Middle East & North Africa

ANKARA, September 16. /TASS/: Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov is certain that the attack on Saudi Aramco oil facilities won’t affect preparations for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Saudi Arabia scheduled for October.

"The visit was indeed planned for October, the precise date will be announced when it is agreed with the Saudi side," he told reporters. According to Peskov, "these incidents [as the attack on Saudi Aramco] undeniably cannot affect preparations [for the visit].".

16 Sep 2019; MEMO: Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad yesterday issued an amnesty that reduces sentences and pardons draft dodgers if they report for duty within three to six months, Reuters reported.

The pardon, which was published by the official Syrian news agency, is related to all crimes committed before 14 September 2019.

According to Reuters, the pardon reduces the death penalty to a life sentence and life sentences to 20 years.

ISTANBUL, September 16. /TASS/: Russia’s medium-haul passenger liner MC-21 has made its debut international flight from Zhukovsky [airport] to Istanbul, a TASS correspondent reports. The plane arrived at Ataturk Airport for the festival Tekhnofest.

This is the first international flight and first public display of this plane outside Russia, which is still in the development phase. The MC-21 performed its first flight in 2017. It was demonstrated to the public at large for the first time at the air show MAKS in September 2019.

16 September 2019; AFP: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will host his Russian and Iranian counterparts on Monday for their latest summit on Syria, with attention focused on Damascus's push on the last rebel-held bastion of Idlib.

Presidents Vladimir Putin and Hassan Rouhani will join Erdogan in the Turkish capital Ankara for their fifth summit on the conflict since 2017.

TEHRAN, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Foreign Ministry announced Monday that Iran will release the seized British-flagged oil tanker Stena Impero in the coming days.

"Legal and judicial procedures are underway ... and the ship will be released," Foreign Ministry Spokesman Abbas Mousavi said at his weekly press conference on Monday.

He noted that "no mediation is involved in the release of the ship."

Iran detained the Stena Impero on July 19, alleging that it had violated the maritime regulations while passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

JERUSALEM, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that he plans to annex "all" the Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank if he wins Tuesday's elections.

"I intend to impose Israeli sovereignty on all blocs and settlements and sites of importance to the Jewish heritage," the prime minister told Army Radio.

He said that settlements, such as Kiryat Arba next to the Palestinian city of Hebron, "will be part of the state of Israel."

DAMASCUS, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Sunday received Russian president's Special Envoy to Syria Alexander Lavrentiev and discussed with him the tripartite summit that will take place Monday in Ankara, according to the Syrian presidential media office.

Lavrentiev informed Assad about the work schedule of the tripartite summit that will take place among Turkey, Russia, and Iran.

The discussion also touched upon the Russian efforts to surpass obstacles placed by "some countries in the region and abroad that aim to prolong the Syrian war."

JERUSALEM, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- China's eastern province of Jiangsu and Israel have signed 14 deals to enhance hi-tech cooperation.

These deals, involving sectors in life science, medical devices, and smart manufacturing, were signed on Sunday during the Jiangsu (Israel) Opening and Innovation Cooperation Symposium held in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv.

BAGHDAD, Sept 16 (NNN-NINA) – An Iraqi politician said, Iraqi Prime Minister, Adel Abdul Mahdi’s upcoming visit to China will contribute to “a quantum leap” in bilateral relations.

Raed Fahmi, secretary of the Central Committee of the Iraqi Communist Party, said, “The visit may open the door for signing agreements to improve the level of cooperation between China and Iraq that could have strong effects.

“Such agreements could help Iraq meet the requirements of development, especially in the development of infrastructure, including roads and bridges,” said Fahmi.

DAMASCUS, Sept 16 (NNN-SANA) – At least 11 people were killed Sunday, when an explosive-laden truck went off in a rebel-held town in the countryside of Aleppo province in northern Syria, a war monitor reported.

The truck exploded in the town of al-Rai, in the northeastern countryside of Aleppo. The bombing took place near a hospital, which led to partially destroying the building.

The bombing also left big damage to houses and properties in the area. The death toll could likely rise due to the number of critically wounded people.