Source: L'Orient Today
Security & Justice
Israel Army Says Hit Over 100 'Terror Targets' in Lebanon in Past Day
The Israeli military on Wednesday said it struck more than 100 "terror targets" in Lebanon over the past day and had "eliminated" two Hezbollah commanders at the weekend.
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Israeli Strikes Kill Four Lebanese Soldiers in Two Days, Army Reports
Israeli Strikes Kill Four Lebanese Soldiers in Two Days, Army Reports
Wednesday, November 20, 2024
Opinion
Flying Above the Bombs, a Lebanese Airline Becomes an Unlikely National Hero
It used to be like almost any other national carrier, fielding gripes about flight delays, ticket prices and bad food.
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Berri's Exclusive Control Over Ceasefire Talks: A Threat to National Interests?
As U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein continues his shuttle diplomacy between Tel Aviv and Beirut, aiming to broker a ceasefire agreement between Hezbollah and Israel, Lebanese political sources are increasingly calling for transparency in the negotiations. With the possibility of a ceasefire agreement looming, many are demanding that the Lebanese public be made aware of the terms being discussed behind closed doors, especially given the high stakes for Lebanon’s future and security.
Wednesday, November 20, 2024
Sports
Alcaraz Beats Rublev to Open ATP Finals Account
Carlos Alcaraz opened his account at the ATP Finals on Wednesday with an entertaining 6-3, 7-6 (10/8) win over Andrey Rublev which boosted his hopes of reaching the semifinals.
Wednesday, November 13, 2024
Ecuador's Angulo, 22, Dies a Month After Car Crash
Ecuador international Marco Angulo has died at the age of 22 just over a month after being seriously injured in a car crash, his club has announced.
Tuesday, November 12, 2024
Monday 13 March 2023 17:00:19
Thousands of Lebanese Households Unsubscribe from EDL
Following a sharp increase in the rates for electricity provided by state supplier Electricité du Liban (EDL), many subscribers are rushing to the provider's offices to cancel their contracts, a source within EDL's administration told L'Orient-Le Jour.
The public electricity sector in Lebanon has been in crisis for the past 30 years, and EDL now provides only a few hours of power per day. Subscription rates have since the end of last year been revised sharply upwards. They are now calculated at the rate of the Sayrafa platform, which has increased significantly in recent weeks.
EDL branches in Halba, Abdeh and Qobeiyat, in the Akkar governorate, on Monday witnessed a large influx of subscribers eager to cancel their contracts to escape the high tariffs, our correspondent in the north reported. Most households, in order to fill the gaps in EDL's power supply, already pay high monthly subscription fees to private power suppliers. Other consumers bridge the gaps in state supply by installing solar panels, which have become increasingly common in Lebanon since the start of the socio-economic crisis in 2019.
According to an EDL source, recently more than 2,000 households throughout the country have been unsubscribing from the public network each day, with crowds forming from 6:30 a.m. daily at EDL centers.
According to a schedule sent to L'Orient-Le Jour by the same source, a household subscribed to 15 amperes, for example, would have to pay $7.45 (at the Sayrafa rate) per month for installation and subscription fees alone, even if their actual power consumption is zero. Any power consumed would be charged in addition to the $7.45.
According to the source, the regions likely to be most affected by consumers seeking to unsubscribe from EDL are Beirut, Metn and Kesrouan. In these regions bills are paid regularly by subscribers, unlike in some other are where EDL struggles to collect its dues for various reasons, including the refusal of some subscribers to pay their bills.
Illegal connections to EDL's network are also regularly noted. The power provider on March 6 initiated, in coordination with the security services, the first stage of an operation to eliminate encroachments on its network.
On Thursday, the NGO Human Rights Watch said in a report that the electricity crisis is worsening poverty in Lebanon, accusing the government of failing to enforce the "right to electricity.”
