Is the goal to predict an earthquake occurrence, predict ground motion due to an earthquake, or predict a disaster? Considering all of these, what is it that seismologists can and cannot do when it comes to predicting earthquakes? The most spectacular of these concerns the widespread observation of so-called slow earthquakes. Slow earthquakes are slipping episodes at depth with deformation velocities that are in between plate tectonic motion and regular earthquake slip. The largest known slow earthquakes have magnitude of more than 7.5 when measured as regular earthquakes, and there is increasing evidence that, just as for regular earthquakes, slow earthquakes occur on a wide range of magnitudes.

The epicentre was in the High Atlas Mountains, 71km (44 miles) south-west of Marrakesh. Currently, the collisions between the plates are causing a shortening of the Atlas Mountains, explaining the area’s seismicity. All these features could have influenced the occurrence of this high magnitude earthquake. It was located around the boundary between the western High Atlas and the Anti Atlas, to the south. As more is learned about earthquake geology and the impact of earthquakes on buildings, building codes should be updated regularly.

Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, Elsayed Elkosayer, has announced that the Agricultural Bank of Egypt (ABE) will provide more financing for farmers and crops, with a total of about EGP 7bn per year, supported by the state with EGP 500m annually. Elkosayer said, on the occasion of Farmer’s Day, that the ABE will also help farmers and peasants who have outstanding debts by postponing their installments. He added that about 330,000 farmers benefited from this initiative, with a total debt of EGP 9bn. The bank aims to encourage production and development in the agricultural sector and support the state’s sustainable development strategy. He also said that the “Falah Card” system has been completed in cooperation with the ABE in all governorates of Egypt.

The Financial Regulatory Authority (FRA) has introduced a Responsible Pricing Reference Index in the non-banking financial sector, which covers the financing of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). Farid said that the index includes all the prices of microfinance products offered by licensed entities, whether individual or group financing. He also said that the index will help them avoid price risks that increase their financial burdens. Ahmed Khorshid, CEO and board member of Tamweely Microfinance, said that the index will have a positive impact on the microfinance market, by enhancing the principles of customer protection, disclosure, and transparency. The FRA stated that the index is important because it serves nearly 3.9 million citizens, with a total financing of EGP 45.5bn until July 2023.

In statements, the Serbian Mufti described Egypt as the beacon of Islam due to the presence of Al Azhar, the most prestigious Sunni institution in the world, on the country's lands. He said the 34th international conference of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (SCIA), that kicked off on Saturday was a chance to discuss important issues related to the Islamic world. He also expressed hopes for deeper ties between Serbia's Muslim community and Egypt, urging both to work hand-in-hand for the betterment of the Islamic world. Egypt has been a significant player in the Islamic world due to its historical, cultural, and political influences. Serbia, though a majority Christian country, has a significant Muslim minority, and this outreach by the Serbian Mufti signifies the importance of inter-religious dialogue and collaboration.

The CEO of the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZONE), Waleid Gamal Eldien, met with the ambassador of Peru to Egypt, José Betancourt, on Monday to discuss potential cooperation in port activities. Gamal Eldien pointed out the possibility of cooperation with Peru through the SCZONE’s ports, especially the East Port Said Port, which is the closest port to Peru. He also emphasized the importance of cooperation with the SCZONE, especially in the field of ports. He said that he will visit the East Port Said Port next week. The East Port Said Port, affiliated with the SCZONE, witnessed the first ship bunkering operation with green fuel in the Eastern Mediterranean last August.

As one of the founding members of BRICS, India has consistently advocated for reforms in multilateral institutions and has been a champion of the Global South. The Indian Ambassador stated that India has always been a leading voice for impending reforms in multilateral bodies and a voice for the Global South. “The prevailing global geopolitical and economic conditions call for greater cooperation between countries of the Global South. This summit brought together countries from the Global South to share their perspectives and priorities on a common platform, with more than 120 countries participating. In conclusion, India’s G20 agenda is aimed at being inclusive, ambitious, action-oriented, and decisive.

CAIRO - 11 September 2023: The Egyptian law regulating human organ transplantation specifies a deterrent penalty for crimes violating the controls and provisions of organ transplantation and transplantation. The law stipulates a severe prison sentence and a fine between 500,000 and one million pounds for anyone who transports a human organ or part of it with the intention of transplanting it in violation of the articles of the law. If this act occurs on living human tissues; the penalty shall be imprisonment for a period not exceeding ten years. If the act results in the death of the donor or recipient, the penalty shall be life imprisonment, and the same penalty shall be imposed. The same penalty shall be applied if the act occurs on part of a living human organ, and if the aforementioned act occurs.

