News from the Arab World
A number of protesters on Wednesday blocked Chtoura highway with burning tires in both directions, in protest against the arrest of money changers Ismail Al-Masry and Osama Yassin.
The protesters demanded the immediate release of all the money changers that have been apprehended by security apparatuses.
Source: National News Agency – Lebanon
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants has been informed in a statement about the response of the Lebanese envoy to the United Nations in New York to an Israeli delegate asking of him to refrain from the “regrettable” and “disgraceful” exploitation of the killing of an Irish UNIFIL peacekeeper in South Lebanon “for political goals”.
“This does not serve UNIFIL’s efforts to establish an atmosphere of peace and stability in a region that is in dire need of it,” the Lebanese envoy said during the meeting of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations.
The Lebanese envoy further affirmed Lebanon’s official position condemning this painful incident and highlighted the seriousness of the investigations being carried out by the Lebanese judiciary, which have thus far led to “the issuance of an indictment against seven suspects, one of whom has been arrested while other prosecutions remain ongoing.”
“The Israeli side is no position to throw direct accusations or even preach about the security of peacekeepers, especially that there are many examples of Israeli attacks on peacekeeping forces, starting with the bombing of UNIFIL’s Fijian battalion headquarters in Qana back in 1996,” the Lebanese envoy said as addressing the Israeli delegate — as per the statement received by Lebanon’s MoFA.
“Let alone the air raid and the killing of four UN observers, who were present at the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization observatory building back in 2006 in the town of Khiam – south Lebanon, as well as the naval maneuvers carried out by Israeli fighters alongside a UNIFIL ship, according to what has been stated in a recent report by the United Nations Secretary-General (July 2022) on the implementation of Resolution #1701,” the statement added as quoting the Lebanese envoy.
In this context, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirmed that Lebanon’s relationship with the United Nations and UNIFIL forces was strictly based on cooperation, as well as permanent and constructive dialogue.
Source: National News Agency – Lebanon
A quake of 4.3 magnitude struck off the southern coastline some 61 kilometers away from Saida at 8:01 am today, the National Geophysics Center reported on Wednesday.
Source: National News Agency – Lebanon
An earthquake of magnitude 5.5 occurred on Wednesday, February 22nd, 2023, at 4:41 am local time in the Darz district of Shiraz, the capital of Fars province, southern Iran.
According to the Seismological Center of the Geophysics Institute of Tehran University, the earthquake occurred at 04:41 a.m. local time and at the depth of 11 km underground.
No report has so far been released on the likely casualties or damage to the property
Source: National News Agency – Lebanon
Six people have died, including two children, after a fire broke out in a multi-storey building in Moscow’s centre, Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations said late on Tuesday.
Nine people were injured in the fire and 200 were evacuated from the building, which houses a hotel, the ministry said on the Telegram messaging platform.
The fire was extinguished just before midnight (2100 GMT) and room-by-room inspection was carried out.
Russia’s Investigative Committee said on Telegram they had opened a criminal case into the cause of the fire, which broke out on the fifth floor of the building.
The 41-year-old building in Moscow’s Tagansky district houses the MKM hotel on the lower floors as well as apartments converted from a previous hostel on the upper floors, Russian agencies reported.
Russia’s TASS agency reported, citing an unnamed emergency services official, that arson was the preliminary cause
Source: National News Agency – Lebanon
Thursday’s weather is expected to be partly cloudy to cloudy with a slight decrease in coastal temperatures and a more remarkable drop in the mountainous and inland temperature degrees, according to the Beirut airport-based meteorology department.
Coastal temperatures: 13 to 19 degrees Celsius
Mountainous temperatures: 2 to 10 degrees Celsius
Inland temperatures: 1 to 16 degrees Celsius
Surface wind: Northerly to northwesterly, with speeds gusting between 10 and 30 km/hr
Visibility: Good along the coastline, worsens at high altitude due to fog
Coastline humidity: 50 to 75%
Sea: Medium waves, with surface water temperature at 17 degrees Celsius
Sunrise: 6:16
Sunset: 17:28
Source: National News Agency – Lebanon
Caretaker Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, stressed the obligation of putting Lebanon back on the track of recovery, in remarks made on Wednesday during the launching of the joint committee tasked with the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF), also referred to as the “Cooperation Framework” (CF), for the years 2023-2025.
