 » The rebel opposition to Libya's Colonel Muammar Qaddafi tightened its grip on Tripoli, the capital, as his wife, his daughter and two of his sons fled by road to neighbouring Algeria. Loyalists in Sirte, the last big city in his hands, were given an ultimatum to surrender by September 3rd or face an all-out assault. At a meeting in Paris, governments and international agencies pledged to help rebuild the country. See article » A string of bombs probably planted by al-Qaeda went off all over Iraq. A suicide-bomber pretending to be a beggar killed at least 30 people, including a prominent member of parliament, in one of Baghdad's main Sunni mosques.
» At least 23 people were killed in a suicide-bomb attack on the UN building in Nigeria's capital, Abuja. Suspicion fell on Boko Haram, a Muslim extremist group that had previously operated in the country's north-east but which—it is surmised—may have forged links with al-Qaeda. See article » Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb claimed responsibility for a suicide-bomb attack on a military academy in Algeria that killed 18 people. » Israel said its army was training Jewish settlers in the West Bank to repel violent protests that the government fears may break out this month, when the Palestinians are expected to ask the UN to recognise an independent Palestinian state. » Demonstrations erupted in Johannesburg, South Africa's biggest city, when Julius Malema, head of the Youth League of the ruling African National Congress, faced a disciplinary hearing after being charged with bringing the party into disrepute.
The right man for the jobs » Barack Obama nominated Alan Krueger to be his next chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers. Mr Krueger is a specialist in labour markets at Princeton University; his appointment comes shortly before Mr Obama is set to unveil a broad new policy initiative on job creation. See article » Hurricane Irene was downgraded to a tropical storm as it moved up America's east coast. New York shut down its transport system, there were widespread power cuts and people were evacuated from low-lying areas, but in the end big cities were spared and the worst damage was caused by flooding from swollen rivers inland, especially in Vermont.
Deaths that shocked a nation  » Mexico's government declared three days of national mourning after 52 people died, 42 of them women, when gangsters set fire to a casino in the northern city of Monterrey in what President Felipe Calderón called an act of "terrorism". The casino had apparently not paid protection money. Police later arrested five members of the Zetas drug gang who they claimed had confessed to the atrocity. » Brazil's government said that because of high tax revenues it was raising the target for its primary fiscal surplus (ie, before debt payments) from 3.1% to 3.4%, and that this should allow the country's sky-high interest rates to fall. The Central Bank responded with a half-point cut in its benchmark interest rate. See article » Bolivia's highest court convicted five former army officers over the deaths of at least 64 civilians during protests that toppled the government in 2003. The officers were sentenced to up to 15 years in jail. Two former cabinet ministers were sentenced to three years for complicity in the killings. » Rodrigo Rivera resigned as Colombia's defence minister following an increase in attacks on civilians by FARC guerrillas. He will be replaced by Juan Carlos Pinzón, the chief of staff to President Juan Manuel Santos.
Bumbling Berlusconi  » Doubts were raised about Italy's commitment to confront its debt crisis when Silvio Berlusconi, the prime minister, withdrew a plan to impose a surtax on higher private-sector incomes that had been included in an emergency budget presented to parliament only weeks ago. Mr Berlusconi proposed tinkering with the pensions of many Italians to fill the budget gap, but this seemed unlikely amid the ensuing political outcry. See article » Portugal's centre-right coalition government unveiled the biggest cuts to spending in 50 years, an increase in capital-gains tax and a levy on company profits. It is seeking to meet the budget-deficit reduction targets that it agreed to when it accepted a bail-out. » The German cabinet backed July's controversial agreement in the euro zone to expand the scope of the European Financial Stability Facility. Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, still faces a potential rebellion from members of her centre-right coalition when the Bundestag votes on the issue on September 29th. See article » December 4th was set as the date for parliamentary elections in Russia. A presidential election is due in March.
Another new face  » In Japan Yoshihiko Noda, the finance minister, won an internal ballot within the ruling Democratic Party of Japan to become the country's next prime minister, the sixth new one in five years. See article » Anna Hazare, a 74-year-old Indian activist who went on hunger strike to force India's parliament to adopt his specific anti-corruption measures, broke his fast after 13 days. Mr Hazare was able to claim victory after politicians concluded a nine-hour debate with a non-binding resolution to support some of his demands, cheering the tens of thousands who had gathered to support him. » Australia's highest court ruled that it would be unlawful to send asylum-seekers to Malaysia, even as part of a swap that would see a greater number of official refugees move to Australia. The court's decision is a blow to Julia Gillard's government, which has a tiny parliamentary majority. See article » Baburam Bhattarai was sworn in as Nepal's prime minister. A dedicated Maoist, Mr Bhattarai was instrumental in his party's decision to join parliamentary politics and thus end the monarchy's rule. He takes charge of a fractious political system, which only a day later had to extend its own deadline for writing a new constitution for a third time. » Tony Tan, the ruling party's favoured candidate, won Singapore's election for president, as everyone assumed he would, but by only 7,000 votes. Voting is compulsory in the city-state. | 
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