Muammar Gaddafi's playboy son, known for his love of fast cars, football and partying, slipped into Niger over the weekend and began making his way to the capital, a Niger government official said.

A convoy carrying ousted Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi’s son al-Saadi has crossed into neighbouring Niger, a spokesman for Niger’s government said.

A CONVOY carrying ousted Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi’s son al-Saadi, has crossed into neighbouring Niger — a spokesman for Niger’s government said yesterday.

Rebels hunting the top officials in Muammar’s Gaddafi’s ousted regime have captured his foreign minister and are closing in on Gaddafi himself, rebel officials said today.

Two men claiming to be Muammar Gaddafi’s sons have made conflicting appeals from hiding, one of them calling for talks with rebel leaders and the other urging the regime’s loyalists to fight to the death.

ONE of Muammar Gaddafi’s sons has tried to negotiate his own surrender, according to the rebel commander in Tripoli.

A man claiming to be Muammar Gaddafi's son Seif al-Islam is vowing to fight to the death and says nobody will surrender.

One of Muammar Gaddafi’s sons has tried to negotiate his own surrender, according to the rebel commander in Tripoli.

Muammar Gaddafi’s spokesman said today a surrender-by-Saturday ultimatum to the fugitive dictator’s henchmen in his home town would be rejected.

LIBYAN rebels have rejected an offer by Colonel Muammar Gaddafi to negotiate and said they have captured the eastern town of Bin Jawwad, forcing regime loyalists to flee after days of fighting.

Libyan rebels today rejected an offer by Colonel Muammar Gaddafi to negotiate and said they have captured the eastern town of Bin Jawwad, forcing regime loyalists to flee after days of fighting.

Loyalists of Muammar Gaddafi killed at least 17 detainees and arbitrarily executed dozens of civilians as rebels moved into Tripoli, a human rights group said today.

Libya's opposition leader has said rebels captured a third son of Gaddafi.

AMID celebratory gunfire and jubilant singing and chanting, Libyan rebels claimed victory against the north African nation’s long-time oppressor Muammar Gaddafi in the leader’s stronghold of Tripoli.

Rebel forces were bearing down on Sirte, Muammar Gaddafi’s home town and a key government stronghold, today, setting the stage for a bloody and possibly decisive battle.

A group of gunmen in two cars attacked a minibus in Iraq today, killing seven passengers, including a child, police said.

A mortar shell exploded on the roof of Iraq’s parliament building in the Green Zone compound in Baghdad today.

A Shiite political party today said it would not participate in the formation of a new Cabinet, saying the selection of the ministers was being dictated by personal interests that ran counter to the spirit of national unity.

A defence lawyer in Saddam Hussein’s mass murder trial who was kidnapped has been found dead, his body dumped near a Baghdad mosque, police and a top lawyers’ union official said today.

FREED French journalist Florence Aubenas, looking thinner but radiant after five months as a captive in Iraq, arrived home to a joyful welcome last night and told of being held in a cellar, tied, blindfolded and given little water.

Hollywood actress Nicole Kidman has slammed reports she is dating millionaire Steve Bing, insisting she is a "single woman".

The French reporter who disappeared in Iraq last week has probably been abducted, her newspaper said today.

Crystal Palace chairman Simon Jordan would consider a takeover bid from Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi.

Arab satellite TV network Al-Jazeera has aired a video said to be from al-Qaida-linked militants showing a South Korean hostage begging for his life and pleading with his government to withdraw troops from Iraq.

Countless tips from Iraqis about everything from POWs to weapons caches are providing essential information to British and American forces seeking to stabilise the country and unravel its mysteries.

US AUTHORITIES hope Saddam Hussein’s top science adviser, who surrendered on Saturday, will help resolve the lingering questions over Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction.

A key member of Saddam Hussein’s routed government today gave himself up to United States forces, German television said.

Iraq today invited chief UN weapons inspectors Hans Blix and Mohamed ElBaradei to visit Baghdad at the “earliest suitable date” to speed up joint cooperation on outstanding disarmament issues, the Iraqi Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

IRAQ last night indicated it could suspend its missile destruction if the US presses ahead with its war plans.

Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein says he would rather die than leave his country, dismissing suggestions by US and Arab leaders that he could go into exile to avoid war.

Saddam Hussein may be having second thoughts about his initial defiance of UN orders to destroy Iraq’s Al Samoud 2 missiles.

UN chief weapons inspector Hans Blix yesterday said Iraq must begin destroying its Al-Samoud missiles by Saturday, rejecting Baghdad’s bid for more time to hold technical talks.

The UN’s chief weapons inspectors have said they sense a “good beginning” and a changed “positive attitude” in Baghdad toward their job of ensuring Iraq is free of banned arms.

A SENIOR Iraqi official said last night that an Iraqi weapons’ expert had submitted to a private interview with UN arms inspectors – a sign of progress in deadlock over weapons inspections.

UN inspectors today found 11 empty chemical warheads in “excellent” condition at an Iraqi ammunition storage area where they were inspecting bunkers built in the late 1990s.

The UN Security Council resolution on Iraq in full.