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00:00:09Welcome to this episode of the Astoria program and to
00:00:13the headlines. Widespread interaction with the extension
00:00:18you for but do not of the currency exchange deadline in Al-Jazeera governorate.
00:00:21Welcome to the opening of Deir Ezzor International Airport after a hiatus of
00:00:2414 years. Commendation
00:00:27for the efforts of the Criminal Investigations Department after the arrest
00:00:30of a real estate fraud
00:00:32may God make it a good omen for gang in Hama.
00:00:4616 billion old Syrian pounds were exchanged in Raqqa governorate
00:00:49the day before yesterday, after the deadline for currency exchange was extended
00:00:53until tomorrow, in response to widespread demands
00:00:56for an extension of the deadline.
00:01:00which was scheduled to end on July
00:01:0330th. With the extension, banks
00:01:06and post offices continue to receive large numbers of
00:01:10citizens, in conjunction with the continued provision
00:01:13of facilities until the end of the new
00:01:15deadline. So how
00:01:17one, you would fall into trouble and they would take you to did the reviewers evaluate the
00:01:20after 14 years of extension decision?
00:01:23The currency exchange deadline is good
00:01:26for the people. They now have a whole week. Those who couldn't exchange
00:01:30can now exchange all their currency. There's a lot of traffic
00:01:33at all the banks
00:01:37that this and all the banks are exchanging. There isn't a single bank that isn't exchanging all the currency.
00:01:40And thank God, the deadline is very good.
00:01:43And whoever can now exchange their currency before the entire
00:01:47deadline ends.
00:01:50The new deadline ends tomorrow and currency can be exchanged
00:01:54We are on a field visit with either in cash or through deposits in Sham Cash
00:01:57accounts. However, some citizens believe that
00:02:01the one-week deadline was not sufficient and are demanding
00:02:04another
00:02:06extension.
00:02:08Honestly, a week is not enough because people first of all don't have enough means
00:02:12to communicate about this issue. Secondly, they didn't have an idea
00:02:16about the deadline in general. Most people don't have an idea about this issue, you know
00:02:19what I mean? And some people, by God, like to save. So a week
00:02:23is not enough. I mean, they extended the period, they should have extended it for as long
00:02:26as the previous one, at least.
00:02:31As for Raqqa, the post office branch in the city
00:02:34witnessed a large crowd amidst popular demands
00:02:41There are many to Damascus trip from six hours on for government intervention to alleviate the pressure on citizens, in conjunction with a field
00:02:43follow-up conducted by the Deputy Governor and the General Manager
00:02:47ignited the energy of of the Syrian Post Corporation.
00:02:50Let's watch.
00:03:10items and not announcing he saw him crying because he did not
00:03:18Investigation Branch in Hama People, people, we are working
00:03:22that specializes in seizing 13 counters. Those who have a Sham Cash
00:03:24account, we deposit to them immediately. Those who have a Sham
00:03:27Cash account, good.
00:03:31But what caused this large crowd at the Raqqa
00:03:34post office specifically? This is due to a number of
00:03:38reasons, such as the coincidence of currency exchange operations with
00:03:42the payment of retirees' salaries at the same center.
00:03:45To address the crowding, several
00:03:48measures were taken. We are witnessing an increase in working
00:03:52continuous, meaning joint patrols with hours until 7:30 PM at the minimum,
00:03:54tourism, patrols with supply, with meaning if a citizen is still there at 7:30 and the hall is full,
00:03:57they will not close until they finish, which could be until 12 AM. But
00:04:00we went out so that if there are no citizens,
00:04:03we close the Raqqa Post Office in Al-Sabkha, Tal Abyad, Al-Jerniah,
00:04:07Debsi Afnan, in all the rural areas and the office, and the Director
00:04:10of the main Raqqa Post Office No. 2. We increased the counters. We have 13 counters,
00:04:14meaning even retirees' salaries today, we delayed
00:04:17he's fully recovered. He won't leave them. We told them, people, let's have two days of payments for currency exchange so that the counters
00:04:21work
00:04:23the base. well
00:04:24for exchange.
00:04:29Also,
00:04:32carry out these operations? We heard in the deposit limit via the Sham Cash application was raised to 250
00:04:35thousand new Syrian pounds, equivalent to
00:04:3825 million old Syrian pounds, after it was
00:04:4210 million. Also, the Governor of the Central Bank of Syria,
00:04:47We were surprised by the good Mohammed Safwat Raslan, announced an extension of the currency exchange
00:04:50deadline in the governorates of Raqqa, Deir Ezzor,
00:04:53and Hasakah until Thursday, the 20th of
00:04:57the current month, i.e., for an additional fifteen
00:05:02of supply monitoring, not only for days. Also, new exchange centers were opened, including
00:05:07the roads. So, thank God, now the Central Bank branch in Raqqa and the Central Bank in Hasakah.
