Ahmad al-Sharaa

Washington, June 16 (SANA)Saudi ArabiaandUruguayplayed out a 1-1 draw in their opening Group H match of the2026 FIFA World Cupat Hard Rock Stadium on Monday. Saudi defenderAbdulelah Al-Amriput his side ahead in the 41st minute, butMaximiliano Araújoequalized for Uruguay 10 minutes from time to ensure both teams shared the points. The result leaves Saudi Arabia, Uruguay, Spain and Cape Verde level on one point each after the opening round of Group H matches.

Damascus, June 16 (SANA)Minister of InformationKhaled Zaarour met on Monday withMinister of Religious EndowmentsMohammad Abu al-Khair Shukri at the Ministry of Information to discuss the importance of integrating media and religious roles in protecting society and strengthening soundpublic awareness. The Ministry of Information said on its Telegram channel that the meeting focused on developing religious and media discourse to build a comprehensive and balanced societal awareness that reinforce…

Kuwait, June 16 (SANA)Kuwaiti Foreign MinisterSheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabahheld a phone call on Monday evening with his Turkish counterpart,Hakan Fidan, to discuss the latest developments in the region. In a statement published on platform X, Kuwait’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the two ministers reviewed recent regional developments and efforts being undertaken in response to them, with particular focus on an agreement regarding a memorandum of understanding between theUnited Stat…

Riyad, June 16 (SANA)Saudi Foreign MinisterFaisal bin Farhan held a phone call on Monday with his Jordanian counterpart,Ayman Safadi, to discuss developments in the region following the recently announcedceasefire agreementbetween the United States and Iran. The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on its account on platform X that the two ministers also discussed a number of issues of mutual interest during their call. The discussions came afterWashingtonandTehranannounced on Sunday that th…

Washington, June 16 (SANA)EgyptandBelgiumshared the points after a 1-1 draw in their opening Group G match of the2026 FIFA World Cupon Monday at Seattle Stadium. Egypt took the lead in the 19th minute through Emam Ashour, but Belgium leveled midway through the second half when Egyptian defender Mohamed Hany inadvertently turned the ball into his own net in the 66th minute. The result leaves both teams with one point after the opening round of Group G fixtures. The group’s remaining first-round…

Homs, June 16 (SANA)A cultural event celebratingCircassian heritagebrought together traditional dress, cuisine, folklore and music in Homs on Monday as part ofSyria‘s Intangible Heritage Week, an initiative aimed at promoting awareness of the country’s diverse cultural traditions. Held at the Culture Palace and organized by theHomsDirectorate of Culture in cooperation with the Najeeb Foundation for Heritage, the event featured exhibitions of traditional Circassian clothing, handicrafts, househo…

Washington,June 16 (SANA)US Vice PresidentJ.D. Vance said on Monday that theceasefire agreementsigned between theUnited StatesandIranis a highly general public document, noting that the details will be determined during subsequent negotiations. Reuters quoted Vance as saying during an interview with CNN that “the memorandum of understanding is about a page and a half long, so it is a very general document.” Addressing a number of unresolved issues, Vance added: “We will have to resolve those m…

Jakarta, June 17 (SANA)A shallowearthquakemeasuring 6.7 on the Richter scale struck the centralIndonesianisland of Sulawesi on Tuesday, with initial reports indicating no casualties or damage. Agence France-Presse (AFP) quoted the United States Geological Survey (USGS) as saying that the earthquake occurred at a shallow depth at 10:27 a.m. local time in an area southeast of Palu, the capital of Central Sulawesi province. Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency said residents…

Baghdad, June 16 (SANA)Iraqi Prime MinisterAli Falih al-Zaidiand U.S. presidential envoyTom Barrackdiscussed plans to rehabilitate theKirkuk-Baniyasoil pipeline during talks inBaghdad, as the two sides also reviewed regional developments and security issues, according to a statement from the Iraqi prime minister’s office on Tuesday. The discussions focused on advancing a memorandum of understanding signed withTI Capitalto restore the pipeline, which would reconnect northern Iraq’s oil fields to…

Homs event highlights Circassian heritage during Syria’s Intangible Heritage Week President al-Sharaa: Transitional justice should not be used for revenge or domination Homs concert celebrates Syrian musical heritage at Intangible Heritage Week Al-Shaibani welcomes Jordanian delegation led by Safadi at Damascus airport President al-Sharaa: Reports of Syria entering Lebanon are unfounded President al-Sharaa: Syrians’ unity is key to rebuilding Syria, restoring its standing Kanatri: Four Sea…

