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Renowned Syrian Novelist Hanna Mina Dies at 94

Hanna Mina. (EPA)
Hanna Mina. (EPA)
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Renowned Syrian Novelist Hanna Mina Dies at 94

Hanna Mina. (EPA)
Hanna Mina. (EPA)

Award-winning Syrian novelist Hanna Mina, known in his war-torn country as the father of the modern novel, died on Tuesday aged 94, state media said.

The prolific author died "after a long battle with illness", state news agency SANA said.

Mina wrote around 40 novels, many inspired by the sea and his coastal hometown of Latakia, where he was born in 1924.

His most famous novel, entitled "The Road and the Storm" in Arabic, was set in French mandate Syria during the Second World War. It was adapted to film in 2012.

He was one of the founders of the Syrian Writers' Association and the Arab Writers' Union in Damascus in the 1950s.

Among other awards, Mina in 2006 received the Naguib Mahfouz Prize for Arabic Literature, named after the late Egyptian novelist and Nobel laureate.

In Syria, the culture ministry each year awards the Hanna Mina Prize for Literature.

On Tuesday, the ministry hailed Mina as "one of the greatest Arab novelists", SANA said.

He leaves behind more than 44 novels, many of which were translated into numerous languages and adapted into movies and Syrian television series.

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Varieties

Saudi Team Successfully Separates Filipino Conjoined Twins in Highly Complex Surgery

The operation was conducted at King Abdullah Specialist Children’s Hospital in King Abdulaziz Medical City of the Ministry of National Guard in Riyadh. SPA
The operation was conducted at King Abdullah Specialist Children’s Hospital in King Abdulaziz Medical City of the Ministry of National Guard in Riyadh. SPA
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Saudi Team Successfully Separates Filipino Conjoined Twins in Highly Complex Surgery

The operation was conducted at King Abdullah Specialist Children’s Hospital in King Abdulaziz Medical City of the Ministry of National Guard in Riyadh. SPA
The operation was conducted at King Abdullah Specialist Children’s Hospital in King Abdulaziz Medical City of the Ministry of National Guard in Riyadh. SPA

The specialized medical and surgical team of the Saudi Conjoined Twins Program achieved on Thursday a new medical milestone by successfully separating the Filipino conjoined twins Klea and Maurice Ann following a highly complex surgical procedure, considered among the most challenging cases worldwide.

The operation was conducted at King Abdullah Specialist Children’s Hospital in King Abdulaziz Medical City of the Ministry of National Guard in Riyadh.

Advisor at the Royal Court, Supervisor General of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief), and head of the medical and surgical team of the Saudi Conjoined Twins Program Dr. Abdullah Al Rabeeah stated the Filipino twins were separated after 12 hours and 45 minutes from the start of anesthesia.

This marks the completion of the third stage, with the fourth and fifth stages remaining, which are expected to take several more hours and will include reconstruction, cosmetic procedures, and cranial closure.

He added that the operation was carried out with the participation of 30 consultants, specialists, and nursing and technical staff across multiple disciplines, including anesthesia, intensive care, advanced imaging, plastic surgery, and other supporting specialties, ensuring the highest levels of precision and safety throughout all stages of the procedure.

Al Rabeeah noted that this marks the third separation of conjoined twins from the Philippines and the 70th case within the Saudi Conjoined Twins Program, which spans more than 35 years.

The program has covered 27 countries and evaluated 157 cases worldwide, underscoring the Kingdom’s leading role in this rare medical specialty, under the direct support and patronage of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister.

Al Rabeeah expressed, on behalf of himself and all members of the medical and surgical team, his deepest gratitude to the Kingdom’s leadership for the continuous support and close follow-up provided to the program.

He also extended his thanks to the surgical team, led by pediatric neurosurgery consultant Dr. Moutasem Azzubi, as well as to all members of anesthesia, plastic surgery, nursing, and technical teams for their efforts, which contributed to the success of the operation and the safety of the twins.

He affirmed that this achievement reflects the Kingdom’s noble humanitarian mission and its position as a global center of excellence in this field.

For their part, the twins’ family expressed their appreciation and gratitude to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and the Crown Prince for the high-quality medical care provided, praising the tremendous efforts exerted by the medical team to ensure the success of the operation.

