Google Cloud Speech-to-Text API (Chirp) + Gemini 2.5 Flash Non-Thinking. Treat it as a searchable index of what was broadcast, not a quotation record.
00:00:01Flotilla, which never
00:00:17it will be the beginning
00:00:30Syrian News Channel viewers and welcome to a new episode of
00:00:33your program, Astoria. Here are the main headlines of this
00:00:37episode.
00:00:41clarity and responsibility Wide interaction with a meeting that brought together President Ahmed
00:00:43Al-Sharaa and a delegation of experts in the technology sector
00:00:46in Damascus.
00:00:49From this
00:00:50gained prominence last Welcome to the operation of a bus line to Damascus
00:00:52International Airport. Commendation for the delivery of a boat
00:00:56belonging to the Freedom Flotilla to its owner after
00:01:00sources. Thank you, President, for it was found near Arwad Island.
00:01:14Most of us watched yesterday on social media platforms
00:01:17scenes of
00:01:19a missing and stray boat the meeting between President Ahmed Al-Sharaa and a group
00:01:22of young people, in the presence of the Minister of Communications, at the People's Palace,
00:01:26The General Directorate of Ports impounded where the discussion revolved around the technological
00:01:29digital reality in Syria and the importance
00:01:32of developing it. Let's listen. It's a very
00:01:35big sea, as you know, its field
00:01:38research that this is wide, and Syria is very qualified not just to serve
00:01:41it by providing digital services, but it is
00:01:44qualified to be a hub in itself and its location
00:01:48of Ports, contacted allows for this. It has strong human resources,
00:01:52it has a large youth age group, more than 50% of
00:01:55the Syrian people are under 25 years old. So this
00:02:02scene of the meeting made many people wonder:
00:02:06who are these people? These
00:02:09was conducting a field tour in are Syrian experts and specialists in the technology
00:02:12that affected multiple aspects of and innovation sector, including a number of employees in global
00:02:16technology companies, in addition to entrepreneurs,
00:02:19investors, and researchers in technical
00:02:22fields. Most of the delegation members arrived from outside
00:02:26the country a few days ago to participate in
00:02:29the conference. Synch 2026,
00:02:33which launched a few days ago at the
00:02:36Opera House. Most of them gained their experience abroad.
00:02:39The conference witnessed wide participation,
00:02:42exceeding two thousand young men and women.
00:02:46Also, let's now return
00:02:49as they are intercepted to the meeting with Mr. President. This meeting was not limited to
00:02:53He arrived, he arrived. God bless talking about technological
00:02:54few days ago covered development and the importance of digital infrastructure only, but
00:02:57also addressed the opportunities available to young people
00:03:01Jawdah wrote on in this field in the new Syria, based on
00:03:04several factors: weak infrastructure and Syria's geographical
00:03:07location. Let's listen.
00:03:10First of all, our geographical location, secondly, that we don't have a digital infrastructure
00:03:13in Syria in the first place, so this helped bring in
00:03:17the latest developments in
00:03:19Airport transport service is one the world. So it's better than having something built from
00:03:21scratch that has reached medium
00:03:24or weak generations and replacing it,
00:03:27this will incur a lot of costs.
00:03:31So our geographical location is very good. You know there's a huge opportunity in Syria
00:03:34and rebuilding from scratch. So this is very good because
00:03:38we have the challenge of the first five years.
00:03:41So it contains the foundations on which the future
00:03:44of the state will be built. So if it's built
00:03:47correctly, it will definitely continue for a long
00:03:52percentage, and imagine its effect on time. Indeed, the opportunities are great
00:03:55in Syria, and in our current era of artificial intelligence
00:03:58and technology, anyone from anywhere
00:04:02can obtain any information they want
00:04:04and express their opinion on any topic through social
00:04:08added to the media platforms. But is that always positive?
