SANA - Syrian Arab News Agency

Damascus, SANA – Foreign Minister Assad Hassan al-Shaibani met on Saturday with a delegation from the International Crisis Group headed by Richard Atwood at the ministry’s headquarters.

The talks focused on recent regional developments and efforts to support stability and dialogue in the region.

Amer Dhawa

Occupied Jerusalem, SANA -Palestinian Foreign Ministry welcomed the tripartite statement issued by France, Germany, and Britain, calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, warning of the worsening humanitarian catastrophe threatening the lives of Palestinian civilians, and demanding that Israel comply with international humanitarian law.

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry quoted the WAFA news agency as saying that the European statement expressed the three countries’ willingness to take practical measures that would contribute to halting the war, amid growing international concern over the repercussions of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip.

The Ministry affirmed that it is closely monitoring shifts in international positions and is working to build on them to transform the global consensus on a ceasefire into concrete steps that compel Israel to halt its aggression and ensure the implementation of the New York Declaration as an irreversible path toward ending the occupation and establishing an independent Palestinian state on the ground.

Nawal/Fedaa

Brussels, SANA-The Dutch government announced its withdrawal from the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest in protest against Israel’s continued participation, in light of the escalation of the aggression on the Gaza Strip, and the widespread casualties and destruction it has caused.

The Dutch decision came in the context of a growing European wave of rejection, preceded by Ireland, Slovenia, Iceland, and Spain announcing their intention to boycott the competition if the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) does not respond to increasing demands to exclude Israel from the list of participants.

Euronews confirmed that these countries consider the continued participation of the occupation in the competition a blatant disregard for the values upon which Eurovision was founded in 1956, which aim to promote peace, equality, and respect among peoples. This is especially true given that the competition enjoys a wide audience, exceeding 166 million viewers this year.

Slovenian Radio and Television had previously announced its withdrawal from the competition in protest against the “war of extermination” waged by the Israeli occupation against Gaza. Meanwhile, Spanish Culture Minister Ernest Urtasun confirmed that his country had been demanding for months that Israel be excluded from participating, in line with the popular stance rejecting the aggression.

Nawal/ Fedaa

Tartous,SANA-Baniyas Refinery is undergoing its largest maintenance and modernization project in years. This project aims to replace vital equipment that has exceeded its operational lifespan and ensure continued production according to the highest standards of safety and operational efficiency.The plan includes concurrent projects extending until 2026 and represents a strategic step toward increasing production capacity and improving the refinery’s technical performance.

Jawad Abdul Latif, the refinery’s director of studies and projects, reported that the decision to replace the improvement reactors came after careful oversight procedures by the Technical Inspection Department and Scientific Research Center.

Dhafer Mohammed, Head of the Improvement Department, articulated that the reactor replacement project aims to increase the operational capacity from 100 to 120 cubic meters per hour, up from the design capacity of 141.4 cubic meters.

He pointed out that the reactors had previously suffered a slight tilt in 2011, which was repaired by a Romanian company.

Baniyas Refinery’s development plan represents a qualitative shift in its industrial trajectory, reflecting a deep commitment to quality and sustainability. The concurrent projects enhance the refinery’s readiness to meet energy and operational challenges in the coming years. With these steps, the refinery consolidates its position as a vital and strategic facility in the Syrian oil sector.

Nawal/ Fedaa

Amman, SANA-Jordanian Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and his British counterpart, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, called for intensifying international efforts to achieve a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the opening of all crossings for the entry of humanitarian aid, during a phone call held Saturday.

The Jordanian Foreign Ministry stated that the call also addressed the serious deterioration in the occupied West Bank as a result of the continued illegal Israeli measures, including settlement expansion, land confiscation, and the economic and political siege of the Palestinian people.

Safadi stressed the need for the international community to take urgent action to stop these violations that undermine the prospects for peace and the two-state solution.

He also reiterated Jordan’s condemnation of the Israeli aggression against the State of Qatar, affirming the Kingdom’s support for Qatar in all steps it takes to protect its security, stability, and sovereignty.