Varieties

58-year-old Woman Killed in Bear Attack in Poland

22 April 2026, US, Seattle: Juniper, a Coastal Alaskan Brown Bear pictured on Earth Day at the Woodland Park Zoo. Photo: Shane Srogi/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
22 April 2026, US, Seattle: Juniper, a Coastal Alaskan Brown Bear pictured on Earth Day at the Woodland Park Zoo. Photo: Shane Srogi/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
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58-year-old Woman Killed in Bear Attack in Poland

22 April 2026, US, Seattle: Juniper, a Coastal Alaskan Brown Bear pictured on Earth Day at the Woodland Park Zoo. Photo: Shane Srogi/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
22 April 2026, US, Seattle: Juniper, a Coastal Alaskan Brown Bear pictured on Earth Day at the Woodland Park Zoo. Photo: Shane Srogi/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

A 58-year-old woman was killed by a bear in Southeastern Poland on Thursday, Pawel Giba, press officer for the District State Fire Service Headquarters in Sanok, told AFP.

A report received by the fire department "indicated that in the village of Plonna a woman was allegedly attacked by a bear," he said.

The report was filed by the woman's son.

Three fire squads and police were dispatched to the scene, but "did not proceed with first aid measures due to the extent of the woman's bodily injuries," he added.

Their arrival was delayed by "the difficult terrain and the lack of precise location details".

Upon their arrival, paramedics pronounced the woman dead at the scene.

Currently, "securing activities are underway," and a prosecutor is arriving in the area, according to the spokesman.

Poland has a population of about 100 brown bears, 80 percent of them in Poland's mountainous Bieszczady region, where the latest attack took place, according to Polish government data from 2024.

However, fatal attacks remain extremely rare with the last fatal bear attack in Poland in 2014, according to local media.

Varieties

Mass Poisoning Suspected as 18 Wolves Die in Italian National Park

FILE PHOTO: Ten wolves were released in a wolf wildlife park in Saint Martin Vesubie, southern France, December 16, 2004. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Ten wolves were released in a wolf wildlife park in Saint Martin Vesubie, southern France, December 16, 2004. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard/File Photo
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Mass Poisoning Suspected as 18 Wolves Die in Italian National Park

FILE PHOTO: Ten wolves were released in a wolf wildlife park in Saint Martin Vesubie, southern France, December 16, 2004. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Ten wolves were released in a wolf wildlife park in Saint Martin Vesubie, southern France, December 16, 2004. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard/File Photo

Italian authorities are investigating the deaths of at least 18 wolves and several other wild animals found in recent days in a national park, in what conservation groups say is one of the worst attacks on wildlife in Italy.

The carcasses were discovered across several locations in and around the Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park, a mountainous area in the center of the country long regarded as a stronghold for Italy's recovering wolf ⁠population.

The national park's ⁠authorities said the animals were most likely killed by poisoned bait, raising concerns for public safety as well as biodiversity, Reuters reported.

"The scale of what is happening is devastating," it said in a statement, expressing its "deep grief and disbelief".

Environment Minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin described the killings as "horrendous", adding that he had ordered ⁠Italy's forestry police to intensify inspections in an effort to identify those responsible.

"The ministry is particularly attentive and sensitive to the protection of a species that is so important for the balance of our ecosystem," he said in a statement.

Italy's protected wolf population has rebounded in recent decades after being driven close to extinction in the 20th century. A 2020-21 census suggested there were around 3,300 wolves nationwide.

However, in some rural areas, farmers complain of attacks on livestock.

Angelo Bonelli, a lawmaker with the ⁠opposition Greens ⁠and Left Alliance party, accused the government of failing to stand up to the hunting lobby, seen as close to right-wing parties in the ruling coalition.

"Swift investigations, tighter controls and exemplary sanctions are needed," he said.

Environment group Legambiente said three foxes and a buzzard had also been found dead in the same region, reinforcing fears of widespread, illegal poisoning.

"This is... an unprecedented attack on protected wildlife," it said in a statement.

Prosecutors in the nearby city of Sulmona have opened an investigation. Authorities have also urged local communities to report suspicious activity as tests continue to determine the exact cause of death.