World News Roundup: Azerbaijan says Armenian forces fired on its troops; Morocco earthquake kills over 800 people, rescuers dig for survivors and more

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

In 'macho' Mexico, stage set for first female president

When Mexican presidential contenders Claudia Sheinbaum and Xochitl Galvez entered politics at the start of the millennium, more than four in five senators in the country were men. Today, the majority are women. The rise of Sheinbaum, who was named on Wednesday as the ruling party's candidate for next year's presidential election, and Galvez, the main opposition contender, is the culmination of a rapid process of female inclusion in politics since 2000.

US, Canadian warships again sail through Taiwan Strait

A U.S. and a Canadian warship sailed through the Taiwan Strait on Saturday, the U.S. Navy said in a statement. The two navies conducted their last joint mission in the sensitive waterway in June.

Azerbaijan says Armenian forces fired on its troops

Azerbaijan's defence ministry said on Saturday that Armenian forces had fired on its troops overnight, and that Azerbaijan army units took "retaliatory measures". It said Armenian units opened small arms fire on Azerbaijani soldiers in Sadarak in the north of Nakhchivan, an exclave of Azerbaijan that borders Armenia, Turkey and Iran.

Morocco earthquake kills over 800 people, rescuers dig for survivors

A powerful earthquake in Morocco has killed more than 800 people and injured hundreds more, the country's deadliest tremor in more than six decades, toppling houses in remote mountain villages where rescuers dug through rubble for survivors. The magnitude 7.2 quake struck in Morocco's High Atlas mountains late on Friday night. The Interior Ministry said 820 people had been killed and another 672 injured. Most of the fatalities are in mountainous areas outside Marrakech, the nearest city to the epicentre, its updated toll showed.

Mangosuthu Buthelezi, Zulu prince who roiled South African politics, dead at 95

Mangosuthu Buthelezi, a veteran South African politician, Zulu prince and controversial figure during the apartheid liberation struggle, has died, the presidency said on Saturday. He was 95. The founder of the Inkatha Freedom Party served two terms as Minister of Home Affairs in the post-apartheid government after burying the hatchet with the governing African National Congress party in 1994.

G20 summit statement avoids condemning Russia for Ukraine war, calls for peace

The Group of 20 nations adopted a consensus declaration at a summit on Saturday that avoided condemnation of Russia for the war in Ukraine but called on all states to refrain from the use of force to seize territory. Prime Minister Narendra Modi of host India announced that the Leaders' Declaration had been adopted on the first day of the weekend summit.

Police use water cannon as climate activists block Dutch highway

Police deployed water cannon to disperse climate activists protesting on a highway in the Netherlands on Saturday to demand an end to government subsidies for the fossil fuel industry. Thousands of people marched along the A12 highway into The Hague, ignoring warnings from authorities not to block the major traffic artery into the Dutch seat of government.

Russia sticks to demands on Black Sea grain deal, rejects UN bank proposal

Russia said on Saturday it was sticking to its conditions for a return to the Black Sea grain deal which it quit in July. In particular, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia needed its state agricultural bank - and not a subsidiary of the bank, as proposed by the United Nations - to be reconnected to the international SWIFT bank payments system.

In cat and mouse game, Philippines resupplies troops in South China Sea atoll

The Philippines has completed a supply mission for troops stationed in a rusty World War Two-era ship, but not without a usual cat and mouse chase with Chinese vessels in the South China Sea. Reuters went onboard one of the Philippine Coast Guard's vessels escorting the mission to the Second Thomas Shoal on Friday and witnessed how the Chinese Coast Guard and maritime militia vessels tried to chase and block the Philippine contingent from reaching their destination.

Trudeau's main rival offers affordable government in first convention speech

Canada's main opposition Conservative Party on Saturday is set to wrap up their first in-person convention in five years in an upbeat mood, with polls showing a healthy lead over Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberals ahead of an election due by late 2025. In his first address to a convention since winning the leadership a year ago, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre told about 2,500 party members late Friday that Canadians will have two options at the next election.

(With inputs from agencies.)