Day: May 5, 2022

Posted on

ROSEN, A LEADING LAW FIRM, Encourages Lucid Group, Inc. Investors with Losses to Secure Counsel Before Important Deadline in Securities Class Action – LCID

NEW YORK, May 04, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of the securities of Lucid Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: LCID) between November 15, 2021 and February 28, 2022, inclusive (the “Class Period”), of the important May 31, 2022 lead plaintiff deadline.

SO WHAT: If you purchased Lucid securities during the Class Period 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 Lucid class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=4992 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 May 31, 2022. 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, defendants throughout the Class Period made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Company’s business and operations. Specifically, Defendants overstated Lucid’s production capabilities while concealing that “extraordinary supply chain and logistics challenges” were already significantly hampering the Company’s operations. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.

To join the Lucid class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=4992 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

Posted on

ROSEN, A LEADING LAW FIRM, Encourages Everbridge, Inc. Investors with Losses to Secure Counsel Before Important Deadline in Securities Class Action – EVBG

NEW YORK, May 04, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of the securities of Everbridge, Inc. (NASDAQ: EVBG) between November 4, 2019 and February 24, 2022, inclusive (the “Class Period”) of the important June 3, 2022 lead plaintiff deadline.

SO WHAT: If you purchased Everbridge securities during the Class Period 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 Everbridge class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=3095 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 June 3, 2022. 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, defendants throughout the Class Period made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Everbridge was experiencing integration problems with respect to its acquiring nine separate companies; (2) Everbridge was using the revenues from these acquisitions to mask increasingly stagnant organic growth; and (3) Everbridge was failing to disclose that the COVID-19 pandemic was having a material impact on the size of the deals that Everbridge was able to obtain, with a negative effect on the Company’s revenue growth. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.

To join the Everbridge class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=3095 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

Posted on

ROSEN, GLOBAL INVESTOR COUNSEL, Encourages Grab Holdings Limited f/k/a Altimeter Growth Corp. Investors with Losses to Secure Counsel Before Important Deadline in Securities Class Action – GRAB, GRABW

NEW YORK, May 04, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of the securities of Grab Holdings Limited f/k/a Altimeter Growth Corp. (NASDAQ: GRAB, GRABW) between November 12, 2021 and March 3, 2022, inclusive (the “Class Period”), of the important May 16, 2022 lead plaintiff deadline.

SO WHAT: If you purchased Grab securities during the Class Period 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 Grab class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=3876 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 May 16, 2022. 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, defendants throughout the Class Period made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Grab’s driver supply declined during the third quarter; (2) as a result, Grab continued to invest heavily in driver and consumer incentives to “preemptively recalibrate driver supply”; (3) as a result, Grab’s financial results would be adversely impacted, including, among other things, a significant decline in revenue; and (4) as a result of the foregoing, defendants’ positive statements about Grab’s business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.

To join the Grab class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=3876 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

Posted on

Panoramic Atlases of Life Published in Cell Mark Establishment of SpatioTemporal Omics Consortium

STOC launches with more than 80 scientists joining globally, focused on obtaining the greatest scientific benefits from spatially resolved transcriptomics technology ; first studies use BGI-Research’s Stereo-seq to produce spatiotemporal cellular maps of mice, Drosophila, zebrafish, and Arabidopsis

SHENZHEN, China, May 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Scientists from 16 countries today announced the establishment of the SpatioTemporal Omics Consortium (STOC), an open scientific community focused on using spatially resolved cellular resolution omics technology to map and understand life. Their first studies resulted in state-of-the-art panoramic spatial atlases of life, published in Cell and Developmental Cell on May 4.

Over 80 scientists from Harvard University, Oxford University, MIT, University of Cambridge, the Karolinska Institutet, the University of Western Australia, the Genome Institute of Singapore, BGI-Research, among others, are collaborating as part of STOC. Members of the research group who produced the panoramic atlases used a new enabling technology Stereo-seq, developed by BGI-Research, to produce the most insightful spatiotemporal cellular maps to date of mice, small fruit flies (Drosophila), zebrafish, and the Arabidopsis plant, making a breakthrough in resolution and panoramic field of view and enabling analysis of the distribution and placement of molecules and cells in situ, and over time.

