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Friday, July 25, 2008 13:47 GMT

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Syria Comes In From the Cold
By Mona Alami
BEIRUT - Syrian skies seem to be finally clearing after a very long storm and the virtual shunning of President Bashar al-Assad from the international political scene for almost three years. Many may perceive the recent rapprochement between Syria and France as a mere dalliance, but others believe it can herald a new -- and more peaceful -- dawn in Lebanon.
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Bodies Swap Brings Uneasy Triumph
By Mona Alami
BEIRUT - The image of 199 coffins covered with Lebanese, Palestinian and Hezbollah flags neatly aligned in a southern Beirut compound was broadcast last week on all national Lebanese TV stations. On Tuesday this week, 144 of these remains were transferred to Syria, their final place of rest. Such images have stirred varying emotions among the Lebanese population.
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Cancer On the Rise
By Mona Alami
BEIRUT - Reports of a rising incidence of cancer now worry many families across Lebanon. Over the past 40 years, reported cases of cancer have risen from 3,000 to about 8,000 a year.
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Fresh Disputes Shadow New Govt
By Mona Alami
BEIRUT - The new government's first official snapshot taken at the presidential palace last week was certainly worth a thousand words. While 28 of the 30 cabinet ministers were dressed in the traditional white suits, two -- Public Works Minister Ghazi Aridi and State Minister Wael Abou Faour -- wore dark colours. Between them they emphasised some of Lebanon's eternal dichotomies.
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Radical Islam Comes to Town
By Mona Alami
TRIPOLI, Lebanon - In the centre of one of Tripoli's squares in north Lebanon, a large statue has been erected inscribed with the word 'Allah' in Arabesque calligraphy. The statue reflects the city's reality, especially in light of the recent rise in Salafism, a radical form of Islam.
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Not All Earthquakes Are Political
By Mona Alami
BEIRUT - South Lebanon is reputed for orange groves and orchards lined with lush banana trees. For many around the world, it also conjures up images of a fierce battleground, where all regional conflicts come to life. In recent months, however, the region has also become known for its intense seismic activity.
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Conflict Finds a Creative Side
By Mona Alami
BEIRUT - Can beauty arise from conflict? When looking at the art scene in the Middle East, where a fault line of political instability stretches from Lebanon, Syria and Israel to Iraq and Iran, the answer seems to be a resounding 'yes'.
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Civil Wars Find New Fronts
By Mona Alami
TRIPOLI - An eerie calm reigns over the new demarcation lines drawn in northern Tripoli, the second largest city in Lebanon, which gets its name from the Greek 'tri-polis', or 'three cities'. One week after violent combat erupted between the Alawite minority from the Jabal Mohsen area and the Sunni community of Bab el-Tebbaneh -- separated by the wide Syria Street -- tensions still run high.
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After Accord, the Inevitable Bickering Begins
By Mona Alami
BEIRUT - A month has gone by since the May 21 Doha agreement between warring Lebanese factions, which ended a week-long civil conflict that erupted on May 7, and led to the death of 67 people. Painstakingly brokered in Qatar's capital with the support of the Arab community, the peace deal also stipulated the election of consensus president Michel Suleiman. But ever since, Lebanese politicians have been bickering relentlessly over ministries in the future government.
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Wine Flows Under Hezbollah's Shadow
By Mona Alami
BEIRUT - Pine trees adorn majestic mountain flanks separating south Lebanon from the Chouf region in the village of Jezzine. Amid the shrubbery, lush vines, their crisp leaves tinted emerald green, bear the promise of a future harvest as the grapes start to form on the twisted branches. Bordering known Hezbollah strongholds, wine production seems to be thriving, in an area where the peaceful co-existence between the culture of the vine and the 'party of God' is indeed a paradox.
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Newsrooms Fall Prey to Seven Deadly Sins
By Mona Alami
BEIRUT - Prejudiced reporting is not uncommon anywhere, but in Lebanon the level of news distortion has taken on a new dimension as a result of assassinations, physical threats, political pressure, biased reporting, lack of professionalism, rampant corruption and self-censorship. These are the seven deadly sins that have increasingly been plaguing the Lebanese media over the years.
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Divided We Arm
By Mona Alami
BEIRUT - Despite the new peace agreement in Doha, Lebanese are becoming increasingly polarised, with confrontation between groups affecting the population at every level.
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Celebrities and Celebration Take Their Own Toll
By Mona Alami
BEIRUT - In the dark streets across from the main Hamra road, one of the major commercial arteries in Lebanese capital Beirut, light streams from behind the drapes of a first floor apartment. A politician's speech blaring from a TV resonates loudly in the night. As music cues the closing credits of the show, sudden celebratory gunfire from the political figure's supporters erupts outside.
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Mona Alami, a French-Lebanese journalist based in Beirut, brings IPS exclusive and incisive reports on the challenges that armed conflict poses for the Lebanese people's daily lives. Mona took to reporting after a law degree and an MBA. Her reporting spreads across the canvas from the pressing news of the day to a close look at broader issues that others have mostly forgotten.