Ivory Coast Government Troops and Rebels Fight Near Liberian Border

Ivory Coast is moving closer to a return to civil war with rebels claiming to have captured new territory in the west and supporters of the incumbent president calling for attacks against foreigners and U.N. peacekeepers.

Incumbent president Laurent Gbagbo's youth leader says Gbagbo supporters should chase foreigners from their neighborhoods and block the movement of United Nations peacekeepers who he says are backing rebels allied with the U.N.-certified winner of the presidential election, Alassane Ouattara.

Obama Calls for Gadhafi's Immediate Departure

President Obama is calling for Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi to step down immediately. The call came in a statement issued by the White House detailing a private phone conversation Mr. Obama had with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

In his phone call with Chancellor Merkel, according to the White House statement, President Obama shared "deep concerns" about the Libyan government's continued violation of human rights and brutalization of its people.

He told Ms. Merkel that when a leader's only means of staying in power is to use mass violence against his own people, he has lost the legitimacy to rule, and "needs to do what is right for his country by "leaving now."

French President's Brief Visit to Turkey Reflects Strained Ties

French President Nicolas Sarkozy is visiting Turkey Friday in his role as the current head of the Group of 20 leading and emerging economies. But the visit is expected to be less than easy. The French president strongly opposes the Turkey's bid to join the European Union, which has been a contributing factor in bringing the process to a virtual standstill.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy's visit to Turkey comes as bilateral relations are at their worst in decades, primarily because of President Sarkozy's strong opposition to Turkey's EU bid. Even though Sarkozy is visiting Turkey in his position as head of the G20, the EU is expected to dominate his visit. Diplomatic correspondent Semih Idiz says the fact that his visit will only last a few hours is an indication of how poor relations between the two countries are.

Civilians Flee Fighting in Ivory Coast's Commercial Capital

Civilians in Ivory Coast's commercial capital are fleeing a week of fighting between supporters of the country's rival governments. The incumbent president's youth leader wants to block the movement of all U.N. peacekeepers.

Armored personnel carriers of riot police rolled down the main street of Abidjan's Abobo neighborhood Friday, after a week of fighting between security forces loyal to incumbent president Laurent Gbagbo and supporters of the United Nations-certified winner of the election, former prime minister Alassane Ouattara.

Conflict, Protests Roil Thailand Ahead of Elections

Thailand's government is under pressure from all sides; the insurgency in the south is ramping up, it is fighting with Cambodia over territory, and two different groups are staging regular, anti-government protests.

Some regional political analysts say nationalism is fueling the conflicts, in some cases to stir up support for elections expected later this year.

A border fight between Thailand and Cambodia appears to have cooled after Indonesia this week mediated an agreement to send observers to the disputed area. But their militaries remain on high alert.

Obama Condemns Libya Crackdown

President Barack Obama on Wednesday strongly condemned Libyan government-sanctioned violence against demonstrators, and said the United States is stepping up international consultations on how to deal with the situation. The president appeared with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton after talks at the White House.

The president's remarks came at the end of a day in which the United States intensified consultations with other governments to exert more pressure on the Libyan government to end violence against protesters, and worked to ensure that Americans trying to leave Libya can do so safely.

China Prepares for Libya Evacuation

China is preparing a mass evacuation of its citizens from Libya, where a violent uprising has seen Chinese interests come under attack.

Beijing said Wednesday it is sending a fleet of ships, buses and planes to Libya to evacuate over 30,000 Chinese nationals.

A chartered plane left Beijing Wednesday loaded with food and medical supplies, and will also take part in the mission.

Hundreds have been killed in an uprising against leader Moammar Gadhafi.

Newly Resigned Libyan Ambassador Urges UN Action

The Libyan ambassador who resigned his post in protest of his government's handling of protesters is calling on the United Nations to take action against his country.

Ali El-Assawi, who up until this week was Libya's ambassador to India, expressed outrage at his country's use of fighter aircraft to bomb civilians in his home capital, Tripoli.

"This will increase the victims," El-Assawi said. "This is unacceptable and we cannot imagine that."

El-Assawi quit his post Monday to protest the crackdown and says he has been receiving updates from sources inside the country.

Thailand Cites Progress Towards Dengue Fever Vaccine

Thailand's Ministry of Science says progress is being made to develop a vaccine for the mosquito-borne dengue fever virus, which each year claims thousands of lives across South East Asia. Thailand hopes to produce an affordable vaccine for the regional market within a decade.

The World Health Organization says up to 50 million people a year, in more than 100 countries, are infected by the mosquito-borne dengue fever virus. Scientists say the virus' spread is aided by higher rainfall patterns in tropical areas.

The challenge for scientists has long been in developing a single vaccine to match the four types of dengue virus.

Scientists warn of $2 trillion solar 'Katrina'

(FT) -- The sun is waking up from a long quiet spell. Last week it sent out the strongest flare for four years -- and scientists are warning that earth should prepare for an intense electromagnetic storm that, in the worst case, could be a "global Katrina" costing the world economy $2,000bn.

Senior officials responsible for policy on solar storms -- also known as space weather -- in the US, UK and Sweden urged more preparedness at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Washington.

"We have to take the issue of space weather seriously," said Sir John Beddington, UK chief scientist. "The sun is coming out of a quiet period, and our vulnerability has increased since the last solar maximum [around 2000]."

Pakistan Re-Issues Arrest Warrant for Musharraf

A Pakistani anti-terrorism court reissued an arrest warrant Saturday for former President Pervez Musharraf in connection with the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.

The prosecutor in the case, Chaudhry Zulfiqar Ali, said the warrant issued last week could not be served on Mr. Musharraf because he no longer lives in Pakistan.

The court has directed its officials to serve the warrant on the former president in London, where he has been living in self-imposed exile since he stepped down in 2008.