“What mainly brings us together today is the transparent partnership between the Lebanese government, the UN family in Lebanon, and the donors, for the sake of the public interest and the guarantee of the Lebanese citizens’ rights,” said the PM.
“Nowadays, Lebanon is facing a host of challenges, including the restructuring of the economic model, especially in light of the devaluation of the national currency, the lift of subsidies, the crippled social conditions, the inappropriate policies at the level of infrastructures, and the brain drain,” he went on saying.
“The priority of this meeting is to secure the technical and developmental support to put Lebanon back on the recovery track,” he noted.
“Since sustainable development is not feasible without a political stability, we urge all the leaderships and the concerned officials, once again, to cease the method of obstruction and the trade of useless political accusations,” he underlined, calling the lawmakers to reach an agreement to elect a new president of the republic in order to embark on Lebanon’s recovery, enact the required reforms, and finalize a deal with the International Monetary Fund.
“We thank the UN and its institutions for their continuous support for Lebanon in these very difficult days. We hope that we will soon overcome the current ordeal and that Lebanon will recover and restore its substantial presence on the global political map,” Mikati concluded.
Source: National News Agency – Lebanon
Timing of Massacre ‘Not an Accident’ as Global Community ‘Busy with Another Big Issue’, Says Permanent Observer, Stressing Palestinians ‘Need to See Action’
As news came in of an Israeli security forces operation in Nablus that killed 10 Palestinians, speakers at the first formal meeting of the Palestinian Rights Committee in 2023 appealed for an immediate end to the deadly cycle of violence.
Preventing escalation and restoring calm is the immediate priority, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said today to the 25-member entity, known formally as the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, which the General Assembly established in 1975.
Noting the clash in Nablus this morning and the fragile situation in Jerusalem, he stressed that the demographic and historical character of Jerusalem and the status quo at the holy sites must be upheld. He also expressed concern about Israel’s recent punitive measures against the Palestinian Authority following the General Assembly resolution seeking an International Court of Justice advisory opinion on the occupation.
This risks further destabilizing the Palestinian Authority at a time when it is already struggling with a dire fiscal crisis, he said, urging all donors to support the resilient and high-performing work of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). Calling for the courage to make the difficult choices, he said each new settlement is another roadblock on the path to peace. At the same time, nothing justifies terrorism, he said.
“We will work with you, Mr. Secretary-General, but we need to see action,” Riyad Mansour, Permanent Observer for the State of Palestine, said during his address to the Committee. Describing the anger and frustration among the Palestinian people, he said it is increasingly difficult to convince them that Security Council resolutions will be implemented. They keep seeing the Organization adopting appropriate documents but “they don’t see teeth to these resolutions”, he said.
Condemning this morning’s attack in Nablus, a city that is supposedly under the control of the Palestinian Authority, he noted that so far 10 people, including children and the elderly, have died, with many fighting for their lives. The timing of the Nablus massacre was not an accident, he said, adding that Israel knew that “the international community will be busy with another big issue” and assumed nobody will pay attention. Despite the Council presidential statement adopted two days ago, which emphasized the need for humanitarian access, the Israeli occupying forces did not allow ambulances access this morning, he said.
Drawing attention to the extremist Israeli Government that took office in December, he said its actions have triggered several Council meetings. Also condemning settler terrorism, he said the Palestinian people live in daily fear of being attacked by settlers who have been armed by the current Government. If principles such as the right to self-determination and the inadmissibility of acquisition of land by force are applicable to other situations in the world, they should also be applicable to Palestine, he declared.
