World

Morocco mourns quake victims as death toll passes 2,000

Moroccans on Sunday mourned the victims of a devastating earthquake that killed more than 2,000 people as rescue teams raced to find survivors trapped under the rubble of flattened villages.

The strongest-ever quake recorded in the North African country has killed at least 2,012 people and injured over 2,000, many seriously, according to the latest official figures.

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Friday’s 6.8-magnitude quake struck 72 kilometers (45 miles) southwest of the tourist hub of Marrakesh, wiping out entire villages in the hills of the Atlas mountain range.

“I’ve lost everything,” said Lahcen, a resident of the mountain village of Moulay Brahim, whose wife and four children were among those killed.

Rescue workers recovered the bodies of Lahcen’s three daughters from the rubble of their home, but had not yet found the remains of his wife and son.

People walk past destroyed houses after an earthquake in the mountain village of Tafeghaghte, southwest of the city of Marrakesh, on September 9, 2023. (AFP)

“I can’t do anything about it now, I just want to get away from the world and mourn,” he said.

Troops and emergency services have scrambled to reach remote mountain villages where victims were still feared trapped under the rubble of houses, many of which were constructed from mud bricks.

Al-Haouz province, site of the epicenter, suffered the most deaths with 1,293, followed by Taroudant province where 452 lives were lost, authorities reported.

Citizens on Sunday rushed to hospitals in Marrakesh to donate blood to help the many injured.

‘Everyone lost family’

Bouchra, another resident of Moulay Brahim, dried her tears with her scarf as she watched men wielding pickaxes to dig graves for the victims.

“My cousin’s grandchildren are dead,” she said. ”I saw the devastation of the earthquake live and I’m still shaking. It’s like a ball of fire that swallowed up everything in its path.

“Everyone here has lost family, whether in our village or elsewhere in the region.”

Many residents of the usually bustling tourist hotspot of Marrakesh spent a second night sleeping out on the streets, huddled together under blankets and among bags filled with their belongings.

Fatema Satir, a Marrakesh resident, said many were sleeping in the street for fear of their houses collapsing.

“Look where all these people are sleeping,” said Satir. “There is no help for us. Our houses have been cracked, others destroyed — like my daughter’s house which was wiped out. We are in a chaotic state.”

Moroccan Royal Armed Forces evacuate a body from a house destroyed in an earthquake in the mountain village of Tafeghaghte, southwest of the city of Marrakesh, on September 9, 2023. (AFP)

In the city’s historic Jemaa el-Fna square, about 20 people were huddled on the ground, wrapped in blankets, while others were staying on the lawn of the nearby town hall, with its 12th century ramparts partially collapsed.

“We spent the night outside the old town, in a safe place,” said Maria, a Spanish tourist.

The kingdom declared three days of national mourning while countries including France, Israel, Italy, Spain and the United States have offered aid.

US Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer said: “We’ve got search and rescue teams ready to deploy … We are also ready to release funds at the right time.”

Spain meanwhile said it would send search and rescue teams and other aid after it received a formal request for help from Rabat.

Algeria, which has long had rocky relations with neighboring Morocco, opened its airspace, which had been closed for two years, to flights carrying humanitarian aid and evacuating the injured.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose country in recent years established ties with Morocco, offered to send search-and-rescue teams, declaring that “Israel stands by Morocco in its difficult time.”

‘Under the debris’

The Red Cross warned that it could take years to repair the damage.

“It won’t be a matter of a week or two … We are counting on a response that will take months, if not years,” said Hossam Elsharkawi, its Middle East and North Africa director.

Volunteers recover a body from the rubble of collapsed houses in Tafeghaghte, 60 kilometers (37 miles) southwest of Marrakesh, on September 10, 2023, two days after a devastating 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck the country. (AFP)

The village of Tafeghaghte, 60 kilometers (37 miles) southwest of Marrakesh, was almost entirely destroyed by the quake, an AFP team reported, with very few buildings still standing.

“Three of my grandchildren and their mother are dead,” said 72-year-old Omar Benhanna. “They’re still under the debris. It wasn’t so long ago that we were playing together.”

Residents buried around 70 victims on Saturday, cries and screams punctuating the funeral rites.

In the evening, television channels broadcast aerial images showing entire villages of clay houses in the Al-Haouz region completely destroyed.

“The public authorities are still mobilized to speed up rescue operations and evacuate the injured,” the interior ministry said.

The tremor was also felt in the coastal cities of Rabat, Casablanca and Agadir, where many panicked residents rushed onto the streets in the middle of the night.

The quake was the deadliest in Morocco since a 1960 tremor destroyed Agadir, a disaster in which more than 12,000 people died.

Morocco earthquake response could last years: Red Crescent, Red Cross

Eiffel Tower lights turned off in tribute to Morocco earthquake victims

Original Article

World

Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi meets with CEOs of leading Norwegian companies

H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, has met with a group of CEOs from leading Norwegian companies, as part of their participation in the UAE-Norway Investment Forum, held alongside his official visit to the Kingdom of Norway.

During the meeting, H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed underscored the UAE leadership’s commitment to strengthening economic cooperation with its international partners.

He highlighted that investment in innovation and knowledge is a cornerstone for achieving sustainable development, noting that enhancing collaboration with Norwegian companies across key sectors will open new avenues for mutual economic growth between the two countries.

