LEBANON: Racism Legitimised by Law

Lebanon has a reputation for openness because of the relative freedom enjoyed by women in comparison to other Middle Eastern countries. But many women face rampant discrimination.

Women Prepare to Set Sail Past Israel

The 'Maryam', an all-female Lebanese aid ship, currently docked in the northern Lebanese port of Tripoli, is getting ready to set sail for Gaza in the next few days. The ship, which aims to break Israel's siege on the Palestinian territory, will carry about 50 aid workers, including some U.S. nuns keen to deliver aid to the long-suffering women and children of Gaza.

MIDEAST: Most Palestinians in Lebanon Stay Unemployed

Lebanon’s record of segregating Palestinians is not much better than that of Israel. Since their exodus here, after the establishment of Israel in 1948, Palestinians have been systemically denied equal employment and social rights.

LEBANON: Where the Bikini Finds Sisterhood With the Hijab

Hijab or bikini? That is a question that Lebanon seems to be forever balancing.

Iraqi Christians Cling to Their Faith in Jordanian Exile

As the 2003 United States-led invasion of Iraq began, the country’s Christians started streaming across the border into neighbouring Jordan. Today most of them continue to live here in abject poverty with no hope of ever returning to the land of their ancestors.

Zarqa Lives Up to al-Zarqawi’s Ideals

Infamous as the hometown of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the late al-Qaeda leader, Zarqa is dominated by Islamic parties.

Hezbollah Rocket Inventories Worry Israel, U.S.

Recent warnings by the United States that Hezbollah (Party of God) possesses more rockets than most governments has once again placed the party’s arsenal under the spotlight.

JORDAN: Women Make Progress But Honour Killings Persist

Earlier this month, a 33-year-old man was charged with hammering his wife to death and dumping her body on the highway leading to the Queen Alia International Airport. The husband confessed to murdering her ''to defend his honour,’’ as she was meeting a male friend.

LEBANON: ‘Roumieh Prison Breeds Criminality Not Reform’

Lebanon’s notorious Roumieh prison, the scene of a stand-off between inmates and security personnel this month, is no stranger to rioting, escapes, corruption and abuse.

ENVIRONMENT-LEBANON: Coastal Pollution Threatens Fisherfolk

Pollution, oil spills and difficult living conditions are some of the challenges that fishermen in this eastern Mediterranean country face daily.

ECONOMY: Dubai Debts Prompt Review of Islamic Finance

'The World’, a manmade archipelago off the coast of Dubai, developed by the Nakheel real estate company - which partly relied on the issuance of Islamic bonds, or sukuk, to finance the ambitious project - has come to symbolise for many the vulnerability of the Islamic financial market.

ECONOMY-JORDAN: Dubai Crisis Casts Shadow On 2010

Surrounded by oil-rich nations Jordan has been able to make do with its modest resources over the years. In 2010, however, the country will have to face challenges associated with global economic slowdown and the crisis in Dubai.

JORDAN: Palestinian Refugees Live Out Lives in Limbo

Music enlivens the yellow taxi as it traverses the Jordanian capital. A small Palestinian flag hangs from the rearview mirror. Jihad, the cab driver, says his father fled here from the Palestinian West Bank in 1948.

LEBANON: Hizbullah Fortifies Frontier Against Israel

In the mountains towering above this southern city, Hizbullah (Party of God) is building a new line of defence on lands where a fierce war was once fought between the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) and Israel.

ECONOMY-LEBANON: Skewed Policies Widen Urban-Rural Divide

The luxury brands and fashion powerhouses that line the streets of the Lebanese capital seem to suggest that this country is enjoying an hour of glory as the world is in the throes of a severe recession.

LEBANON: Global Warming Makes Mischief Worse

With its long, dry summers, Lebanon's diminishing woodlands are devastated by wild fires every year - and this year is no exception.

LEBANON: No Law for Detained Palestinians

Palestinian refugee Youssef Shaaban was released from prison early this month - after serving 16 years in a Lebanese prison for a crime he did not commit.

LEBANON: Stepping Nearer the WTO

Lebanon could be stepping closer to joining the WTO following years of political instability that have held up reforms.

LEBANON: How Not to Oppose an Opposition

Christian heads of both the majority and the opposition have raised their stakes ahead of the imminent formation of the Lebanese government headed by Sunni leader Saad Hariri.

LEBANON: Defeated Shias Ponder Uncertain Future

A large highway cuts through the green hills connecting Lebanon's south to the Mediterranean Sea. Here, nestled amid banana trees and colourful bougainvillea bushes, lies the city of Tyre, a bastion of the Shia community and a significant base of the Lebanese opposition. Now, following the parliamentary elections and the victory of the March 14 political group, Shias of the south are asking what lies in store for them.

LEBANON: Law to Stop Violence Against Women Takes Time

There was some good news for women’s activists in Lebanon last week.