Slideshows

World's most dysfunctional family: Even before OBL's much hyped capture, the bin-Laden family, as with many modern families, has somewhat dispersed, more so given the circumstances involved in being a fugitive family. Any large family comes with variety. And this is a large clan of a family. Even the core family unit- that is all four or five wives and between 12 and 26 children- travelled widely due to husband/ father’s career that took them from Saudi Arabia to Pakistan, Sudan and Afghanistan.

So Obama finished him off - the world's most wanted man Osama bin-Laden. But Bush Junior certainly loosened the proverbial lid of the jar for him by kick-starting the wide-scale man-hunt with gusto, and officially declaring the search party to begin in 2001 when he demanded his nemesis Dead or Alive. Now 10 years later, the mission has been accomplished.

April 29, 2011 and The Royal Wedding of the Century as it's being touted, went off even better than could have been dreamt by fairytale fantasists. An English Rose had, it turned out, arisen from more humble beginings including a stint in the desert while her family lived in Jordan during her childhood. She might even revisit this Arabian past through a rumored honeymoon to the region.

The Syrian revolution has been a slow starter, working its way in fits and starts. Why such a slow and, possibly deadly starter? It took time for predictions such as Ribal Al-Assad’s, an enemy cousin of President al-Assad’s, for Syria to be the next domino to come true. Strict security measures, the popularity of President Bashar al-Assad, and fear of potential sectarian violence in the aftermath of a government ouster Like Iraq have helped keep people cautious, repressed and shying away from uprising. But now the Pandora's Box has been opened and the Syrian frustration unleashed- there's no going back. All eyes are on the Assad response.

In the Arab World, the most solemn week in the Christian calendar was matched by the sobriety of celebrations snatched during political upheaval and bloodshed. In some regions that particularly peaked in unrest during this holy week, celebrations have had to be ‘foresaken’ somewhat for current needs on the ground during this emergency period.

Here are the funniest moments that have come out of these Arab revolutions and upheavals: Apart from all the deaths and mass destruction above are some of the lighter things we can take from the revolutions because it turns out that dare we say it,  revolutions make for good entertainment. Thank you Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, Husni Mubarak, Bashar al-Assad, Ali Abdullah-Saleh, and of course last but not least, Muammar Gaddafi, the main actors in this terrible drama.  

So the Mubarak Gang are to be reunited again, but this time not in their regular state offices but in jail. They have been arrested pending questioning for at least 15 days as of 13th April. Mubarak hench-men kept the state secrets and family from harm, but in prison they won’t keep him secure. There are prison officers for that. Head of the embezzling entourage, the fallen dictator seems to have dug his own grave. Quite literally, as shown in this panel of shame.

Arab First Ladies: A Blessing or a Curse for falling leaders: While Arab leaders fall, will their wives be there to catch them? As protests spread like wildfire in the Middle East, the often opulent lives of Arab stately or royal wives are in the spotlight. Who’s footing the bill for the First Ladies expenses? Do they provide a false idealized image of their country, with their good works and initiatives in the arena of development and human rights, when on the ground their husband-led regimes are shunning their so-called progressive values?

The Ottoman Empire, after centuries of rule has left indelible marks on Arab lands, leaving its imprint on art, language and food. But the legacy that shows itself most powerful is more cinematic and cultural: Soap Opera. Today in many parts of the MBC-viewing-Arab world it's "Forbidden Love" (or Ushk il Mamnou) which has stormed the Arab world, across the board. Teenagers, sport the sexy images on their pencil cases, and 30-40 something’s are wearing perfume (purportedly) used in the show, or fawning over the high-fashion wardrobes of the characters. Married couples are having tiffs over the sex appeal of the lead characters.

As Gaddafi's speeches and wild statements quieten down, Hala Musrati is now the self-appointed spokeswoman for the pro government national voice who carries the Gaddafi cause, generating quite a stir in the increasingly incredulous and bemused world audience. This Libyan State news anchor woman has had some airtime recently launching a pretty strong smear campaign on Libya's alleged rape-victim people heroine Iman al-Obeidi. A cross-section or overview of some of her most outlandish and far-fetched statements, or motions.