Singapore, Sept. 09 (SANA)Six commodity-carrying vessels transitedthe Strait of Hormuzon Tuesday, compared with nine the previous day and an average of about 12 vessels over the past 10 days, according to data from maritime shippinganalytics company Kplercited by Reuters.Kpler said five of the six vessels entered the strait, while one exited. The group included a Panamax-sized tanker and a medium-sized vessel.Meanwhile, 25 commodity-carrying vessels transitedthe Bab al-Mandab Straiton Tuesday, with 11 vessels entering and 14 exiting the vital Middle Eastern waterway.The figure compares with an…

Homs, Sept. 9 (SANA)Fans of classicalArab musicgathered atBustan al-Diwanat the Jesuit Fathers Monastery inHoms, central Syria, for a performance by the Ehsas Ballet and Expressive Dance Troupe, held in cooperation with the Jesuit Cultural Forum. Titled “A Night of Ehsas in the Presence of the Star of the East,” the performance drew an enthusiastic audience with a selection of songs by legendary Egyptiansinger Umm Kulthum, widely known as “The Star of the East.” Her music was reimagined through choreographed pieces blendingclassical Easterninfluences with contemporary expressive movement. Sa…

Washington, Sept. 9 (SANA)The United States imposed a new package ofIran-related sanctionson Tuesday targeting the country’s aviation sector and companies supporting it as Washington intensifies economic pressure on Tehran.The U.S. Treasury Department’s Office ofForeign Assets Control (OFAC)announced 36 sanctions under its expanded “Operation Economic Outcast,” targeting Iranian airlines as well as companies and networks that Washington says support their operations.The Treasury said the measures seek to cut Iran andthe Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)off from financial and logistical …

Capitals, Sept. 9 (SANA)Saudi Arabia,Jordan, theUnited KingdomandDenmarkon Wednesday welcomed a decision by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors to remove theSyria-related “noncompliance” item from its agenda, citing positive developments in the file and Syria’s cooperation with the agency. In a statement, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed the consensus reached by the IAEA Board of Governors on the decision submitted by Saudi Arabia, as chair of the Arab Group in Vienna, together with Jordan, Egypt and Morocco. The ministry said the decision reflects s…

Damascus, Sept. 9 (SANA)Information Minister Khaled Zaarourdiscussed Wednesday with StefanSchulz, head ofGIZ’s BRIDGE program for strengthening Syrian civil society capacities, prospects for cooperation aimed at developing Syria’s media sector and building professional capacity. TheInformation Ministrysaid on Telegram that the meeting, attended by Mia Rebecca Takada and Johanna Stucki from the German Embassy in Damascus, focused on supporting field and public-awareness efforts to counter disinformation and developing tools and programs to address its impact inSyria. The two sides also discus…

Capitals, Sept. 9 (SANA)TheEuropean Union,CanadaandLatviawelcomed Wednesday theInternational Atomic Energy AgencyBoard of Governors’ unanimous decision to remove theSyria-related non-compliance item from its agenda, describing it as an important step toward resolving longstanding nuclear issues and strengthening cooperation with the agency.EU Ambassador to the United Nations and international organizations in Vienna Carl Hallergard said in a post on X that the decision brings consideration of outstanding issues related to the nuclear activities of the ousted Assad regime to a close. EU welcom…

Damascus, Sept. 10 (SANA)Director of International Cooperation at theMinistry of Foreign Affairs and ExpatriatesQutaibaKadishmet with a delegation from the International Finance Corporation (IFC), headed by Elena Bourganskaia, IFC Vice President for Strategy and Operations Support. The meeting discussed prospects for resuming IFC operations in Syria and its potential role in supporting the private sector, attracting investment and financing projects, with the aim of stimulating economic activity, creating jobs and supporting recovery and reconstruction efforts. The two sides also discussed c…

El presidente de la República, José Raúl Mulino, recibió en el Palacio de las Garzas a una delegación de directivos de la Comunidad Judía de Panamá, con motivo del Año Nuevo 5787 según el calendario hebreo, que este año inicia el viernes 11 de septiembre con la puesta del sol. La delegación estuvo integrada por Michael Ostrowiak, Jackie Sivera, Max Joe Harari, Alan Perelis, Dovi Eisenmann y Alberto Jabiles. Durante la reunión se abordaron temas relacionados con el acontecer nacional e internacional destacando el rol que desempeña Panamá en el ámbito mundial. Los visitantes obsequiaron al pr…

Three Government programmes are making a difference in preventing family violence, new independent evaluations show. Evaluations of E Tū Whānau, Pasefika Proud and the Ethnic Communities Violence Prevention programme found positive shifts in attitudes, behaviours and social norms associated with family violence. The programmes are funded by the Ministry of Social Development. “Family violence and sexual violence cause enormous harm, but these evaluations show we can make a difference,” Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “These are three different programmes work…

Lower Overseas Investment fees will make it easier and more attractive for investors to bring capital into New Zealand, helping businesses grow, lifting productivity, creating higher-paying jobs, and unlocking New Zealand’s potential. "The Government is focused on removing unnecessary barriers to investment and making New Zealand a more attractive place to do business,” Mr Seymour says. “Last year the Government streamlined the Overseas Investment Act, putting in place a risk-based national interest test that reduced unnecessary checks on low-risk investment applications while maintaining th…

The average KiwiSaver balance has passed $40,000 for the first time, with $138.8 billion now invested on behalf of New Zealanders, says Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Cameron Brewer. The Financial Markets Authority's KiwiSaver Annual Report, released today, shows the average member balance up 11 per cent to $40,340, contributions up 8.2 per cent, and more than 112,000 new members joining the scheme. "Competition is a key focus for this Government, and this report shows it working. Members switched funds 460,000 times last year and $7.4 billion moved between providers, up from $5.5 bi…

The Government is investing in upgraded visitor facilities at Horopito on the Mountains to Sea – Ngā Ara Tūhono Great Ride, Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston says. “More than 67,000 people pass through Horopito, including on the Great Ride each year, creating lasting memories while contributing the local economy along the way,” Louise Upston says. Horopito is located on the edge of the Tongariro National Park, near Ohakune. “This investment of $405,000 will help to rectify the current lack of visitor infrastructure at a key junction through the construction of public toilets, s…

Planning for the future redevelopment of Hawke's Bay, Palmerston North, and Tauranga hospitals has reached an important milestone, with early concept images showing what future buildings could look like, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. "This is the next step in getting these three redevelopments underway, and it gives patients, staff, and their communities their first look at what these hospitals could become," Mr Brown says. "Acute services are at the heart of any hospital. Getting these buildings right means more capacity where demand is highest, improved connections between services, a…

The Government will provide $8 million from the Regional Infrastructure Fund to support the continued operation and preservation of the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones and Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka say. “Waitangi is where the story of modern New Zealand began. It is a place of immense national significance, a place of nationhood,” Mr Jones says. “Preserving heritage buildings, museums, cultural facilities and public infrastructure at a site of this significance is an essential and ongoing investment. This pūtea from the Regional Infrastructure …

BEIJING, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping made a five-day trip to Central Asia and the Middle East from Aug. 30 to Sept. 3, during which he attended the 2026 Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit and paid state visits to Kyrgyzstan and Egypt, sending strong messages that inject certainty and positive energy into a turbulent and changing world. The trip, observers say, was in step with the broader trends of the times as the Chinese president, with the shared future of humanity in mind, advanced a series of proposals on reforming and improving global governance. VISION…