SANA - Syrian Arab News Agency

Damascus, SANA- Minister of Electricity in the caretaker government, Eng. Omar Shaqrouq met Tuesday with Head of the Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) mission, Mazen Abdullah Mohammed.

During the meeting, which took place at the ministry building, the two sides discussed ways to develop the electricity sector in Syria and strengthen its infrastructure, in addition to securing the necessary equipment to improve this vital sector.

Ruaa al-Jazaeri

Taipei, SANA- Twenty-seven people were injured Tuesday in a 6.4 magnitude earthquake that struck southern Taiwan.

The Associated Press (AP) quoted the US Geological Survey as saying that “the epicenter of the earthquake was 38 kilometers southeast of Chiayi County, at a depth of 10 kilometers.”

The earthquake also caused a fire at a printing plant in Chiayi.

In April, at least 13 people were killed and more than a thousand others were injured in a 7.4 magnitude earthquake that struck the east coast of Hualien in Taiwan.

Ruaa al-Jazaeri

Damascus, SANA- Syria and Norway have discussed the current state of the education sector in Syria and ways to support the teaching staff and students with the aim of improving the educational process.

That came during a meeting Tuesday that brought together Minister of Education in the caretaker government, Nazir al-Qadiri and a delegation from the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC). ‏

The two sides discussed the current state of educational infrastructure, its distribution, rehabilitation and reconstruction plans, and related statistics.

They also discussed the mechanism for joint work between the ministry and organizations to re-enroll students who have dropped out of school at all levels, as well as future plans to support the teaching staff.

Al-Qadiri clarified that there is a special program to compensate for the educational and linguistic gaps of students who have dropped out of school in Syria, especially those who studied in a foreign language in Turkey or Europe before joining schools.

Minister al-Qadiri emphasized the importance of the work of international organizations in Syria and their humanitarian missions, affirming keenness to facilitate this work in order to accelerate the rehabilitation of infrastructure and teaching staff, and the return of students to schools.

For her part, Julie Vibs, Country Director of the Syria Response Office at the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), confirmed the council’s readiness to assist in preparing a comparison between the Syrian curricula and other curricula that Syrian students abroad have studied.

According to Vibs, this will involve developing plans and strategies that support the qualification of students and compensate them so that they can return to studying in Syrian schools.

Ruaa al-Jazaeri

Damascus, SANA-With help of hundreds of Syrian volunteers, “We Are Back Damascus” campaign provided service and beautification activities to give Damascus city special splendor.

The volunteer teams in cooperation with directorates in Damascus Governorate and the Civil Defense have done a number of service activities included planting trees, cleaning pedestrian paths and painting sidewalks, in addition to other several activities.

A number of volunteers underlined the spirit of cooperation and initiative, as well the ability of Syrians to make positive change and spread the culture of volunteering.

Operations Director at Civil Defense in Damascus Countryside, Amer Zarifeh, said that the great turnout and active participation of volunteers in the campaign stressed the solidarity and love of citizens for their city.

Rafah al-Allouni/ Manar Salameh

Damascus, SANA- Two Qatari and Kuwaiti aid planes landed in Damascus International Airport on Tuesday, carrying relief materials provided to the Syrian people.

The Qatari aid plane carries about 20 tons of relief materials, including 384 food baskets and 7.5 tons of flour, provided by the Qatar Fund for Development.

It is the 12th plane within the air bridge. Earlier, 3 planes arrived in Gaziantep Airport of Turkey, and a plane to Jordan, and another to Lebanon, in addition to six planes that arrived at Damascus Airport, while the air bridge continues twice a week to support the Syrian people in all governorates.

As for the Kuwaiti aid plane, it is the ninth of the Kuwaiti air bridge relief, and it carries 40 tons of food, health and winter supplies for the neediest groups in Syria as part of the “Kuwait is by your side” campaign.

The aid includes 15 tons of winter supplies, including blankets, heavy clothes, and others, and about 17 tons of health supplies, especially infant formula, and about 8 tons of powdered milk.

Mazen Eyon