Identifying the characteristics of specific cells within a tissue has significant applications for understanding physiology, how organisms develop, and which cells are causes or indicators of disease, potentially leading to future gains in human disease research. These lay an important foundation for STOC’s research initiatives, which aim to create diverse sets of spatiotemporal atlases to broaden our knowledge of disease treatment, organ structures, development and aging, and to improve our understanding of biological evolution.

“In the last few years, there has been a lot of progress of mapping the genome and transcriptome in single cells. But this has been without the context of the spatial aspect of neighbourhoods of cells, ecosystem of cells, and therefore there is a whole layer of information that has been missing, which I think will now become accessible. That will have a major impact on both basic and translational research,” says Berthold Göttgens, Director of the Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, and a Member of STOC.

The transformational aspects of spatiotemporal omics for scientific research are captured in the goals of the STOC, as Weibin Liu, STOC Organizing Committee Member, explains.

“The panoramic atlases published late yesterday are the first steps toward the Consortium’s vision of revolutionizing humanity’s understanding of mind and body, youth and old age, health and illness, the origin and future of the human race, and the rest of the living world, for that matter,” says Liu. “They lay the groundwork for multiple atlases the Consortium could complete together, and they validate approaches for creating other spatiotemporal atlases.”

“Because of the magnitude of such endeavors, they require nothing short of a concerted global effort, across multiple disciplines from science to engineering to mathematics, and across diverse stakeholders from medicine to industry to funders. Together with our 80+ members so far, we will work to chart the way forward, to build new tools and competencies, to share resources and results, to map and solve the unknown,” he adds

The SpatioTemporal Omics Consortium (STOC) is an open, collaborative research initiative established to unite, organize, advance and share global scientific efforts in spatiotemporal omics to solve the mysteries of life. More information about STOC can be found at www.sto-consortium.org .

Posted on

Miami International Holdings Reports April 2022 Trading Results; MIAX Pearl Equities Sets Market Share and Volume Records

PRINCETON, N.J., May 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Miami International Holdings, Inc. (MIH) today reported April 2022 trading results for its U.S. exchange subsidiaries – MIAX®, MIAX Pearl® and MIAX Emerald® (together, the MIAX Exchange Group™), and Minneapolis Grain Exchange (MGEX™).

April 2022 Trading Volume Highlights

  • Total U.S. multi-listed options market share for the MIAX Exchange Group reached 14.08% in April 2022, down seven basis points year-over-year (YoY) and representing a 0.5% decrease. The MIAX Exchange Group collectively executed 103.0 million multi-listed options contracts, representing an 8.0% increase YoY and an average daily volume (ADV) of 5,148,552 contracts. Total year-to-date (YTD) volume reached a record 450.6 million contracts, an increase of 7.6% from the same period in 2021.
  • MIAX Options reported record YTD volume of 182.7 million contracts, up 25.5% from the same period in 2021, with volume in April 2022 reaching 41.4 million contracts, a 3.7% YoY increase. MIAX Emerald reported record YTD volume of 122.6 million contracts, a 6.0% increase from the same period in 2021, with volume in April 2022 totaling 28.0 million contracts, a 42.1% YoY increase. MIAX Pearl reported YTD volume of 145.1 million contracts, a 7.7% decrease from the same period in 2021, with volume totaling 33.6 million contracts in April 2022, a 6.1% YoY decrease.
  • In U.S. equities, MIAX Pearl Equities™ reported monthly volume of 2.5 billion shares in April 2022, representing a 461.2% increase YoY and a record market share of 1.08%. Total YTD volume reached a record 10.1 billion shares, an increase of 426.0% from the same period in 2021. MIAX Pearl Equities also reported a record daily market share of 1.42% on April 27, 2022.
  • MGEX, a Designated Contract Market (DCM) and Derivatives Clearing Organization (DCO), reported trading volume of 245,294 contracts in April 2022, a 23.9% decrease YoY. Total YTD volume reached a record 1,176,385 contracts, an increase of 5.9% from the same period in 2021.
  • SPIKES® Futures volume totaled 49,593 contracts in April 2022, a 21.5% increase from the 40,827 contract total in March 2022 and representing an ADV of 2,480 contracts.

Additional MIAX Exchange Group and MGEX volume details are included in the following tables.

