The head of Libya's interim government, Mustafa Abdul Jalil, has flown to Tripoli for the first time since anti-Gaddafi forces captured the capital.

The US secretary of state has warned that al-Qaeda is behind a credible threat to Americans in the run-up to the anniversary of 9/11.

Group of Seven finance chiefs pledged on September 9 to make a coordinated response to a slowdown in the global economy but offered few specifics and differed in emphasis on Europe's debt crisis.

Protesters have broken into the building housing Israel's embassy in Egypt's capital, Cairo, entering consular offices, officials said.

More than a million anti-government youth gathered for protests in virtually all of Yemen's provinces, witnesses said on September 9, a day the protesters dubbed "Friday of victory from God."

Anti-Gaddafi forces in Libya say they are close to capturing the town of Bani Walid, one of four towns still under the control of loyalist fighters.

Ice hockey fans from around the world are mourning after a plane crash in Russia wiped out most players from the major league team Lokomotiv Yaroslavl.

US officials have "specific, credible but unconfirmed" information about a potential al Qaeda threat against the United States coinciding with the 10th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks.

Relentless rain spawned by the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee caused major flooding in the eastern United States on September 8, forcing the evacuation of about 130,000 people in Pennsylvania, New York and Maryland and swamping homes and businesses all the way up to New England.

Mr Obama said an "American Jobs Act" would create new jobs for construction workers, teachers and the long-term unemployed.