Tunisian President flees popular protests, Lebanon's government falls...

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Wikipedia on Lebanon
Inside Story - Crisis in Lebanon

Lebanon's year-old national unity government has collapsed after 11 opposition ministers resigned over the UN tribunal investigating the 2005 assassination of Rafiq al-Hariri, the former Lebanese prime minister and father of Saad al-Hariri, the current prime minister. The Special Tribunal for Lebanon is reportedly close to indicting senior members of Hezbollah for the murder. Will this rekindle violence in the country? Will it lead to another period of political deadlock? Is the tribunal likely to cause more harm than good to the country? And what does the future hold for Lebanon? Inside Story investigates.

Wikipedia on Tunisia

Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali flees Tunisia as interim president takes control:Mohammed Ghannouchi, the prime minister, declares temporary rule after president is forced out by protests

 

Tunisia's president Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali fled his country tonight after weeks of mass protests culminated in a victory for people power over one of the Arab world's most repressive regimes.Ben Ali was variously reported to be in Malta, France and Saudi Arabia at the end of an extraordinary day which had seen the declaration of a state of emergency, the evacuation of tourists of British and other nationalities, and an earthquake for the authoritarian politics of the Middle East and north Africa.

Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, Tunisia's ousted president.
Photograph: Fethi Belaid/AFP/Getty Images


Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi announced to the country he had taken over as interim president, vowing to respect the constitution and restore stability for Tunisia's 10.5m citizens.

"I call on the sons and daughters of Tunisia, of all political and intellectual persuasions, to unite to allow our beloved country to overcome this difficult period and to return to stability," he said.MORE