SANA - Syrian Arab News Agency

The Syrian-Jordanian Information and Communication Technology Forum, held Friday in Damascus, witnessed the signing of several partnership agreements in the fields of training, empowering Syrian talent, information technology, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity. Implementation of these agreements is scheduled to begin on December 8, coinciding with Syria’s Liberation Anniversary.

Organized by Syria’s Ministry of Communications and Technology in cooperation with Jordan’s Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship and the Jordan ICT Association (Intaj), the forum featured introductory and consultative sessions between Jordanian and Syrian companies aimed at advancing the telecommunications sector to keep pace with global developments.

Minister of Communications and Technology Abdul Salam Haykal emphasized in his speech that the Syrian market is now open to Jordanian companies. He noted that effective investment requires constant presence and a deep understanding of the market’s nature, stressing that true success lies in long-term, solid, and sustainable partnerships rather than short-term projects.

Haykal explained that Syria’s technology sector today needs to adopt many modern concepts developed globally in recent years, such as cybersecurity, data protection, and digital transformation systems.

The minister said that Syria possesses human resources capable of rapid development when integrated with Jordanian expertise. He noted that the ministry, in coordination with the Investment Authority, is working to attract regional and international investments, strengthen the tech entrepreneurship environment, and provide frameworks for the growth of startups.

Haykal described the meeting in Damascus as a historic moment not seen in many years. He added that the social and economic ties between Syria and Jordan make this gathering a natural step, even if it comes after a difficult period that lasted for years.

Jordanian Minister of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship Sami Smirat affirmed that the forum represents a new bridge to strengthen cooperation between the two countries. He described it as a practical platform to explore partnership opportunities between the public and private sectors in communications and technology, build technical partnerships with Syrian counterparts, expand joint cooperation through networking, launch joint projects, and broaden investment opportunities in the ICT sector to serve the interests of both nations.

Smirat added that the Jordanian delegation’s presence in Damascus carries a message affirming the depth of Jordanian-Syrian relations, rooted in strong historical ties and shared interests between the two peoples.

The forum crowns a series of coordination meetings held in both countries in recent months, focusing on strengthening cooperation in the ICT sector and expanding avenues of joint work.

MHD ibrahim

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani will travel to Oman on Saturday for a diplomatic visit to hold talks with Omani officials, the Foreign Ministry’s Media Department told SANA.

The visit is part of the Syrian government’s efforts to re-engage with the international community after liberation.

A forest fire erupted Friday evening in the woods of Bashoura village in northern Lattakia countryside, prompting the mobilization of firefighting and civil defense teams in the area.

According to SANA’s correspondent in Lattakia, Syrian civil defense firefighting units rushed to the site and began suppression operations using available vehicles and equipment, aiming to contain the flames and prevent their spread to populated areas or nearby agricultural lands.

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Internal security forces in Daraa seized explosives and a large quantity of narcotics on the Bosra al-Sham road, which were intended to be smuggled into Sweida.

According to Daraa Governorate’s Telegram channel, the Internal Security Directorate in Bosra al-Sham, following careful monitoring and tracking, discovered four vehicles loaded with explosives and organic materials used in the production of narcotics and explosives along the Bosra al-Sham road.

The governorate noted that during the chase, members of the smuggling ring detonated one of the vehicles after it was stopped, though no injuries were reported.

It added that the pursuit of the remaining three vehicles continued into the plains between Bosra al-Sham and the village of Khriba, where they were intercepted and their contents confiscated.

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The forum commenced in Damascus with the participation of Syria’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Abdul Salam Haykal, and Jordan’s Minister of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship, Sami Smirat.

The event took place at the “Golden Mezze” Hotel in the Syrian capital.

MHD Ibrahim

The Muslim World League strongly condemned the grave violations that the Israeli occupation government continues to commit against Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as against the Palestinian people, particularly in the Gaza Strip.

In its statement Friday, the League highlighted the international condemnation of Israel’s violations of Syrian sovereignty and the threat to its security and stability. It warned against the continuation of Israel’s “dangerous and barbaric approach of encroaching on the sovereignty of states, violating international laws and norms, destabilizing regional security and stability, and undermining peace efforts.”

The League also welcomed the broad international consensus within the UN General Assembly on adopting several resolutions in support of the Palestinian people. It stressed the need to implement relevant international resolutions on the Palestinian cause, foremost among them the “New York Declaration” for a peaceful settlement of the issue, and the realization of the two-state solution.

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Al-Shaibani: Mohammed Katoub appointed as Syria’s Permanent Representative to the OPCW
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani announced the appointment of Dr Mohammad Katoub as Syria’s Permanent Representative to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

“Today, we announce the appointment of Dr Mohammad Katoub as Syria’s Permanent Representative to the OPCW, reaffirming our commitment to closing the dark chapter left behind by the former regime,” Minister al-Shaibani posted on X.

The minister expressed Syria’s gratitude and appreciation to the State of Qatar for its continuous support since the beginning of liberation in this complex file.