Cheikh Niang (Senegal), speaking upon his re-election as Committee Chair, said the devotion to the Committee demonstrated by those present reflect their countries’ respective commitment to the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people. Israel’s continued occupation and illegal practices — including settlement activities, creeping annexation and deliberate demographic change — constitute a serious threat to the sovereignty of the Palestinian State. Further, elevated violence across the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, is concerning, and recent weeks have been marked by alarming violence, confrontation and military action that includes children among the victims, he said.
He went on to welcome the Security Council’s recent adoption of a presidential statement condemning Israeli settlement activities, urging the organ to turn this message into effective action and address the suffering that has continued for too long. He also stressed that the peace process must be relaunched, and that all pending matters must be discussed, including the status of Jerusalem, refugees, security and the situation in Gaza. Meanwhile, all parties should refrain from unilateral actions that undermine resuming the peace process. Calling on Israel and the international community to uphold the rights of the Palestinian people — namely the right to live in freedom and dignity in a sovereign State — he also urged Member States to continue supporting UNRWA.
The Committee re-elected Pedro Luis Pedroso Cuesta (Cuba), Arrmanatha Christiawan Nasir (Indonesia), Neville Melvin Gertze (Namibia) and Jaime Hermida Castillo (Nicaragua) as Vice-Chairs. It will fill the vacant posts of Rapporteur and one Vice-Chair at a later time.
In other business, the Committee adopted its programme of work for 2023 (document A/AC.183/2023/L.3).
The Committee will reconvene at a date and time to be announced.
Discussion
Expressing alarm and grief about the attack in Nablus earlier today, Committee members took the floor to reaffirm support for the two-State solution and the rights of the Palestinian people.
“On a morning like today”, the representative of Namibia said, “I really do not feel it appropriate for me to congratulate any one of us for being re-elected or making statements”. The brutal attack in Nablus this morning is another reminder of the persistent misery that the occupying Power inflicts on its people, he said, calling on the Committee to “continue to be bold” in pursuit of its mandate in a manner that remains realistic and rooted in international law.
The representative of the League of Arab States noted the double standards within the United Nations when it comes to the situation in Ukraine versus the situation in Palestine. Pointing to the multiple meetings convened on Ukraine, including the one later today, he said the attitude towards Palestine is different. This makes it essential to support Palestine in various international forums such as the International Court of Justice, he said, calling on Committee members to collect evidence and legal precedents. Also stressing the importance of international recognition for Palestinian statehood, he said the Committee must convince more countries to recognize the State of Palestine.
Venezuela’s delegate also looked forward to the day when Palestine will be a full-fledged member of the United Nations, as he paid tribute to the long heroism of its people, who have withstood colonial aggression, military brutality and the criminal apartheid of the occupying Power for 75 years since the nakba. The time has come to adopt measures to provide international protection to the Palestinian civilian population, he said.
Jordan’s delegate expressed concern about “attempts to obfuscate reality”, noting that two days ago in the Council, the representative of Israel demonized Palestinian children as terrorists. He was trying to justify Israel’s legitimate right to kill Palestinian children, he said, also expressing concern about media reports that portray Israel as the victim. Condemning attempts to erase the Muslim, Christian and Arab identity of Jerusalem, he reaffirmed his country’s custodianship of the holy sites.
The speaker for Lebanon noted how the occupation has deprived Palestinian people of their land and their identity while the representative of Türkiye condemned Israel’s legalization of nine outposts in the West Bank, as illegal “even under Israeli law”. The representative of Indonesia said that it “may not be an exaggeration” to say that that occupying Power’s actions are creating a “hell on Earth” for the Palestinian people.
Egypt’s delegate condemned the killing of innocent civilians, the use of live munitions against children, the demolition of Palestinian homes and the blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip for more than 15 years. He reiterated his country’s full support of the Palestinian people’s legitimate rights — including seeking an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice. A day will come when the Committee will celebrate the accession of the Palestinian people to long-due freedom and independence, he said.
The representative of Syria pointed to the Security Council’s silence in the face of Israel’s actions, adding that as a result, the region is witnessing unprecedented levels of tension and instability. Reaffirming that “the Palestinian cause is a central one”, he supported all efforts aimed at implementing Security Council and General Assembly resolutions pertaining to the Palestinian issue and ending the continuing, systematic crimes perpetrated by Israel.
