World

  • War Against Gaddafi Hits His Family

    LIBYA

    A NATO air strike in Tripoli hit a Gaddafi family residence, killing one of the leader's younger sons (Saif al-Arab, 29) and three of his grandchildren. Muammar Gaddafi and his wife were inside the house--al-Arab's villa, which NATO describes as "a command-and-control building"--during the attack but were unharmed. The strike came just hours after Gaddafi called for a cease-fire and offered to negotiate; NATO dismissed his promises as unreliable. After the attack, government forces retaliated by shelling once more the port of Misratah. Gaddafi supporters poured into the streets of Tripoli, where they attacked U.S., Italian and British embassies.

    World by the Numbers

    [The following text appears within a map. Please see hardcopy or PDF for actual map.]

    96.7% U.S.

    Percentage of American homes with TVs, down from 98.9% last year, the first time the number has dipped in 20 years

    12%

    AUSTRALIA

    Percentage of men surveyed from ages 16 to 24 who say they want less sex in their lives

    $10 million

    JAPAN

    Last sale price of a Stradivarius violin to be put on auction to benefit earthquake victims

    593,832

    CHINA

    Number of foreigners residing in China, whose growing clout is leading to a rising expatriate population

    $960 million

    SWITZERLAND

    Money frozen in Swiss bank accounts that allegedly belongs to Libya's Muammar Gaddafi and the ousted former rulers of Egypt and Tunisia

    Assad Clamps Down As Protests Swell

    SYRIA

    In the southern town of Dara'a, the scene of weeks of antigovernment protests, security forces arrested 500 people in house-to-house raids to try to prevent ever growing demonstrations against the government of President Bashar Assad. Human-rights groups estimate that 560 Syrians have been killed so far. The regime continues to blame terrorists and radical elements for the unrest, even as Assad makes vague promises for reform.

    Nuclear Adviser Resigns

    JAPAN

    Like apologies, resignations are a delicate art in Japan. But the resignation of Toshiso Kosako, chief nuclear adviser to Prime Minister Naoto Kan, stood out for its bluntness. Kan's government is still battling the actual and political fallout from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, crippled during the devastating March 11 earthquake and tsunami. Kosako blinked back tears and accused the Japanese leadership of ignoring his advice on how to handle the nuclear crisis, particularly the setting of radiation limits for schools. He claimed the government had not fully complied with the law in its response to the nuclear disaster. "There is no point for me to be here," he said. Many Japanese feel the same about Kan.

    A Smoking Ban Without Teeth

    CHINA

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