Senegal’s president has called on embattled Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi to step down, saying “the sooner you leave, the better.” President Abdoulaye Wade spoke Thursday from the Libyan rebel stronghold of Benghazi, where he met with officials from the rebel leadership council. Mr. Wade said Colonel Gadhafi should step aside in the interest of the […]
Senegal’s President, in Libya, Urges Gadhafi to Quit
US Trade Deficit Improves
The U.S. trade deficit improved in April, as exports hit a record while imports of oil and automobiles declined. Thursday’s report from the Commerce Department showed the gap between what Americans sell overseas and what they buy from foreigners narrowed 6.7 percent to a monthly total of $43.7 billion. High prices cut U.S. demand for […]
Survey Ranks China Above Japan as US Partner
An annual survey of Americans shows China is now viewed as the most important U.S. partner in Asia, surpassing Japan for the first time in more than 35 years. The U.S. survey, commissioned by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, showed 39 percent of the American public chose China as the most important U.S. partner, […]
Pakistan Forces Accused of Killing Unarmed Man
Hundreds of people attended the funeral in Karachi on Thursday of a young man whose killing by Pakistani paramilitary forces was recorded and aired on local television. Sarfaraz Shah was killed Wednesday in a park in the southern Pakistani port city. A video of his death, which was posted on the video website YouTube, shows […]
Fearful Syrians Continue Pressing into Turkey
The Turkish government said Thursday that the number of Syrians who have crossed into Turkey amid fears of government retaliation has risen to at least 1,600. The refugees are looking to escape Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s weeks-long crackdown against anti-government protesters. Some say that black-clad gunmen have opened fire against protesters without warning. The Syrian […]
Libyan Rebels Seek Funds From International Donors
Libyan rebels are seeking hundreds of millions of dollars from international envoys meeting in the United Arab Emirates to plan a national destiny without Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi. Italy — Libya’s former colonial ruler — pledged nearly $600 million for Libyan rebels during the Thursday meeting. The aid would include loans and fuel products to […]
Report: US Costs for Libya Soaring
A memo obtained by the Financial Times says the U.S. military effort in Libya is costing hundred of millions of dollars more than first estimated. The Pentagon memo, which the newspaper says was given to some U.S. lawmakers, says the military is spending $2 million a day on air strikes, refueling operations and intelligence gathering […]
US Defense Nominee Testifying Before Senate Committee
U.S. President Barack Obama’s choice for the next defense secretary, Leon Panetta, is testifying Thursday at a Senate hearing on his nomination. The current head of the Central Intelligence Agency is addressing members of the Senate Armed Services committee. If confirmed by the Senate, Panetta would take over the Pentagon at a time when President […]
US Defense Nominee Has Extensive Budget Background
Leon Panetta, nominated to become the next U.S. defense secretary, is a government official and former Democratic congressman with extensive budget experience. The current chief of the Central Intelligence Agency, Panetta headed the White House budget office under President Bill Clinton and also served as chairman of the House of Representatives Budget Committee for four […]
In President’s Absence, Yemen, US Step Up Al-Qaida Fight
Yemen authorities said Thursday that government troops have killed at least suspected 10 al-Qaida members in a troubled southern region as the nation struggles with an Islamic militant insurgency in the wake of the departure of President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Meanwhile, a major American newspaper reports that the U.S. government has intensified its covert war […]