| MIDDLE EAST: Swine flu cases on the rise |
 DUBAI, 25 June 2009 (IRIN) - The number of cases of the A(H1N1) virus, otherwise known as swine flu, is growing in the Middle East, with many new suspected and confirmed cases in the past few days, but so far no one has died of the disease.
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| LEBANON: Elections entrench sectarian divisions, analysts say |
 BEIRUT, 7 June 2009 (IRIN) - Sectarianism is playing a more central role in Lebanon’s highly contested parliamentary elections on 7 June, which analysts say could see the country facing increased political instability.
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| MIDDLE EAST: Tobacco kills – get the picture? |
 DUBAI, 31 May 2009 (IRIN) - Tobacco Health Warnings is the theme for this year’s World No Tobacco Day on 31 May. The World Health Organisation (WHO) is urging governments to increase public awareness of the dangers of smoking by requiring that all tobacco packages include pictorial warnings to show the sickness and suffering caused by tobacco use.
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| MIDDLE EAST: Swine flu cases appear in Egypt, Kuwait, UAE |
 DUBAI, 25 May 2009 (IRIN) - Confirmed cases of A(H1N1) influenza, commonly known as swine flu, have been reported in new countries in the Middle East. Hitherto only Israel had reported cases of the new influenza virus.
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| In Brief: Boost for renewables in Middle East/North Africa |
 DUBAI, 21 May 2009 (IRIN) - The Italian Foreign Ministry, the World Bank and the European Commission have launched a US$5 million programme to boost renewable energy in the Middle East/North Africa (MENA) region.
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| MIDDLE EAST: Uphill struggle boosting disaster risk reduction efforts |
 MANAMA, 21 May 2009 (IRIN) - The Middle East has its fair share of natural disasters, but the notion of disaster risk reduction is new, and it is often difficult to persuade governments that funding it is worthwhile, experts say.
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| LEBANON: Tough life for Palestinians in neglected “gatherings” |
 KAFR BADA, 18 May 2009 (IRIN) - For the last 30 years Ali Mohammed Hindawi, aged 84, has lived alone in a rusty tin shack in south Lebanon, without water, electricity or a toilet, sleeping among chickens, flies and litter, and separated from his family by displacement and poverty.
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| LEBANON: Funding shortfall threatens cluster bomb demining |
 BEIRUT, 14 May 2009 (IRIN) - Deminers in south Lebanon clearing hundreds of thousands of unexploded Israeli-dropped cluster bomb sub-munitions will lose two thirds of their teams this year unless a drastic funding shortfall is addressed.
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| MIDDLE EAST: Swine flu update |
 DUBAI, 6 May 2009 (IRIN) - Confirmed cases of influenza A/H1N1, commonly known as swine flu, have been reported in Israel, which is among 21 countries to have officially reported cases. No cases have been reported elsewhere in the Middle East, though the region has been adopting preventative measures.
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| MIDDLE EAST: Regional efforts to prepare for swine flu |
DUBAI, 29 April 2009 (IRIN) - Middle East countries are taking precautionary measures against swine flu as the World Health Organization (WHO) raised the global influenza pandemic alert level to Phase 4 after the influenza A /H1N1 virus infection claimed more than 150 lives in Mexico and spread to several other countries.
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