Beirut

By Imran Khan in Middle East on July 18th, 2011
Photo by Reuters

The last time I wrote about this city was in 2004.

The opening line was: "Behind the new and grand facades lay the hints of a bloody and violent past".

I was in town interviewing Hamas political bureau chief Khaled Meshaal. Things were tense, from landing at the airport to the interview. 

But landing in the city now as a tourist, not as a journalist, I can't see those hints of its past or feel that tension.

You can still see them of course. Shell marks, bullet holes, memories of the dead, the posters on the walls. 

But today I have different eyes.

Eyes that are looking for something different, beyond politics, beyond the nervousness these streets have felt over recent years.

It's like being blind and suddenly getting the gift of sight.

The light is so bright, it almost hurts your eyes.

By Al Jazeera Staff in Middle East on March 27th, 2011

As the situation in Syria escalates, we update you with the latest developments from our correspondents, news agencies and citizens across the globe.  

By Al Jazeera Staff in Middle East on February 2nd, 2011

From our headquarters in Doha, we keep you updated on all things Egypt, with reporting from Al Jazeera staff in Cairo, Alexandria, and Suez.  Live Blog: Jan28 - Jan29 - Jan30 - Jan31 - Feb1 - Feb2 - Feb3<

By Zeina Khodr in Middle East on October 6th, 2010
Photo from AFP

For the past five years, the world was led to believe that Syria was behind the massive car bombing that killed former Prime Minister Rafiq al-Hariri and 22 others in Beirut.

Now, Rafiq's son  - Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri – said he had been wrong to accuse Damascus for the murder adding that the charges had been politically motivated.

Politically motivated or not – Hariri's climb down represented a shift in the balance of power in the region.

Hariri also admitted that witnesses who came forward after the bombing made "false testimonies" that pointed the finger of blame at Syria.

Even before the special international tribunal on the Hariri assassination was established, Syria and its Lebanon allies questioned its credibility alleging it was created for political motives.

Hariri's admission, however, was not enough for the Syrian leadership and the Lebanese opposition.

By Gregg Carlstrom in Middle East on August 3rd, 2010
Lebanese soldiers look across the border. (Photo: AFP)

At least three Lebanese soldiers and one Israeli soldier have been killed during a skirmish along the border between the two countries.

We'll be live-blogging the latest developments from both Israel and Lebanon throughout the day. (All times are GMT, except where noted.)

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9:00pm: That's all for the live-blogging this evening! But we'll obviously continue to follow this story on the main Al Jazeera Web site in the hours and days to come.

8:15pm: A few other odds and ends we missed earlier today.

First, Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, echoed what we've heard from other Israeli officials (including foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman).

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