Saudi Crown Prince Sultan Bin Abdel Aziz dies at 85

The heir to the Saudi throne, Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdel Aziz Al Saud, died abroad Saturday after an illness, state TV said. The death of the 85-year-old prince opens questions about the succession in the critical, oil-rich U.S. ally. (more…)

Steve Jobs met his Syrian father over 20 years ago

In one of the most ironic revelations about the complex personality and life of Apple CEO Steve Jobs, his biographer says in the 1980s Jobs actually met a man a few times who unbeknownst to either was his biological father. Walter Isaacson, the author Jobs chose to tell his life story in the biography “Steve Jobs,” taped the interview with Jobs about his father.

Given up for adoption as a baby, Jobs never knew he had a sister, until the biological mother he tracked down revealed her to him: the novelist Mona Simpson. Jobs met and bonded with Simpson and the two set out to find their father. Simpson found him, a man named Abdulfattah “John” Jandali. (more…)

Syrian Protesters Take Inspiration from Libya

Beirut, Lebanon – Inspired by the scenes of euphoria in Libya, Syrian protesters poured into the streets Friday and shouted that President Bashar Assad’s regime will be the next to unravel now that ousted Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi is dead. (more…)

Row over Muammar Gaddafi’s body delays burial plans

Col Gaddafi’s burial has been delayed by differences among officials about what should be done with the body.

Under Islamic tradition burial should have taken place as soon as possible. But Libya’s oil minister said the remains may be kept “for a few days”. (more…)

All U.S. troops to leave Iraq by the end of 2011

The Obama administration has decided to withdraw all U.S. forces from Iraq by the end of the year after failing to reach an agreement with the Iraqi government that would have left several thousand troops there for special operations and training. (more…)

Tension in Tarshish over Hezbollah’s telecon network

MTV station reported on Friday that Hezbollah threatened the residents of the upper Metn town of Tarshish after they had prevented the Shiite militant organization from installing its own private telecommunications network in the town. (more…)

Bassil says March 14 is represented in the cabinet

Energy Minister Gebran Bassil said in an interview with An-Nahar newspaper published on Friday that “March 14 is represented in the government, but with new faces.”
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Nasrallah: Hezbollah spies did not damage the party

The leader of Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant Movement, has told several party officials that the uncovering of a pair of spies within his movement had not damaged the organisation, a Lebanese newspaper reported Thursday. (more…)

Hezbollah official who was indicted by STL demoted, report

Mustafa Badreddine, the highest ranking Hezbollah member indicted indicted by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon in the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese PM Rafik Hariri “has been stripped of his position in Hezbollah and is probably outside Lebanon, ” Al-Liwaa newspaper reported Friday. (more…)

Gaddafi cornered in a concrete pipe begging for his life

Muammar Gaddafi has been killed after Libyan rebels captured his stronghold in the city of Sirte, it was confirmed today.
As news of his death swept through the country and across the world, bloody images of the 69-year-old tyrant slumped across the legs of a revolutionary fighter emerged.

He had been dragged from a storm drain where he was hiding before being shot in front of a baying mob. Rebel fighters described him begging for mercy. (more…)