Lebanese author Rawi Hage has won the 100,000 euro ($165,000) International Dublin Literary Award, the world’s richest prize for a work of fiction. Canadian-based Hage scooped the award for his book De Niro’s Game, about best friends from childhood who have grown to adulthood in war-torn Beirut. His book describes the agonising choice they must make between staying in the city and consolidating power through crime; or going into exile abroad, alienated from the only existence they have known.

The judges described it as "an eloquent, forthright and at times beautifully written" first novel. "Ringing with insight and authenticity the novel shows how war can envelop lives – how one doesn’t have much choice in such circumstances," said a statement from the judging panel, who chose it from a shortlist of eight books.

"It’s a game where there are no winners, just degrees of survival. His unflinching gaze pours the blood-red sands of our moral dilemmas over every page. It’s a wonderful debut and a deserving winner."Hage was born in Beirut and lived through nine years of civil war before emigrating to Canada. "I am a fortunate man," he said after he was presented with the award by Dublin’s Lord Mayor Paddy Bourke.

Ain al-Hilweh camp, Lebanon – Tension was obvious at the entrance of the Palestinian refugee of Ain al-Hilweh camp between the Lebanese army and members of fundamentalist groups holed inside the camp after repeated clashes for the past two days. Lebanese army soldiers wearing helmets and bullet-proof vests were on full alert at the entrance of the Palestinian camp in southern Lebanon that houses around 75,000 refugees. The latest clash took place late Wednesday when a fundamentalist gunman was killed and a Lebanese army officer wounded in a shootout near the entrance of the camp which is located at the outskirts of the southern port city of Sidon.

Security sources in south Lebanon said the incident occurred when three assailants in a white Renault Rapid opened fire on the soldiers as they tried to make their way through an army checkpoint at the western entrance to the camp.  They said army troops returned fire wounding one gunman, Issa Qiblawi. The second gunman was arrested while the third fled, the sources said. But Qiblawi died of his wounds soon afterwards.  "The vehicle drove past the checkpoint and when troops fired warning shots, they were shot at and an exchange of fire developed," a witness said.

A Palestinian official at Ain al-Hilweh said the three attackers were members of the Islamic grouping Jund al-Sham and Issa Qiblawi was the brother of Sheikh Qiblawi, killed in 2004 in Iraq while fighting for al-Qaeda.  The shootout came almost two weeks after a would-be suicide bomber was shot and killed by Lebanese soldiers as he tried to detonate an explosives belt at a checkpoint on the edge of Ain al-Hilweh.

Beirut – Lebanon’s newly-elected President Michel Suleiman has said Lebanon will present new documents to the United Nations proving that the Israeli-occupied Shebaa Farms area is Lebanese, a move that could initiate diplomatic efforts aimed at finding a solution to the issue. According to Lebanese radio reports, Suleiman made the announcement to British Foreign Secretary David Miliband who was visiting Lebanon Monday.  Media reports on Tuesday said the president stressed to Miliband Lebanon’s right to regain its sovereignty over the Shebaa farms zone, a tiny enclave, located where the borders of Lebanon, Israel and Syria meet.  It has been controlled by Israel since its withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000.

On Monday, the London-based Al-Hayat newspaper quoted Lebanese security sources as saying that the Shebaa Farms issue was also discussed during talks between Suleiman and French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who visited Lebanon last Saturday.  The sources said that in Suleiman’s view an Israeli withdrawal from the area "would pave the way for a defence strategy agreement among the Lebanese and a settlement of the (Hezbollah) arms issue."  An-Nahar daily on Tuesday quoted diplomatic sources as saying that the British Foreign Secretary promised Lebanese leaders during his visit to Beirut that he would discuss the Shebaa issue with UN chief Ban Ki-moon in London next week.  The sources said that Miliband would talk with Ban on ways to convince Israel to withdraw from the farms area after Suleiman revealed that Lebanon had new documents proving the ownership of Shebaa.  Miliband asked Suleiman to send copies of the documents to the British government, according to the sources.  "As a member of the UN Security Council, we are fully committed to playing our part and to urge others to do so in ensuring that all of Resolution 1701 is put into practice, including the Shebaa Farms issue," Miliband said Monday.  Resolution 1701 brought an end to a devastating 33-day war between Israel and Hezbollah in the summer of 2006 and called for the UN secretary general to make a proposal for the delineation of the disputed Shebaa Farms area. 

The United Nations has said in the past that Shebaa is Syrian territory, captured by Israel in the 1967 war: Syria and Lebanon maintain that it is Lebanese land.  Earlier this year, UN mapping experts have determined that the farms are Lebanese territory and that international law requires Israel’s withdrawal, according to a well-informed UN source in Lebanon. According to a Lebanese government source, the UN suggested earlier this year, that the Shebaa Farms be placed under UN jurisdiction once agreement is reached with Jerusalem. The UN’s former Lebanon envoy Geir Pederson is said to have informed Israeli officials that "that the UN believes that there is merit in the Lebanese claims of sovereignty over Shebaa Farms."

Four people were wounded in armed clashes in eastern Lebanon overnight between supporters of the ruling majority and the Hezbollah opposition, security sources said on Monday. Armed men opened fire with machine guns, mortar rounds and rockets in the village of Saadnayel in the Bekaa Valley in the east of the country during the night and the tension lasted until dawn despite army intervention, the sources said.

Reports say fighting in the villages of Saadnayel and Taalabayeh was sparked by arguments among residents, which escalated into gun battles.  The army says it is looking for those involved in the weekend’s violence.  Sporadic fighting has broken out in Lebanon despite May’s peace deal which ended the 18-month political stalemate.  The army moved into the Bekaa Valley villages on Monday to quell fighting between pro-and anti-government supporters.  A local radio station reported that mortar rounds and rockets had been used but the army is said to have restored calm in both villages.  The army says it has also carried out raids in the mountain village of Majdelbanna, in the Aley region, and has detained several people suspected of involvement in clashes there over the weekend.

Nicolas Sarkozy, France’s president, is visiting Lebanon as part of efforts to support national unity. The visit comes two weeks after Lebanese leaders sealed a power-sharing deal and elected Michel Sleiman as the country’s president, ending an 18-month political standoff which had erupted into deadly clashes.  Sarkozy was greeted at Beirut airport on Saturday by President General Sleiman, Fouad Siniora, Lebanon’s prime minister, and Nabih Berri, the parliament speaker. Sarkozy’s delegation includes Francois Fillon, the prime minister; Bernard Kouchner, the foreign minister; and Herve Morin, the defence minister. Sarkozy, heading a large delegation, arrived in Beirut for a one-day state visit. He became the first Western leader to visit the Lebanese capital since the election of President Michel Suleiman last month.  Sarkozy was accompanied by Prime minister Fillon, senior ministers and leaders of all the main French political parties. He said his "exceptional" delegation reflected the strong bond between both countries.

By Ferry Biedermann in Beirut   Last month, Beirut