THE RUINS OF LEBANON

With Mideast tensions at the highest levels in 24 years, Israeli jets pounded central Beirut, sending thousands of refugees streaming to Syria. But Lebanon's bridges and roads were also under attack, causing more casualties and terror. Nebham Razaq Hamed, a 22-year-old Lebanese student, said the situation in southern Beirut was horrific. "The bombing at night was continuous and has continued today, they are using warplanes and sometimes artillery," he told IPS at the border. "Everybody is in panic because of the haphazard bombing which is killing so many civilians now. The Israelis are terrorising the people intentionally by not discriminating between fighters and civilians."

Israel has also destroyed the infrastructure in Gaza, bombing the power plant that supplies half the region as Israeli forces occupied Palestinian territory for the first time since last autumn. Meanwhile, U.S.-backed Arab leaders, including Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak who, at Israel's behest, has tried to quietly mediate between the two sides, are reportedly warning of growing popular outrage -- and support for Hamas

Israeli Blockade Shuts Down Lebanon Economy

Israelis Ask: What Price Invading Lebanon?
Homebound Refugees Find Death In S Lebanon

Lebanon's Christians Also Targets For Israeli Bombs
About Half Of Hezbollah Civilian Rocket Victims Are Arab Israelis

Israeli Bombing Stalls Cleanup of Massive Oil Spill

Israel Tells Sidon, City Of 250K, To Expect Bombing

Israel's Lebanon, America's Iraq

Bombs Giving Hezbollah Legitimacy In Muslim World
Hezbollah Gains Support In Besieged Mountains Of Lebanon

The Humanitarian 48-Hour Hiatus That Wasn't

Hopes For Arab Transformation Fading As Israeli Assault Continues

Human Rights Watch Accuses Israel of War Crimes
Lebanon Cedars Biosphere Reserve At Risk Of Destruction From Israel Bombing

No Hezbollah Rockets Fired From Qana, Say Red Cross Workers, Civilians
Qana Massacre Provokes Crowd Attack on UN Building

"If You Haven't Left, You're Hezbollah"

UN Under Heavy Fire For Inaction on Lebanon

Israeli Airstrikes Cause Massive Lebanon Oil Spill

Cheering Israel, Cheering Lebanon's Destruction

Crisis Mounts As 1 In 4 Lebanese Becomes Refugee

Sunni-Shiite Split Fades As Israel Presses War In Lebanon

Lebanon's Fractured Gov't Too Weak To Deal With Israel Or Hezbollah

Condi Offers Lebanon Little Help For Massive Israeli Destruction

Beirut Bombings Hit Children Hardest

Key Beirut Bridges, Roads Destroyed

Lebanon Assault Reason To Be Ashamed Of Israel - And Ourselves

Hezbollah Could Emerge From Conflict As Potent Symbol In Muslim World

UN Paralyzed Over Israeli Attacks on Lebanon

Lebanon's Suffering Not Reported In U.S. Media

Lebanese Refugees Crowd Damascus

Israel, U.S. Seek To Blur Line Between Lebanon Crisis And Iran Crisis

Israel Must Face Up To Hezbollah As A Political Force

World Powers Stand Idle As Israel Attacks Lebanon

Israel Preparing For Iran Showdown by Attacking Lebanon
Tens Of Thousands Flee Israeli Airstrikes On Lebanon

G8 Condemns Mideast Violence, But Does No More
Gulf States Send Million$ In Assistance To Lebanon

Chaos, Terror As Lebanese Flee Israeli Bombers
Gaza in the Vise

Bush Silence On Israel's Gaza Offensive Speaks Volumes

Israel, Palestine Crisis Forms Over Hostage

MEXICO ELECTION CRISIS

Mexico's official vote count unfolded more like a suspense novel than an electoral process. Commentators and common citizens sat poised at television or computer screens as Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's two-and-a-half point lead gradually dwindled until -- at four in the morning -- the conservative candidate, Felipe Calderon, pulled ahead. The final tally showed an unbelievably thin margin of just over half a percentage point.

The operative word here is "unbelievable." Obrador's Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD) and large parts of the population have publicly questioned the results. In a morning press conference, Lopez Obrador announced he will challenge the vote count in the Electoral Tribunal. "We cannot accept these results," he stated, citing "numerous irregularities -- to put it mildly."

This is the scenario that everyone hoped to avoid. A close race opens up doubts about the legitimacy of the winner and leads to protests that the public will has been violated. Under optimal circumstances, where the rule of law reigns and public confidence is high, a single vote lead should be sufficient to declare a winner in a one-round, majority vote like Mexico's. But neither of those conditions characterizes Mexico today

Mexico Election Court Rules In Favor Of Conservative Calderon

Obrador Supporters Vow Ongoing Protests Until Full Recount

Up to 2 Million March For Obrador In Mexico City

Obrador Urges Peaceful Protests For Full Recount

Mexico Passes On Latin America's Social Revolution

Calderon Begins Setting Up Government Despite 0.58% Margin

Mexico's Right-Wing Media Turned Obrador Into 'Leftist'

Worst-Case Scenario In Mexico Election Tie

Mexico Vote 2006 Looking Like U.S. Vote 2000

Tensions High as Mexico Presidency Hangs in the Balance