The militant Islamist group al-Shabab has abandoned its positions in the Somali capital Mogadishu. The Somali President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed hailed it as a victory, but al-Shabab described the move as a tactical withdrawal. Here's our East Africa correspondent Will Ross.
They left Mogadishu at night by the lorry load, but the fighters from the Islamist militant group al-Shabab may be back. A spokesman said they would now use guerrilla tactics, so grenade attacks, landmines and more suicide bombings can be expected. This al-Qaeda-linked group still holds much of southern Somalia, where it has imposed its strict version of Islamic law. Punishments include beheadings, amputations and stoning people to death. It's not yet clear whether al-Shabab's withdrawal from Mogadishu will make it any easier for aid agencies to reach victims of the drought.
Rebels in Libya have launched a new offensive in the west of the country. After fierce fighting with Colonel Gaddafi's forces, they appeared to have captured the town of Bir al-Ghanam, about 80km from Tripoli. It's the closest they've got to the capital so far.
Syrian activists say a large number of tanks have been deployed in the town of Deir al-Zour and around the city of Homs. There have been reports of further shelling in the city of Hama overnight after, activists say, at least 22 people were killed by the security forces during widespread protests on Friday. International condemnation of the violent repression of the protests has continued to grow, with Gulf Arab states calling on the Syrian government to stop the bloodshed.