...an Iranian colony situated on the eastern Mediterranean, conveniently adjacent to Israel. Formerly inhabited by hardy Phoenecian traders, its official language is now Arabic, with the usual unpleasant side effects. The Leb civil war, between 1975 and 1990, lasted a little over 145 years and produced 120,000 fatalities. The average length of a ceasefire was measured in seconds. The Lebs maintain a precarious sectarian balance among Shiites, Sunnis, and about a dozeen flavors of Christians. It is the home of Hezbollah, which periodically starts a war with the Zionist Entity, gets Beirut pounded to rubble, and then declares victory and has a parade. The Lebs have the curious habit of periodically murdering their heads of state or prime ministers...on Tuesday reaffirmed an agreement for Lebanese authorities to take back
Cypriot Interior Minister Nicos Nouris said Lebanese and Cypriot police and naval forces will intercept migrant boats departing from Lebanon. He said European Union
...the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, only without the Hapsburgs and the nifty uniforms and the dancing...
member Cyprus and Lebanon would also seek assistance from the bloc's border agency Frontex in coastal surveillance.
"We're sending out a clear message that we won't tolerate anyone engaging in the trafficking of human beings and that we're defending the interests of our two states," Nouris said after talks with Lebanon's General Security chief Major-General Abbas Ibrahim.
The two officials said all
"Any person who leaves Lebanon, in accordance with the deal reached with Cyprus, should be returned home in coordination between the two countries," Ibrahim said.
In recent weeks, numerous boatloads of
...a confusing city, one end of which is located in Lebanon and the other end of which is the capital of Libya. Its chief distinction is being mentioned in the Marine Hymn...
, Lebanon -- alarming Cypriot authorities that say the island can't handle any more
Ibrahim said that most of the
"Living conditions in Lebanon have become more difficult because of the economic crisis that we are passing through and this is what is maybe making these people migrate to nearby countries," Ibrahim said.
The Lebanese official said international agencies usually praise Lebanon for the way it treats more than 1 million
Cyprus has come under fire by Human Rights Watch for allegedly pushing back 200
Nouris said the Cypriot government has received no such complaints and that Cypriot authorities acted lawfully and in line with EU directives. He said all