Slideshows

Similar to the the nature of Syrian politics, much known about but little spoken of, cloaked in secrecy, the Assads, who have reigned supreme as ruling family for over half a century, like to do things hush-hush and on the down-low. Take the nature of the courtship and even marriage of the current President to wife Asma Akhras. Asma conducted her whole relationship with the number one family on the sly, as she surreptitiously stole time with Bashar before their discreet marriage in 2000. This, in the words of American Vogue, the freshest and most magnetic of first ladies, married into a family famours for the fear it instills into its people.

What's the deal in Yemen? Yemen has a favorable climate for protests: widespread corruption, unemployment, a declining economy, rising living costs, and a nepotistic regime with an ageing president who rules over a young, frustrated and politically excluded majority. Elaborate networks of patronage and corruption that are tied in with Mr Saleh's regime are coming into open view. How are they coping, and lasting? Possibly through habitually used national drug, Qat: used in government sittings and taken by youth and elders alike. This small shrub, chewed and kept stored in the cheek, is the palliative of Yemen, and in this case, the stimulant.

Gaddafi Sex crimes: A Libyan woman burst into the hotel housing the foreign press in Tripoli on Saturday morning in an attempt to tell journalists, particularly Reuters and the New York Times, that she had been raped and beaten by members of Col. Muammar el-Gaddafi  militia. After struggling for nearly an hour to resist removal by Colonel Gaddafi security forces, she was dragged away from the hotel screaming.

As the world remembers Elizabeth Taylor today, the Middle East mourns the passing of a first class world celebrity who graced our screens and media across the decades, first showing up on our screens as a child actress aged 10. She since came to be known for her legendary beauty and natural glamour that shined through her movies and attracted in many men. She was married 8 times. In the region she is noted for her uber-famous lead in Cleopatra the movie of and maybe not so fondly in the Arab world for her Zionist affiliation and long-time support for Israel.

Just when we thought these guys had laid off the tit-for-tat bloody war-fare of the 90s, they're back with an exploding Jerusalem bus following a Gazan Palestinian killing of 8 including children. Obviously that in response to something else and questions on chickens and eggs.

More murder and intrigue linked with the Mubarak's ousted regime is emerging in this time of post- regime settling of scores. It seems to be a free-for-all space of charges, recriminations and some serious accusations to an apparently very corrupt regime. Specifically, we see an interplay between some regular ingredients: women, money, celebrity, death, murder, and binding all together, the regime.

Music entertainers-Rock, R&B, pop, and rap: A mix of artists, all implicated by performances funded and hosted by the Gaddafis. Pop stars don't always decide who supports them (their fanbase), but sometimes they are expected to be selective in who they support in return. So performing for a despot or war criminal would not cut it my most expectations of role-model pop-star behavior. Let's take a look at a run-down of the guilty super-stars who have confessed and even tried to make amens for their shady performances.

The Gaddafis flirt with Israel: In a report emerging from Yediot Aharonot- local Israeli paper in Hebrew- as well as a local Lebanese publication, Al-Akbar news- Saif al-Islam is rumoured to be going to Israel for support at this time for his embattled country. He is said to have quite a developed relationship with Israel both during this current crisis and in his own personal life, more specifically love life.

Haifa Wehbe: Lebanese beauty, model, actress and singer. But mostly known for the controversy she creates. She needs no introduction in the Middle East. With attention and eyes tuned into the Arab world, not surprisingly some are still landing on Haifa’s cleavage in the midst of standard revolutionary images. And Haifa is concerned to salvage her breast reputation and acting career. With the spotlight on Tahrir Square, she has managed to keep at least some attention fixed on her camera-loving self.

An Al Bawaba exclusive brings you a story of Egyptian state LEAKS straight out of the heart of the Revolution. It all started on Saturday night, when some officers in the State Security started burning what are alleged to be classified documents in Alexandria state security office (Fairuz), in order to hide any evidence of the state security’s unsavory or unethical activities. The State’s security arm is widely accused of human rights abuses.