It is a tale of love and dedication scripted in the heart of Abu Dhabi
Lebanon's state electricity company said Saturday that its power plants had stopped working after protesters stormed a key substation and tampered with the electrical equipment.
The small Mediterranean country is already grappling with round-the-clock power cuts that last at least 20 hours a day due to a financial crisis that has hampered key imports, including fuel for power stations.
Demonstrators angered by the blackouts stormed an Electricite du Liban substation in the Aramoun region north of Beirut on Saturday, EDL said in a statement.
"Protesters disconnected a 150-220 kilovolt power transformer and opened circuit breakers connecting the Zahrani power plant to the Aramoun station," it said.
"This caused disturbances on the electrical grid... which led to a total blackout across Lebanese territory as of 17:27 (1527 GMT)".
The disruption will pile more pressure on private generators that are already struggling to keep up with the near-total absence of state power.
Private generator owners have hiked prices and rationed supply in recent months, with costs surging after the government gradually lifted fuel subsidies.
The average generator bill for a Lebanese family usually costs more than the monthly minimum wage of 675,000 Lebanese pounds -- now worth just $22 as the local currency hits record lows against the dollar on the black market.
The international community has long demanded a complete overhaul of Lebanon's ruinous electricity sector, which has cost the government more than $40 billion since the end of the 1975-1990 civil war.
Lebanon has reached an agreement on bringing Jordanian electricity and Egyptian gas into the country via war-torn Syria, while Hezbollah has separately started hydrocarbon deliveries from Iran.
It is a tale of love and dedication scripted in the heart of Abu Dhabi
The event brought together key players in the polo community to celebrate a successful season and honour outstanding achievements
In the first two days after the torrential rain on Tuesday, around 1,244 flights were cancelled
There has been fear that decades of enmity between the two could spill over into all-out war
The leading hypermarket chain has implemented additional measures to ensure sufficient stock availability for shoppers
Thousands of personnel deployed to clear accumulated water, clogged drains, and fallen trees
Areas such as Abu Shagara, Al Qasimiya, King Faisal Road, Al Mahatta, and Majaz have been particularly affected
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated its call on the United Nations and the UN Security Council to fulfill their responsibilities