00:04:11The President touched on this matter
00:04:15during his meeting. Let's listen. We also need something
00:04:19with the fare clarified from important, which is the presence of ethical
00:04:22and moral values alongside
00:04:24showed their appreciation. The brothers in the expansion of the digital state,
00:04:26the governorate, and we, God willing, within since social media had an important aspect and
00:04:30Facebook: It might also some somewhat negative aspects
00:04:33and somewhat negatively affected youth awareness,
00:04:36and it is a very large source of reception,
00:04:39before or after the garage or on and sometimes it exceeds human capabilities in the amount
00:04:43of information that is presented to the human mind on a daily basis,
00:04:47more perhaps than what was presented to
00:04:50the philosophers of ancient times in their entire
00:04:53lives. But this also has
00:04:56negative consequences because it leads to un-focused information, which results
00:05:00in half-educated
00:05:02of Compliance and Quality Management at people, so he knows everything but specializes in nothing.
00:05:06And you, our viewers, how
00:05:10did you comment on the President's statements and his meeting with
00:05:13the delegation of experts? Let's start with Amir's comment, who wrote
00:05:17on Facebook: The President's words during the meeting
00:05:21were very precise. Freedom of information access is a double-edged
00:05:24sword. Without awareness, credibility,
00:05:27and verification, we need responsible media and an aware
00:05:30citizen. Mazen commented on X:
00:05:34Syrians always prove that Syrian
00:05:37human resources are capable of making
00:05:40a difference in all fields. Shams commented on
00:05:44X: It was an important meeting and
00:05:48the President's speech was strong and optimistic, praising
00:05:51Syrian competencies and youth, and opening a real
00:05:55hope. The praise and the greatest impact comes
00:05:58from actions on the ground. Nasser commented
00:06:01and wrote: Our only weapon is to spread
00:06:05digital culture and educate the recipient not
00:06:08to believe everything written or published without reliable
00:06:13the valuable remark in his speech. We conclude with what
00:06:16Nour Al-Sayed wrote on X: The most important thing
00:06:20is that confronting these
00:06:22digital challenges is not through censorship alone,
00:06:26but by building critical awareness among
00:06:30the public and enhancing the culture of verification,
00:06:33because the citizen who knows how to read
00:06:36the news and distinguish between sources is the real
00:06:40fortress against misinformation.
00:06:47Minister of Communications, Abdul Salam Haikal, confirmed that work is underway
00:06:51to connect Syria to the world and gather the expertise of Syrians
00:06:54in various countries, and in parallel with
00:06:57developing telecommunications networks and improving the quality of services
00:07:00to provide better opportunities for youth
00:07:04and meet the daily
00:07:06needs of citizens.
00:07:18After liberation, Damascus International Airport witnessed
00:07:21changes and improvements
00:07:25the services provided to travelers.
00:07:27Many problems were addressed, but one problem remained
00:07:31that recurred with a number of travelers, which was
00:07:34going to and from the airport. This
00:07:37problem is not about distance nor necessarily about the type
00:07:41of car, but about the destination itself.
00:07:45As soon as the destination is Damascus
00:07:48International Airport, the taxi fare can change
00:07:51significantly compared to a trip
00:07:54of a similar distance to another place. It can
00:07:58sometimes even exceed the cost of an
00:08:01airline ticket. But it seems that the General Authority for Civil Aviation
00:08:04and Air Transport has found a solution, as it announced
00:08:08the launch of a dedicated bus line for transporting
00:08:11passengers from Baramkeh garage in Damascus
00:08:14to Damascus International Airport in both directions. Flights
00:08:18from Baramkeh garages start at 6
00:08:21AM and continue at specific times until
00:08:254 AM, meaning flights are
00:08:28almost around the clock.
00:08:31of the things that concerns travelers. So how
00:08:35do you evaluate this step, and how
00:08:38was the interaction with it, especially since many
00:08:42visitors to Syria and expatriates
00:08:45are completely gone? Our first comment is from
00:08:49Diaa on Facebook.
