Lebanon could sink like Titanic, parliament speaker says

An aerial view of the Lebanese capital Beirut on October 27, 2020. (File/AFP)
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Updated 29 March 2021
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Lebanon could sink like Titanic, parliament speaker says

  • The assembly was due to discuss a $200 million emergency fund to pay for fuel for Lebanon’s electricity company
  • The energy ministry has said there are no funds to pay for imports beyond March

BEIRUT: Influential parliamentary speaker Nabih Berri said on Monday that Lebanon would sink like the Titanic if it could not form a government.
“We will all sink, with no exceptions,” MTV television quoted him as saying at the opening of a session of parliament.
Prime minister-designate Saad Al-Hariri and President Michel Aoun have been at loggerheads over a new cabinet for months, dashing hopes of a reversal of Lebanon’s deepening financial meltdown.
The assembly was due to discuss a $200 million emergency fund to pay for fuel for Lebanon’s electricity company.
The energy ministry has said there are no funds to pay for imports beyond March.
The Zahrani power plant, one of Lebanon’s four main electricity producers, has shut down after its fuel ran out.


Pakistani national in Dubai killed by falling debris from ‘aerial interception’

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Pakistani national in Dubai killed by falling debris from ‘aerial interception’

  • Pakistani driver killed on Saturday as debris falls on vehicle in Al Barsha area, confirms Government of Dubai Media Office
  • Iran has targeted Gulf countries hosting US troops with missile, drone attacks since Middle East conflict began last week 

ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani national was killed this week after debris from an aerial interception fell on a vehicle in Dubai, the Government of Dubai Media Office confirmed on Sunday.

The incident took place in Dubai’s Al Barsha area, the Dubai Media Office wrote on social media platform X, without confirming the location from where the projectile was fired from. 

“Authorities confirm that debris from an aerial interception fell onto a vehicle in the Al Barsha area, resulting in the death of a Pakistani driver,” the Dubai Media Office said. 

This is the second Pakistani national killed in the UAE since the US and Israel launched coordinated strikes against Iran on Feb. 28. As per local media reports, a Pakistani national died in Abu Dhabi on Feb. 28 after being struck by missile fragments. 

Pakistani and Nepalese nationals were among six people injured by falling debris on Thursday after the UAE’s air defense systems intercepted drones, the Abu Dhabi Media Office had confirmed in a statement. 

Iran has carried out several missile and drone attacks on Gulf countries hosting American troops since Isreal and the US launched coordinated strikes against it last week. The surprise attack came after months of negotiations between Washington and Tehran over Iran’s nuclear program. 

Pakistan has asked its citizens in Gulf states to exercise caution, avoid travel and strictly follow official adviseries ever since tensions escalated in the region last week.

The UAE is home to over 1.5 million Pakistani expatriates, one of the largest communities of overseas Pakistanis worldwide.

Pakistan has condemned the US and Israel’s attacks on Iran but also criticized Tehran’s attacks that have targeted countries in the Gulf region, advising all parties to exercise restraint. 

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Saturday apologized to Gulf neighbors for the attacks, saying Tehran would halt strikes unless attacks against Iran originate from their territories. 

However, questions were raised over the apology as air defense sirens and interceptions were reported in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE and Bahrain later on Saturday, fueling uncertainty across the Gulf.