Dr Mohammad Katoub witnessed several chemical attacks, including the 2013 assault carried out by the Assad regime while he was in Eastern Ghouta. After leaving Syria, he collaborated with international investigation teams on the chemical weapons file and provided support to groups working with victims and survivors.

Katoub also engaged in advocacy efforts, delivering briefings before the UN Security Council and various international forums on the issue. He worked with numerous NGOs and research centres and served as a civil plaintiff against the head of the former regime in the case of chemical weapons use.

Katoub joined the Foreign Ministry after liberation, working in the Department of International Organisations and Conferences following his diplomatic training. During this period, he facilitated field visits by the OPCW, meetings with witnesses and victims, and helped build the capacity of local teams across ministries tasked with protecting civilians from the remnants of chemical weapons.

MHD Ibrahim

Syrian national chess team player Mazen Fandi clinched the Arab Rapid Chess Championship title, held in Kuwait.

Fandi secured the crown with an impressive 8.5 points out of 9 rounds, delivering a dominant performance throughout the tournament.

He stormed through the opening five rounds, establishing himself as the clear frontrunner. As the competition intensified, he defeated Morocco’s Mohamed Taisir in round six, followed by a victory over Yasser Al-Haj Al-Khalti in round seven.

 He then beat Palestine’s Mohamed Seder in round eight, before sealing his triumph with a final-round win against Yemen’s Basheer Al-Qadimi.

Mazen Fandi was awarded third place in the Under-12 division at the World Chess Championship, held in Almaty, Kazakhstan at the end of last September.

Dozens of citizens in Deir Ezzor gathered Friday at the Madlaji roundabout in the city center under the slogan “Friday of Syrian Tribes and Clans.”

The protestors denounced violations of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and called for the preservation of Syria’s territorial integrity.

SANA reporter said that the Participants emphasized their commitment to national unity and rejected separatist projects, accusing the SDF of pursuing policies that undermine Syria’s unity.

Residents of Deir Ezzor take to streets every Friday demanding the right of return to their homes and rejecting the SDF’s presence.

Similar rallies were held in other Syrian provinces late last month under the slogan “One Voice for al-Jazira,” condemning SDF adsaults against civilians.

Israeli forces carried out a new ground incursion on Friday into the countryside of Quneitra province in southern Syria, entering a road linking the town of Jabata al-Khashab with the villages of Ain al-Bayda and Ufania.

SANA reporter in Quneitra said that two Israeli military vehicles crossed into the area, halted briefly, and searched civilians passing through the road.

The incident followed overnight advances by Israeli troops west of Saida al-Hanout and into al-Samdaniyah al-Gharbiyah. Forces also moved from al-Burj checkpoint in the destroyed city of Quneitra toward al-Samdaniyah al-Sharqiyah before continuing toward Tell Krum Jaba.

The latest movements came a day after Israel’s prime minister, accompanied by senior officials, illegally entered areas in southern Syria in a serious violation of its sovereignty and UN Security Council resolutions.

Syria’s Anti-Narcotics Branch in Homs has dismantled a drug-trafficking network after a tightly coordinated security operation, the Interior Ministry announced on Friday.

The raid resulted in the arrest of the alleged ringleader and two associates. Officers seized 11 bricks of hashish weighing roughly 13 kilograms, along with ammunition and several grenades, according to a statement published on the ministry’s Telegram channel. The suspects have been referred to the relevant judicial authorities for further investigation.

The ministry said the operation followed more than a month of surveillance and intelligence gathering into the group’s distribution methods and trafficking routes.

The announcement comes days after another major anti-narcotics raid in the Syrian Desert on 18 November, during which authorities confiscated 246,000 Captagon pills and 105 kilograms of hashish.

Syria’s National Authority for the Missing Persons warned on Friday of a surge in unofficial documents circulating online that falsely claim to reveal the fate of missing Syrians.

In a statement on its Telegram channel, the Authority said it has monitored a wave of such reports in recent weeks. Some documents were found to be fabricated, while others contained real information published without family consent. The Authority condemned the practice as exploitation and blackmail targeting families already living with uncertainty.

The statement stressed that these actions violate families’ privacy and intrude on a highly sensitive national issue. It pledged to pursue legal action against the pages responsible, in coordination with the Ministries of Interior and Justice. It also reiterated that information regarding missing persons is valid only if issued by the Authority or other legally authorized bodies.

The Authority urged families to treat claims from unofficial pages with caution and to avoid sharing personal data or documents with unauthorized actors. It also encouraged them to contact the Authority directly for information and to report any attempts at blackmail or unauthorized publication of documents.

The Jordan-Syria Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Forum kicked off in Damascus.

The event, attended by Syrian Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdul Salam Haykal and Jordanian Minister of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship Sami Smirat, brings together officials and experts to discuss regional collaboration and advances in digital technologies.

Lebanese Army Commander General Rudolph Haykal said ongoing Israeli attacks on Lebanese territory are preventing the army from fully deploying and asserting state authority. He also highlighted coordination with Syrian authorities to combat smuggling and secure the borders.

Speaking on Lebanon’s 82nd Independence Day, Haykal said the army has made “tremendous efforts” to implement its deployment plan in southern Lebanon and extend state control in line with government directives and United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701. He emphasized close cooperation with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and the Supervisory Committee overseeing the ceasefire.