Nawal/Fadaa

Occupied Jerusalem, SANA-Hospitals across the Gaza Strip reported seven deaths on Saturday, including two children, over the past 24 hours due to the worsening famine and malnutrition caused by the ongoing Israeli blockade of the Strip.

Palestinian news agency WAFA quoted medical sources as saying that the total number of deaths linked to famine and malnutrition has risen to 420, including 145 children, as critical cases continue to arrive at hospitals, with some 900,000 children suffering from hunger, 70,000 of them have entered the stage of severe malnutrition.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) had previously warned that malnutrition among children under five had doubled between March and June due to Israeli restrictions on the entry of food and medical aid into the Strip.

Nawal/ Fedaa

Doha-  SANA

The State of Qatar has welcomed the adoption by the United Nations General Assembly of the “New York Declaration,” calling for the implementation of the two-state solution and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

The State of Qatar considered the vote in favor of the resolution, with a majority of 142 votes, to reflect broad international support for the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, foremost among which is their right to establish their state within the 1967 borders with Jerusalem as its capital.

The Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its appreciation for the efforts of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the French Republic in drafting and adopting the declaration, reiterating Qatar’s firm position in supporting the Palestinian cause based on international legitimacy resolutions.

In the same context, the Pakistan Ulema Council (PUC) welcomed the decision, and the Council’s Chairman, Sheikh Tahir Ashrafi, describing it as an achievement, reflects the return of the global conscience and a victory for justice, emphasizing that recognition of an independent Palestinian state was imminent, despite opposition from the occupation government, which he described as reflecting an aggressive approach that contradicts the growing international consensus.

Ashrafi affirmed the Pakistani leadership’s support for the two-state solution in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions, as part of a unified Arab and Islamic stance in defending Palestinian rights in international forums.

Nawal/ Fedaa

New York-SANA

Israel imposed a tragic situation on Gaza City of, as it is “handed a death sentence” where the only option left for the city’s residents is to leave or die, amid an unprecedented aggressive escalation,Olga Cherevko, Spokesperson in Gaza for the UN aid coordination office OCHA said

hundreds of thousands of exhausted and terrified Palestinians have been forced to flee to crowded areas as part of Israeli warnings aimed displacing the population and occupying the city, Cherevko added during press conference via a video from Deir Al-Balah in the south of the Gaza Strip, in which she spoke to journalists at the United Nations headquarters in New York.

The UN official emphasized the need to stop the horrific violence in Gaza, calling for urgent decisions that pave the way to a lasting peace.

Noura /Mazen Eyon

Damascus, SANA- Syrian Arab Red Crescent has received four mobile clinics and three ambulances, with support from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), and contributions from the Saudi Red Crescent and the Japanese Red Cross. This step aims to enhance the organization’s capacity to provide health and emergency services across various Syrian governorates.

Director of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent’s Medical Services Department, Dr. Tariq Al-Baaj, said that mobile clinics provided by the Japanese Red Cross will be sent to the provinces of Aleppo, Lattakia, Hama and Idlib to provide primary healthcare services in areas that are difficult to access or lack effective health centers due to natural disasters or previous damage.

Nawal/ Mazen

Occupied Jerusalem, SANA- Sixteen Palestinians have been killed and dozens injured since dawn Saturday by Israeli army fire in various areas of Gaza Strip.

Palestinian News Agency, WAFA, reported that hospitals in Gaza Strip have received bodies of 12 Palestinians, as a result of Israeli air and artillery shelling of various areas in Gaza Strip.

Dozens remain under the rubble, and civil defense and ambulance crews are unable to reach them.

Meanwhile, occupation forces opened fire with their machine guns at those waiting for humanitarian aid in Gaza valley area in central Gaza Strip, resulting in the deaths of 4 Palestinians and the injury of dozens, bringing the number of victims of the occupation’s targeting of aid distribution areas to 4,479 martyrs, and more than 18,091 wounded.

