Traffic had been diverted to secondary routes.

Source: National News Agency – Lebanon

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The reception was attended by Vice Speaker Elias Bou Saab representing House Speaker Nabih Berri, Caretaker Tourism Minister Walid Nassar representing Prime Minister Najib Mikati, and Director of Protocol at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants Abir Ali representing Caretaker Foreign Affairs Minister Dr. Abdallah Bou Habib, as well as scores of political, diplomatic, military, media, cultural and social dignitaries.

Ambassador Fountoulak delivered the following speech on the occasion:

‘Your Excellency Mr. Elias Bou Saab, Vice President of the National Assembly representing H.E. The Speaker Mr. Nabih Berry

Your Excellency Mr. Walid Nassar, Minister of Tourism representing H.E. the President of the Council of Ministers Mr. Najib Mikati

Mrs. Abir Ali, Director of Protocol at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants, representing H.E. Minister Abdallah Bou Habib,

Your Eminencies and honorable religious dignitaries

Your Excellencies the Ministers, Members of the Parliament

Honorable representatives of the armed and security forces and the UNIFIL

Dear Colleagues of the diplomatic corps

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Dear Friends.

On my own behalf and on behalf of my colleagues at the Embassy, I would like to welcome you and thank you all for your presence here today, to celebrate with us the National Day of Greece.

Amid adverse circumstances due to the pandemic two years ago, Greece celebrated 200 years since the beginning of our struggle for independence, which gave birth to the modern Greek state. This bicentennial symbolizes what we have achieved within these two centuries and guides our reflection, individually and collectively, to build a vision for the future.

The journey of the Greek state during these two centuries is remarkable. A nation that fought for its right to be an independent state and that never since shied away from the international struggles to defend and uphold freedom and human values, including in both World Wars. A state that has become a sturdy pillar of democracy, and stability in the Balkans and the wider Mediterranean region. A dependable Ally and a dedicated member of the European Union for the past 40 years, actively contributing to the promotion of its fundamental values and priorities.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

?As we all know, National Days are a reason for celebration but they are also a reminder of shared values and beliefs, at a time when these are once again being tested, and of the tasks we still face.

It is in this spirit that we strongly support the independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty of Lebanon, to which Greece is linked by excellent relations since ancient times. In the same vein, we contribute to the mission of UNIFIL by participating with a frigate to the Maritime component ever since its establishment in 2006. We expressed our solidarity with the Lebanese people after the port of Beirut explosion by dispatching the very next day a Search and Rescue team and delivering three times urgent humanitarian assistance, including for the needs of the Lebanese Armed Forces.

Greece was among the first countries to publicly welcome the historic Maritime Delimitation Agreement between Lebanon and Israel as an example of peaceful settlement of differences in this region and as a key factor in stabilizing the situation in the Middle East.

As regards Greece’s presence in Lebanon, we are particularly satisfied with the revival of the program to strengthen Greek language skills and support theological studies as St. John of Damascus Institute of Theology at the University of Balamand, which will contribute to further enhancing the ties between Greece and Lebanon at the educational, theological, social and cultural levels.

Chers amis,

We will continue to show solidarity with the Lebanese people in difficult times. We believe that fully functioning state institutions, first and foremost election of a new President and formation of a stable Government and respect for rule of law are sine qua non conditions for addressing the many and urgent problems the country is facing as well as for the implementation of much needed reforms that will favour the development of the country in a sustainable manner, leaving no one behind. We hope that this will become a reality thanks to the remarkable resilience, talents and sense of solidarity of the Lebanese.

I take this opportunity to express my sincere thanks to the Greek Community of Beirut for their valuable contribution in the organization of this event as well as to the staff of the Embassy for their dedication and hard work often under difficult circumstances.’

Source: National News Agency – Lebanon

The post GREEK AMBASSADOR HOLDS RECEPTION MARKING HER COUNTRY’S NATIONAL DAY appeared first on Lebanon News Gazette.