00:08:51An excellent step. We hope to establish
00:08:55more than one starting point within Damascus and Aleppo
00:08:58towards the airports. An important step to get rid of
00:09:01the greed of some taxi drivers. Hilal
00:09:04commented and said: An excellent
00:09:07initiative for the freedom of choice of the traveler, companion,
00:09:10and future means of transport that
00:09:13suits them. Ahmed Shukair wrote
00:09:16and commented: A nice step that makes it much easier
00:09:20for travelers, especially those who don't have a car or
00:09:23want to avoid private transport costs. I wish the
00:09:27timings were accurate and the service regular,
00:09:32the beginning so that the traveler knows how to arrange
00:09:35their trip without worry. We conclude with
00:09:38Nada's comment, who wrote on
00:09:42be possible to have pick-up and drop-off points
00:09:45on the line, not necessarily at Baramkeh garage.
00:09:48A person's home might be
00:09:52the way. I wish instead of confining the buses to Baramkeh
00:09:55garage, they would be distributed to more than
00:09:59one point in
00:10:01Damascus.
00:10:08To talk more about this topic, we are joined from Damascus
00:10:11by Muhammad Adib. Hussein, Director
00:10:15the General Authority for Civil Aviation and Air
00:10:18Transport. Welcome, Mr. Muhammad, to Astoria.
00:10:21Good evening. Welcome. Good evening.
00:10:25Welcome to you and all our viewers. Welcome.
00:10:29Let's start with this idea. It's a very nice idea,
00:10:32but tell us a little about where this idea came from and what its
00:10:36goal is. Well, the idea, in fact, came
00:10:39as you mentioned before, from the suffering
00:10:43of passengers departing and arriving
00:10:46at Damascus International Airport. Passengers
00:10:49suffer a lot from securing transportation, or
00:10:53if transportation is available, taxis' prices are
00:10:56expensive and high. Of course, this idea was present
00:10:59before, during the days of the defunct regime, but
00:11:03it was with a dilapidated transport system, old
00:11:06buses that did not meet the comfort and safety
00:11:09standards for passengers. Okay, Mr. Muhammad,
00:11:12what about the fare? What is the bus fare? Many
00:11:16people are now asking what the fare is and how
00:11:19it will be. In fact, we considered the fare,
00:11:23taking into account
00:11:27the situation of travelers and citizens
00:11:30in general, in addition to ensuring that it does not come at the expense of service quality.
00:11:34So we have now provided air-conditioned buses, high-quality
00:11:38buses with modern models that provide comfort and safety
00:11:41for travelers who wish to travel through them
00:11:45to Damascus International Airport. Of course,
00:11:47the cost we estimated at 500
00:11:51new Syrian pounds. Of course, these 500 new Syrian pounds
00:11:55do not include any fees for luggage, so the traveler can carry
00:11:58any number of bags they want in addition to the weight
00:12:01they want. Okay, and as
00:12:04I mentioned to you, this pricing
00:12:07is currently under study, considering it's a new
00:12:11experience. After a while, we will re-evaluate
00:12:15it so that
00:12:17it is consistent with the loads we have and consistent with
00:12:21the price of fuel. You know, it has a very big impact
00:12:25on the matter, in addition to our commitment to
00:12:28our flights departing at their designated times,
00:12:32even if I have only one Well, since
00:12:36we mentioned timings, let's talk a little
00:12:39about the timings, Mr. Muhammad. Are the
00:12:43timings fixed? We mentioned in Astoria that the timings are almost around the clock,
00:12:47but are they fixed or do they change according to the days of the week?
00:12:50We will, God willing, have a regular schedule
00:12:54published on social media on the official
00:12:58accounts of the Syrian Civil Aviation and Air Transport Authority.
