Damascus, June 16 (SANA)Syrian Finance MinisterMohammed Yisr Barniehheld talks with German Minister of State at the Federal Foreign OfficeSerap Güleron Tuesday on opportunities to deepen economic cooperation, expand investment ties and strengthen financial-sector engagement between the two countries. According to Syria’sMinistry of Finance, the discussions focused on Syria’s ongoing economic and financial reforms and prospects for greater participation by German companies, banks and financial institutions in investment and development projects. Barnieh highlighted efforts to modernize Syria’…

Berlin, June 16 (SANA)Syria’s chargé d’affaires in Berlin, Mohammad Baraa Shukri, held talks with Clemens Hach, the German Foreign Office’s director for the Middle East and North Africa, on ways to strengthen cooperation between Syria and Germany, the Syrian Embassy in Berlin said on Tuesday. The meeting focused on areas of mutual interest and opportunities to expand bilateral cooperation in support of relations between the two countries, the embassy said in a post on X. The two sides also exchanged views on a range of regional and international issues of common concern. The talks come as S…

Damascus, June 16 (SANA)The Syrian Petroleum Company (SPC) signed an agreement on Tuesday with U.S. energy companiesConocoPhillipsand Novaterra to develop several gas fields and increase production from existing sites, as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s energy sector and expand natural gas supplies for electricity generation and other key industries. The agreement, signed at the Ministry of Energy headquarters inDamascus, marks a new phase in cooperation between the three parties following months of technical, legal and commercial discussions that built on a previously signed memo…

Jeddah, June 16 (SANA)TheOrganization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)on Tuesday condemned the opening of what it described as a Somaliland embassy inoccupied Jerusalem, saying the measure is illegal and constitutes a violation of theUnited NationsCharter and relevant international resolutions governing the statue of the city. In a statement published on its official website, the OIC General Secretariat said the move represents an attempt to alter the legal and political status of occupied Jerusalem and therefore has no legal validity under international law and relevant UN resolutions, which pro…

Damascus, June 16 (SANA)President Ahmad al-Sharaa on Tuesday extended his warmest congratulations to the Syrian people, the Arab and Islamic nations on the occasion of the New Hijri Year.“On the occasion of the New Hijri Year, I extend my warmest congratulations to the Syrian people, the Arab and Islamic nations,” President al-Sharaa posted on X. The Presidentadded “May God Almighty make it a year of goodness and prosperity for Syria and its people, and bring to them the blessings of security and stability.”

Damascus, June 16 (SANA)Head of theGeneral Authority for Borders and Customs(GABC) Qutaiba Badawi met with UAE Ambassador to Syria Hamad Rashid bin Alwan al-Habsi to discuss prospects for cooperation in ports, free zones and logistics services, the authority said Tuesday. The meeting, held at the authority’s headquarters in Damascus, addressed ways to support trade andinvestmentmovement between the two countries in line with the ongoing development of Syrian-Emirati relations, the authority said on its Telegram channel. The two sides discussed a number of files of mutual interest and opportu…

Raqqa, June 16 (SANA)Civil Defense teams inRaqqaprovince received five reports of drowning incidents while swimming on Tuesday, resulting in the deaths of three children and a young man, and the rescue of one adult, the Civil Defense said. Teams recovered the body of a young man from theEuphrates Rivernear the new bridge on the southern side, and the body of a child near the old bridge on the northern side. Both bodies were transferred to the national hospital in Raqqa for necessary procedures, the Civil Defense said on its Telegram channel. The residents responded to three other drowning ca…

Capitals, June 16, 2026 (SANA)Arab referees, assistant referees and video match officials are serving in officiating roles at theFIFA World Cup 2026, which is being staged across North America with 48 teams participating. The tournament, running from June 11 to July 19, is being held across 16 cities in Canada, Mexico and the United States, marking the first time the competition has been jointly hosted by three countries. The final is scheduled to take place in the New York/New Jersey area. FIFA confirmed a total of 52 referees, 88 assistant referees and 30 video assistant referees for the t…

Damascus, June 16 (SANA)Syrian Investment AuthorityDirector General Talal al-Hilali met with Emirati businessman Mohamed Alabbar during his visit to Damascus to discuss investment opportunities and priority development projects, the authority said Tuesday. The meeting reviewed efforts to attract quality investments and push the business environment across various sectors, the authority added on its Telegram channel. The authority affirmed its continued commitment to empowering investors and facilitating their investment journey to enhance sustainable economic partnerships and support develop…

Damascus, June 16 (SANA)President Ahmad al-Sharaa received on Tuesday at the People’s Palace in Damascus CEO of ConocoPhillips Ryan Lance, CEO of Novaterra Energy Alex MacDonald, and Syrian businessman Ayman Asfari. Talks during the meeting dealt with aspects of cooperation in the energy sector, following the signing of a development contract with the two companies to upgrade the operational infrastructure of gas fields and enhance national gas production.Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Asaad al-Shaibani, Minister of Energy Mohammad al-Bashir, and CEO of the Syrian Petroleum Compa…

Damascus, June 16 (SANA)Achieving transitional justice in Syria requires the application of the law and fair trials to those responsible for serious crimes, a senior official at the National Transitional Justice Commission said on Tuesday.Radif Mustafa, director of the commission’s Accountability and Justice Department, said justice cannot be achieved through political alignments or what he described as unregulated demands, stressing that legal accountability remains the primary path to securing victims’ rights. “We understand people’s anger and their legitimate demands for accountability, re…

Nairobi, June 16 (SANA)Operations Manager at the International Federation ofRed Crossand Red Crescent Societies, Bruno Michon, said on Tuesday that theEbola outbreakin eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo has not yet reached its peak, warning it could continue for up to a year. Quoted by Reuters, Michon told journalists via video link from easternDR Congo: “It is very difficult to accurately determine the extent of the outbreak, but I believe we have not yet reached the peak,” adding, “We fear the situation could last for a year before the disease can be brought under control.” More than…

Washington, June 16 (SANA)U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that a temporary agreement with Iran includes provisions designed to preventTehranfrom acquiring a nuclear weapon, adding that Washington would not allow Iran to develop nuclear capabilities. Speaking during the G7 summit in Evian, France,Trumpsaid a 14-point memorandum of understanding with Iran, the details of which have not yet been made public, is intended to block Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Trump criticized the 2015 nuclear agreement negotiated under former President Barack Obama, calling it “a path to a …

Damascus, June 16 (SANA)Syrian Deputy Minister of Economy and Industry Basel Abdul Hannan held talks with a delegation of Egyptian business leaders and investors on Tuesday on opportunities to expand industrial cooperation and launch joint investment projects, including plans for a large-scale industrial zone inAleppoprovince. The meeting, attended by representatives of theEgyptian Embassyin Damascus, focused on strengthening economic ties between Syria and Egypt and encouraging private-sector participation in development and reconstruction projects. Officials reviewed a proposal to establis…

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.Security Councilresolutions. The organization said the step could contribute to efforts to alter Jerusalem…

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 is key to rebuilding Syria, restoring its standing Kanatri: Four Seas Initiative redefines Syria’s r…

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 more than 20 percent of Lebanon’s population. Philipose noted that approximately 16,000 pregnant women…

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 least three overlapping climate-related hazards, raising concerns that multiple and interconnected …

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 a statement on its Telegram channel. The rehabilitation is part of ongoing efforts to return oil fi…

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 Seas Initiative redefines Syria’s regional economic role Latakia celebrates local heritage at spring m…