The case is against Rey E. Grabato II, Daniel Coley O’Brien, Thomas Nicholas Salzano, Arthur Scutaro, Arthur Raymond Scutaro, Sr., Arthur Raymond Scutaro, Jr., Olena Budinska, Ivel Turner, Jeff Rosenberg, Mark Korczak, Byron Cartozian, and Brian Harrington (together, “Defendants”).

SO WHAT: If you purchased NRIA membership units you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.

WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the NRIA class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=10974 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than March 13, 2023. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.

WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually handle securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs’ Bar. Many of the firm’s attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.

DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, National Realty Investment Advisors LLC offered and sold NRIA, a membership unit in the NRIA Fund. Defendants used NRIA and the NRIA Fund to carry out a fraudulent scheme, including making and disseminating material misrepresentations, and effectuating a Ponzi scheme to divert millions of dollars invested in the NRIA Fund for their own personal gain.

To join the NRIA class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=10974 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action.

No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor’s ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.

Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/.

Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

——————————–

Contact Information:

Laurence Rosen, Esq.
Phillip Kim, Esq.
The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.
275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Tel: (212) 686-1060
Toll Free: (866) 767-3653
Fax: (212) 202-3827
lrosen@rosenlegal.com
pkim@rosenlegal.com
cases@rosenlegal.com
www.rosenlegal.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8782442

The post NRIA DEADLINE ALERT: ROSEN, A HIGHLY RECOGNIZED LAW FIRM, Encourages National Realty Investment Advisors LLC Investors with Losses to Secure Counsel Before Important March 13 Deadline in Securities Class Action – NRIA appeared first on Lebanon News Gazette.

FAIRFAX, Va., March 06, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Winners in the 17th annual Stevie® Awards for Sales & Customer Service, recognized as the world’s top customer service awards and sales awards, were unveiled on Friday night at a gala ceremony in Las Vegas, Nevada USA, attended by more than 400 executives from around the world.

The complete list of Stevie Winners by category is available at http://www.StevieAwards.com/Sales.

DP DHL, with 46 Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Award wins, was the most honored organization this year, earning the top Grand Stevie Award trophy. This is the 11th year in a row in which the multinational package delivery and supply chain management company, headquartered in Bonn, Germany, has won a Grand Stevie in the program, and the ninth year of the 11 in which they placed first on the list of most honored organizations.

Other Grand Stevie Award winners, in descending order, include IBM, Sales Partnerships, Support Services Group, ValueSelling Associates, UPMC Health Plan, PowerSchool Group, GoHealth, TalkDesk and Michael Kors.

More than 2,300 nominations from organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry were evaluated in this year’s competition. Finalists were determined by the average scores of more than 170 professionals worldwide in seven specialized judging committees. Entries were considered in more than 60 categories for customer service and contact center achievements, including Contact Center of the Year, Award for Innovation in Customer Service, and Customer Service Department of the Year; 60 categories for sales and business development achievements, ranging from Senior Sales Executive of the Year to Sales Training or Business Development Executive of the Year to Sales Department of the Year; and categories to recognize new products and services and solution providers, among others.

Sales Partnerships, Inc. won 12 Golds, the most in the competition. Other winners of two or more Gold Stevie Awards include: Alight Solutions, Blackhawk Network, ClearSource BPO, DP DHL, EFG Companies, Genpact, GoHealth, IBM, ICW Group, Janek Performance Group, JK Moving, LivePerson, MetTel, Michael Kors, MONAT Global Corp, Optima Tax Relief, LLC, Optum, Paradigm Marketing and Design, PREMIER Bankcard, Rapid Phone Center, Sales Partnerships, Inc., SAP, SoftPro, Splunk, Tata Consultancy Services, TELUS Smart Security & Automation, TIM Brasil, TransPerfect, Turkcell Iletisim Hizmetleri A.S., UPMC Health Plan, Perceptyx, Veeam, and WNS (Holdings) Limited.

Winners in one special category, the Sales Partnerships Ethics in Sales Award, were also announced on Friday. This award recognizes organizations for best practices and achievements in demonstrating the highest ethical standards in the sales industry. The Gold Stevie winner in this category is Greater Prairie Business Consulting. The Silver winner is Belkins, and the Bronze Stevie Winners are Cal Dental USA and Integrity Solutions.

