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BENGHAZI, Libya -- A Libyan army unit loyal to Muammar al-Qaddafi attacked anti-government protesters holed up in a mosque in a key city west of the capital Thursday, blasting a minaret with anti-aircraft missiles and automatic weapons, a witness said.

Protesters who had been camped inside and outside the mosque suffered heavy casualties in the attack on Zawiya, 30 miles west of Tripoli, the witness said, but he couldn't provide an exact toll.

Pro-Qaddafi forces have fought back fiercely as the longtime leader has seen his control whittled away, with Zawiya and other major Libyan cities and towns closer to the capital falling to the rebellion against his rule. In the east, now all but broken away, the opposition vowed to "liberate" Tripoli, where the Libyan leader is holed up with a force of militiamen roaming the streets and tanks guarding the outskirts.

Qaddafi's use of excessive force has so far helped him maintain control of Tripoli, a city that holds about a third of Libya's 6 million population. But the protesters' determination has divided the country and threatened to push it toward civil war.

The witness, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals, said the 9 a.m. attack came a day after a Qaddafi aide identified as Abdullah Megrahi came to the city and warned the protesters to"leave or you will see a massacre."

"We told him we are not leaving, either death or victory," the witness said.

He expressed disbelief the army would attack its own people. Several military units have sided with Libyan protesters since the uprising began on Feb. 15.

"What is happening is horrible, those who attacked us are not the mercenaries; they are sons of our country," the witness said while sobbing. "Now there is heavy gunfire. They bombed the minaret of the mosque."

He said the protesters were mostly youths armed only with hunting rifles. He also said protesters from Zawiya did not intend to respond to a call by the opposition movement for a nationwide march to the capital on Friday.

"We have no intention to march to Tripoli. We talked about it and we agreed to stay here," he said, adding the pre-Qaddafi flag, which was adopted after the country declared independence from Italy in 195, had been raised on top of the tallest building in town.

The witness said protesters had detained seven uniformed men who belonged to the armed forces responsible for Thursday's attack.

Thousands gathered later at a plaza known as Martyrs' Square in a show of defiance after the attack.

"People came to send a clear message: we are not afraid of death or your bullets,"the witness said. "This regime will regret it. History will not forgive them."

"People are so angry at the international community, which is watching the killings without trying to stop them," he added.

He said that there are no police in the city, which is located near a key oil port and refineries on the Mediterranean, so people had formed committees to guard their houses and buildings. He also said Qaddafi loyalists had attacked Chinese and Egyptian employees of construction companies in the city.

The report couldn't immediately be confirmed.

International momentum has been building for action to punish Qaddafi's regime for the bloody crackdown it has unleashed against the protesters.

President Barack Obama said the suffering and bloodshed in Libya "is outrageous and it is unacceptable," and he directed his administration to prepare a full range of options, including possible sanctions that could freeze the assets and ban travel to the U.S. by Libyan officials.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy raised the possibility of the European Union cutting off economic ties.

Another proposal gaining some traction was for the United Nations to declare a no-fly zone over Libya to prevent it using warplanes to hit protesters. U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said that if reports of such strikes are confirmed, "there's an immediate need for that level of protection."

Italy's Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said estimates of some 1,000 people killed in the violence in Libya were "credible," although he stressed information about casualties was incomplete. The New York-based Human Rights Watch has put the death toll at nearly 300, according to a partial count.

Moammar Qaddafi's son claimed Thursday that the reported death tolls have been exaggerated, although he didn't provide his own figure. In a press conference aired on state TV, he said the number killed by police and the army had been limited and "talking about hundreds and thousands (killed) is a joke."

He also said a committee had been formed to investigate alleged foreign involvement in the protests.

Earlier Thursday, Libyan TV showed Egyptian passports, CDs and cell phones purportedly belonging to detainees who had allegedly confessed to plotting "terrorist" operations against the Libyan people. Other footage showed a dozen men lying on the ground, with their faces down, blindfolded and handcuffed. Rifles and guns were laid out next to them.

With Republicans faulting President Obama for failing to offer a deficit-reducing budget, some Democrats are defending the president while noting that half of the 12 elected members of Obama's doomed deficit commission are still on the job and looking for deeper cuts.

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., was one of 18 individuals appointed to Obama's deficit commission, which failed to reach a 14-member supermajority in December to advance recommendations for Congress to consider on reducing the debt.

Durbin, the No. 2 Democrat in the Senate, said Sunday that some of the members of the group have reconvened to take a second look at recommendations that would make deeper cuts than Obama's proposed budget for the fiscal year starting Oct. 1.

