Najran Education Department Starts Teaching Chinese at Public, Private Schools

General view in the city of Najran, Saudi Arabia - AP
General view in the city of Najran, Saudi Arabia - AP
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Najran Education Department Starts Teaching Chinese at Public, Private Schools

General view in the city of Najran, Saudi Arabia - AP
General view in the city of Najran, Saudi Arabia - AP

The Department of Education in Najran launched a program to teach the enriching Chinese language in the region's public and private secondary schools.
The department said that the program targets 1,506 students from the second secondary grade by including the program of teaching the enriching Chinese language for students with one class per week in public and private secondary schools, SPA reported.
The Assistant of Educational Affairs at the Department, Hussein Al Muammar, noted that the program aims to develop students' skills, grant them self-learning skills based on activities and encourage students to explore the Chinese language at an early date to enroll for the Chinese language class in the third secondary grade in the optional field.
The Department of Education in Najran seeks to achieve national goals and keep pace with the development of Saudi-Chinese relations in various fields through the optimal investment of available human resources in the field of education by entrusting them with supervising enrichment programs and diversifying the practices of adopting the Chinese language in public and private schools.



Threatened by Israeli Airstrikes, Lebanon’s Cultural Sites Get Increased Protection from UN

Rubble lies at the site of the historic “Al-Manshiya” building damaged in the aftermath of Israeli strikes, near the Roman ruins of Baalbek, in the eastern city of Baalbek, Lebanon November 7, 2024. (Reuters)
Rubble lies at the site of the historic “Al-Manshiya” building damaged in the aftermath of Israeli strikes, near the Roman ruins of Baalbek, in the eastern city of Baalbek, Lebanon November 7, 2024. (Reuters)
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Threatened by Israeli Airstrikes, Lebanon’s Cultural Sites Get Increased Protection from UN

Rubble lies at the site of the historic “Al-Manshiya” building damaged in the aftermath of Israeli strikes, near the Roman ruins of Baalbek, in the eastern city of Baalbek, Lebanon November 7, 2024. (Reuters)
Rubble lies at the site of the historic “Al-Manshiya” building damaged in the aftermath of Israeli strikes, near the Roman ruins of Baalbek, in the eastern city of Baalbek, Lebanon November 7, 2024. (Reuters)

A specialized United Nations agency granted on Monday provisional enhanced protection to 34 cultural properties in Lebanon, including the World Heritage sites of Baalbek and Tyre, following recent Israeli strikes near them.

“Non-compliance with these clauses would constitute serious violations of the 1954 Hague Convention and would constitute potential grounds for prosecution,” the UN cultural and scientific agency UNESCO said in a statement. The decision also includes financial and technical assistance to safeguard Lebanon’s heritage.

The decision was made during an extraordinary session of the Committee for the Protection of Cultural Property that was held in Paris on Monday, at the request of Lebanese authorities.

This move comes amid mounting threats to Lebanon’s cultural sites. On Nov. 7, an Israeli airstrike destroyed an Ottoman-era building near the UNESCO-listed Roman temples of Baalbek in eastern Lebanon.

UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay said: “UNESCO has a deep and long-standing cooperation with Lebanon. We will spare no effort to provide all the expertise and assistance needed to protect its exceptional heritage.”

In addition to legal protections, UNESCO said it has been implementing measures such as satellite monitoring, risk management training and emergency relocation of movable artifacts.