<B>LEBANON TIMES

Tide of Arab support for Hezbollah</B>

At the onset of the Lebanese crisis, Arab governments, starting with Saudi Arabia, slammed Hezbollah for recklessly provoking a war, providing what the United States and Israel took as a wink and a nod to continue the fight. Now, with hundreds of Lebanese dead and Hezbollah holding out against the vaunted Israeli military for more than two weeks, the tide of public opinion across the Arab world is surging behind the organization, transforming the Shiite group?s leader, Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, into a folk hero and forcing a change in official statements.The Saudi royal family and King Abdullah II of Jordan, are scrambling to distance themselves from Washington. An outpouring of newspaper columns, cartoons, blogs and public poetry readings have showered praise on Hezbollah while attacking the United States and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice for trumpeting American plans for a «new Middle East» that they say has led only to violence and repression.

<B>GAZA POST

Mr Bush just doesn?t get it </B>

The savage Israeli aggression against Lebanon continues. Emboldened by world silence and powerless apathy in the region, the Israeli war machine is wreaking havoc and raining death and destruction on helpless Lebanese civilians. On the diplomatic front, Tel Aviv has also been given full support by both Washington and London, which is little more than the United States?s subservient and obsequious ally. The two nations so-called lovers of justice have blocked all calls for a ceasefire. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has been shuttling all over the world; her calls for a new Middle East spell doom, not only for the Lebanese and Palestinians but for all Arabs. In addition President George W. Bush keeps on repeating his mantra which describes Hezbollah and Hamas as terrorist organisations. As one political analyst observes : «The poor man just doesn?t get it.»

<B>SEYCHELLES LIFE

Seychelles start voting in close presidential polls</B>

Seychelles islanders went to the polls yesterday at the start of a three-day presidential election dominated by concerns over economic growth and an acute foreign currency shortage in the Indian Ocean archipelago. The poll is expected to be a close race between Michel?s Seychelles People?s Progressive Front (SPPF) and Ramkalawan?s Seychelles National Party. A total of 64,026 people are registered to vote. The main vote takes place tomorrow on the Mahe and La Digue islands, where 98 percent of Seychellois live. The SPPF has ruled the country since former President Albert Rene took power in a 1977 coup, before restoring multi-party democracy 16 years later. In a 2001 presidential vote, Ramkalawan won 45 percent against Rene?s 54 percent, with 1 percent going to Boulle.

<B>CONGO VISION

Congo, un pas vers la démocratie</B>

La RD-Congo connaîtra demain ses premières élections libres depuis 1960. Après des années de guerre ayant provoqué la mort de trois millions de personnes, ce scrutin marque la fin d?un régime transitoire de trois ans. Dans cette région martyrisée à chaque étape des deux guerres qui se sont succédé entre 1996 et 2002 en République démocratique du Congo (RDC), et qui reste aujourd?hui en grande partie sous la coupe de groupes rebelles, l?élection présidentielle et les élections législatives ont une valeur incalculable.

<B> LE POINT

Grève : Les chirurgiens privés en France n?assurent plus</B>

«La France sans blocs opératoires.» Le slogan a payé : les chirurgiens libéraux, les anesthésistes et les gynécologues-obstétriciens ont largement suivi les appels de leurs syndicats à cesser le travail le 24 juillet. Selon l?Union des chirurgiens de France , les deux tiers des cliniques privées ont été touchées. A l?origine du conflit, l?augmentation de leurs primes d?assurances, qu?ils jugent incompatible avec leur salaire . Contrairement à ce qui se passe dans le secteur public, les praticiens libéraux ne sont pas couverts par l?établissement de santé qui les emploie, mais doivent souscrire à une assurance en responsabilité civile.