by AFP -- During the past months, hundreds of Lebanese have flown the 200 kilometers separating their country and the island of Cyprus to settle there, albeit temporarily, to escape the crisis in Lebanon, where electricity is cut off, fuel and medicine are scarce, and the hopes for the future are dim. After an eagerly awaited flight, Nanour Abashian, 30, with her husband and two children, exited Larnaca Airport from Beirut, dragging seven bags, most of them large. "My pain is very great because I left my country and my family, but I am forced to do so, because I want to raise my children with honor and dignity and ensure their future," she told AFP.

Lebanon has been witnessing a severe economic crisis for nearly two years, which the World Bank has ranked among the worst in the world since 1850. The Lebanese are unable to withdraw their money from banks due to restrictions resulting from the lack of liquidity, and the deterioration of the exchange rate of the Lebanese pound by more than ninety percent. Many have also lost their jobs. At the same time, electricity is cut off most of the day and night, and there is no diesel in the market to run generators. The country is also witnessing crises of medicine, bread and other basic items. Thousands of Lebanese left the country in the wake of the crisis.

Many of them chose Cyprus, though Agence France-Presse was not able to obtain their exact number, because there is no official census yet, and some entered with non-Lebanese passports. However, the Lebanese ambassador to Cyprus, Claude Al-Hajal, confirmed to AFP that since October 2019, with the outbreak of popular protests in Lebanon against the political class, "we noticed a significant increase in the number of family files opened at the embassy, and we recorded the largest increase after the August 4 explosion."

by New Arab Staff -- US senators who visited Lebanon's capital Beirut this week warned of potential sanction violations if the country receives fuel from Iran, as Lebanon continues to suffer from a devastating energy crisis. The four Democratic senators said that accepting supplies from Iran could have "severely damaging consequences". Three Iranian fuel tankers are set for Lebanon reported by TankerTrackers.com, an oil export tracker. The deal between Iran and Lebanon is deemed controversial and was organised last month by Hezbollah, a powerful political force in Lebanon and a US-designated terrorist group. Although Raymond Ghajar, Lebanese Energy Minister told Reuters on Wednesday that the government had not received a request for permission from Hezbollah to import fuel. "We do not have information. Permission was not requested from us. This is all I am saying," Ghajar said.

The US said it is in talks with the World Bank, Egypt and Jordan to form a solution to Lebanon's energy crisis and possibly transit electricity through the Syrian grid, which Ghajar's administration confirmed was a plan in motion. Concerns made from the US have sparked the United Nations to allocate $10 million in humanitarian aid to enable Lebanon to purchase urgent fuel to power hospitals and water stations. Martin Griffiths, UN humanitarian chief tweeted on Wednesday during a visit to Beirut: "Lebanon faces profound uncertainty. The humanitarian community, though, is resolved to assist all vulnerable populations, whether Lebanese, refugees or migrants." Reuters reported on Thursday that the first Iranian fuel oil cargo will be delivered via Syria by truck to avoid complications related to sanctions, according to sources with knowledge on the matter. "Choosing to receive the vessel via Syria is not related to any fear of targeting by Israel or the US but is due to internal considerations related to not wanting to implicate any allies," a source told Reuters.

من كتاب الدولة المستضعفة في نداء الوطن يوم الجمعة:
ففي يوم تشييع شطح، خرج سليمان بخطاب متلفز يعلن فيه أنّ خادم الحرمين الشريفين الملك عبد الله بن عبد العزيز قرّر تقديم هبة إلى لبنان بقيمة ثلاثة مليارات دولار لشراء سلاح فرنسي بهدف دعم الجيش وجميع القوى والأجهزة الأمنية.

على الفور، اعتبرت قوى الثامن من آذار هذه الخطوة قراراً بتفجير البلاد. وقالت عبر إعلامها إنّ هذه المساعدة هي "أمر بالفتنة" ورشوة تقدمها السعودية مشروطة بتأليف حكومة أمر واقع لعزل "حزب الله" وفتح معركة معه في لبنان

by AFP --- Harsh fuel shortages and power cuts inflicted by Lebanon's economic collapse have paralysed businesses such as restaurants, shops and industry as well as vital services like hospitals. Now Beirut hopes to strike a deal to import gas from Egypt and electricity from Jordan using Syrian infrastructure -- with Washington's blessing despite US sanctions against the Damascus regime. Syria is "ready" to help Lebanon with "transit for Egyptian gas and Jordanian electricity via Syrian territory," senior official Nasri Khouri told reporters, after the delegation led by interim deputy prime minister Zeina Akar met Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal al-Meqdad and Oil Minister Bassam Tomeh. "The parties agreed to set up a joint team to track technical details" of the plan, added Khouri, who is secretary-general of the Lebanese-Syrian Higher Council.

Lebanon's energy minister, Raymond Ghajar, said a meeting would be held next week in Jordan with representatives from Beirut, Amman, Damascus and Cairo to discuss technical and financial issues and to decide on a work plan and timetable. Work will be needed to get Syria's war-ravaged infrastructure up to the task of moving the energy. Meanwhile Lebanon's presidency has previously spoken of US-led talks with the World Bank to finance its imports. US-Iran rivalry Lebanon has maintained diplomatic ties with Syria but it adopted a policy of dissociation from the conflict since it started in 2011, putting a dampener on official dealings.