00:05:09The interaction and response of the Governor
00:05:13of the Central Bank of Syria to a comment from a citizen
00:05:17on Facebook sparked attention.
00:05:19The citizen wrote, "I criticized you harshly and perhaps
00:05:23I was wrong about you. Today I apologize to you and commend
00:05:26you." The Governor responded, "You have the right to criticize,
00:05:31make mistakes, for we are human, and do not commend
00:05:33me because I am doing my duty."
00:05:37How did you react to this event on social media?
00:05:40Our first comment is from Hani
00:05:44Al-Alawi on Facebook, who says, "A successful step
00:05:47and a conscious response to the requirements of the field reality.
00:05:50Extending the deadline takes into account the circumstances of the people of the eastern governorates
00:05:54and eases the pressure on withdrawal points."
00:05:57Hussein Al-Hamoud commented and said, "Thank you for
00:06:01this response and this step. I wish
00:06:05the number of counters and employees would be increased
00:06:08to alleviate this suffering as much as possible."
00:06:12As for Mahmoud Mousa, he wrote a comment saying, "If
00:06:15people are directed to collect money from each other
00:06:19and one person goes instead of five or ten people
00:06:22to exchange, that would save their time and speed up
00:06:26the process." Abdulaziz Al-Omar made a suggestion
00:06:29and said, "First, thank you for the response. But
00:06:33honestly, there is a simple and easy solution, which is to obligate
00:06:36bakeries, gas stations, electricity and water collection points, and all
00:06:40state institutions to accept old currency from citizens,
00:06:43in addition to the Post Office and the Central Bank
00:06:47for exchange." Our last comment is from Younes.
00:06:51Younes wrote on Facebook, "The solution is not to extend the deadline
00:06:55week after week, but to open the door for exchange
00:06:58until the end of the year at least, while applying anti-money laundering
00:07:02and terrorism financing rules and verifying the sources of funds
00:07:05when necessary, and linking every exchange operation
00:07:09to the numbers of the old and new banknotes
00:07:12to ensure transparency and traceability."
00:07:15التتبع.
00:07:19The old currency loses its legal tender status once
00:07:23the exchange deadline expires, while the Central Bank
00:07:26continues to receive exchange requests for
00:07:29five years, without any commissions,
00:07:32fees, or
00:07:33taxes.
00:07:46Can you imagine shortening the Deir Ezzor
00:07:51the road to just one hour? That's a huge
00:07:55difference in time
00:07:58But this is what was achieved today in Deir Ezzor with the opening
00:08:01of the city's airport and the return of air travel to it.
00:08:05The General Authority for Civil Aviation
00:08:09and Air Transport announced the reopening of Deir Ezzor Airport
00:08:13after its rehabilitation, with the arrival of the first domestic
00:08:16flight of Syrian Airlines from Damascus
00:08:20Airport, signaling the return of regular
00:08:23air flights between the two cities and facilitating
00:08:27travel for the people of the governorate. Let's watch.
00:09:12The airport was not a simple step, but rather came after
00:09:16extensive maintenance and rehabilitation work that included its main
00:09:19facilities, from aircraft runways and the control
00:09:22tower to parking lots and arrival
00:09:25and departure halls, after extensive damage, with the destruction
00:09:29rate exceeding 80%. Today, the airport returns
00:09:33to receive air traffic again. So how
00:09:36was the experience of the travelers?
00:09:38Let's watch. The trip
00:09:42was excellent and the reception was
00:09:46very good. The flight attendants
00:09:49did their best and the employees did their best.
00:09:53We are comfortable. How is it? It's very
00:09:56good, honestly.
00:10:00and excellent facilities at the airport. The reception and services, and our departure from
00:10:03Damascus airport were also easy. There were no delays
00:10:07at all. In 45 minutes, we were here, thank God. Things are very
00:10:11good. I mean, the opening of the airports has relieved
00:10:14people from the hassle of travel. We used to see accidents happening on
00:10:19that there are flights, there will be no more accidents, there will be no more problems.
00:10:23حوادث ما راح يظل في شيء.