Haykal described Lebanon as facing a “critical phase,” amid continued Israeli attacks that have caused casualties, injuries, and damage to infrastructure. “These attacks hinder the army’s deployment and the extension of state sovereignty,” he said.

The commander also stressed the army’s ongoing efforts to combat terrorism, fight drug trafficking, prevent smuggling, and secure northern and eastern borders as well as Lebanese territorial waters.

Israeli forces carried out a series of airstrikes on Wednesday evening targeting the southern towns of Ainata, Tayr Falassiyeh, Deir Kifa, and Shhour.

Italian and Syrian musicians came together Thursday evening for a special concert at the Damascus Opera House, marking the finale of Italian Cultural Week. The event celebrated the growing cultural ties between the two countries and drew a diverse audience of locals, Italians, and diplomatic representatives.

The concert opened with remarks from the Italian Ambassador to Damascus, Stefano Ravagnan , who described the cultural week as “a modest contribution to Damascus’s vibrant cultural scene.” The week featured culinary showcases, a music workshop at the Higher Institute of Music, and plans for a future conference in Rome highlighting Italian heritage in Syria.

Italian-Syrian Duo

The first half of the concert featured a duet by Italian saxophonist Francesco Bearzatti and Syrian organist Aghid Mansour. The duo performed eight pieces, beginning with Bearzatti’s original composition “Okima” and including Claudio Monteverdi’s “Beautiful Sunset”. Other highlights included “Prayer” by Italian pianist Comiso, Harrison’s “Good for the Soul”, and Ennio Morricone’s iconic “Cinema Paradiso”.

Bearzatti, told the audience he was “thrilled to be in Damascus, sharing the joy of music with Syrian audiences,” while the performances drew enthusiastic applause throughout the hall.

Gardenia Choir Bridges Syrian and Italian Traditions

The second half showcased the Gardenia Choir, led by composer Safana Baqleh. The choir opened with Baqleh’s own composition “Distant Skies”, followed by the Syrian classic “Ya Ein La Tadmaai” by Abdel Fattah Sukkar, and a choral-enhanced rendition of Morricone’s “Deborah – Once Upon a Time in America”.

Baqleh explained that “Distant Skies” was inspired by an ancient Ugaritic tablet discovered 1,700 years ago and translated into English. She described the program as a unique fusion of Syrian and Italian music, offering performers both a challenging and rewarding experience.

She also praised the Syrian audience for their openness to cultural exchange and enthusiasm for music, noting that the strong turnout underscored the importance of events like these.

The concert reflects a broader trend of growing cultural exchange between Syria and Italy in recent years, including Syrian Heritage Week in Italy and Italian National Day concerts performed by the Syrian Symphony Orchestra in Damascus.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has vaccinated more than 10,000 children in Gaza to protect them from preventable diseases amid a worsening humanitarian crisis.

“Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus wrote on X, that WHO has vaccinated over 10,000 children under the age of three in the first eight days of a vaccination campaign launched on 9 November, which has been extended through this Saturday.

The campaign aims to reach more than 40,000 children, protecting them against measles, mumps, rubella; diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis; hepatitis B; tuberculosis; polio; rotavirus; and pneumonia.

Phases two and three of the campaign are scheduled for next month and January 2026.

Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.), chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, announced that he will support a full repeal of sanctions imposed on Syria under the Caesar Act.

Mast told The Hill on Thursday that his position does not oppose the U.S. President Donald Trump administration, which also supports full repeal. He added that the repeal should include mechanisms to reinstate sanctions if certain conditions are not met.

Until recently, Mast had objected to the full repeal of the Caesar Act due to the crimes of the former regime, amid diplomatic and political efforts to push for its abolition.

Last week, Senator Jim Risch, chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a senior committee member, renewed their support for lifting sanctions on Syria.
U.S. Representative Joe Wilson has repeatedly emphasized that continuing to implement the Caesar Act hinders reconstruction efforts in Syria.

The Central Bank of Syria has resumed international financial communications via the SWIFT network after a 14-year suspension caused by sanctions imposed during the former regime.

Abdul Qader Husariya, Governor of the Central Bank, sent the first messages to correspondent banks worldwide, including the U.S. Federal Reserve in New York, marking Syria’s re-entry into the global banking system. Receipt of the messages has been confirmed, Husariya said.

Husariya added that the messages mark the start of a new phase in Syria’s financial and economic policy. He noted that the bank had long been sanctioned and barred from accessing the system, and that returning to SWIFT allows the bank to rebuild correspondent relationships.

He described the move as a key step in reintegrating Syria’s financial system with the international banking network. He added that the return to SWIFT will enable direct communication with foreign banks, allow investors to transfer capital, facilitate remittances, and help recover frozen funds abroad.

The governor also noted that technical staff underwent intensive training to ensure efficient operation of the system, and that the step advances Syria’s anti-money laundering initiatives.

SWIFT (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications) is a global network connecting more than 11,000 financial institutions in over 200 countries, enabling secure international bank messaging and facilitating global trade.