Libyan rebels encounter ‘dirty tricks’ from Gaddafi’s troops

Suliman Abdul Mula was not surprised when he saw the white flag waved by a group of Muammar Gaddafi’s soldiers caught between western air strikes and the rapid advance of Libya’s rebels. “We saw they raised the white flag. We thought they no longer wanted to fight for Gaddafi. They are losing and no one in Libya wants to die for Gaddafi any more,” said the 31-year-old. “But when we approached, they opened fire. It was a trick.” (more…)

Qatar recognizes Libyan opposition

The Libyan Transitional National Council is the legitimate representative of the Libyan people, the Foreign Ministry in Qatar announced Monday. (more…)

Time running out for Assad’s reformer image

Since inheriting the Syrian presidency 11 years ago, Bashar al-Assad has cultivated the persona of a young reformer whose ambitions have been frustrated by internal and external pressure. (more…)

power struggle behind failure to end Syria’s emergency rule

As the army was again deployed on the streets of Latakia and Deraa, two cities where scores of anti-government protesters have been killed in recent days, many Syrians were left baffled by the president’s non-appearance. (more…)

Estonia’s FM: Lebanon doing utmost to find the 7 kidnapped tourists

Estonia’s foreign minister Urmas Paet who arrived in Beirut on Monday says authorities still don’t know who abducted the seven Estonian cyclists last week in eastern Lebanon. (more…)

Syrian Security Forces Fire on Protesters, HRW

Syria’s security forces used live ammunition against protesters in Daraa and the surrounding villages of Sanmein and Tafas on March 25 and 26, 2011, killing at least 26 and bringing the death toll in the Daraa governorate reported by Syrian human rights activists (more…)

Syrian Mps resign in protest against massacres

Syrian MPs Youssef Abu Roumieh and Ahmad al-Moqdad, both members of the Syrian Parliament, and Abed al-Latif al-Moqdad, (more…)

Syria’s parliament urges Assad to explain promised reforms

Syria’s parliament has asked President Bashar al-Assad to explain in detail a string of reforms promised in response to a wave of popular dissent across the country, an MP said Monday. (more…)

Mubarak under house arrest

Egypt’s ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces says former President Hosni Mubarak is under house arrest, the Egyptian newspaper Al Masry Al Youm reports.

The newspaper reports that the council, (more…)

Syrian opposition appeals to the Druze to join the protests

The Syrian Revolution 2011 Facebook group, a key player in organizing the protests appealed to the Druze of Syria to join the protests against the Syrian Regime”.

“Oh sons of Sultan al Atrash the time has come for a revolution against the Syrian regime” the group stated on its web site (more…)