00:10:28So, Deir Ezzor Airport opens its doors not only
00:10:31to receive domestic flights, but also for the first
00:10:35plane arriving from outside the country to
00:10:39Deir Ezzor, specifically from the State of Kuwait.
00:10:42The return of Deir Ezzor Airport to service was met with widespread
00:10:46interaction on social media platforms. So how
00:10:49were your comments? Hanan says on Facebook,
00:10:53Hanan Deir Ezzor,
00:10:57the country and the people.
00:10:59Abu Musab wrote on Facebook, "Good news.
00:11:03May God complete it well, from good to better, God willing.
00:11:06An important and useful step for many, especially those
00:11:10who are sick and travel to
00:11:12Damascus, as it saves them the suffering of travel and the dangers
00:11:16of the road." Wissam commented on Facebook
00:11:19and says, "Regarding the airport, it has been neglected for
00:11:22a long time, so this is considered a beautiful
00:11:25and clean work. God willing, in the future, visits
00:11:28and airlines will increase, and the city will flourish." Ghassan
00:11:31Ahmed wrote a comment and said in it:
00:11:34"Ghassan, from the heart of the rubble, hope is born, and from
00:11:38the place that once distributed death, the first
00:11:42flights of life are launched today
00:11:45pain and silence, Deir Ezzor airport opens
00:11:48its doors again, not only to receive planes,
00:11:52but to reconnect the fragments of the world."
00:11:55And we conclude with Adham's comment on Facebook, who
00:11:59said, "I am overjoyed
00:12:02airport not only serves Deir Ezzor, but also the eastern
00:12:05region. Travel hours from Damascus to some areas used to reach
00:12:09nine hours, and today, by air,
00:12:12it is much less. Imagine
00:12:15the difference."
00:12:19The Syrian civil aviation sector is working to enhance the readiness
00:12:23of airports and aircraft in terms of technical
00:12:26and operational infrastructure, within plans aimed at improving
00:12:29the level of air services and rehabilitating specialized
00:12:33cadres, especially in the areas of maintenance
00:12:36and technical safety.
00:12:49Owning a home in Syria has become a dream for many
00:12:53families, especially
00:12:55after the widespread destruction that afflicted cities, towns, and villages
00:12:58due to the missiles and barrel bombs of the former regime. But
00:13:02imagine that your home survived the war, then you return
00:13:05after years of absence to find out that the home
00:13:09has been stolen, not the furniture or
00:13:12its contents, but the ownership of the home
00:13:15itself. This is how real estate forgery gangs
00:13:19and property usurpation flourish, and many Syrians
00:13:22who were absent from the country
00:13:25for many years have been victims. Even if
00:13:28the true owner returns, the process of recovering their property
00:13:32may become complicated after it has been fictitiously
00:13:35sold more than once before being transferred to
00:13:39a new owner. Yesterday, the Criminal
00:13:43arrested a gang
00:13:47properties through the use of forged personal
00:13:50identification cards and impersonating property owners, exploiting
00:13:54their absence from Syria to complete fraudulent
00:13:58sales. Let's follow the confessions of the
00:14:01gang members. Two pieces of land, one in
00:14:04Sha'our and one in Ma'arin. Abu Ibrahim and I agreed
00:14:08that we would sell them. One
00:14:11has an area of 25 dunams and the other has an area of three
00:14:14dunams. He told me that we need a woman whose picture
00:14:17will be put in the name of the owner of the land so that we can proceed
00:14:20with this transaction. We agreed. We took Abu Ibrahim to a woman,
00:14:23and indeed, she took it. The woman agreed with him that he would give her a thousand
00:14:27dollars in exchange for her stamping on behalf of the woman in the forgery
00:14:31process, on behalf of the owner of the property. Abu Muhammad and Abu
00:14:34Ibrahim came to me because they wanted to forge an ID so that I could go and
00:14:38stamp them so that they could transfer
00:14:41the land.
00:14:43The criminals were arrested inside the real estate registration department,
00:14:47meaning they were caught red-handed while attempting to transfer
00:14:51the ownership of one of the properties. But
00:14:53how did they
00:14:57the confessions that they used a woman to impersonate the real
00:15:01owner. So what were the steps that followed
00:15:04that? We came, we brought her picture
00:15:07and we came to Abu
00:15:11Mamdouh and told him that we need to get an
00:15:14ID for her. Abu Ibrahim and Abu Muhammad
00:15:18came to me and asked me for a forged ID,
00:15:19and then
00:15:22they asked for a second forged ID. So I contacted the person
00:15:26and secured them for them. And of course, they brought me
00:15:29a family record and they brought me pictures and the required IDs,
00:15:33and I forwarded them to the man, and the man prepared
00:15:36the IDs, and Abu Ibrahim brought them from
00:15:39Azaz. And of course, I took $200 for each ID.