 Nawal/ Mazen

Washington -SANA

Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said that his country would take all necessary measures to protect its security and maintain its sovereignty in the face of the Israeli attack.

The Qatari minister’s statements came after his meeting with US President Donald Trump, on an official visit following the Israeli aggression that resulted in six casualties and sparked a widespread wave of Arab and international condemnation.

In a statement issued by the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Doha explained that Sheikh Mohammed also met with US Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, where they discussed bilateral relations and ways to enhance the strategic partnership between the two countries, in addition to discussing developments in the regional situation.

During the meeting, the Qatari minister stressed the importance of cooperation with the United States in supporting peace efforts, stressing that his country appreciates the American positions in support of Qatar’s sovereignty and stability, and is keen to continue joint coordination on regional and international issues.

Khadega/Mazen Eyon

Tartous, SANA-Two ships carrying 31,570 tons of wheat arrived at Tartous Port Saturday for the benefit of the Syrian Grain Corporation.

This shipment is part of a government plan to boost the strategic wheat stockpile and ensure the continued supply of flour to bakeries across various governorates.

Nawal/ Mazen

London-SANA

A growing number of universities, academic institutions and scholarly bodies around the world are cutting links with Israeli academies. 

In response, a growing number of academic bodies are now distancing themselves from Israeli institutions. Last year the Federal University of Ceará in Brazil cancelled an innovation summit with an Israeli university, while a host of universities across Norway, Belgium and Spain have cut ties with Israeli institutions. Others, including Trinity College Dublin, followed suit this summer.

As well as, the University of Amsterdam has ended a student exchange program with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and the European Association of Social Anthropologists has declared it will not collaborate with Israeli academic institutions and has encouraged its members to follow suit.

According to Gaza’s health ministry, more than 63,000 people have been killed in the territory – the majority of them civilians – with the true toll likely far higher. UN-backed experts have confirmed parts of Gaza, much of which has been reduced to rubble, are now in a “man-made” famine.

Khadega/Mazen Eyon

Wellington-SANA

The city of Auckland, New Zealand, witnessed a march in solidarity with the Palestinian people and in condemnation of the genocidal war waged by the Israeli occupation on the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023.

The Palestinian News Agency, WAFA, quoted the New Zealand Public Broadcasting Corporation as saying that the marchers raised Palestinian flags and banners bearing slogans including “No Normalization for Genocide.”

Approximately 50,000 people participated in the “March for Humanity,” the largest march in New Zealand in support of the Palestinians since the outbreak of the war in Gaza.

Rana/Mazen

Paris-SANA

Leaders of France, UK, and Germany—collectively known as the “European Troika” urged an immediate stop to Israeli military operations in Gaza City, following the Israeli military’s confirmation of its intention to intensify its strikes on key cities of the strip.

France 24 quoted The foreign ministers of the three European countries, in a joint statement saying that they called on for an immediate stop to Israeli military operations in Gaza, which are causing mass displacement of civilians, casualties among them, as well as destruction of vital infrastructure.

“We call for enabling the United Nations and non-governmental humanitarian organizations to operate safely and on a wide scale across Gaza Strip, including the north.” the statement added

The Israeli occupation government continues to ignore all international resolutions and appeals calling on it to ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and allow humanitarian aid into the Strip, proceeding with a war of extermination, concurrently using the weapons of starvation.

Noura /Mazen Eyon

Ankara-SANA

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stressed that Syria’s stability is a key element in ensuring Europe’s security and peace, calling on the international community to support the Syrian government in its efforts to rebuild its institutions and provide basic services to the Syrian people, including security and stability.

In a speech at a conference organized by the Institute of International Relations in the Italian capital, Rome, Fidan stressed the importance of the commitment of regional countries and the international community to guaranteeing Syria’s unity and sovereignty, noting that achieving prosperity in Syria will positively impact regional and international security.

Fidan also called for the need to pressure Israel to stop its repeated attacks on Syrian territory, explaining that “Israel seeks to weaken its neighbors and undermine their stability, and does not want to see economically or politically successful countries in its vicinity.” He added, “Israel’s true goal is geographic expansion, not security, as it claims.”

