New Delhi, Sept. 13 (SANA)Chinese PresidentXi Jinpingproposed five initiatives to strengthen BRICS cooperation in artificial intelligence, trade and investment facilitation, the digital industry, smart manufacturing and talent development. Speaking on the second day of the 18thBRICSSummit in New Delhi on Sunday, Xi said China’s 15th Five-Year Plan would guide the country’s own development while creating opportunities for cooperation with countries around the world, China’s Xinhua News Agency reported. Xi said China would continue pursuing high-quality development and high-standard opening-up…

New Delhi, Sept. 13 (SANA)Russian PresidentVladimir Putinproposed creating a new insurance mechanism and a joint grain market initiative among BRICS countries, as he called for stronger economic cooperation within the grouping. Speaking at the concluding session of the18th BRICS summitinNew Delhion Sunday, Putin said BRICS countries had developed independent channels for moving capital, labor and technologies and could continue operating despite external pressure. “We have some promising initiatives going forward, such as creating an insurance mechanism and a grain market. These are Russian …

Damascus, Sept. 13 (SANA)Syria’s Foreign and Expatriates MinisterAsaad Hassan al-Shaibanimet Turkish Foreign MinisterHakan FidaninDamascuson Sunday for talks on bilateral relations and regional developments. The two ministers discussed strengthening cooperation betweenSyriaandTürkiyeand activating the Joint High Committee as an institutional framework for closer coordination. They also reviewed several issues of mutual interest and exchanged views on the latest regional developments. Al-Shaibani and Fidan stressed the importance of continued consultation and coordination and of supporting e…

Raqqa, Sept. 12 (SANA)Visitors to the first “Hala Madrasati” (Hello My School)festival in Raqqapraised the variety of products and competitive prices, saying the event helped families purchase school supplies in one place and easefinancial pressures. Visitors told SANA that competition among exhibitors contributed to lower prices for stationery, clothing and school bags, allowing families to secure their children’s needs with the start of the new academic year. Ali al-Hammoud highlighted the importance of holding more exhibitions and festivals in the province to strengthen competition and pr…

London, Sept. 13 (SANA)A fire broke out aboard acommercial vesselafter it was struck by an unidentified projectile while transiting theStrait of Hormuz, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said on Sunday.UKMTO said it received an initial report of the incident at 2300 GMT on Saturday, adding that the condition of the crew, the extent of damage to the vessel and any possible environmental impact remained unknown.In an update posted on the X platform, the maritime authority said a fire had broken out aboard the vessel following the incident and that local authorities had arrived…

Damascus, Sept. 13 (SANA)One person was killed and 30 others were injured in traffic accidents and fires across Syria over the past 24 hours, the Civil Defense teams at theMinistry of Emergency and Disaster Managementsaid on Sunday. The Civil Defense said on its Telegram channel that its teams responded to 16 traffic accidents, which resulted in one death and injuries to 30 people. The injured were provided with first aid and transferred to hospitals for treatment, while teams removed the aftermath of the accidents and secured the sites. A Civil Defense source in Homs said one person was kil…

Beirut, Sept. 13 (SANA)Lebanese PresidentJoseph Aounon Sunday reaffirmed his commitment to Lebanon’s unity, sovereignty and independent decision-making, saying the state must exercise full authority over the country’s territory. “Lebanon, throughout its entire territory, is the permanent homeland of all its citizens. It is indivisible and cannot be diminished,” Lebanon’s National News Agency quoted Aoun as saying. He rejected segregation, partition and exclusion, saying that preserving the unity ofLebanon’s territory, people and institutions was the best way to honor those who had sacrificed…

Kyiv, Sept. 13 (SANA)US President Donald Trump on Sunday urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to stop attacks on Russia’s diesel infrastructure, saying the strikes were contributing to a global fuel shortage after US diesel prices reached record levels. Ukraine has for months targeted Russia’s oil and gas sector with long-range strikes, prompting fuel restrictions inside Russia and a ban on diesel exports in July. The disruptions have added pressure to global diesel supplies, which were also affected by reduced oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz amid the US-Iran conflict. Fu…

Damascus, Sep.13 (SANA)PresidentAhmad al-Sharaareceived on Sunday Turkish Foreign Minister,Hakan Fidan, in Damascus in the presence of Foreign and Expatriates Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani. The meeting focused on ways to enhance relations betweenSyria and Türkiyeand included an exchange of views on the latest regional developments. The talks also highlighted the importance of continued coordination and consultation to develop shared interests and support security and stability across the region.

