SANA - Syrian Arab News Agency

Finance Minister Mohamed Yisr Barnieh said Thursday that a joint Saudi-Qatari grant will be used primarily to support wages and salaries in the country’s social sectors, as part of efforts to stabilize the state budget.

Speaking to SANA, Barnieh thanked Saudi Arabia and Qatar for their “generous” $29 million monthly grant, which will run for three months. He said the assistance sends “a clear message” of support for Syria’s economic and financial reform efforts and reflects the growing strategic ties between the three countries.

“This initiative aligns with the Syrian government’s efforts to advance financial and economic reforms, strengthen stability, and promote comprehensive economic and social recovery,” Barnieh said.

He added that Syria looks forward to further cooperation with both the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) and the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) to finance future development projects.

The grant agreement was signed earlier this week by QFFD, SFD, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) at UNDP headquarters in New York, in the presence of Syrian Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Hind Kabawat, on the sidelines of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Thursday launched the global dialogue on AI governance, calling it a “cornerstone” for building a global system to ensure safe, trustworthy, and inclusive artificial intelligence.

Speaking at a high-level meeting during the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, Guterres said the initiative is built on three pillars, policy, science, and capacity, and described it as the “principal global forum” for shaping AI’s future.

The dialogue aims to develop governance frameworks grounded in international law and human rights, harmonize rules across countries, remove barriers, and promote open innovation, including shared resources and open-source tools.

Guterres announced the creation of an International Scientific Panel on AI, a 40-member independent body from multiple regions and disciplines that will place science “at the heart of global efforts.” He also said consultations will soon begin with member states and donors on creating a Global Fund for AI Capacity Development.

UNGA President Annalena Baerbock stressed that the initiative is designed to give every country, large or small, a voice in shaping AI technologies. She highlighted AI’s potential to accelerate progress on 80% of the Sustainable Development Goals but warned that focus, governance, and sustainability remain key challenges.

Baerbock called for capacity-building across all regions, fair representation in decision-making, and governance mechanisms rooted in ethics, equity, and sustainability.

Turkey and the United States signed a memorandum of understanding Thursday aimed at strengthening their partnership in civil nuclear energy.

Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said on his account NSosyal website that the agreement launches “a new process that will further deepen the long-standing and multidimensional partnership between Türkiye and the United States in the field of nuclear energy.”

Bayraktar said U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio signed the agreement on strategic civil nuclear cooperation at the White House, in the presence of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday.

“I hope the work to be carried out under this agreement will produce mutual benefits for both countries,” Bayraktar added.

A total of 842 students from across Syria took part Friday in the qualifying round of the 2025 Junior Hackathon, a nationwide competition designed to spark interest in programming and logical thinking among children and adolescents.

Organized by the Excellence and Creativity Commission in cooperation with the Lifelong Learning Center at the Syrian Virtual University, the hackathon is part of an ambitious digital development project aimed at nurturing the next generation of tech talent.

The qualifying tests were conducted simultaneously across the Syrian Virtual University access centers in multiple provinces. Each 75-minute session challenged participants with logic and programming questions, including exercises in both C++ scripting and Scratch graphical programming, as preparation for the final stage scheduled for October.

“The goal is to raise the general scientific level and strengthen analytical thinking skills for young learners by teaching them programming languages in a way that encourages innovation,” said Dania Qabbani, Director of the Syrian Science Olympiad at the Excellence and Creativity Commission on Friday.

“This marathon gives participants a real chance to discover their abilities, develop a spirit of self-improvement, and build confidence in problem-solving,”  Qabbani added.

Participants ranged from 8 to 15 years old, covering grades 2 through 8. Many students said the hackathon was their first hands-on experience with coding and an opportunity to think creatively and work collaboratively.

“This is a fun way to learn, it’s different from regular classes and mixes challenge with teamwork,” said Marita Habib Ali, one of the young competitors.

The top scorers will advance to next month’s finals, where Syria’s most promising young coders will compete for top honors and a chance to showcase their projects as part of the country’s growing push toward digital literacy and innovation.

Tuhama al-Saidi /Eyead al-kurdi

Idleb province will launch a new initiative Friday evening aimed at supporting reconstruction and recovery in areas devastated by years of war.