The UAE-Norway Investment Forum, taking place in Oslo, aimed to highlight available investment opportunities and strengthen trade relations between the UAE and Norway, fostering shared interests and supporting innovation and knowledge-based economic visions.

-wam

World

At the Indonesia International Book Fair 2024, TRENDS inaugurates 10th global office, releases four books

As part of its Asian research tour, partnership with Aletihad News Center, and
primary sponsorship of the Indonesia International Book Fair 2024, TRENDS
Research & Advisory inaugurated its office in Jakarta, marking its 10th location
worldwide. It also released four books in Indonesian.
The inauguration event was attended by ambassadors of the UAE, Bahrain, and
Jordan to Indonesia, chairpersons of the UAE and Indonesian Publishers’
Associations, the Director of TRENDS’ Jakarta office, and a group of researchers
and academics.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ali, CEO of TRENDS
Research & Advisory, stated that TRENDS’ international offices—set to reach 15
by the end of 2024—aim to enhance the Center’s research efforts and deepen its
role in disseminating knowledge, thus serving as a global knowledge bridge.
He emphasized, “At TRENDS, we believe in the importance of cooperation
between think tanks and prioritize this endeavor. We believe the TRENDS office in
Jakarta will enhance the exchange of knowledge and ideas between think tanks in
Asia and the Middle East, opening new horizons for collaboration in various
fields.”

Four books in Indonesian
As part of the Jakarta office’s inaugural activities, four books were released in
Indonesian, including the 11th and 12th books of the Muslim Brotherhood
Encyclopedia and Global Trends in AI and Automation and the Future of
Competition between Man and Machine: An Analytical Forward-looking Vision.

Hostility to Arab states
The 11th book of the Muslim Brotherhood Encyclopedia, The Concept of the State
According to the Muslim Brotherhood, highlights its hostile stance toward Arab
states since its inception. The group views them as an obstacle to its ascent to
power. It opposed the modern principles upon which these states were built,
considering them incompatible with the group’s unique interpretation of Islam,
which it claimed to embody exclusively.

Exclusion of nonconformists
The 12th book, The Muslim Brotherhood: Rejection of Tolerance and Exclusion of
Nonconformists, examines the Muslim Brotherhood’s stance towards
nonconformists, individuals, and entities. The book reveals the group’s binary view
of the world, categorizing others as allies or adversaries. It ties these relationships
to the Brotherhood’s internal power struggles and self-serving interests.

Global Trends in AI
The third book, Global Trends in AI, explores significant developments in AI and
its impact on various aspects of life, including the economy, society, and
governance. It also offers a comprehensive analysis of technological advancements
in AI, its applications across sectors, the ethical and social challenges it presents,
and its future trajectory.

Automation

The fourth book, Automation and the Future of Competition between Man and
Machine: An Analytical Forward-looking Vision, addresses the growing challenges
faced by the human workforce in the face of widespread automation and AI
applications. The book concludes that while automation presents a significant
challenge to the labor market, it simultaneously creates new opportunities. It
emphasizes the importance of preparing for this shift through skills development,
continuous education, and adopting economic and social policies that support the
workforce.

Prominent pavilion and active presence
The TRENDS’ pavilion at the Indonesia International Book Fair has attracted
numerous visitors, including academic researchers and officials, such as the
ambassadors of the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, and Turkey. Additionally,
chairpersons of Arab and Indonesian publishers’ associations, authors, publishers,
and students visited the pavilion. All were impressed with and praised TRENDS’ diverse, valuable publications. They also commended TRENDS’ active
international presence and ability to address global developments with rigorous
analytical research.
Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ali honored the esteemed guests, including
ambassadors of the UAE and Bahrain to Indonesia, Wedha Startesti Yudha,
Chairperson of the Indonesia International Book Fair Committee, Arys Hilman
Nugraha, Chairman of the Indonesian Publishers Association, and others,
presenting them with TRENDS’ publications and commemorative shields.
Additionally, he awarded TRENDS’ Research Medal to Ni Made Ayu Martini
Indonesian Deputy Minister of Marketing, Tourism and Creative Economy
It is worth noting that during its current Asian research tour, TRENDS announced
the launch of the TRENDS Research Medal, awarded to individuals who make
significant contributions to the development of scientific research and promote collaboration with TRENDS in strengthening a culture of research across various fields.

World

US determined to prevent full-scale war in Middle East, Joe Biden tells UNGA79

US President Joe Biden highlighted the US Administration’s determination to prevent a wider war that engulfs the entire Middle East region, noting that a diplomatic solution “remains the only path to lasting security to allow the residents from both countries to return to their homes on the border safely”.

In remarks he made today before the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA79), the US President said, “Full-scale war is not in anyone’s interest,” adding that a diplomatic solution is still possible.

He also touched on “the rise of violence against innocent Palestinians on the West Bank”, and the need to “set the conditions for a better future”, which he said featured “a two-state solution, where the world — where Israel enjoys security and peace and full recognition and normalised relations with all its neighbours, where Palestinians live in security, dignity, and self-determination in a state of their own”.

President Biden underscored the ceasefire and hostage deal put forth by Qatar and Egypt, which the UN Security Council endorsed. He said, “Now is the time for the parties to finalise its terms, bring the hostages home,” adding that this would help ease the suffering in Gaza, and end the war.

-WAM