Syrian TV: Tycoon Makhlouf, Assad cousin, to quit business

Syrian tycoon Rami Makhlouf, cousin of President Bashar al-Assad, is quitting business and moving to charity work, state television said on Thursday, a move that would meet a demand of protesters seeking an end to Assad's rule.

Makhlouf, a hate figure among protesters, owns Syria's largest mobile phone company, Syriatel, and several large construction and oil firms. He has expanded his businesses during Assad's rule and has been widely cited by protesters in their calls for an end to public corruption. (Reuters)