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MICHEL MOUSSA RULES OUT A CLOSE VISIT TO BERRI TO SAUDI ARABIA

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MP Michel Moussa confirmed that there is no upcoming visit by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri to Saudi Arabia."Berri has not yet been invited to visit Saudi Arabia, but he is open to any invitation and seeks consensus in the region," MP Moussa indicated this morning.“The election of a president must be expedited, and the nomination of Suleiman Franjieh for the presidency is a serious matter, but it requires consensus from the parties through a serious dialogue that leads to ending the war," the lawmaker pointed out during an interview to "Voice of all Lebanon" this morning."Everyone was complaining about the presence of external interference, but today we are facing the Saudi-Iranian agreement, which at least removes the argument that foreign countries are obstructing the presence of a pre...

4.8 MAGNITUDE QUAKE HITS NORTHERN PROVINCE

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A 4.8 magnitude earthquake rattled the southern province of Bolu, while the tremor was also felt in Istanbul, the capital Ankara and the neighboring province of Düzce, the country’s Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) has announced.The quake occurred at 1:55 p.m. in the province of Bolu, and its depth was determined as 8.18 kilometers, AFAD said in a statement.Many users shared messages regarding the tremor on social media, while people left their houses, workplaces and schools in panic in the provinces where the earthquake was felt.AFAD stated that there is no loss of life or collapsed buildings in the provinces.On the other hand, expert Sükrü Ersoy warned about the quake, reminding that in 1999, two successive earthquakes occurred in the northern provinces of Kocaeli and...

MARONITE PATRIARCHY ORGANIZES RETREAT DAY FOR CHRISTIAN PARLIAMENT MEMBERS

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The Maronite Patriarchy has announced plans to host a retreat day for Christian parliament members from various political factions. The retreat, scheduled for April 5, 2023, aims to bring together prominent Christian political figures for a day of reflection and dialogue.The invitation, issued by Cardinal Patriarch Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi, in consultation with other religious leaders, emphasizes the importance of unity and understanding among Christian parliament members. The event will be held at the Beit Anya-Harissa retreat center, situated near the revered Our Lady of Lebanon shrine.The day-long retreat is set to commence at 9 a.m. with a joint reflection, followed by a series of activities focused on fostering dialogue and promoting mutual respect among participants. The retreat ...

FPM: POSITIONS ATTRIBUTED TO PARTIES OR ACTIVISTS WHO HAVE NO OFFICIAL STATUS DO NOT REPRESENT US

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The Free Patriotic Movement affirmed today via Twitter that "its positions are expressed only through officials in their formal capacity, as well as official statements and communication channels affiliated with the movement.""As for the stances attributed to sides or activists who have no organizational status, they do not represent the movement," the tweet added.Accordingly, the FPM disavowed all offensive words that go beyond the moral and ethical limits regardless of their source, and called on all active supporters on social media to abide by the official directives and not to be drawn in any way into reactions and comments that do not reflect the position or ethics of the movement.Source: National News Agency-Lebanon

GRILLO AT THE INAUGURATION OF THE FRENCH INSTITUTE’S NEW WING IN JOUNIEH: WE REMAIN BY YOUR SIDE DURING THIS DIFFICULT PERIOD

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Marking the month of La Francophonie, French Ambassador to Lebanon, Anne Grillo, inaugurated on Saturday the new wing of the French Institute in Lebanon at the Institute's headquarters in Jounieh.Alongside the French Ambassador, the openining ceremony was attended by President of the Federation of Keserwan Al-Ftouh Municipalities, Joan Hobeish, and President of the Apostles Institute, Father Moueen Saba, in addition to various cultural and educational figures.In her word on the occasion, Ambassador Grillo spoke about the importance of the Francophonie, "which represents the values of brotherhood and participation," indicating that there are 9 centers of the French Institute distributed across Lebanese territories, from Tripoli to Sidon, Tyre, Nabatiyeh, Deir al-Qamar, Baalbek and far-reac...

IRAN SETS FIRST DAY OF HOLY MONTH OF RAMADAN

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Member of the Initiation Committee in the office of the Iranian Revolutionary Guide, Hojjat al-Islam Ali Reza, stated that next Thursday will be the first day of the blessed month of Ramadan in Iran, as reported by "Russia Today" news agency.Ali Reza explained that it will be possible to see the crescent with the naked eye on Wednesday during sunset.Earlier, several Arab and Islamic countries announced the date for the sighting of the crescent of the month of Ramadan for the year 1444 AH, so that Thursday, March 23, will be the first day of the holy month, and its last day would be Thursday, April 20.According to the observance of the month of Ramadan, the number of days for the holy month in 2023 will be only 29 days, and Muslims will celebrate Eid al-Fitr on Friday, April 21st.It is exp...