00:15:42دولار
00:15:45So how did you comment on social media
00:15:48about this event? Our first comment is from Rabah on
00:15:52Facebook, who says, "Thank
00:15:56the wonderful effort in uncovering the crime before it was completed.
00:15:59May God bless your efforts, heroes, and protect you from all
00:16:03harm." Iman commented
00:16:05and said: "They will not be held accountable,
00:16:09not since the fleeing regime, and still many houses are stolen
00:16:13and it is difficult to prove their ownership, unfortunately, due to repeated
00:16:16sales." Nasser wrote on YouTube a comment
00:16:19in which he said, "Greetings to the public security forces and the Ministry
00:16:23of Interior. We realize that the burden is heavy. This
00:16:26is not to mention the rest of the criminals, the perpetrators of massacres and the thieves
00:16:29who seize state property and lands, and fabricate fires,
00:16:33and traffic in drugs and weapons." Our last
00:16:36comment is from Rateb Hassan on Facebook, who says,
00:16:39"Rateb, during the regime's days, they would do it in agreement with security
00:16:43officers. They would issue lost replacements or make you think
00:16:47that they want to buy from you
00:16:49and ask for an overseas account number. If you gave them
00:16:55the branch on charges of smuggling money out of the country or financing, or
00:16:59a whole film would begin until you waive your
00:17:01property."
00:17:05About 20 days ago,
00:17:08the Criminal Investigation Branch of the Internal Security Forces in
00:17:12Aleppo arrested a gang of eight
00:17:15people who specialized in forging official documents to seize
00:17:19properties belonging to citizens residing outside the country.
00:17:34Dear viewer, is it enough
00:17:38for the restaurant to look clean for your heart to be reassured
00:17:42about the food you eat? The truth
00:17:45is that apparent cleanliness does not always reveal what goes on inside
00:17:48kitchens, nor the extent of the safety of the ingredients
00:17:51used in preparing meals. This is where
00:17:55the role of oversight tours comes in to protect the health
00:17:58of consumers. In Daraa, the competent authorities conducted
00:18:02a joint oversight tour targeting a number
00:18:05of restaurants to ensure compliance with health requirements
00:18:09and the quality of food materials,
00:18:12and to announce prices, in addition to cleanliness
00:18:15standards within
00:18:16the establishments.
00:18:19Of course, during the follow-up series from the governorate, from our departments, from the supply
00:18:23department, the health department, and the tourism
00:18:26department, we conducted a joint tour with
00:18:29the governorate and to the markets, and we dedicated
00:18:33this tour yesterday and today to restaurants. The restaurants
00:18:36were, of course, at several levels. There was a noticeable
00:18:40level of cleanliness in some restaurants, and in some restaurants, there was
00:18:43negligence in cleanliness and in the issues of presenting food
00:18:47prices and storing food
00:18:50in refrigerators.
00:18:53So what did the oversight tour detect?
00:18:57Violations related to cleanliness and compliance
00:19:00with health standards and price
00:19:03announcements. But did the competent authorities content themselves with issuing
00:19:06warnings or did they take other measures against
00:19:10the violators? Let's continue. Of course,
00:19:12by decision of the Governor, he ordered
00:19:14the closure
00:19:17of these restaurants that do not comply with the instructions, initially
00:19:20two, initially two, and a warning for two initially.
00:19:24As for the tours, they are continuous,
00:19:26and the tours in the future are also
00:19:31health, with there is full coordination, and God willing,
00:19:34we will continue this campaign until we achieve what we aspire
00:19:38to, as supply tours and tourism tours. The Directorate of Tourism
00:19:41and Health are continuing daily patrols, but two types of patrols,
00:19:45and they know what is halal and haram and they know what is right
00:19:48and what is wrong.
