Q: What has Suha Arafat, the wife of the late Yasser Arafat, done since he died in 2004? Where does she live now?
-- Bob Routier, Johns Creek
A: Suha Arafat, the widow of Yasser Arafat, lives in Paris, according to an April 2011 Newsweek article. After her husband's death in 2004, Suha Arafat moved to Tunisia with her family. According to a story published in The Times online (U.K.) in 2007: "For nearly three years, Suha and her family had been living in Tunisia, but they were stripped of their citizenship last August, apparently after a dispute with the president's wife over the establishment of a school. Suha laughed off rumours that the problems had been connected to her plans to marry the brother of the Tunisian first lady." She said in the story there was no "shred of truth" to that, and that her personal belongings, including her husband's papers, had been "confiscated" by Tunisia. The Associated Press also reported in 2007 that a formal decree published in Tunisia's official register indicated that Suha Arafat lost her citizenship. No explanation was provided. News reports suggested she had moved to Malta.
Q: I’ve read many articles about the number of people who are added to Social Security each month. How many people are removed each month, due to death or other reasons?
-- Bob Blalock, Atlanta
A: In 2009 (latest figures available), more than 3.6 million Social Security benefits were terminated for various reasons, Social Security Administration spokeswoman Patti Patterson told Q&A on the News in an e-mail. A monthly breakdown was not available.
Lori Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or e-mail q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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