The presentations were broadcast live via Livestream and are available to watch online.

Nominations for the 2024 edition of the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service will be accepted starting this July.  The entry kit may be requested at http://www.StevieAwards.com/Sales.

The awards are presented by the Stevie Awards, which organizes eight of the world’s leading business award shows including the prestigious International Business Awards® and American Business Awards®.

About the Stevie Awards
Stevie Awards are conferred in eight programs: the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, The American Business Awards®, The International Business Awards®, the Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Stevie Awards competitions receive more than 12,000 nominations each year from organizations in more than 70 nations. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about the Stevie Awards at www.StevieAwards.com.

Sponsors of the 17th annual Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service include Sales Partnerships, Inc., Support Service Group, and ValueSelling Associates, Inc.

Contact:

Nina Moore
(703) 547-8389
Nina@StevieAwards.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8781987

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The launch of the Charter by the Coalition for Fisheries Transparency lays out a new roadmap to advance marine governance around the world.

PANAMA CITY, Panama, March 02, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Coalition for Fisheries Transparency – a new international community of civil society organizations – today launched the Global Charter for Fisheries Transparency. The Charter pinpoints the most essential policy priorities needed to combat fisheries mismanagement, illegal fishing, and human rights abuses at sea. Experts, ministers, and delegates from international organizations and companies around the world discussed the benefits of the Global Charter for Fisheries Transparency at Our Ocean conference in Panama this Thursday and Friday – an annual meeting for countries, civil society and industry to announce significant actions to safeguard the world’s oceans.

“Ghana recognizes the critical role that transparency plays in the fight against illegal fishing to protect livelihoods and provide food security to our coastal communities,” said Hon. Mavis Hawa Koomson, Ghana’s Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development. “With the significant progress Ghana has made in the last year on ending harmful fishing practices that have encouraged illegal fishing in our waters, we are now working towards making greater efforts towards sustaining fisheries transparency in Ghana.”

Prof. Maxine Burkett, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Oceans, Fisheries and Polar Affairs at the U.S. Department of State, highlighted how the U.S. plays a leading role in increasing transparency in global fisheries.

“Last year, President Biden released a National Security Memorandum that recognizes the importance of transparency for combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and associated forced labor abuses,” she said. “By enhancing productive information-sharing, the Global Charter for Fisheries Transparency will serve as an important complement to the U.S. government’s activities to end IUU fishing through improving fisheries and ocean governance, increasing enforcement efforts, and raising ambition to end IUU fishing globally.”

Additionally, global partnership initiatives, like the Fisheries Transparency Initiative (FiTI), emphasized the importance of equal, multi-stakeholder collaboration to increase transparency in coastal countries for achieving sustainably managed marine fisheries.

“Given the complexity of fisheries governance, multiple transparency efforts are needed to address the various challenges of unsustainable marine fisheries, such as overfishing, IUU fishing, unequal access to fisheries resources, and unfair benefit sharing,” said Dr. Valeria Merino, Chair of the International Board of the Fisheries Transparency Initiative (FiTI). “The 10 principles of the Global Charter for Fisheries Transparency recognize the need for a comprehensive and coordinated approach to fisheries transparency, and has the potential to support existing global endeavors, such as the FiTI, through a much-needed mobilization of civil society organizations to ensure that marine fishing activities are legal, ethical, and sustainable.”

Finally, the role of the civil society to maximize collective impact to improve transparency has been underlined by Mr. Wakao Hanaoka, Chief Executive Officer of Seafood Legacy (Japan), and a steering committee member of the Coalition for Fisheries Transparency. “Our membership in the Coalition for Fisheries Transparency represents a voice of an international community that allows us to strengthen and amplify our efforts amongst the seafood industry and government towards achieving our goal of making Japan a global leader in environmental sustainability and social responsibility,” he explained.

The Global Charter for Fisheries Transparency lays out a new roadmap to advance marine governance internationally, by providing a set of advocacy principles that are both effective and achievable by all stakeholders involved in fisheries governance and management.

