Source: Kataeb.org
Security & Justice
State Action Signals Change in Tackling Longstanding Illegal Land Grabs in Jbeil District
For years, the serene villages of Jbeil's highlands have been far from peaceful. Ghabat, a Maronite village nestled between the predominantly Shiite towns of Afqa and Lassa, has become a focal point of growing tensions due to territorial disputes.
Friday, December 20, 2024
Mawlawi Ensures Strict Monitoring for Wanted Syrian Regime Figures at Beirut Airport
Caretaker Minister of Interior, Bassam Mawlawi, conducted an inspection tour of Rafic Hariri International Airport in Beirut to review the security arrangements and measures implemented by the Airport Security Apparatus ahead of the holiday season.
Thursday, December 19, 2024
Opinion
Lebanon After the Assads
The United States has important equities in Lebanon, including a desire for a generally friendly government’s economic and political stability; security cooperation; long-standing relations with the large Christian community in Lebanon and Lebanese diaspora in the United States; and ultimately peace between Israel and Lebanon within a broader regional settlement. Achieving these objectives will require navigating a tumultuous period in the country’s history following a war between Hezbollah and Israel that has devastated a large part of the country, exacerbating Lebanon’s already challenging economic conditions. But perhaps the most important dynamic will be how a likely Sunni-dominated state of uncertain composition in Syria will differ in its intentions toward Lebanon from the previous Alawite-led minoritarian Assad regime.
Thursday, December 19, 2024
Europe’s Syrian Dilemma
The news of the sudden and unexpected demise of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria has met a mixed response in Europe. The jubilation that a murderous dictator and close ally of Russia and Iran has fallen is not just good for the Syrian people but serves as a morale booster for Eastern Europeans wondering whether Russia can be defeated
Wednesday, December 18, 2024
Sports
Cristiano Ronaldo Unveils New Private Jet Worth $73 Million
Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the richest global athletes, has unveiled his upgraded private jet reportedly worth $73 million. With its top-notch design, exceptional speed and range of 7500 nautical miles, the Gulfstream G650 is among the fastest jets in the world.
Monday, December 16, 2024
Guardiola Accepts Man City May Need to Sign More Players to Cope with Schedule
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola believes he will need a bigger squad to handle soccer’s ever-expanding fixture schedule.
Saturday, December 14, 2024
Monday 8 July 2024 14:00:28
Electricity Crisis Looms as Gas Oil Shipments Stalled by Financial Hold
Electricité du Liban (EDL) announced on Monday that its primary power plants, Zahrani and Deir Ammar, face shutdowns due to a financial dispute obstructing the delivery of essential gas oil shipments, noting that these plants are solely reliant on monthly shipments supplied by the Ministry of Energy and Water under a swap agreement between Lebanon and Iraq.
According to a statement issued by EDL, the first part of the gas oil shipment for June 2024 arrived in Lebanese territorial waters on June 27, 2024, and is now anchored off the coast of the Deir Ammar plant. All necessary administrative and customs procedures have been completed, allowing for its unloading.
The second part of the shipment, the statement added, arrived on July 4 and is anchored off the Zahrani plant, pending laboratory test results from Bureau Veritas in Dubai.
However, both parts of the shipment are currently under financial hold placed by the supplier due to a financial dispute involving the Central Bank of Lebanon, the Lebanese government, and the Iraqi government. This financial hold has prevented the unloading of the first part of the shipment, and consequently, the second part cannot be unloaded either, even after the necessary technical, administrative, and customs procedures are completed.
“Given this situation, which is entirely beyond the control and responsibility of Electricité du Liban, the institution has taken precautionary measures by prioritizing the supply of electricity to essential facilities in Lebanon (airport, port, water pumps, sewage, prisons, Lebanese University, essential state facilities, etc.) due to the severe depletion of its gas oil reserves. Consequently, the Deir Ammar plant was forced out of service entirely on the night of Saturday, July 6, 2024, and one production unit at the Zahrani plant was forcibly shut down after peak hours on Sunday, July 7, 2024,” the statement said.
“This measure was taken to extend the operation of the remaining unit at the Zahrani plant for approximately four additional days. It is expected that this last unit will also go out of service on Thursday, July 11, 2024, due to the depletion of gas oil supplies.”
EDL has assured that it will restart the plants that were forcibly shut down as soon as the financial hold on the shipment, thereby restoring the electricity supply to its previous state.