Damascus, Sep.13 (SANA)The second edition of the Syria Reconstruction International Exhibition“Emaar 2026”kicked off on Sunday at theDamascus Fairgrounds, organized by “Effect Plus” for exhibitions and conferences. The four-day event, running from 13 to 16 September, is held under the patronage of the Ministries of Economy and Foreign Trade, Industry, Tourism, Local Administration and Environment, the Syrian Investment Authority, the Federation of Syrian Chambers of Commerce, and joint Syrian business councils. It brings together representatives of government institutions, investors, and deci…

Kyiv, Sept. 13 (SANA)The United Nations has warned that Ukraine could face its harshest winter since the war began in 2022, as extensive damage to energy infrastructure threatens to disrupt heating, water and sanitation services. The Ukrainian news agency quoted United Nations Development Program Administrator Alexander De Croo as saying in a radio interview on Sunday that the current situation risked triggering a “humanitarian catastrophe,” with damage to the power grid threatening the delivery of essential services. De Croo said technical teams were working around the clock to restore the …

London, Sept. 13 (SANA)Brighton & Hove Albion secured a commanding 5-0 victory over Coventry City in the English Premier League on Sunday, with five different players scoring in a one-sided encounter. The hosts were reduced to 10 men in the second half after a red card, allowing Brighton to add four more goals after taking a 1-0 lead into the interval. Charalampos Kostoulas opened the scoring for Brighton in the 35th minute, giving his side the advantage at halftime. Brighton doubled their lead six minutes after the restart through Malik Yalçın in the 51st minute. Two minutes later, Coventr…

Stockholm, Sept. 13 (SANA)Swedes began voting on Sunday in a closely contestedgeneral electionthat could see the far-right Sweden Democrats enter government for the first time or the left-wing opposition reclaim power. Opposition leader Magdalena Andersson of the Social Democrats was among the first candidates to cast her ballot after polling stations opened at 8:00 am local time. Andersson, who served as Sweden’s first woman prime minister in 2021-2022, said the election would determine the country’s future direction, contrasting a possible government influenced by the Sweden Democrats with…

Kyiv, Sept. 13 (SANA)UK National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell said Europe must be prepared to face “real hardship” this winter to maintain economic pressure on Russia and continue supporting Ukraine. Speaking at the Yalta European Strategy forum in Kyiv, Powell said Europe’s approach of backing Ukraine and imposing sanctions on Moscow was working, urging countries not to ease pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin. Powell said discussions about possible Russian escalation were “not a problem” but a sign that pressure on Moscow was having an effect. “We cannot turn that into an adv…

Occupied Jerusalem, Sept. 13 (SANA)Two Palestinians were killed and several others injured on Sunday when anIsraeli airstrikehit a vehicle in the Tel al-Hawa neighborhood of southwesternGaza City, the Palestinian news agency WAFA reported. A Palestinian woman was killed and several others were injured on Saturday in attacks by Israeli occupation forces and settlers across the Gaza Strip and theWest Bank. Israeli occupation forces also detained eight Palestinians during raids in several areas of the West Bank.kA/ABD

Damascus, Sept. 13 (SANA)Israeli occupation forces fired seven artillery shells at the outskirts ofBeit Jinnin the westernDamascus countrysideon Sunday, in the latest of several attacks on the area over three consecutive days. The shells struck the Harboun Hill area west of the town, with no casualties immediately reported, a SANA reporter said. On Saturday, an Israeli artillery shell landed on farmland in the Ain al-Shaara area north of Beit Jinn. Israeli occupation forces also shelled areas around Beit Jinn Farm and Bat al-Warda Hill on Friday. Israel continues to violate the 1974 Disenga…

Damascus, Sept. 13 (SANA)TheMinistry of Communications and Information Technologyannounced the signing of an agreement to establish the Ebla submarine cable linkingSyria and Cyprus,moving the project into the implementation phase as part of efforts to modernizeSyria’s international connectivityand diversify communication routes. The agreement was signed between theSyrian Company for Communications, the Cyprus Submarine Cable Authority (Cyta) and US-based UNIFI Communications Inc., according to the ministry. The new cable will connect thecity of Tartouswith the TATCYNOS submarine cable statio…

Cairo, Sept. 13 (SANA)A Syrian trade union delegation is taking part in the 52ndArab Labour Conferencein Cairo, joining representatives from 21 Arab countries for talks on labour markets, workers’ rights and economic challenges. The delegation from Syria’s General Federation of Trade Unions is led by federation President Abdul Alim al-Bakour. The conference, which opened Sunday and runs through Sept. 20, is organized by the Arab Labour Organization, an affiliate of the Arab League. Discussions are focused on strengthening cooperation among governments, employers and workers, addressing econ…

Artists bring hope and beauty to Syrian Art Week in Damascus Haneen Choir brings Safita’s musical voice to Syrian Art Week Syrian Visual Arts Exhibition: ‘The Impact of Art 2026’ From tools of destruction to art Damascene craftsmen grant war relics new life Draykish: A scenic natural masterpiece amid the mountains and valleys of Tartous Al-Farnlaq Forests attract visitors with stunning landscapes and serene beauty Syrian and Turkish social affairs ministers visit care centers and Damascus Old City Hind Kabawat receives Turkish Minister Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş

Moscow, Sept. 13 (SANA)Chinese President Xi JinpingandIndian Prime Minister Narendra Modihave offered to help seek a solution to the conflict inUkraine,Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Sunday. Peskovsaid the two leaders raised the prospect during separate talks withRussian President Vladimir Putinon the sidelines of the BRICS summit, according to Russia Today. Putin welcomed the offers and briefed Xi and Modi on the latest developments, Peskov said. Putin and Modi also discussed Ukraine during talks on Sept. 11 on the sidelines of aBRICS business forum.Their meeting covered develo…