Tunisia’s ruling party and opposition groups on Saturday (October 5th) signed a roadmap agreement aimed at ending the months-long political crisis. The deal calls for the nomination of an independent prime minister by the end of next week, who would then have two weeks to form a cabinet.

Libya’s Prime Minister Ali Zeidan said on Tuesday that relations with the United States would not be affected by a U.S. military raid that captured an al Qaeda suspect in Tripoli, but he said Libyan suspects should be tried in in their own country.

Suspected radical Islamic militants fired a series of mortar bombs early Monday on the northern Malian town of Gao, residents said, marking the first such attack in months after the French-led military operation drove the jihadists from power.