Libya's new leader calls for state based on sharia law

The chairman of Libya’s transitional government gave his first public address in Tripoli on Monday, exhorting thousands of cheering Libyans in the central square to support a democratic system that honours Islam, respects the rule of law and repudiates the personality cult of Moammar Gadhafi.

Mustafa Abdul-Jalil, the transitional government leader, addressed a rowdy crowd of thousands in Martyrs Square in central Tripoli, a site that until recently was famous for pro-Gadhafi rallies. Flanked by a few dozen revolutionary leaders in their largest public gathering since rebel forces stormed into the capital on Aug. 21, he called on Libyans to build a state based on the rule of law.

“No retribution, no taking matters into your own hands and no oppression. I hope that the revolution will not stumble because of any of these things,” he said.

“We will not accept any extremist ideology, on the right or the left,” Mr. Abdul-Jalil added. “We are a Muslim people, for a moderate Islam, and will stay on this road.”

“We strive for a state of the law, for a state of prosperity, for a state that will have Islamic sharia law the basis of legislation.”

The speech capped a day of new international recognition of the rebel National Transitional Council as Libya’s legitimate government, as well as reminders that Col. Gadhafi and his followers remain a threat to that government’s stability.

Earlier, forces loyal to Col. Gadhafi attacked an important oil refinery at the Mediterranean port of Ras Lanuf, and the transitional government said at least 15 anti-Gadhafi fighters had died. But in a hopeful sign for the council, China, the last major power to withhold recognition of its legitimacy, officially changed positions and accepted it.

Abdulrahman Busin, a spokesman for the council’s military operations, said the loyalist attack on Ras Lanuf was apparently a response to news that the council had taken steps to restart oil production, which had been one of the country’s major contributors of income before the conflict began. He said that forces allied with the council were still fighting loyalists to bring an industrial area in Ras Lanuf back under control. “We have them surrounded,” he said.

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NATO warplanes strike pro-Gadhafi targets in Libya

NATO warplanes pounded targets in a number of strongholds of support for fugitive dictator Moammar Gadhafi, the alliance said Tuesday, as an offensive by revolutionary forces on a key loyalist town stalled.

The alliance said Tuesday that airstrikes struck one radar system, eight surface-to-air missile systems, five surface-to-air missile trailers, one armed vehicle and two command vehicles a day earlier near Col. Gadhafi's hometown of Sirte on the Mediterranean coast.

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At least seven killed, scores injured in Argentina bus-train crash

A train slammed into a bus trying to beat it across the railroad tracks during rush hour Tuesday, ramming the vehicle into a platform and then striking another locomotive head-on. At least seven people were killed and more than 160 injured, authorities said.

The bus driver was among those killed, Argentine Transportation Secretary J.P. Schiavi said.
Seven dead in Argentina bus crash
The force of the arriving train reduced the bus to a fraction of its width as it became wedged against the station platform. The front of the train then slammed into another train that was preparing to leave the Flores station in the opposite direction on the Sarmiento line, which connects the suburb of Moreno to the Once station downtown.

Mr. Schiavi said children also were among those injured in the accident, which happened at 6:15 a.m., just when many parents use public transportation to take their children to school.

Mr. Schiavi said the barriers appeared to be functioning normally, but reporters at the scene challenged that, saying some witnesses had reported that one of the barriers had descended only part-way down, leaving room for the bus to try to drive across the tracks despite the warning bells. Mr. Schiavi said investigators were studying videotape of the accident to determine exactly what happened.

Helicopters helped carry the injured to at least seven hospitals around the Argentine capital.

Buenos Aires' passenger rail system moves at street level through most neighborhoods of the capital and surrounding provinces, trying the patience of drivers who often can be seen ignoring the lights, bells and barriers that signal an approaching train. The potential for collisions increases at rush-hour, particularly next to stations, with trains passing and barriers dropping every few minutes.

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Taliban launch coordinated attack on U.S. embassy, NATO HQ in Kabul

Taliban insurgents fired rocket-propelled grenades and assault rifles at the U.S. Embassy, NATO headquarters and other buildings in the heart of the capital Tuesday while suicide bombers struck police buildings in an attack blitz that displayed the ability of militants to bring their fight to the doorsteps of Western power in Afghanistan.

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Honda recalling over 300,000 Pilot vehicles

Honda is recalling more than 300,000 Pilot vehicles across North America to inspect for possibly flawed front seatbelts.

Honda says more than 310,000 vehicles are being recalled in the U.S. and another 10,000 in Canada because of possible problems with stitching in the driver and front passenger seatbelts.

It says the stitching connecting the lap section of the belts to the outboard anchor webbing may be incomplete or missing.

That means the belts could potentially come loose in a crash, increasing the risk of injury, although it says no injuries have been reported date because of the defect.

The recall involves Pilots from the 2009 through 2011 model years.

Honda wants owners of the recall-affected Pilots to take them to an authorized dealer for inspection when they receive a recall notice.

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