Erstellt am: 27. 8. 2012 - 13:54 Uhr

The Romney party starts with a storm

Reality Check: Republican convention in Florida, Lebanon echoes Syrian conflict

The Republican Convention in Tampa, Florida, was rescheduled as the State braced for hurricane Isaac that killed 4 people in Haiti over the weekend.

However, delegates are starting to relax as it seems Isaac has swerved away from the Florida coast, and the focus is returning to Mitt Romney and how he is going to head into the elections.

Priscilla Huff reports from Tampa Bay on the weather and the forecast for the Romney/Ryan ticket.

Echoes of Syria in Lebanon

For many months there has been talk of the conflict in Syria spilling over into Lebanon. Now, particularly in Lebanon's second city, Tripoli, that seems to be the case with violent battles breaking out in several neighbourhoods.

As the unrest has centred on Allawite and Sunni communities, there has been a temptation to consider this a sectarian issue, but that is to misunderstand the nature of the conflict both in Syria and in Lebanon, according to Nadim Shehadi, an Associate Fellow at Chatham House. He says that in Lebanon, the political system already takes sectarian differences into account, and the current division is between those who are pro-Syrian regime and those who are anti-Syrian regime - and they are of all faiths and backgrounds.

Nadim explains to Joanna Bostock how the deep political connections between the two countries are resonating on the streets of Lebanon, and that this is posing a serious threat to the country's fragile peace.

FM4 Reality Check

Monday to Friday from 12.00 to 14.00, and after the show via Podcast or fm4.orf.at/realitycheck.