Feda Abdelhady-Nasser, an observer for the State of Palestine thanked Committee members for their solidarity, adding that the Palestinian people are grieving yet again today, part of a painful, ongoing grief for all the devastation inflicted on generation after generation. Mr. Mansour also took the floor again, apologizing for having to leave the meeting earlier, as he was meeting with the President of the Security Council regarding the crime committed in Nablus today. He also detailed ongoing preparations relating to the proceeding before the International Court of Justice and urged all those willing and able to submit written interventions to the Court to do so before the deadline of 25 July.
Also speaking were the representatives of Tunisia, China, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Cuba, Nicaragua and South Africa.
Source: United Nations
Mount Lebanon Prosecutor Judge Ghada Aoun said, in a tweet on Wednesday, that if Al-Qard Al-Hasan is proven to be a bank and not a mere financial institution, the Central Bank mus then take the necessary legal action before the Financial Prosecution pursuant to the Code of Money and Credit.
“Pertaining to the issue of Al-Qard Al-Hasan, against which I am accused of not taking any action, legal knowledge is necessary. If this institution is proven to be a bank, the Central Bank must conduct the required investigation and press charges before the Financial Prosecution pursuant to the Code of Money and Credit,” she tweeted.
“Those concerned are asked to act in this direction,” she urged.
Source: National News Agency – Lebanon
Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rahi is currently meeting with French Ambassador to Lebanon, Anne Grillo, in Bkekri.
Source: National News Agency – Lebanon
The Lebanese Agricultural Research Institute (LARI), the Regional Forest Agency for Land and Environment of Sardinia (Fo.Re.S.T.A.S.) and the whole LIVINGAGRO Consortium hosted the Third B2B event on Multifunctional Olive Systems in Beirut-Lebanon on the 16th of February 2023 at the Hilton Beirut Habtoor Grand. With a strong participation exceeding 100 attendees, the event highlighted the growing interest of stakeholders in agroforestry issues, especially those related to multifunctional olive systems in the Mediterranean region.
Throughout the day, experts and acclaimed speakers from Lebanon, Italy and Greece shared their experiences and addressed various issues and innovative solutions with farmers, entrepreneurs, local administrators, researchers, private companies, policy makers and multiple stakeholders in Lebanon interested in agroforestry issues.
The Seminar
Dr. Milad El Riachy, the Coordinator of the LIVINGAGRO project for LARI, delivered the welcoming speech on behalf of Dr. Michel Afram, the General Director and the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Lebanese Agricultural Research Institute (LARI)- Lebanon, stressing the fact that the project provides farmers with a sustainable support based on state-of-the-art innovations and scientific methods, allowing them to develop their agricultural skills and capabilities. Dr. El Riachy invited farmers to reach out to experts through the ICT Platform created for this purpose allowing e-farmers to find information about all initiatives and research conducted by LARI and the other international partners in the framework of the LIVINGAGRO project.
In his turn, Dr. Peter Moubarak, the Project Manager for LARI, presented the achievements of the project during the last three years passing through the field trials, field visits, e-learning modules, previous B2B events and much more activities.
Dr. Antonio Casula, Director General of Forestas-Italy welcomed participants to the event, while Dr. Maurizio Malloci, Director of Technical Service of Forestas-Italy and project coordinator, presented an overview of Forestas’ ongoing efforts for cross-border cooperation with Mediterranean partner countries through several European funded projects. Also speaking on behalf of Forestas- Italy, the Project Manager Dr. Sara Maltoni underlined the fruitful cooperation among the countries taking part in the LIVINGAGRO project and the achieved results, among which the building of two Living Laboratory for Agroforestry Systems, namely Multifunctional Olive Systems (MOS) and Grazed Woodlands. In her speech, Dr. Maltoni emphasized the importance of agroforestry to face the challenges of climate change, affirming the role of the living laboratory as an open innovation environment aiming to support farmers and create interaction between stakeholders through ground-breaking technologies to increase the technology transfer of innovations in this field. She invited all attendees to join the LIVINGAGRO ICT Platform at the link https://livingagrolab.eu/ and Register to be part of the cross border living laboratories.
