Mr. Ahmadinejad's motorcade was showered with rice and flowers on its way from the airport to the presidential palace. But many people are alarmed at the visit, as Iran backs the Hezbollah group, an avowed enemy of Israel. In a move likely to outrage critics, Mr Ahmadinejad is set to tour villages on Lebanon's tense border with Israel.

United States President Barack Obama's Middle East envoy George Mitchell landed in Damascus on Thursday for his fourth visit since mid-2009. He came to brief President Bashar al-Assad about ongoing talks between Palestinians and Israelis, which he has called "impressive", arranged by the Obama administration.

While the controversy surrounding the proposed Muslim Community Center and Mosque at Ground Zero continues on in the U.S., another site of worship has been restored and opened in the most unlikely place—Beirut, Lebanon.

APDS Blogger: John Nahas

While the controversy surrounding the proposed Muslim Community Center and Mosque at Ground Zero continues on in the U.S., another site of worship has been restored and opened in the most unlikely place—Beirut, Lebanon. The Magen Avraham Synagogue in Beirut’s Wadi Abu Jmil district reopened this past week after nearly three decades of being closed due to significant damage during the Lebanese civil war.

In Beirut, Lebanon, mock 'murder scenes' raise awareness that Arabic is ceasing to be a working language here. An Arabic-language festival wants to help change that.

At the Arab diplomacy level, Berri paid tribute to the role played by the State of Qatar to support Arab diplomacy at international forums, referring in this regard to its great contribution, as non-permanent member of the UN Security Council.

After 17 months of diplomacy, U.S. Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice was only able to get 12 of the 15 countries on the United Nations Security Council to vote to place increased sanctions on the Islamic Republic's illegal pursuit of nuclear weapons.

Turkey signed a deal Thursday with its Arab neighbors of Syria, Jordan and Lebanon to establish a cooperation council to create a zone of free movement of goods and persons among them.