It was widely reported earlier this morning – mainly on Israeli news websites – that Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi was in a coma; after suffering a blood clot in his brain. It was reported to have originated from the Bethlehem-based Ma’an news agency. But Libya’s state news agency JANA has just denied rumours about Gaddafi’s state of health. It said Gaddafi, who was born in 1942 and is the Arab world’s longest serving leader, had a brief telephone conversation with Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi on Monday morning.

UPDATE 6:07PM: According to the Reuters news agency, Gaddafi spoke to reporters at a Tripoli hotel this afternoon and said: “We will file a case against this news agency in order for anyone not to lie and escape. They have to stand before justice,” he added on leaving the hotel where he gave a dinner for visiting Ghanaian President John Kufuor.