Rocket Launched near Peacekeeper Post in Lebanon on Sunday, UN Says

 Vehicles of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) patrol near the Lebanon-Israel border, at Marjeyoun area in southern Lebanon, 27 August 2024. (EPA)
Vehicles of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) patrol near the Lebanon-Israel border, at Marjeyoun area in southern Lebanon, 27 August 2024. (EPA)
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Rocket Launched near Peacekeeper Post in Lebanon on Sunday, UN Says

 Vehicles of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) patrol near the Lebanon-Israel border, at Marjeyoun area in southern Lebanon, 27 August 2024. (EPA)
Vehicles of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) patrol near the Lebanon-Israel border, at Marjeyoun area in southern Lebanon, 27 August 2024. (EPA)

One of the rockets launched from Lebanon in the heavy exchange between armed group Hezbollah and the Israeli military on Sunday was fired from near a position operated by international peacekeepers, the United Nations force told Reuters on Tuesday.

The UN peacekeeping force for Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, said it had detected a "high number of air strikes and rocket launches in its area of operations" starting on Sunday morning.

"One such launch was detected from near one of our positions in Hanniyeh," UNIFIL spokesperson Kandice Ardiel said, referring to a town in southern Lebanon approximately 10 km (6 miles) north of the border with Israel.

The spokesperson said another explosion occurred later in the day near a UNIFIL position in Mays al-Jabal, along the border, but said there was no damage and no casualties.

"We continually stress to everyone that using areas near our positions to launch attacks across the Blue Line or targeting that puts peacekeepers in danger is unacceptable and a violation of Resolution 1701," the spokesperson said.

The Blue Line is the demarcation line between Lebanon and Israel, where parts of the international border are disputed.

UN resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah, tasks UNIFIL with ensuring that its area of operations "is not utilized for hostile activities of any kind".

A spokesperson for the Israeli military said on Monday that it had identified Hezbollah rocket launch sites approximately 150 meters (490 feet) away from a UN position in Hanniyeh, without specifically naming UNIFIL.

There was no immediate response from Hezbollah to a Reuters request for comment.

Hezbollah on Sunday fired rockets and drones at Israeli military sites in retaliation for the killing of a top commander by Israel last month, and Israeli jets targeted approximately 40 launch sites in Lebanon.

It was one of the most intense exchanges of fire between the armed foes in more than 10 months of hostilities playing out in parallel with the Gaza war.



Rising Interest in Russian Language in Syria

Russian language class at a school in Syria (SANA)
Russian language class at a school in Syria (SANA)
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Rising Interest in Russian Language in Syria

Russian language class at a school in Syria (SANA)
Russian language class at a school in Syria (SANA)

As the 10th anniversary of Russia’s military intervention in Syria approaches on Sep. 30, and with the new school year starting, Syrian Ministry of Education figures show a notable rise in students learning Russian.
There are now 39,500 students from seventh grade through the second year of secondary school studying Russian, according to Bassam Al-Tawil, the top Russian language instructor at the Ministry, speaking to SANA.
In 2020, around 24,000 students were studying Russian. By 2021, this number had increased to over 31,000, spread across 217 schools in 12 provinces, with a teaching staff of 190 instructors.
Since its military intervention in Syria in 2014, Russia has focused on increasing its cultural influence through education.
The Syrian government introduced Russian as a second foreign language option in schools starting from the 2014-2015 academic year, alongside English or French, for students in the later stages of basic education.
A Russian language department was also set up at Damascus University that year.
In the past nine years, Russia has expanded Russian language education by equipping classrooms with interactive tools, opening more classes and centers, training teachers, and organizing camps in Russia for Syrian students.
Recently, the Syrian Ministry of Education received about 5,000 copies of a new “Russian Language Curriculum” textbook for seventh grade. Created by a joint committee from Syria and Russia, the textbook will be tested this year.
Dr. Rami Al-Dalli, Deputy Minister of Education, announced that the book, delivered by a Russian organization, will be distributed to schools in Damascus, Homs, Tartus, Latakia, Sweida, and Daraa—areas with the most Russian language classes.
Al-Dalli said this move marks the “culmination” of the collaboration between the Syrian and Russian education ministries and aims to enhance their partnership.
According to SANA, Alexei Cherkizov, known for his involvement with the “Global Christian Union,” the organization which distributed the curriculum in Syria, reported that “1,000 Syrian students receive scholarships to study in Russia each year, totaling 5,000 Syrian students currently in Russian universities.”
He also noted that six remote Russian language classes have been offered by the Syrian Ministry of Education for the past four years.