Multi-Listed Options Trading Volume for

 MIAX Exchange Group, Current Month

Year-to-Date Comparison
Multi-Listed Options Contracts Apr-22 Apr-21 % Chg Mar-22 % Chg Apr-22 Apr-21 % Chg
Trading Days 20 21 23 82 82
U.S. Equity Options Industry 731,405,971 674,204,936 8.5% 885,713,224 -17.4% 3,213,062,792 3,117,438,800 3.1%
MIAX Exchange Group 102,971,031 95,374,791 8.0% 121,786,671 -15.4% 450,597,769 418,632,750 7.6%
MIAX Options 41,389,318 39,922,649 3.7% 49,250,401 -16.0% 182,662,337 145,550,492 25.5%
MIAX Pearl 33,550,979 35,721,054 -6.1% 38,025,689 -11.8% 145,311,082 157,392,530 -7.7%
MIAX Emerald 28,030,734 19,731,088 42.1% 34,510,581 -18.8% 122,624,350 115,689,728 6.0%
Multi-Listed Options ADV Apr-22 Apr-21 % Chg Mar-22 % Chg Apr-22 Apr-21 % Chg
U.S. Equity Options Industry 36,570,299 32,104,997 13.9% 38,509,271 -5.0% 39,183,693 38,017,546 3.1%
MIAX Exchange Group 5,148,552 4,541,657 13.4% 5,295,073 -2.8% 5,495,095 5,105,277 7.6%
MIAX Options 2,069,466 1,901,079 8.9% 2,141,322 -3.4% 2,227,589 1,775,006 25.5%
MIAX Pearl 1,677,549 1,701,003 -1.4% 1,653,291 1.5% 1,772,086 1,919,421 -7.7%
MIAX Emerald 1,401,537 939,576 49.2% 1,500,460 -6.6% 1,495,419 1,410,850 6.0%
Multi-Listed Options Market Share for
 MIAX Exchange Group, Current Month 		Year-to-Date Comparison
Multi-Listed Options Market
Share 		Apr-22 Apr-21 % Chg Mar-22 % Chg Apr-22 Apr-21 % Chg
MIAX Exchange Group 14.08% 14.15% -0.5% 13.75% 2.4% 14.02% 13.43% 4.4%
MIAX Options 5.66% 5.92% -4.4% 5.56% 1.8% 5.68% 4.67% 21.8%
MIAX Pearl 4.59% 5.30% -13.4% 4.29% 6.8% 4.52% 5.05% -10.4%
MIAX Emerald 3.83% 2.93% 31.0% 3.90% -1.6% 3.82% 3.71% 2.8%

 

Equities Trading Volume for

MIAX Pearl Equities, Current Month

Year-to-Date Comparison
Equities Shares (millions) Apr-22 Apr-21 % Chg Mar-22 % Chg Apr-22 Apr-21 % Chg
Trading Days 20 21 23 82 82
U.S. Equities Industry 234,961 207,994 13.0% 320,088 -26.6% 1,033,542 1,101,640 -6.2%
Miax Pearl Volume 2,539 452 461.2% 3,021 -15.9% 10,115 1,923 426.0%
MIAX Pearl ADV 127 22 489.2% 131 -3.3% 123 23 426.0%
MIAX Pearl Market Share 1.08% 0.22% 396.7% 0.94% 14.5% 0.98% 0.17% 460.7%

 

Futures & Options Trading Volume for

MGEX, Current Month

Year-to-Date Comparison
Futures & Options Contracts Apr-22 Apr-21 % Chg Mar-22 % Chg Apr-22 Apr-21 % Chg
Trading Days 20 21 23 82 82
MGEX Futures Volume 245,294 322,207 -23.9% 342,172 -28.3% 1,176,385 1,110,369 5.9%
MGEX ADV 12,265 15,343 -20.1% 14,877 -17.6% 14,346 13,541 5.9%

 

About MIAX

MIAX’s parent holding company, Miami International Holdings, Inc., owns Miami International Securities Exchange, LLC (MIAX®), MIAX PEARL, LLC (MIAX Pearl®), MIAX Emerald, LLC (MIAX Emerald®), Minneapolis Grain Exchange, LLC (MGEX™), and Bermuda Stock Exchange (BSX™).

MIAX, MIAX Pearl and MIAX Emerald are national securities exchanges registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that leverage MIAX’s industry-leading technology and infrastructure to provide U.S. listed options trading to their member firms. MIAX serves as the exclusive exchange venue for cash-settled options on the SPIKES® Volatility Index (Ticker: SPIKE), a measure of the expected 30-day volatility in the SPDR® S&P 500® ETF (SPY). In addition to options, MIAX Pearl facilitates the trading of cash equities through MIAX Pearl Equities™.

