The call for applications for the second cycle of the North Africa Cultural Programme (NACP) is now open, the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture (AFAC) said on Monday. "Taking the five North African countries, namely Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt, Libya and Morocco as primary focus, the NACP aims to strengthen independent arts and culture entities, including institutions, collectives, networks, and spaces- with an emphasis on regional partnerships, and a particular focus on engaging young audiences and extending outreach to underserved or remote areas beyond urban centers. Furthermore, NACP provides tailored capacity-building, training, and mentorship opportunities to the organisations and projects it supports within the programme. The NACP is carried out by the AFAC, with the support of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). The overall goal of the NACP is to strengthen intercultural dialogue, solidarity and livelihoods especially among young women and men and empower creative expression as a vehi cle for change. The first cycle of the program benefited more than 50 cultural organisations and over 2,500 practitioners and professionals, through diversified grants, training, events, and encounters that offered opportunities for networking and exchange among participants. Deadline is set for March 5. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse The following is a statement issued by the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon: "Our honorable people: The 'Israeli' enemy continues to search for alternatives to collect information about the resistance and the whereabouts of its fighters in the villages of the South, especially after losing a large part of the effectiveness of the espionage and spying devices installed in its border sites after being targeted and destroyed by the resistance. In this context, the 'Israeli' enemy resorts to contacting some of our esteemed families from phone numbers that appear to be Lebanese, via both landline and cellular networks, with the aim of inquiring the whereabouts and the status of some houses. In these communications, the enemy impersonates multiple characters: Police stations belonging to the Internal Security Forces in the southern regions, centers for Lebanese General Security and in other times impersonating relief agencies that provide aid and other things. The caller, who speaks with a sound Lebanese accent, seeks to obtain information about the caller's family members and their whereabouts or various data related to the surroundings, under the guise of showing concern and seeking to provide assistance. The enemy exploits this information to confirm the presence of the fighter brothers in some of the homes it intends to target. We call on our dear people in general, especially the people of the front villages, not to respond to the caller in any question related to the surroundings and the movement of individuals in it, and to take the initiative to cut off the call immediately, and then rush to inform the concerned authorities without any delay." Source: National News Agency - Lebanon