00:19:50Yes, and the measures did not stop at closure, but also included
00:19:54imposing financial fines and referring the owners of some
00:19:58violating establishments to the competent judiciary, within
00:20:01the framework of tightening control over food safety and consumer
00:20:04protection. There was widespread interaction with the video
00:20:07of the oversight campaign. How did you comment on it? Our first comment
00:20:11is from Mashari Al-Zaabi, who says on Facebook, "This is
00:20:15good news. Everyone should follow the rules and care about cleanliness
00:20:18and prices." Umm Firas tells
00:20:21you, "May God bless you. This is an important
00:20:25step. Restaurants must take into account people's health, and there must be
00:20:28invoices showing the sources of meat and the date
00:20:31of purchase." Shahd said on
00:20:34Facebook, "We are in dire need
00:20:39restaurants, but for everything related to food. May God help
00:20:43those who serve the citizen." And we conclude with
00:20:46Ahmed Al-Hariri's comment on Facebook, who says, "Excellent step,
00:20:50and it needs continuous follow-up, because people's health
00:20:54is a red line and there should be no compromise whatsoever. Strict
00:20:57penalties and closing violating restaurants are the only way
00:21:01to control quality and obligate establishment owners to cleanliness and health
00:21:05safety rules. We hope for renewed and increased oversight, and to publicly name
00:21:09all violating restaurants to be a lesson for others
00:21:12and a real protection for the consumer."
00:21:14للمستهلك
00:21:18The Directorate of Internal Trade and Consumer Protection
00:21:22urged citizens in Daraa to report any complaints, especially
00:21:26regarding food safety and the quality of food
00:21:29materials, affirming its full
00:21:32readiness to receive complaints and take the necessary measures as appropriate,
00:21:35in a way that contributes to consumer protection.
00:21:50And to the most circulated clips of this day, there is an inspection tour
00:21:53by the CEO of the Syrian Petroleum Company and the head of
00:21:57HKM American company at the Al-Suwaidiyah gas plant
00:22:01and the Al-Rmeilan fields.
00:22:03We are now in the control room at the Al-Suwaidiyah gas plant, which
00:22:07is a facility that has not seen any updates or significant development work
00:22:11since 1992.
00:22:14Therefore, this part will be one of our priorities to ensure
00:22:18its modernization and care.
00:22:20It is a highly important facility for the country,
00:22:24and a very important facility for this field. This is
00:22:27a vital part of the infrastructure of this entire
00:22:30field. From our point of view, it is a very
00:22:33strategic facility for the country, and also a very
00:22:36strategic resource for our company. We could
00:22:39not be happier to be here. We are
00:22:42excited for what the
00:22:44future holds.
00:22:50From Al-Jazeera to the coast, there is the launch
00:22:53of the Syria Summer Festival 2026 activities in Latakia city.
00:23:52And to beautiful Turkey, a Turkish child gives his friend
00:23:55a bicycle after
00:23:59own one.
00:25:36Perhaps today, on this occasion, we can revive what
00:25:39the tyrants tried to bury and rebuild our present
00:25:42with our past.
00:25:58The textile industry tells a chapter of history.
00:26:03It was a mirror of the taste of the people
00:26:06of Damascus, who learned from it precision in work,
00:26:10patience,
00:26:10and giving.
00:26:19We promise our people and the world that we
00:26:22will embroider paintings of peace and weave carpets of bounty
00:26:25and compose poems for those who reciprocate our sincere feelings
00:26:29and intentions.
00:26:43Today, the Syrian economic delegation and the Lebanese economic delegation
00:26:47are meeting in Damascus.
00:26:54Memoranda of understanding will be signed
00:26:58between the Chambers of Commerce between
00:27:00the two countries. We hope these visits will be
00:27:03a start to restoring the Syrian-Lebanese
00:27:07relationship to what it was.
00:27:57UN-Habitat, which is the funder and implementer
00:28:00of the project in Al-Bayat neighborhood.
00:28:05We are trying to plant a flower in the destroyed
00:28:08neighborhoods. Currently, we have several projects, including the
00:28:11Cairo Garden project, which is currently being implemented by UN-Habitat
00:28:15and the Homs
00:28:16City Council.
00:28:19In addition to lighting projects, God willing, with solar energy in the entire
00:28:23neighborhood, God willing.
00:28:24تعالى
00:28:28Today we visited to follow up on the projects.
00:28:43challenges and difficulties here, but at
00:28:46the same time, we
00:28:49the people of Homs.
00:29:47Many young men were arrested, of course, I escaped, I was able
00:29:51to escape, but I couldn't help but wish I was still
00:29:53filming.
00:29:59We are now going to a gas strike location to get a sample.
00:30:17He comes down here. We won't let him out until
00:30:20the underground. We are, of course, blessed by Allah, glorified be He, that we don't
00:30:23negotiate with
00:30:25القعد
00:30:32Then shoot.
00:30:46We are filming at the same spot where the regime
00:30:48gathered all the people and gathered its witnesses to
00:30:51deny the chemical crime.