The “Loyalty to Idleb” campaign is set to kick off at the municipal stadium and will focus on rebuilding infrastructure, restoring basic services, and supporting residents in affected areas.

“The initiative aims to provide humanitarian and service support to the areas damaged by the former regime, through development projects that bring life back to the province and lay the foundations for a new phase of recovery,” said Mohammad Al-Sheikh, a member of the campaign’s Public Relations Committee, in a written statement sent to SANA on Friday.

The campaign is part of a series of nationwide initiatives previously held in Homs, Daraa, Deir Ezzor, and Damascus countryside, aimed at promoting national solidarity and speeding up reconstruction by raising public awareness and collecting donations.

Israeli forces advanced into the town of Ain Zwan in southern Quneitra on Thursday, SANA’s reporter witnessed.

An Israeli military unit used four-wheel drive vehicles, armored units, heavy equipment, and a bulldozer to carry out the incursion.

Since December 8, the Israeli military has launched more than 1,000 airstrikes on civilian and military targets in Syria and conducted over 400 ground incursions, actions the Syrian government has called a “blatant violation” of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement.

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani sat down Thursday for an open interview with CNN’s journalist Fareed Zakaria during an event hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR).

The discussion, held in New York, focused on regional developments and Syria’s diplomatic priorities on the sidelines of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

The first race of the 2025 Damascus Marathon, a distance of 42 km, set off from Umayyad Square in the Syrian capital, Damascus, SANA reporter stated.

Syrian Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Hind Kabawat met Thursday with UN Population Fund (UNFPA) Executive Director Diene Keita on the sidelines of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Amer Dhawa

NEW YORK (AP) — Syrian Foreign Minister Assad Hassan al-Shibani met Thursday with Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen on the sidelines of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Amer Dhawa

An event in Deir Ezzor to commemorate victims of the massacre in al-Joura and al-Qusour neighborhoods.

The massacre was perpetrated by the deposed regime on September 25, 2012.

Foreign Minister, Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani, met on Thursday with Swedish Minister of Migration Maria Malmer Stenergård, on the sidelines of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Asaad Hassan Al-Shaibani met Thursday with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, on the sidelines of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Foreign Minister, Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani, met on Thursday with his Singapore counterpart Vivian Balakrishnan on the sidelines of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

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Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani met Thursday with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Liechtenstein, Sabine Monauni, on the sidelines of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Syria and Ukraine signed an agreement to resume diplomatic relations after years of severed ties, Syria’s Foreign Ministry announced Thursday.

The ministry said in a statement on its Telegram channel that the signing took place on Wednesday in the presence of President Ahmad al-Sharaa and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the United Nations HQ in New York.

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani, and his Ukrainian counterpart, Andrii Sybiha, signed the agreement.

The statement said the agreement aims at developing bilateral cooperation in the political, economic, trade, and humanitarian fields.

On Wednesday, Zelenskyy hailed the signing as an “important step,” expressing Ukraine’s readiness to “support the Syrian people on their path to stability.”

“We agreed to build our relations on the basis of mutual respect and trust,” he said in a post on X.

Foreign Minister, Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani, met on Thursday with Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ayman al-Safadi on the sidelines of the current session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Mazen

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Asaad Hassan Al-Shaibani met Thursday with Foreign Minister of Argentine Gerardo Werthein on the sidelines of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Damascus – SANA

Minister of Social Affairs and Labor, Hind Kabawat, expressed Thursday gratitude to the State of Qatar and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for jointly providing $89 million financial support to assist public sector employees in Syria.

Kabawat hailed Syria’s participation in the General Assembly meetings as a historic moment following 14 years of hardship.

She added: “We see our flag under which a million martyrs fell… Today, we are present as a free government that loves the people, is from the people, and is for the people. This is a historic participation” thanking all those who stood with the Syrians.

On Wednesday, Saudi Arabia and Qatar announced the joint financial support totaling $89 million to help sustain public sector workers.

The Ministry of Emergency and Disaster Management announced Thursday that a firefighter was martyred while battling wildfires in the Lattakia countryside.

The ministry identified the martyr as Ali Salhab of the Lattakia Fire Brigade, he died from severe burns sustained while fighting the wildfires on Monday.