00:13:01Initially, a schedule will be released every month. This schedule will correspond
00:13:05to the traffic of Damascus International Airport so that it
00:13:09is compatible with the air traffic. Of course, it will
00:13:12cover 24 hours. The schedule we released
00:13:15in the announcement a
00:13:19from 6 AM to 2 PM,
00:13:22with a flight every hour. Then we have a flight at 4
00:13:25PM and two evening flights at 7 and 10 PM, and after
00:13:29midnight at 1 AM and 4
00:13:32AM. This means we have practically covered 24 hours so that any
00:13:35traveler who has a flight at any time will find a bus, God willing,
00:13:39waiting to transport them to Damascus Airport.
00:13:43Okay, Mr. Muhammad, what about the rest of the governorates?
00:13:47Will similar flights be operated to Damascus International Airport,
00:13:50but from the rest of the Syrian governorates? We started
00:13:55by studying the situation and seeing the feasibility
00:13:59and impact of this experience. We started from Baramkeh
00:14:02garages. We will, God willing,
00:14:06in the next step, activate
00:14:08buses or additional points from Harasta
00:14:12garage, considering that all citizens
00:14:16and travelers who come from other governorates alight at
00:14:19Harasta garage. So we will set up a point there in Harasta garage so that
00:14:23they can continue their journey, God willing, to Damascus Airport. Uh-huh.
00:14:27This plan, this idea, is very nice,
00:14:30Mr. Muhammad. Okay, Damascus International Airport, you started
00:14:34with it. What about Aleppo Airport, Deir ez-Zor Airport, and
00:14:37Latakia Airport? Is there a similar idea that will be implemented
00:14:41In fact, we started contacting
00:14:44the governorate of Aleppo, and they
00:14:51a short period, will announce the activation of the same service at Aleppo
00:14:55Airport. The rest of the airports are now being studied for operational
00:14:58capacity and the need to activate
00:15:01such a step
00:15:03so that it is compatible with the operational
00:15:07capacity of the airports, as well as the flight times.
00:15:11Uh-huh. The idea is nice, and your efforts are appreciated, Mr. Muhammad. Thank you
00:15:15for joining us in Astoria, and thank you for this valuable
00:15:18information that you provided to our followers.
00:15:21Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you.
00:15:25The construction of passenger terminal number two at Damascus
00:15:28International Airport continues at an accelerated pace as part of the
00:15:32airport's development and expansion project. The new building
00:15:36forms an essential part of the plan to develop
00:15:39the airport's infrastructure and increase its
00:15:43capacity and improve the quality of services provided to passengers.
00:15:59The Freedom Flotilla is a popular alliance
00:16:02that organizes a series of maritime voyages
00:16:06aimed at breaking the blockade imposed by the Israeli occupation on the Gaza
00:16:10Strip since 2007.
00:16:13The boats carry humanitarian aid and are
00:16:16staffed by volunteers from various nationalities,
00:16:19including parliamentarians, lawyers,
00:16:22journalists, and activists. The fleet's name
00:16:28year due to its organization of more
00:16:31than one campaign towards the Gaza Strip. And yesterday,
00:16:34viewers, the General Directorate of Ports and Customs
00:16:37delivered a boat from the Freedom Flotilla to
00:16:40its owner at Banyas port. But the question
00:16:44here is, what is a boat from the Freedom
00:16:47Flotilla doing in Syrian ports?
00:16:49Let's watch.
00:16:51Some time ago this year, a fisherman informed us that he found
00:16:57in territorial waters near Arwad Island, where it was handed
00:17:00over to the General Directorate of Ports.
00:17:04this boat, and the Maritime Inspection Directorate was tasked
00:17:07with a technical inspection in accordance with legal procedures on the boat and examining it from
00:17:11all aspects. It was found after
00:17:15boat was one of the boats within the Freedom
00:17:18Flotilla that came to lift the siege on Gaza.
00:17:22We, at the General Directorate
00:17:25the company that owns the boat, and all documents and identifying
00:17:29papers were verified. We are today at the Banyas
00:17:32Port Department, working to hand over this boat to its owners
00:17:36in accordance with legal procedures.