“Continuous advocacy efforts by civil society organizations are critical to improving fisheries governance internationally as well as protecting the ocean and the people who depend on its resources,” commented Maisie Pigeon, Director of the Coalition for Fisheries Transparency. “The Coalition’s mission to deliver an urgent shift towards greater transparency in fisheries will be achieved through supporting our members in developing joint strategies, harmonizing and strengthening efforts, and finally – closing transparency policy gaps in fisheries governance,” she concluded.

Through civil society organizations from around the world, the Coalition for Fisheries Transparency calls on governments to apply the Charter’s principles in legislation and practice.

Press contact: Agata Mrowiec agata@fisheriestransparency.net +34 608 517 552

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8780726

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Four have been injured in four car accidents that took place on the roads in the last 24 hours, the Traffic Management Center (TMC) reported on Wednesday.

Source: National News Agency – Lebanon

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Many tens of thousands of people cheered as he travelled from the airport into the capital Kinshasa in his popemobile, with some breaking away to chase it while others chanted and waved flags.

But the joyous mood, one of the most vibrant welcomes of his foreign trips, turned sombre when the 86-year-old pope spoke to dignitaries at the presidential palace. He condemned “terrible forms of exploitation, unworthy of humanity” in Congo, where vast mineral wealth has fuelled war, displacement and hunger.

“Hands off the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Hands off Africa. Stop choking Africa: it is not a mine to be stripped or a terrain to be plundered,” Francis said.

Congo has some of the world’s richest deposits of diamonds, gold, copper, cobalt, tin, tantalum and lithium, but those have stoked conflict between militias, government troops and foreign invaders. Mining has also been linked to inhumane exploitation of workers, including children, and environmental degradation.

“It is a tragedy that these lands, and more generally the whole African continent, continue to endure various forms of exploitation,” the pope said, reading his speech in Italian while seated. People listening to a French translation applauded repeatedly.

“The poison of greed has smeared its diamonds with blood,” he said, referring to Congo specifically.

Compounding the country’s problems, eastern Congo has been plagued by violence connected to the long and complex fallout from the 1994 genocide in neighbouring Rwanda.

Congo accuses Rwanda of backing the M23 rebel group fighting government troops in the east. Rwanda denies this.

“As well as armed militias, foreign powers hungry for the minerals in our soil commit, with the direct and cowardly support of our neighbour Rwanda, cruel atrocities,” Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi said, speaking just before the pope on the same stage on a hot, muggy afternoon.

The pope did not name Rwanda in his address or take sides in the dispute.

Rwandan government spokesperson Yolande Makolo rebuffed Tshisekedi’s comments. “It’s obvious that this ridiculous obsession with scapegoating Rwanda is President Tshisekedi’s electoral strategy – a distraction from the poor performance of his government, and failure to deliver to their citizens,” she told Reuters.

‘DEVOURED BY VIOLENCE’

An estimated 5.7 million people are internally displaced in Congo and 26 million face severe hunger, largely because of the impact of armed conflict, according to the United Nations.

About half of Congo’s population of 90 million are Roman Catholics and the Church plays a crucial role in running schools and health facilities in the sprawling central African country, as well as promoting democracy.

The pope criticised rich countries for ignoring the tragedies unfolding in Congo and elsewhere in Africa.

“One has the impression that the international community has practically resigned itself to the violence devouring it (Congo). We cannot grow accustomed to the bloodshed that has marked this country for decades, causing millions of deaths,” he said.

Tshisekedi made a similar point: “While the international community has remained passive and silent, more than 10 million people have been horribly killed.”

First scheduled for last July, the pope’s trip was postponed because of a flare-up of a chronic knee ailment. Francis had originally planned to travel to Goma, in eastern Congo, but that stop was scrapped because of a resurgence in fighting between M23 rebels and government troops.

In an apparent reference to the M23 and other militias active in Congo’s eastern regions, the pope said the Congolese people were fighting to preserve their territorial integrity “against deplorable attempts to fragment the country”.