Regarding the situation in the Gaza Strip, the Turkish minister considered what is happening there to be a real test for the international community, stressing that ” condemning Israel’s crimes and revealing the facts is the first step toward building a more just world, he added.

Rana/Mazen

Doha-SANA

Majid bin Mohammed Al Ansari, Advisor to the Prime Minister and Official Spokesperson for the Qatarei Ministry of Foreign Affairs, announced that Doha will host an emergency Arab-Islamic summit next Monday, which would be held in light of the latest developments in the region.

Dr. Al Ansari told Qatar News Agency (QNA) that the summit will discuss a draft resolution on the Israeli attack on the State of Qatar, submitted by the preparatory meeting of the foreign ministers of Arab and Islamic countries, which will be held tomorrow, Sunday.

He stressed that holding the Arab-Islamic summit at this time has several meanings and connotations, and reflects the broad Arab and Islamic solidarity with the State of Qatar in confronting the cowardly Israeli aggression that targeted the residential headquarters of a number of Hamas leaders, and the categorical rejection of these countries of the state terrorism practiced by Israel.

Khadega/Mazen Eyon

New York -SANA

The UN’s high representative for disarmament affairs, Izumi Nakamitsu welcomed the new Syrian government’s pledge to cooperate with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), calling the commitment “commendable.”

“Since the Council’s last meeting on this matter, the OPCW and the Syrian Arab Republic have continued to engage on how to address outstanding issues related to Syria’s chemical weapons dossier,” Nakamitsu told the Security Council.

She recalled that since 2014, the OPCW Technical Secretariat has been unable to confirm that the declaration submitted by the former Syrian authorities was “accurate and complete, because of the insufficient and inaccurate information it contained.” Of 26 outstanding issues, 19 remain unresolved.

“In this month’s report, the OPCW Technical Secretariat reported that in addition to the 26 declared chemical weapons-related sites, information made available to the OPCW suggests that there are more than 100 other sites that may have been involved in chemical weapons-related activities,” she said.

Khadega/Mazen Eyon

Damascus countryside – SANA

With support and funding from the civil Community, the local council of the city of Arbin in the Damascus countryside launched the first phase of the Arbin National Hospital rehabilitation project on Saturday.

This comes as part of a development plan aimed to develop the health sector and improve the quality of integrated medical services provided to citizens.

In a statement to a SANA reporter, the head of the Arbin Local Council, Mohammad Hassan Younis, explained that the project includes the rehabilitation of the hospital, which has a floor area of approximately 6,000 square meters.

He indicated that the rehabilitation process will be carried out gradually, to include the most important departments needed by the city’s citizens.

Younis emphasized that the project aims to strengthen the resilience of the health sector in light of current challenges and provide quality medical services that meet the needs of the region’s residents.

Rana/Adnan

New York – SANA

Along with carbohydrates and fat, protein is one of the main macronutrients that make up our diet. It’s also the only macronutrient that supplies us with amino acids. 

When our bodies digest protein in food, it gets broken down into amino acids, which have a hand in many bodily processes, such as building and preserving muscle, making hormones, boosting the immune system and even maintaining healthy hair, skin and nails, American news network CNN reported.

But some nutrition scientists warn that thanks to social media trends, many people may be consuming too much protein.

“When you eat more protein than your body needs, your body can’t store the extra. It just gets rid of it in urine or turns it into energy or fat,” said registered dietitian Dr. Michelle Cardel, chief nutrition officer at Weight Watchers and adjunct professor at the University of Florida.

“One of the common signs is constipation,” said Dr. David Liska, chair of the Department of Colorectal Surgery at the Cleveland Clinic.

“Constipation can lead to a whole slew of other complaints,” he said, adding that’s why having a diet that’s high in fiber is important. “We generally recommend about 25 to 35 grams of fiber a day for overall gut health – that should be accompanied by a lot of water intake.”

Noura /Adnan