MGEX is a registered exchange with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and is a Notice Registered Securities Futures Product Exchange with the SEC. MGEX serves as the exclusive market for a variety of products including Hard Red Spring Wheat, SPIKES Futures, BRIXX™ Commercial Real Estate Futures and TAX Futures. MGEX is a Designated Contract Market (DCM) and Derivatives Clearing Organization (DCO) under the CFTC, providing DCM, DCO and cash market services in an array of asset classes.

BSX is a fully electronic, vertically integrated international securities market regulated by the Bermuda Monetary Authority (BMA) specializing in the listing and trading of capital market instruments such as equities, debt issues, funds, hedge funds, derivative warrants and insurance linked securities. A full member of the World Federation of Exchanges and affiliate member of the International Organization of Securities Commissions, BSX is globally recognized, including by the SEC.

MIAX’s executive offices and National Operations Center are located in Princeton, NJ, with additional offices located in Miami, FL, Minneapolis, MN, and Hamilton, Bermuda.

To learn more about MIAX visit www.MIAXOptions.com.

To learn more about MGEX visit www.mgex.com.

To learn more about BSX visit www.bsx.com.

Disclaimer and Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

The press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to purchase any securities of Miami International Holdings, Inc. (together with its subsidiaries, the Company), and shall not constitute an offer, solicitation or sale in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer; solicitation or sale would be unlawful. This press release may contain forward-looking statements, including forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as “may”, “future”, “plan” or “planned”, “will” or “should”, “expected,” “anticipates”, “draft”, “eventually” or “projected”. You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements.

All third-party trademarks (including logos and icons) referenced by the Company remain the property of their respective owners. Unless specifically identified as such, the Company’s use of third-party trademarks does not indicate any relationship, sponsorship, or endorsement between the owners of these trademarks and the Company. Any references by the Company to third-party trademarks is to identify the corresponding third-party goods and/or services and shall be considered nominative fair use under the trademark law.

Media Contact:
Andy Nybo, SVP, Chief Communications Officer
(609) 955-2091
anybo@miami-holdings.com

Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1396492/MIAX_Logo.jpg

Posted on

PRESIDENT AOUN CHAIRS MEETING ATTENDED BY MINISTERS BOU HABIB, HAJJAR

Foreign Affairs Minister, Abdullah Bou Habib, asserted that the Lebanese position in the “Supporting Syria and the Region” conference, which will be held in Brussels on the ninth and tenth of May, will be based on the directives of the President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, that Lebanon can no longer tolerate the Syrian exodus on its lands.

“Lebanon does not want help the displaced on its lands. We will take care of ourselves if the displaced Syrians return to their country” Minister Bou Habib said.

The Foreign Minister also stressed that “We will implement the cabinet decision that was taken in the government of Prime Minister Hassan Diab in this context, and we want to cooperate with the United Nations, but we must take into account our interest, not that they dictate our interest”.

Minister Bou Habib’s words came while the President chaired a meeting this morning at Baabda Palace, attended by Minister Bou Habib, Minister of Social Affairs Hector El Hajjar and representatives of the government’s presidency, Ambassador Boutros Assaker and Mr. Ziad Mikati.

Minister Salim Jreissati, General Director of the Presidency of the Republic, Dr. Antoine Choucair, and advisors Raymond Tarabay and Osama Khashab also attended the meeting.

The meeting was devoted to discuss the Lebanese position that will be communicated during the Brussels Conference, which will be held with the participation of representatives of governments, international and regional organizations and civil society organizations.

Statement:

After the meeting, Minister Bou Habib made the following statement:

“We discussed with the President Lebanon’s participation in the Sixth Brussels Conference, which will be held next Monday and Tuesday to help the displaced Syrians in Lebanon, Turkey and Jordan.

The meetings will be on Monday in the form of seminars and the Minister of Social Affairs will participate in them. On Tuesday, the general meeting will be held and I will be present in it. The European Union and the United Nations are calling for this conference, but due to the disagreement between the two parties because the European Union objected to Russia’s invitation, the United Nations refused to participate in it.

