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Trial of Gadhafi's Last Premier Adjourned to Feb 11

A Libyan court Monday adjourned to February 11 the trial of Moammar Gadhafi's last premier al-Baghdadi al-Mahmudi, accused of killing civilians and financial crimes.

Defense lawyers had asked for the delay to allow time to summon witnesses and the judge demanded that all witnesses testify in a single hearing.

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Syria PM to Visit Ally Iran

Syrian Prime Minister Wael al-Halaqi visits on Tuesday Iran, his country's key regional ally, a week after Syrian rebels freed 48 Iranians held hostage for more than five months, the foreign ministry said.

"The Syrian prime minister, leading a high-ranking political and economic delegation, arrives in Tehran tomorrow," foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast was quoted by the ISNA news agency on Monday.

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57 Countries Demand U.N. Council Order Syria War Crimes Case

Fifty-seven countries on Monday demanded that the U.N. Security Council refer the Syria conflict to the International Criminal Court for a war crimes investigation.

Switzerland sent a petition demanding the move to the 15-member Security Council, the only body that can refer the case to the ICC but which is bitterly divided over the 22-month-old war.

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Syria State Media Slams Brahimi as 'Aging Tourist'

Syria's official media lashed out at U.N.-Arab League peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi on Monday, denouncing him as an "aging tourist" after his criticism of President Bashar Assad's peace plan.

The latest attack on the veteran Algerian diplomat follows stinging criticism by the regime and its media since Brahimi last week termed the plan announced by Assad as "perhaps even more sectarian, more one-sided" than previous initiatives.

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Arabi Urges New Approach to Mideast Conflict

Arab League chief Nabil al-Arabi on Monday called for a "new approach" to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, slamming previous processes as a waste of time.

"In order to solve this problem, we should have a new mechanism and new methods and a new approach to dealing with the crisis," Arabi told reporters after talks with the president of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy.

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Faced with Protests, Iraq Frees Hundreds of Detainees

Iraq has freed 335 inmates in the past week, a top minister said Monday while apologizing to detainees held without charge, part of efforts to curb weeks of rallies by meeting key demands of protesters.

Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has alternated tough talk with offers of concessions to demonstrators amid a political crisis that has pitted him against his erstwhile government partners.

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Palestinian Shot by Israeli Troops on Gaza Border

A Palestinian man was in serious condition on Monday after being shot by Israeli troops in northern Gaza near Beit Lahiya, Palestinian medical sources said.

Health ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra named the man as 21-year-old Mustafa Abu Jirad, a farmer, saying he was shot in the head in an area near Gaza's border with Israel, in the northern part of the territory.

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Saudi King Appoints New Governor for Shiite-Populated East

Saudi King Abdullah has appointed Prince Saud bin Nayef as the new governor of the kingdom's oil-rich Eastern Province, home to the Shiite minority that frequently complains of discrimination, the official SPA news agency reported Monday.

Prince Saud replaces Prince Mohammed bin Fahd who was in office since 1985 but was strongly criticized by Shiite activists for his aggressive policy towards them.

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Syria Violence Kills 26 Children amid Push for War Crimes Probe

At least 26 children were killed in violence in Syria on Monday, a watchdog said, fueling international calls for a war crimes probe into the 22-month conflict.

Reports of the child deaths came as Human Rights Watch accused President Bashar Assad's regime of expanding its use of banned cluster bombs.

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Rape 'Significant' Factor in Syria Conflict

Rape has been a "significant" weapon of war in the conflict raging in Syria since March 2011 and is the "primary" factor in the exodus of women and children refugees to neighboring Jordan and Lebanon, an aid group said on Monday.

In its report, "Syria: A Regional Crisis," the U.S.-based International Rescue Committee (IRC) described rape "as a significant and disturbing feature of the Syrian civil war".

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