Rebel fighters scout for snipers in the final push to flush out Muammar Qaddafi's forces in Abu Slim in Tripoli, Libya, on Aug. 25. Fierce fighting erupted in central Tripoli, with heavy exchanges of machine gun fire between rebel forces and soldiers loyal to deposed Libyan leader Qaddafi, a Reuters correspondent reported. Anis Mili/Reuters
Rebel fighters climb on the monument in the Muammar Qaddafi compound in Bab Al-Aziziya in Tripoli on Aug. 25. The autocrat has refused to surrender as his 42-year regime crumbles, fleeing to an unknown destination. Speaking to a local television channel, apparently by phone, Qaddafi vowed from hiding to fight on 'until victory or martyrdom.' Sergey Ponomarev/AP
Rebel fighters take shelter as an intense gun battle erupted outside the Corinthia hotel, where many foreign journalists are staying, in Tripoli on Aug 25. Sergey Ponomarev/AP
Libyan rebels patrol to try to find any of Muammar Qaddafi's relatives as they heard rumors that one of his sons was hiding inside a building in Tripoli on Aug. 24. Francois Mori/AP
Rebel fighters speed toward the front-line fighting in the village of Mayah, some 18 miles west of Tripoli, Libya, on Aug. 21. Sergey Ponomarev/AP
Smoke rises as heavy gunfire is heard all around in Tripoli on Aug. 21. Libyan rebels captured a major military base that defends Muammar Qaddafi's stronghold of Tripoli as clashes and protests raged in the streets of the capital. The tide of the 6-month civil war appeared to be turning quickly against Qaddafi, who has ruled the country for more than four decades. Dario Lopez-Mills/AP
Journalists work in a hallway of the Rixos hotel in Tripoli late on Aug. 21. The hotel houses top government officials, foreign journalists, and state television facilities, but is still under the control of forces loyal to Libya's Muammar Qaddafi, with dozens of journalists trapped, unable to leave. Dario Lopez-Mills/AP
People in the rebel-held town of Benghazi, Libya, celebrate the capture in Tripoli of Muammar Qaddafi's son and one-time heir apparent, Seif al-Islam, on Aug. 22. Libyan rebels raced into Tripoli in a lightning advance Aug. 21 that met little resistance as Col. Qaddafi's defenders melted away and his rule appeared to rapidly crumble. Alexandre Meneghini/AP
People in Benghazi celebrate the capture in Tripoli of Muammar Qaddafi's son on Aug. 22. Alexandre Meneghini/AP
People in Benghazi celebrate the rebel taking of Tripoli on Aug. 22. Alexandre Meneghini/AP
A rebel fighter riding an anti-aircraft machine gun in Benghazi celebrates the rebel taking of Tripoli on Aug. 22. Alexandre Meneghini/AP
People in Benghazi celebrate the apparent rebel victory in Tripoli on Aug. 22. Alexandre Meneghini/AP
Local residents greet advancing rebel fighters on the outskirts of Tripoli on Aug. 22. Clashes broke out early on Aug. 22 near Qaddafi's compound in Tripoli, a day after rebels poured into the Libyan capital in a stunning advance that met little resistance from the regime's defenders. Sergey Ponomarev/AP
Libyan rebel fighters embrace at the former female military base in Tripoli on Aug. 22. The rebels claimed to be in control of most of the Libyan capital after their advance on Tripoli heralded the fall of Muammar Qaddafi's nearly 42-year regime, but scattered battles erupted and the mercurial leader's whereabouts remained unknown. Sergey Ponomarev/AP
Libyan rebel fighters tear a green Qaddafi-era flag in the rebel headquarters at the former female military base in Tripoli on Aug. 22. Sergey Ponomarev/AP
Libyan rebel fighters celebrate after seizing control of the Qaddafi army women's officer training center in Tripoli on Aug. 22. Libyan government tanks and snipers put up a scattered, last-ditch resistance after rebels swept into the heart of the capital, cheered on by crowds hailing the end of Qaddafi's rule. Bob Strong/Reuters
Freedom for Judge Maria Lourdes Afiuni was a cause célèbre among dissidents and human rights groups critical of the Chávez regime. Venezuela conditionally released her after three years in detention.
Jailed Judge Maria Lourdes Afiuni, often referred to as “Hugo Chávez’s political prisoner,” was freed on Friday after spending more than three years in detention. Following petitions from international bodies and human rights groups, the court decision immediately ignited social media networks, with many celebrating the release as a victory for human rights and Venezuela's political opposition.
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