After this short introduction to the project, it was time for the presentation of the innovations in the field of MOS.
Prof. Theodore Tsiligiridis, Professor of Information and Communication Technology at the Agricultural University of Athens in Greece, presented the FuitFlyNet-ii Project as an innovation working on an automated monitoring and control system against the olive fly and Mediterranean fruit fly.
Dr. Claudio Porqueddu from the CNR-ISPAAM- Italy, tackled the benefits and objectives of using innovative legume-based mixtures as cover crops. These include achieving sustainable soil management, preventing soil erosion, reducing the use of pesticides and fertilizers, improving carbon sequestration while retaining olive oil production.
Dr. Milad El Riachy focused on the “Time Domain-Nuclear Magnetic Resonance” (TD-NMR) as a useful tool to determine the oil content in olive paste. According to Dr. El Riachy, “the methods used today are very expensive and time-consuming, in addition to the problem caused by the large quantities of chemicals used that pollute the environment. Therefore, the TD-NMR offers a new alternative to determine the oil content in olive fruits in a short and cost effective way. Dr. El Riachy pointed out that this innovation depends on the absorption of radiofrequency radiation by an atomic nucleus in an intense magnetic field.
Dr. Andrea Pisanelli from the CNR-IRET in Italy, joined online to describe the traditional practice of using cover crops and green manure systems (olive pruning residues) as a sustainable and environmentally friendly model in agroforestry, emphasizing its ability to support olive cultivation, provide fodder for grazing animals in times of forage shortage, ultimately offering a sustainable method that provides social, economic and environmental benefits by improving soil fertility, providing natural habitat for beneficial organisms and reducing the cost of production mainly by reducing the use of fertilizers and pesticides.
Dr. Antonio Brunori Director of PEFC -Italy presented a study on the marketing and expansion of agroforestry systems through the Pan European Forest Certification Program (PEFC). Dr. Brunori stated that this initiative is led by an international non-governmental non-profit organization, dedicated to promoting sustainable forest management through independent third-party certification and has recently developed a standard specifically addressed to Agroforestry Systems, as a way to address market needs for sustainably managed systems.
Dr. Luciana Baldoni from CNR-IBBR- Italy, discussed the effects of climate change on olive orchards revealing an exploration methodology to identify and test climate-adapted and stress-tolerant olive varieties, calling for a wide survey at the regional level within traditional olive orchards, possibly including old trees.
Prof. Prokopios Magiatis from the National and Kapodistrian University- Greece, introduced the Olive Predictor, a device consisting of a mini press that includes a small mill, a mini mixer and a centrifugal system capable of producing a sufficient amount of oil. This predictor helps to make the best choice of harvesting time, aiming to achieve the best compromise in terms of quantity and quality.
Dr. Abdel Kader El Hajj from LARI-Lebanon discussed the results of a two-years experiment carried out within the LIVINGAGRO project to assess green manure and cover crops effects on soil characteristics and olive orchard productivity in the town of Abra (south Lebanon). Dr. El Hajj presented details of the experiment, highlighting the land problems and how it benefited from the cover crops and agroforestry methods.
Open Discussion
Following the event’s schedule, attendees had the opportunity to participate in open discussions through Q&A with experts and representatives of the LIVINGAGRO consortium, focusing on how to implement or further develop the innovations in their farms or research labs, and how to maintain the productivity of the system by using state-of-the-art scientific methods and innovations.
Answering the attendees’ questions, Dr. Andrea Pisanelli encouraged farmers to adopt new spraying methods and to regulate the quantity of chemicals used in a way that does not damage the crop used by animals, stressing the importance of animal grazing in olive orchards to eliminate bad weeds.