00:17:41The Freedom Flotilla gained media attention in
00:17:452025 when the ship
00:17:48Madeleine sailed in June, followed by the
00:17:51Global Solidarity Flotilla in September. But the flotilla,
00:17:54viewers, is older than that, as it has been sailing
00:17:58towards Gaza since 2010
00:18:00and organized six convoys until
00:18:032024. The May 2026
00:18:07journey was one of its largest, with more than
00:18:1150 boats and ships and more than 500
00:18:14participants. It did not, of course, reach its destination
00:18:18and was attacked by the occupation. In fact, none of the
00:18:21flotilla's journeys reached the shores of Gaza,
00:18:26by Israeli occupation forces in international waters,
00:18:29their passengers are kidnapped, and their boats are confiscated
00:18:33or left adrift at sea
00:18:34Let's watch.
00:18:37As the Global Solidarity Flotilla, our fleet set sail
00:18:40with the Spring 2026 mission from the Italian
00:18:44island of Sicily. We set off towards Gaza
00:18:47with participation from Turkey, and in international waters,
00:18:51our boats and ourselves were detained
00:18:54by the Israeli army. We were held
00:18:57in Israeli
00:19:00ship prisons for 3 days,
00:19:02and for 2 days in Israel.
00:19:05We were held captive for 5 days on the condition
00:19:09of staying in a camp, and our boats were left adrift.
00:19:12During this time,
00:19:16our boats drifted on their own to many places, including
00:19:19Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, and Cyprus. This boat
00:19:22is currently in the Syrian port of Baniyas.
00:19:25Our port manager here in Baniyas
00:19:29and our port captain in Latakia
00:19:32have provided us with all possible
00:19:35facilities and opportunities.
00:19:45This incident sparked wide interaction on social
00:19:49media. So what were the comments? Let's start with
00:19:53Ahmed's comment, who wrote on Instagram: Thank
00:19:56you to the Syrian General Directorate of Ports and Customs.
00:20:00Honesty and trustworthiness are now present in the new Syria after liberation.
00:20:04Amin Al-Idrissi commented on Instagram:
00:20:08I was struck by the Freedom Flotilla's continued organization of
00:20:11its voyages despite the risks and obstacles,
00:20:14which reflects the participants' determination to make their voices
00:20:18heard and their humanitarian stance. Thanks also
00:20:22to the Syrian administration for handing over the boat to its foreign
00:20:25owner.
00:20:31Ahmed Hassan commented and said: Not
00:20:34all ships seek a harbor, for some
00:20:37carry hope of reaching people's hearts
00:20:40and sail whenever the paths are closed, hoping
00:20:44the sea will deliver what the land could not. And this
00:20:48is the case of the ships of the Freedom
00:20:51tire of supporting the oppressed.
00:20:55Naif Al-Ghamdi commented
00:20:59and wrote:
00:21:02A step credited to the concerned authorities, and we hope
00:21:07of more cooperation and transparency in dealing
00:21:11with such
00:21:12cases.
00:21:16We conclude with Lena Ibrahim's comment, who wrote on Facebook:
00:21:21Thank you to everyone who contributed to following the case
00:21:24until the boat was delivered to its owner,
00:21:26and appreciation for every effort that puts
00:21:31first. This is how incidents should be handled: clarifying
00:21:35the circumstances and restoring rights to their owners,
00:21:39away from ambiguity
00:21:40and speculation.
00:21:46The last of these attempts was in May of this year,
00:21:50when the Global Solidarity Flotilla set off from Turkey with the
00:21:53participation of more than 50 ships and boats from
00:21:5644 countries. The Israeli occupation forces
00:21:59intercepted it west of Cyprus.
00:22:14Is $300, or approximately
00:22:1740,000 pounds, enough for a citizen to live
00:22:21for a month? This question was raised by many yesterday
00:22:24on a clip circulated by activists on
00:22:27social media. So what is the story? Yesterday,
00:22:30viewers, scenes were circulated of a factory manager
00:22:34announcing an increase in his workers' wages
00:22:37to $10 daily.
