Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated his Venezuelan counterpart Nicolas Maduro on the Venezuelan Independence day, Tass reported.

"We will continue the work to develop our friendly and allied relations with the brotherly nation of Venezuela," the agency quoted the congratulatory letter as saying.

Putin said Russia and Venezuela have reached a high level of cooperation in politics, trade, energy, science and technology and other spheres.

This year, Venezuela marks the 208th anniversary of declaring its independence from Spain.

Maduro reiterates call for dialogue with opposition

On the other hand, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has reiterated his call for dialogue with opposition figure Juan Guaido to end the political stalemate, according to Press T.V.

DAMASCUS,(ST)_The competent authorities have foiled an attempt to smuggle a big quantity of Hashish and captagon pills hidden inside a double cabin car in the south of Damascus.

According to a source at the competent authorities, the car was stopped at a military checkpoint in the south of Damascus and a big quantity of Hashish and captagon pills were found in a secret place inside the car after searching it upon information previously received by the authority.

HAMA, IDLEB, (ST)_Syrian army units destroyed several hideouts and arms caches for al-Nusra Front terrorists in Hama and Idleb, the Syrian News Agency (SANA) reported today.

The agency said that the army units carried out accurate strikes against terrorists’ hideouts and arms caches after monitoring their movements in Hama and Idleb.

GENEVA, (ST)- Syria's Permanent Representative at the United Nations and other international Organizations in Geneva Hussam Eddin Ala has affirmed Syria's full solidarity with the people and legitimate government of Venezuela against US interventionist policies and voiced its support for any dialogue initiative based on respecting Venezuela's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity.

DAMASCUS, (ST)_The detonation of a landmine, planted by terrorists in Jobar district in Damascus before defeating them by Syrian army, killed three children yesterday, according to the Syrian News Agency (SANA).

Four children aged between 13 and 15 were working in a workshop for rehabilitating a building in the said district when a hidden landmine detonated. Three of them were martyred and the fourth one wounded.