Homs, June 16 (SANA)Syria’sMinistry of Energyhas completed the rehabilitation of five oil wells in the al-Bishri field in the country’s central region, part of a wider project aimed at restoring production capacity and improving the performance of oil infrastructure. The work, carried out by the Syrian Petroleum Company (SPC), covers five of the seven wells included in the project and was completed using the company’s in-house technical expertise and operational resources, the ministry said in …

SINGAPORE, June 16 (SANA)The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned on Tuesday that hundreds of millions of children around the world are facing growing risks linked toclimate change, saying that extreme weather events are increasingly threatening their health, education and future prospects. According to a report cited by Reuters, approximately 1.8 billion children are exposed to drought risks, while 1.2 billion are affected by extreme heat waves. More than 1.1 billion children face at…

New York, June 16 (SANA)The United Nations has warned of a worsening humanitarian situation inLebanonamid continuing Israeli attacks and large-scale population displacement, stressing the importance of ensuring sustained humanitarian assistance and bringing hostilities to an end. According to UN News,Anandita Philipose, representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Lebanon, said that the number of displaced people in the country has reached around 1.4 million, representing mor…

Dutch court sentences deposed regime militia commander to 26 years Homs event highlights Circassian heritage during Syria’s Intangible Heritage Week President al-Sharaa: Transitional justice should not be used for revenge or domination Homs concert celebrates Syrian musical heritage at Intangible Heritage Week Al-Shaibani welcomes Jordanian delegation led by Safadi at Damascus airport President al-Sharaa: Reports of Syria entering Lebanon are unfounded President al-Sharaa: Syrians’ unity i…

Cairo, June 16 (SANA)TheArab Leagueon Tuesday condemned the opening of a diplomatic mission for the so-calledSomalilandinoccupied Jerusalem, saying the move violates international law and U.N. resolutions governing the status of the city. In a statement, the Arab League said establishing diplomatic missions in occupied Jerusalem or recognizing the city as a location for foreign representation runs counter to the international consensus on its legal status and conflicts with relevant U.N.Securit…

Capitals, June 15 (SANA)TheUnited Statesand Iran have reached a framework agreement to end hostilities and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, but Israel has quickly distanced itself from the understanding, insisting it is not bound and will continue its military operations in Lebanon. Israeli officials, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, stressed that the US-Iran agreement “does not obligate Israel in any way,” calling for continued military operations against Hezbollah and rejecti…

Paris, June 15 (SANA)French authorities have closed 12 Israeli pavilions at the Eurosatory international arms fair held near Paris, the event’s organizer said Monday, after banning the display of Israeli offensive weapons at the 2026 edition. Coges Events, the organizing company, said in a statement cited by AFP that the 12 pavilions were closed “due to non-compliance with participation conditions set by French authorities.” “As a result, 12 pavilions had to be closed,” Coges Events CEO Charle…

Latakia, June 15 (SANA)Internal security forces in Latakia province have arrested Wissam Saji Osman, office director of the criminal Yisar al-Assad, for involvement in violations and crimes targeting unarmed civilians in Syria’s coastal region, the security command said Monday. Osman was also implicated in managing recruitment operations and securing financial and military support during events that took place on the coast in March 2025, with backing and direction from Yisar al-Assad, according…

New York, June 15 (SANA)TheUnited Nationson Monday renewed its welcome for the ceasefire between the United States and Iran and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, stressing the importance of opening a humanitarian corridor through the strait to prevent a global hunger crisis. According to UN News, UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Owa Dabu warned during the 62nd session of theUN Human Rights Councilin Geneva that failure to reopen the strait would cause some of the world’s weakes…

Ankara, June 15 (SANA)Turkish PresidentRecep Tayyip Erdoğanstressed the importance of continued activities of UN missions in Syria during a phone call Monday with UN Secretary-GeneralAntónio Guterres, stating that Türkiye will continue to provide necessary support in this regard, Turkish state news agency Anadolu reported. According to a statement fromTürkiye‘s presidential communications office, the two sides discussed regional and international developments, primarily the agreement between Wa…