals, after mounting tensions following critical comments by a Lebanese minister about the Saudi-led military intervention in Yemen.

ADDIS ABABA, Oct 30 (Reuters) - Rebellious Tigrayan forces said on Saturday they had seized the strategic town of Dessie in Ethiopia's Amhara region where tens of thousands of ethnic Amharas have sought refuge from an escalation in fighting, but the government denied this.

The fighters pushed Ethiopian government forces from Dessie and were headed towards the town of Kombolcha, Getachew Reda, spokesperson for the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), told Reuters by satellite phone from an undisclosed location.

BEIRUT, Oct. 29 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Friday expressed his regret at Saudi Arabia's decision to expel the Lebanese ambassador and ban imports from the country after a Lebanese minister's comments criticizing the Saudi-led coalition's war in Yemen, the National News Agency reported.

Mikati reiterated his government's commitment to good relations with Saudi Arabia and called on Arab partners to put the diplomatic crisis behind them.

SANAA, Yemen (AP) — Yemen’s Houthi rebels shelled a residential neighborhood on Saturday, killing at least three children from the same family, a government official said. It was the latest attack by the Iranian-backed Houthis to leave civilian casualties.

Moammar al-Iryani, information minister of the internationally recognized government, said the Houthis fired a shell on the Camp neighborhood on the outskirts of the government-held city of Taiz.

He said at least six others were wounded, and posted graphic images showing wounded children.

BEIRUT (AP) — Kuwait followed Saudi Arabia and Bahrain by ordering the Lebanese charge d’affaires on Saturday to leave the emirate within two days over comments made by a Lebanese minister regarding the war in Yemen. Kuwait also recalled its ambassador from Beirut.

Later Saturday, the United Arab Emirates’ state-run WAM news agency said on Twitter that it would withdraw its diplomats from Lebanon in solidarity with Saudi Arabia. The tweet also said Emiratis would be ”prevented” from traveling to Lebanon. Travel bans have happened previously to Lebanon over politics in the past.

ISTANBUL (AP) — A minibus carrying foreign tourists crashed near the southern Turkish resort of Antalya on Saturday, killing a Swedish national and injuring five others, state broadcaster TRT News reported.

The 71-year-old Swede died at the scene of the crash in Aksu in the early hours of the morning, TRT said. Four Danish nationals and the Turkish driver were hurt when the minibus hit roadside barriers.

The driver was detained by police after hospital treatment.