Libya’s Gadhafi gives contradictory lecture on women’s rights during visit to Italy

ROME — Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi gave Italians a contradictory take on women’s rights Friday, criticizing Islam’s treatment of women but then suggesting it should be up to male relatives to decide if a woman can drive.

Gadhafi to visit UN as Libya assumes presidency of UN General Assembly

UNITED NATIONS — Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi will pay his first visit to the United Nations this fall, the next president of the U.N. General Assembly said Friday.

Libya’s Gadhafi meets with business leaders during Italy visit

ROME — Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi has met with business leaders during a visit to Italy that has sparked protests.

Libya’s Gadhafi faces tough questions, angry protests by students at Rome university

ROME — Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi faced angry protests and tough questions on human rights Thursday as he gave a speech at a Rome university during his first visit to Italy.

Libya’s Gadhafi attacks US in speech, urges world to look at reasons behind terrorism

ROME — Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi urged the world Thursday to understand what motivates terrorists, and likened the 1986 U.S. strikes on Libya to Osama bin Laden’s terror attacks.

Libyan selected to become next UN General Assembly president in September

UNITED NATIONS — The next president of the U.N. General Assembly will be a Libyan politician, marking another step for the once-isolated country as it seeks an increasingly larger role in world affairs.

Gadhafi: ‘new era’ in relations with ex-ruler Italy; Berlusconi hails Gadhafi’s ‘wisdom’

ROME — Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi has hailed a “new era” in relations with Italy during his first visit to his country’s former colonial ruler.

Gadhafi visits Italy, to meet with Italians he expelled to punish Rome for 30-year occupation

ROME — Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi began his first visit to Italy on Wednesday with a warm embrace from Premier Silvio Berlusconi, evidence of better ties between the energy-rich desert nation and its former colonial ruler.

AP News in Brief

Obama says he’ll accept Nobel Peace Prize as ‘call to action’ toward peace and prosperity

US raises American flag over embassy in Libya for first time in 30 years

TRIPOLI, Libya — The U.S. has raised the American flag over its embassy in Libya for the first time in about 30 years.

Report: Al-Qaida militant who once gave false confessions of Iraq link dies in Libya prison

CAIRO — A senior al-Qaida militant who was held by the U.S. in secret prisons and once gave information about links between al-Qaida and Iraq that was later deemed false has reportedly died in a prison in Libya, according to a Libyan newspaper and an Islamic activist in London.

Italy ships back 200 migrants to Libya in latest crackdown on illegal immigration

ROME — Italy returned more than 200 migrants rescued in the Mediterranean Sea to Libya on Thursday, defying the United Nations refugee agency but claiming a major victory in its crackdown on illegal immigration.

Libya says Lockerbie bomber is prepared to drop appeal if UK promises his return to Libya

LONDON — The only person jailed for his role in the 1988 Lockerbie bombing has told a visiting Libyan official he is willing to drop the appeal of his conviction if Britain guarantees he can serve the rest of his sentence in Libya, the official said Wednesday.

Libya wants jailed Lockerbie bomber back, but Scotland says he must drop appeals case first

LONDON — Despite Libya’s request, Scotland said Wednesday it will not repatriate a Libyan jailed for his role in the 1988 Lockerbie bombing unless the man drops an appeal against his conviction.

Scottish government says Libya has requested the return of man convicted of Lockerbie bombing

LONDON — Scotland’s government says Libya has requested the return of the man jailed for his role in the 1988 Lockerbie bombing.

UK ratifies prisoner transfer deal with Libya, could have implications for Lockerbie case

LONDON — Britain and Libya have ratified a prisoner transfer deal that could potentially allow the man convicted of the Lockerbie bombings to serve out the remainder of his sentence in the North African country.

Clinton discusses security cooperation, human rights in Libya with Gadhafi’s son

WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton met Tuesday with Mutassim Gadhafi, son of and national security adviser to Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, and said she asked him about a long-held, gravely ill Libyan dissident.