Dr. Luciana Baldoni highlighted the new strategies pursued in olive growing, and the need to continually improve the search of traditional varieties and olive germplasm suited for a changing environment. In her discussion Dr. Baldoni underscored the necessity to identify the human skills and traditional knowledge that play an active role in improving the quantity and quality of oil.
Dr. Milad El Riachy called for the introduction of new technologies, but he expressed concern regarding the high cost of these technologies, which prevents their use by farmers due to the financial hardship experienced today in Lebanon.
Prof. Theodore Tsiligiridis stated that “farmers are looking for direct support and easy-to-apply solutions and not for guidance about the appropriate solution, and this is wrong because we have to find an integrated solution”. He explained that first we need to study the site where to plant, the time required for planting, and what types of pesticides to use, and all of this must precede the choice of technology that we want to use.
On the sidelines
On the sidelines of the event, Dr. Sara Maltoni underscored the value of the LIVINGAGRO consortium and the professional organization of the LARI team, and its importance to help farmers facing challenges in Lebanon. She praised the existing cooperation between Lebanon and Italy in the agroforestry field, stressing that Lebanon is always highly devoted to conducting research, developing agricultural methods and helping farmers implement all new innovations despite the crisis the country is going through, and this indicates perseverance, strength and value of knowledge sharing.
Dr. Peter Moubarak, National Director of the LIVINGAGRO project noted that the response to the event was great and increased significantly, pointing out that the high number of registrations exceeded expectations. Dr. Moubarak explained that farmers aim to increase the production and reduce costs, that’s why they are interested in issues related to the implementation of new techniques and methods. These topics are raised in workshops, where farmers can benefit, mainly, from the exchange of experiences with national and international experts, the research presented on the platform, and the exposure they get to new technologies.
Participants to the Third B2B event on Multifunctional Olive Systems, expressed their gratitude for this workshop, affirming that it will contribute to enhancing their knowledge in the scope of agroforestry work. Elie-Nazih Hedwane, project manager at Jouzour Loubnan, explained that the association works to preserve forest wealth and all existing biodiversity, hence their interest in agroforestry and this event to help farmers. According to Hedwane, benefiting from such a workshop “means that we are on the path toward a better development of our agriculture, and the implementation of new technologies and important innovations… awareness is not enough, the farmer needs encouragement to go through a new experience”. Hedwane pointed out the existence of “a cooperation with the French Association of Agroforestry and this cooperation will expand to other agriculture”. As for Youssef Bouezz, a farmer who owns an olive orchard, he affirmed that the interest in the LIVINGAGRO project stems from his aim to develop his agricultural system in an integrated manner and implement new scientific methods that could help him increase production and expand the marketing area. He believes that the cover crops topic, which was discussed during this workshop, will help to reduce the cost of production and the consumption of chemicals.
The Cross Border Living Laboratories for Agroforestry (LIVINGAGRO) project is co-funded by the European Union through the ENI CBC Med Programme 2014 – 2020 and implemented in Italy, Greece, Lebanon and Jordan. The project aims to support education, research and development, innovation, and technology transfer, including sharing of research results, by establishing two Living Labs, one for multifunctional olive systems (Living Lab 1) and the other for grazed woodlands (Living Lab 2).
Source: National News Agency – Lebanon
Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and his Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein meet in Baghdad.
According to Alsumaria TV, the two foreign ministers held talks on Wednesday, but the details of the negotiations have not yet been released.
Upon his arrival in Baghdad, Iran’s foreign minister addressed reporters saying that the Islamic Republic is pleased to see Iraq back on track to play its natural and effective role in the region.
Amirabdollahian also said that he is in Iraq to pursue issues of mutual interests as well as continue consultations regarding important regional and international affairs.
The top Iranian diplomat is scheduled to hold talks with political and judicial officials of Iraq during his two-day stay in Baghdad.
He went on to say that there are close consultations between high-ranking authorities of Baghdad and Tehran on vital regional and international developments and that he is in Iraq at the official invitation of the Iraqi FM in order to finalize consultations
Source: National News Agency – Lebanon