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry on Sunday criticized Ethiopia’s announcement regarding its completion of the fourth and final filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam’s (GERD) reservoir, which Egypt called a continued violation of the Declaration of Principles signed between Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan in 2015. In its statement, the Foreign Ministry explained that the Declaration of Principles stipulates that all three countries must agree on the rules for filling and operating GERD before commencing the filling process. Stagnant talksThe Ethiopian government announced on August 11, 2022, that it has completed the third GERD filling unilaterally. Egypt and Sudan say they want a legally binding agreement on operating the dam, while Ethiopia says any pact should be advisory. Negotiations over the dam between Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan have stalled for years, with the three parties ultimately failing to reach any agreements.

Egypt Inflation Rate Hits Record-High of 39.7% in AugustEgypt’s annual headline inflation – which includes commodities such as food and energy prices – increased to a new high of 39.7 percent in August, up from 38.2 percent in July, according to data released by the country’s Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS) on 10 September. Prior to this, the country’s highest headline inflation rate had stood at 34.2 percent, a figure recorded in July 2017. Egypt’s annual headline inflation figure in August 2022 was 15.3 percent. The country’s latest inflation figures substantially exceed the Central Bank of Egypt’s (CBE) target of seven percent (±2 percent) set by the fourth quarter of 2024. Inflation rates have been on an upward trajectory since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, which disrupted the global economy and supply chain.

Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly conducted an inspection tour on Saturday at the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) to follow up on its progress as it speeds towards completion. The first boat was transported from its display location in the Giza Pyramids area in August 2021. Construction work in the Khufu Boat Museum is now entirely finished, while interior finishes are 87 percent done. Eissa said, in press statements, that work is underway to finish the GEM, as well as the area surrounding the museum. The museum includes huge exhibition halls, and is distinguished by its proximity to the Giza pyramids area and the New Administrative Capital, which makes it a gateway to Egypt’s past, present and future.

It is in the realm of possibility for the African continent to one day split into two, the head of the National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics (NRIAG) Gad al-Qady explained. In a Saturday telephone interview with TV host Ahmed Moussa on the “Ala Massoulity” (On My Responsibility) show, Qady said that the matter is under scientific research. The East African Rift is an area of seismic activity with the beginning of the rift being the Red Sea, which widens by one centimeter per year, he noted. Qady explained that after several million years, the Great Rift Valley will separate and become a subcontinent separate from Africa. Regarding the devastating earthquake which struck Morocco on Saturday, Qady said that it occurred in an area frequently struck by earthquakes over an average of every 50 years.

CAIRO – 10 September 2023: The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded Sunday to Ethiopian official statements on the completion of the fourth filling of the Grand Renaissance Dam, stipulating that the measure is a continuous breach of the Declaration of Principles signed by the two countries along with Sudan in 2015. The declaration provides the necessity of congruence among the three countries on the filling and operation processes. “Ethiopia’s unilateral measures are a disregard to the interests and rights of the two downstream states as well as their water security protected by international law,” the ministry said. The statement added that Ethiopia’s behavior put pressure on recently resumed negotiations and that should last for four months. It pointed out that the next round taking place in Addis Ababa had been hoped to culminate in reaching a legally binding agreement.

President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, on the sidelines of the G20 summit in India- press photoCAIRO - 10 September 2023: President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, on the sidelines of the G20 summit in India, Spokesman for the Egyptian Presidency Ahmed Fahmy said in a statement on Sunday. The meeting also touched on ways to coordinate efforts to combat illegal immigration, in addition to developments pertinent to a number of regional and international issues of common interest, mainly the crisis in Sudan and the Russian-Ukrainian crisis. Further, the two leaders looked forward to maximizing joint cooperation in the coming period, as well as enhancing coordination and political consultation. President El-Sisi and Chancellor Scholz reviewed the current cooperation frameworks in the fields of transportation, manufacturing, and energy sectors, and studied means to increase German investments in Egypt and advance economic cooperation. The president met with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, President of the Republic of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa, President of the Republic of the Comoros and current President of the African Union Othman Ghazali, and Director General of the World Health Organization Tedros Adhanom.

Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi took part on Saturday in the African-European mini-summit, which was held on the sidelines of the G20 summit, in New Delhi, India. The summit brought together leaders and representatives of Germany, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, France, South Africa, Nigeria, the Comoros – the chair of the African Union – the European Union, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund. The summit discussed developments in several issues of common interest, especially the membership of the African Union in the G20. The president described the decision as a step in the right direction to provide an opportunity to put the continent’s priorities on the international agenda. During the mini-summit, African and European leaders agreed on the importance of continuing coordination and working to achieve optimal benefit from their partnership, in a way that enhances their mutual interests and gains.