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Saudi Arabia’s Al-Benyan Participates in G20 Education Ministers Meeting

Saudi Minister of Education Yousef bin Abdullah Al-Benyan. SPA
Saudi Minister of Education Yousef bin Abdullah Al-Benyan. SPA
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Saudi Arabia’s Al-Benyan Participates in G20 Education Ministers Meeting

Saudi Minister of Education Yousef bin Abdullah Al-Benyan. SPA
Saudi Minister of Education Yousef bin Abdullah Al-Benyan. SPA

Saudi Minister of Education Yousef bin Abdullah Al-Benyan has participated in the meeting of the Group of Twenty (G20) Education Ministers, which was chaired by Dharmendra Pradhan, India’s Minister of Education, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.

During Thursday’s meeting, which also was attended by representatives of regional and international organizations, Al-Benyan thanked India for the successes achieved during its presidency of the G20, highlighting the importance of education as a fundamental human right and significant pillar of the Sustainable Development Goals.

He noted that education and human capital development is a significant pillar of the Saudi Vision 2030 and has immensely contributed to improving education reform strategies and policies.

He underscored the importance of boosting the preparedness of the education systems in the G20 member states and other countries and enhancing international cooperation in this regard. He also expressed his wishes for success to Brazil during its presidency of the G20 in 2024.

Al-Benyan met with the Brazilian Minister of Education, Camilo Santana, on the sidelines of the G20 education ministers meeting.

They discussed a number of issues of common interest, including the aspects of existing and future cooperation in the fields of public and higher education, research, and innovation between the Kingdom of and Brazil.

Al-Benyan also discussed with the Deputy Secretary-General of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, Yoshiki Takeuchi, aspects of the existing cooperation between Saudi Arabia and the OECD.

The meeting reviewed the unprecedented progress that the education sector has made in the Kingdom and discussed cooperation in the fields of educational studies and research aimed at developing educational policies related to promoting values and skills.

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Russian ‘Spy Whale’ in Norway Wasn’t Shot Dead, Likely Died of Infection

FILE - In this photo taken in April 2019 a beluga whale found in Arctic Norway is fed. (Jorgen Ree Wiig, Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries via AP)
FILE - In this photo taken in April 2019 a beluga whale found in Arctic Norway is fed. (Jorgen Ree Wiig, Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries via AP)
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Russian ‘Spy Whale’ in Norway Wasn’t Shot Dead, Likely Died of Infection

FILE - In this photo taken in April 2019 a beluga whale found in Arctic Norway is fed. (Jorgen Ree Wiig, Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries via AP)
FILE - In this photo taken in April 2019 a beluga whale found in Arctic Norway is fed. (Jorgen Ree Wiig, Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries via AP)

A beluga whale that lived off Norway’s coast and whose harness ignited speculation that it was a Russian spy, was not shot to death as claimed by animal rights groups but died of a bacterial infection, Norwegian police said Friday.
A final autopsy by Norway's Veterinary Institute “concludes that the probable cause of death was bacterial infection -- possibly as a result of a wound in the mouth from a stuck stick,” Amund Preede Revheim, head of the North Sea and Environment section of the police in south-western Norway said.
“There have been no findings from the autopsy that indicate that the whale has been shot,” he stressed, adding that the autopsy had been “made difficult by the fact that many of the whale’s organs were very rotten.” As there was no indication of foul play, there was no reason to start a criminal investigation into its death, The Associated Press quoted Preede Revheim as saying.
The tame beluga, which was first spotted in 2019 not far from Russian waters with a harness reading “Equipment St. Petersburg,” had been nicknamed "Hvaldimir,” combining the Norwegian word for whale — hval — and the first name of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
It was found floating in a southern Norway bay on Aug. 31.
In September, animal advocate groups OneWhale and NOAH filed a police report saying that the animal’s wounds suggested it was intentionally killed.
They pointed at several wounds found on the animal’s skin, including what was interpreted as a bullet hole.
“Assessments made by the Veterinary Institute and the police’s forensic technicians are that these are not gunshot wounds. X-rays of the chest and head were carried out without any projectiles or other metal fragments being detected,” police said in a statement.
Earlier, police had described a stick about 35 centimeters (14 inches) long and 3 centimeters (1 inch) wide which was found wedged in the animal’s mouth, its stomach was empty and its organs had broken down, police said. No further details were given.
The 4.2-meter (14-foot) long and 1,225-kilogram (2,700-pound) whale was first spotted by fishermen not far from the Arctic town of Hammerfest.
Its harness, along with what appeared to be a mount for a small camera, led to media speculation that it was a “spy whale.” Experts say the Russian navy is known to have trained whales for military purposes. Media reports also have speculated that the whale might have been trained as a therapy animal.
There was no immediate reaction from OneWhale or NOAH.