On Wednesday, Francis will celebrate Mass at a Kinshasa airport that is expected to draw more than a million people. He also will meet victims of violence from the east.

Francis will stay in Kinshasa until Friday morning, when he will fly to South Sudan, another African country grappling with conflict and poverty.

In a first, he will be accompanied for that leg of his journey by the Archbishop of Canterbury, leader of the global Anglican Communion, and by the Church of Scotland Moderator. The religious leaders have described their joint visit as a “pilgrimage of peace” to the world’s youngest nation.

South Sudan gained independence in 2011 from predominantly Muslim Sudan after decades of conflict. Two years later inter-ethnic conflict spiralled into a civil war that killed 400,000 people. A 2018 deal stopped the worst of the fighting.

Source: National News Agency – Lebanon

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The study documents the presence of Lebanon along what is known as the “Lebanese Restraining Bend” as part of the Dead Sea Transform Fault, which forms a boundary line between the Arabian Plate and the African Plate.

The study indicates that of particular attention about the Lebanese Restraining Bend is the presence of two basins in its southern and northern bounds that are bordered by basalts; these are the Hula basin and the Bouqayaa basin, respectively.

These two basins and the presence of basalts in their vicinities raise questions about (1) their locations in the immediate proximity to a transpressive bend, (2) the tectonic interrelation between the formation of the basins and the emplacement of the basalts, and (3) the timing of the formation of the basins relative to the prevailing regional transpression.

In this study, the author sheds light on these aspects and proposes a model of the tectonics behind the transpressive regime, the formation of the basins, and the emplacement of the basalts.

The presented model highlights the tectonic interrelation between the formation of the basins, their bordering basalts, and the deformation of the transpressive bend.

The regional movements along the faults outside and within the transpressive bend seem to have caused co-existing extensional and compressional regimes, and they suggest that the formation of the basins may be contemporaneous with the regional transpression.

The results provide additional insight into the understanding of the tectonics of transpressive bends and their interrelation with adjacent extensional basins, worldwide.

The original article is on this link https://rdcu.be/c4vWt where all figures and references are included.

Source: National News Agency – Lebanon

The post ARABIAN JOURNAL OF GEOSCIENCES PUBLISHES NEW STUDY ON VOLCANIC FLOW IN LEBANON appeared first on Lebanon News Gazette.

In remarks to Voice of All Lebanon radio station, Aoun rejected claims accusing the Free Patriotic Movement head, MP Gebran Bassil, of targeting the military institution.

Moreover, the “Strong Lebanon” bloc member saw that “we are still far from agreeing on a name for president, but the ongoing initiatives can bear fruit.”

Source: National News Agency – Lebanon

The post MP SALIM AOUN: WE ARE STILL FAR FROM AGREEING ON A PRESIDENT, BUT ONGOING INITIATIVES CAN BEAR FRUIT appeared first on Lebanon News Gazette.

In remarks to Al Rai newspaper, Geagea stressed that no president can be elected in spite of the majority of Christians.

Asked about his party’s rejection of House Speaker Nabih Berri’s invitation for dialogue, Geagea said: “We are always with any dialogue in order to reach results, but we are against using dialogue for others purposes.”

“We refused this dialogue table because its aim was to shift focus from the president election sessions and from Hezbollah and its allies’ obstruction of these sessions,” he explained.

On a different note, Geagea said he does not pin high hopes on the imminent Paris meeting on Lebanon.

He added that the regional and international tensions will most likely enhance Hezbollah’s adherence to its presidential candidate and push the party to further obstruct the presidential juncture.

Commenting on the latest developments regarding the relation between Hezbollah and the Free Patriotic Movement, he saw that “whatever happens, Hezbollah and (MP Gebran) Bassil cannot part ways.”

Pertaining to the Beirut port blast case, Geagea stressed support for judicial investigator Tarek Bitar, renewing calls for an international inquiry commission.

Source: National News Agency – Lebanon

The post GEAGEA SAYS DOES NOT MIND ARMY CHIEF’S ELECTION FOR PRESIDENT IF IT SOLVES THE PROBLEM appeared first on Lebanon News Gazette.