Commanders for Libya's National Transitional Council (NTC) say they have captured ousted leader Col Muammar Gaddafi. He is said to be wounded in both legs. There is no independent confirmation of the reports yet. This morning transitional authorities claimed control of Sirte, Col Gaddafi's birthplace, following weeks of fierce fighting. According to another reports Colonel was "seriously wounded" but still breathing. Tripoli is reported to be in celebration... Read more »

The US says it will wait til the findings of a human rights commission report be revealed before pursuing a $53m arms deal with the Gulf kingdom of Bahrain. The US state department said it shared misgivings voiced by congressional representatives about the violations of civil rights during a crackdown by Bahrain's Sunni rulers on protests led by the country's Shia majority. "We're going to continue to take human rights considerations into account as we move... Read more »

King Abdullah II of Jordan has appointed a new prime minister following the step down of Maarouf al-Bakhit. Awn al-Khasawneh, a judge at the International Court of Justice, became new PM. The resignation of Bakhit is the second exchange of cabinet this year. Mr Bakhit stood down yesterday at the king's request, amid accusations he had ignored public demands for reform, bbc.co.uk reprted.

Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz arrived at the King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh on Sunday to undergo back surgery. The Royal Court had announced last Tuesday that King Abdullah would undergo the third vertebrae surgery within a few days. “King Abdullah underwent medical tests recently after he developed back pain ... and the tests showed that the grip around the third vertebrae has loosened,” Alarabiya.net quotes the court as saying. “The o... Read more »

A proposed UN resolution on Yemen calling for President Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down without threatening sanctions is unlikely to put an end to violence engulfing the country, analysts say. After 33 years of staying in power, Saleh is refusing to resign after months of deadly protests unless his arch rivals, General Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar and tribal leader Sheikh Sadeq al-Ahmar, who are currently fighting with his troops in Sanaa, also step aside. Ali Mohse... Read more »

At least 16 people have been perished by two blasts in Baghdad's predominantly Shia block of Sadr City. Security forces said the bombs went off at the al-Hay market. They said the first exploded in a narrow alley. A barber in Sadr City, Hassan Rahim, was in the shop when he heard the first explosion. "We rushed outside the shop and we saw fire and smoke near the houses," bbc.co.uk quotes him as saying. "I saw dead people on the ground and several burning ca... Read more »

Families of Palestinian detainees and Israeli Gilad Shalit are preparing for the come back of their family members since Hamas and Israel reached a historic deal to free the their soldier in exchange for 1,027 Palestinians. No list of prisoners and exact details to be freed, have yet been announced, but many Palestinians have started preparations for the possible return of their imprisoned relatives. Gilad Shalit was captured by Hamas, the Palestinian movem... Read more »

US authorities charged two Iranians, Manssor Arbabsiar 56-year old and Gholam Shakuri , in a "plot directed by elements of the Iranian government" to kill the Saudi Ambassador. Gholam Shakuri, is an Iran-based member of Iran's Quds Force. US agents have foiled what has been called a "significant terrorist act" linked to Iran which would have included the assassination of the Saudi US ambassador, Middle-east-online.com reported.

Kuwaiti customs officers go on strike, severely disrupting air, sea and land flow of cargo and threatening to paralyze oil exports. "The strike is still on and we will continue until our demands are fully met," Middle-east-online.com quotes customs trade union member Fahhad al-Ajmi as saying. He said that movement at Kuwait's border exit points, including three commercial seaports and the one international airport, were "severely affected" except humanitari... Read more »

Yemeni PresidentAli Abdullah Saleh has said that he will resign within the "coming days". Mr Saleh has claimed willingness to step down several times, but pulled out of deals to stand down at the last moment. He came back to Yemen unexpectedly last month from Saudi Arabia where he had been receiving treatment after his compound was shelled in June. He has also repeatedly refused to sign a transition deal proposed by Gulf states, according to which he would ... Read more »