00:22:40We see Mr. Governor at 10
00:22:43dollars, 10 dollars instead of 7
00:22:45dollars.
00:22:54At that time, the governor of Idlib, Mr. Muhammad Abdel Rahman,
00:22:59the governorate and its countryside. His tour received
00:23:02wide popularity. But why? The answer
00:23:06is because he conducted his tour without an assistant
00:23:09or escort or anyone else. Let's watch. A surprising and
00:23:13beautiful visit by Professor Muhammad Abdel
00:23:16Rahman, Governor of Idlib Governorate, to the Aleppo-Karama road
00:23:20to check on the latest work.
00:23:24Of course, this is our governor, the Governor of Idlib.
00:23:27I mean, only one car.
00:23:30He's riding in it, and he's
00:23:32the official of the region.
00:23:35This is how we know officials, and we always wish to see them
00:23:38like this.
00:23:43you. This event caused great interaction on social
00:23:46media. So how did you comment on it? Let's start with a comment.
00:23:51Instagram: Such nice initiatives can
00:23:54change the lives of many families and motivate other
00:23:58factory owners to raise
00:24:00wages. Muhammad wrote
00:24:03and commented: So the monthly salary is
00:24:06$300. Thank God, but it's still
00:24:10low compared to expenses. Ahmed
00:24:13commented and said: It's normal. Yesterday,
00:24:16I saw him and his family buying coffee in Idlib at night.
00:24:20It's normal, not strange. We're used to it from our governor.
00:24:24Rabie commented and said:
00:24:26There should be a role for the union to set
00:24:30the minimum wage. Nevertheless, it's a good step from the owner
00:24:33of the establishment. The increase is actually almost half
00:24:37of the old wage, which is a good
00:24:42the entire factory. We conclude with what
00:24:46Omar wrote on Facebook: Increasing workers' wages benefits
00:24:50everyone. As a business owner, any
00:24:54increase in workers' wages can be easily
00:24:58product, which means workers will have increased purchasing
00:25:01power, which in turn increases
00:25:05the production of all establishments. This means
00:25:09everyone benefits, and this is a good
00:26:17In confronting organized and cyber
00:26:20crimes, a firm international will stands
00:26:24to dismantle the causes of crime.
00:26:26Syria enters a new national phase in which it seeks
00:26:30to rebuild institutions
00:26:33on the basis of the rule of law and protection of society.
00:26:36The 15th United Nations Congress
00:26:40on Crime Prevention in the Emirati capital, Abu Dhabi,
00:26:44gathers decision-makers to address security challenges
00:26:47and establish a new charter for community protection.
00:26:52international event, Syria embodies its vision
00:26:55and determination to build a state
00:26:58governed by law. Our conference
00:27:01is held today at a stage witnessing
00:27:04profound transformations in the nature of crime and the means
00:27:07of its commission. The Syrian Arab Republic
00:27:10looks forward to the Abu Dhabi Declaration establishing
00:27:14a new phase of international joint action in which
00:27:17commitments are transformed into practical cooperation.
00:27:33Today we inaugurate the Consular Services Office in Suwayda
00:27:36Governorate.
00:27:45Such offices actually relieve the burden
00:27:48of transportation and travel to Damascus for the residents
00:27:51of Syrian
00:27:53governorates.
00:28:24We call on all tanker drivers and all
00:28:28road users to
00:28:29adhere to the speed
00:30:04Welcome, viewers, to our sports news bulletin with me, Zaher Al-Mazawiya, from Syrian News,
00:30:08and we start with the headlines.
00:30:12Conclusion of the Arab Cycling Championship with the participation
00:30:15of 13 countries.
00:30:19An exciting victory for our Olympic team in the Damascus International
00:30:23Basketball Tournament. Manchester
00:30:26City defeats Liverpool by three goals and takes the lead in the Premier
00:30:30League.
00:30:41Welcome back. The Arab Championship competitions concluded today.