Middle East & North Africa

SANAA, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- At least 50 prisoners of war were killed when the Saudi-led coalition launched a series of airstrikes overnight on a prison in Yemen's central province of Dhamar, the Houthi-controlled health ministry said in a statement early Sunday morning.

"At least 50 were killed in seven airstrikes by the coalition warplanes against the prison and 100 others wounded, as rescue teams were still searching for possible survivors under rubble," it said, adding that the death toll could rise as many injured are in critical conditions.

BEIRUT, Lebanon, Sept 1 (NNN-NNA) – The fourth China-Arab States Expo is a good opportunity for China and Arab countries, to broaden their cooperation and build a future for their relations, said an Arab business leader.

Praising the existing cooperation in fields like technology, investment, and tourism, between China and Arab states, Khaled Hanafy, secretary general of the Union of Arab Chambers, hoped for “practical steps” in their relations.

ANKARA, Turkey, Sept 1 (NNN-ANADOLU) – The number of companies established by Syrians in Turkey has increased to 10,000, since 2011, when the Syrian civil war started.

Syrian entrepreneurs made a contribution to Turkey’s economy, by feeding at least seven percent of all the Syrians in Turkey, according to a study released by the Economic Policy Research Foundation of Turkey, an Ankara-based think tank.

Recognising the Syrians’ entrepreneurship, the report said, 59.4 percent of the Syrian business owners have been successful.

BEIRUT, Lebanon, Sept 1 (NNN-NNA) – Russian Ambassador to Lebanon, Alexander Zasypkin, said that, Israel cannot win a war against the Hezbollah.

“Israel would be mistaken to think that it can win a war against Hezbollah and that the resistance is weak, because both Israel and Hezbollah are exerting much efforts, to increase their confrontation capacities,” Zasypkin was quoted as saying.

The ambassador said, any war will lead to a big number of casualties and heavy damages for Lebanon and Israel.

DAMASCUS, Syria, Sept 1 (NNN-SANA) – At least 50 rebels, mainly commanders, were killed on Saturday, by U.S.-led airstrikes, that targeted a meeting of rebel commanders, in Syria’s northwestern province of Idlib.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, the meeting grouped commanders of the Hurras al-Deen and Ansar al-Tawhid groups, both allied with the al-Qaeda.

It said, the death toll exceeds 50, noting that more bodies are being discovered.

BEIRUT, Lebanon, Sept 1 (NNN-NNA) – Hezbollah leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, said that, Israeli PM, Benjamin Netanyahu, is looking for a pretext, to wage war against Lebanon, Al Manar local TV channel reported.

“Netanyahu is trying to convince his people and the international community, that the resistance has factories of precise rockets in Lebanon, for him to wage an attack against our country,” Nasrallah said.

Nasrallah noted that Hezbollah does not own such factories.

ANKARA, Turkey, Sept 1 (NNN-ANADOLU) – Turkey will proceed with its own plan of action, if Turkish soldiers do not take control of the safe zone in northeastern Syria soon, said Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

“Turkey is running out of time and patience, on the safe zone deal with the United States. It wants the safe zone to be built on the east of the Euphrates, as soon as possible,” Erdogan stressed.

31 Aug 2019; MEMO: Israel’s Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz has said that Israel is able to strike Iran everywhere, including deep inside its own territory.

In an interview with Israeli newspaper Maariv, Katz said that Israel would strike Iran whenever necessary, regardless of the location of the strike, Shehab news agency reported yesterday.

31 Aug 2019; MEMO:

Work on Dubai’s Al Maktoum Airport has stopped because the economies of the Gulf states are faltering, Bloomberg reported on Thursday.

The airport was designed to be one of the world’s biggest, with an annual capacity of more than 250 million passengers.

BEIRUT, Lebanon, Aug 31 (NNN-NNA) – Saroj Kumar Jha, the World Bank regional director for the Middle East, said Friday, that, the World Bank has two billion U.S. dollars, allocated for investments in Lebanon.

“There are great opportunities for growth in Lebanon. We have discussed with President Michel Aoun, the potential of investing in transport, roads, and water projects, in the country,” he said, following his meeting with Aoun.

Kumar also announced that, the World Bank fully supports President Aoun and the Lebanese government, with regard to the approved reforms.