Briefly

LEBANON

Saudi FM reaffirms support in rare visit

Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud reiterated Saudi Arabia's support for Lebanon during a visit to Beirut on Thursday, emphasizing the importance of reforms for the country's stability and progress. Faisal met with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at Baabda Palace, according to a statement released by the Lebanese presidency. Lebanon's Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam welcomed Faisal's visit, noting it was the first such visit by a Saudi foreign minister to Lebanon in 15 years, reiterating his commitment to restoring Lebanon's position within the Arab world.

UNITED NATIONS

Schooling of 242m children disrupted

Extreme weather disrupted the schooling of about 242 million children in 85 countries last year, roughly one in seven students, the UN children's agency reported on Thursday, deploring what it said was an "overlooked" aspect of the climate crisis. Heat waves had the biggest impact, the report showed, as UNICEF's Executive Director Catherine Russell warned that children are "more vulnerable" to extreme weather. Human activity has warmed the planet and changed weather patterns. Global average temperatures hit record highs in 2024, and over the past few years, they temporarily surpassed a critical 1.5 C warming threshold for the first time.

Xinhua - Agencies