We took the President‘s directives, regarding the Lebanese position, which is that Lebanon can no longer tolerate the Syrian displacement on its lands. We take care of ourselves if the displaced Syrians return to their country. I think that most of the Syrians who go to Syria and return take hard currencies with them, because the Lebanese pound there is a hard currency, these people work and move between the two countries and they should not be here.

We will implement the decision of the Council of Ministers which was taken in the government of Prime Minister Hassan Diab in this context. We implement it without cooperating with the United Nations? We no longer want anyone to dictate anything to us. This is the Lebanese position in Brussels”.

Questions & Answers:

Question: Is there an understanding with the Syrian government, especially since the international community was not cooperating with Lebanon in the past in this regard?

Answer: “There is no understanding with the Syrians, but one of their duties is to take people from their country, and there are many Syrians who go to Syria and take money with them because in Syria it is not possible to use the dollar or the Lebanese pound, and the large part of the hard currency goes from Lebanon to there.

This is legal and we do not say it is illegal. We know that the international community, and who is the international community is not Africa, but Europe and the United States, we know that these do not want refugees to migrate to their countries. We are no longer able to prevent them from migrating at sea. We do not have this possibility, so what happened a week ago? We cannot take on a responsibility of this kind again. Will they help us compensate people? We asked the international community last week to give us mechanisms that can go down in the sea to a depth of four hundred meters, and so far we have not received an answer. Does the international community care about Lebanon’s interest? No, Lebanon’s interest concerns the Lebanese, not the international community, which cares about its own interest, and the same applies to Europeans who care about their own interest, as it is more important than Lebanon’s”.

Question: Do you expect any reaction from the international community, and secondly, what do you think of Turkey’s initiative to return about a million Syrians to their country, and can Lebanon not follow Turkey’s example?

Answer: “Lebanon cannot do what Turkey is doing, especially since the latter occupies Syrian lands on which it can build houses. Lebanon cannot do that. Syria does not accept, just as Lebanon does not occupy Syrian territory, and it does not have this kind of hostile relations to some extent with Syria”.

Lebanese Ambassador to UAE:

The President met Lebanon’s Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, Fouad Dandan, today at Baabda Palace.

Ambassador Dandan briefed President Aoun on the preparations made by the Lebanese Embassy in the UAE to hold the parliamentary elections next Sunday in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, especially since the UAE is the Arab country in which the largest number of voters registered around 25,000 voters.

Moreover, Ambassador Dandan briefed President Aoun on the situation of the Lebanese community in the UAE, in addition to other issues dealing with Lebanese-Emirati relations.

Dandan also presented the communications that accompanied the release of Dr. Richard Kharrat after his arrest in the UAE, where the President praised his efforts and follow-up of Dr. Kharrat’s case since his arrest until his release.

Dr. Kharrat:

The President met Dr. Richard Kharrat, and a delegation from his family.

Dr. Kharrat thanked President Aoun for his interest in addressing the issue of his arrest in the United Arab Emirates on March 30, and the efforts he made to secure his release and return to Lebanon on April 29.

Fitr Feast Congratulations:

President Aoun received additional Eid al-Fitr congratulations.

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune stated:

“On the occasion of the blessed Eid al-Fitr, I am pleased to extend to you, on behalf of Algeria, its people and government, and on my own behalf, my warmest congratulations and most sincere fraternal wishes, asking God Almighty to repeat this feast with good health and wellness, and to your brotherly people with more progress and prosperity, and to our Arab and Islamic nation with general good and security and stability.

I pray to the God Almighty to accept the fasting and prayers of the blessed month of Ramadan, and to unite our Arab and Islamic nation after uniting our hearts with faith in God and His Noble Messenger.

I also take this opportunity to renew our keenness on our brotherly relations, and our constant readiness to strengthen them in the service of our two brotherly peoples. Please, Mr. President, and my dear brother, accept my sincere expressions of appreciation and respect”.

Kuwaiti Prince:

Kuwaiti Prince, Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah stated:

“I would like to extend to you my sincere congratulations and best wishes on the occasion of Eid Al-Fitr, asking God Almighty to repeat this feast to the Arab and Islamic nations with goodness and blessings, and to achieve more progress, development and growth for the Lebanese Republic and its brotherly people, and to perpetuate your Excellency with good health and wellness”.

Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Kuwaiti Crown Prince Mishaal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah also sent Fitr congratulatory cables.

Source: National News Agency