"The good news is this. There are six of us, three Democrats and three Republicans, still meeting, looking at the deficit commission as a template or as a goal in trying to find a way to work together in a bipartisan fashion in the Senate to come up with a reasonable way to deal with this deficit," Durbin told NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday.

"We can build on the president's budget into deeper cuts but we need to put everything on the table with the exception of Social Security. ... Everything else needs be on the table," he said.

WASHINGTON -- Unrest surging through the Arab world has so far taken no toll on the American military. But that could change if revolt washes over the tiny Persian Gulf kingdom of Bahrain -- long-time home to the U.S. Navy's mighty 5th Fleet and arguably the Middle East anchor of U.S. defense strategy.

The discontent that has spilled into the streets of Bahrain's capital, Manama, this week features no anti-American sentiment, but the U.S. has a lot at stake in preserving its dominant naval presence in the Gulf.

In announcing that it is "very concerned" about violence linked to the protests, the State Department on Tuesday underscored Bahrain's strategic importance as a U.S. partner.

"The United States welcomes the government of Bahrain's statements that it will investigate these deaths, and that it will take legal action against any unjustified use of force by Bahraini security forces," said department spokesman P.J. Crowley. "We urge that it follow through on these statements as quickly as possible."

The 5th Fleet operates at least one aircraft carrier in the Gulf at all times, along with an "amphibious ready group" of ships with Marines aboard. Their presence is central to a longstanding U.S. commitment to ensuring the free flow of oil through the Gulf, while keeping an eye on a hostile Iran and seeking to deter piracy in the region.

In the months since the Obama White House began what aides describe as a "turning point" in relations with the GOP, they contend a similar turn of events has occurred with the business community.

When the president heads to the Chamber of Commerce for an economic speech Monday, he'll find a business lobby with tough questions.

"When are jobs coming back? How can we get this economy growing as it should again? How are we going to successfully compete in the world and when are going to get a handle on the growth of government and the deficits?" Chamber Director of Communications Blair Latoff asked.

Given the nation's perpetually high unemployment rate, trying to answer those questions have become a familiar routine for this president. Increasingly, he's leaning on the private sector for help. Obama has,in recent months, solicited advice from the heads of major companies and recently named General Electric CEO Jeff Immelt to head a jobs advisory board; among the efforts the White House says could spark companies to hire more workers.

"I think the relationship [with the business community] has -- you know, feels -- feels stronger going forward," National Economic Council Director Gene Sperling told reporters at the White House Friday. "But I think it's part of an overall feeling of increased confidence that people see the president willing and able to work together to help get some things done that matter on the economy and jobs."

Latoff said Obama's gestures have been noticed.

In fact, the Chamber has become so enamored of the president's efforts on infrastructure spending that it has joined forces with an unlikely liberal ally to push for the plan's success. A joint statement by the Chamber of Commerce and the AFL-CIO issued in late January laid out their reasoning, reading, in part, "Whether it is building roads, bridges, high-speed broadband, energy systems and schools, these projects not only create jobs and demand for businesses, they are an investment in building the modern infrastructure our country needs to compete in a global economy."

However, Latoff suggested the White House and the Chamber haven't always seen eye to eye.

"The president, through his outreach, through his recent appointments, through some of his recent actions such as compromising on taxes and moving ahead on trade, has taken some welcome steps that we hadn't seen in the first two years," she said.

The roots of discord between the two can be found in the 2009 debate over the president's health-care legislation and his financial regulatory overhaul.

By mid-2010, the Chamber and the White House were openly exchanging political barbs in the thick of campaign season. The Chamber said Obama's administration "vilified industries" and the president accused the Chamber of funding political ads with foreign donations.

Latoff told Fox News the differences were never personal and the idea that drama had ensued was overblown.

"At the Chamber, we never considered ourselves feuding with the White House last year and so we don't think too much about the idea that business and the White House are 'making up' this year," she said.

Regardless of the politics, Sperling said he thinks the engagement is working.

"I think the last few months you have seen a strengthening of confidence across the board," he said." I think there's been, you know, signs of greater confidence on consumers in the consumer index, and I think there's been greater signs of increased confidence among the business community."

India will hold its largest air show in Bangalore starting from Feb 9 to 13, where 70 delegations and 160 countries are expected to take part. The companies would bring their latest aerospace products including fighter jet transport and civilian aircraft, for sure the show is a treat for spectators eyes.Aero India show displays the civil and military aircrafts and other latest products from the Indian aviation and aerospace industry. This is the Asia's largest exhibitions, which is held once in two years. Aero India also provides a platform for business, it is eagerly awaited by the industry members and the prospective customers alike.
The state government is preparing to ink agreements with some companies to facilitate aerospace sectors in terms of investment and it also planed to set up its first special stall at the biennial event to attract the investors.

Secretary Defence Production Raj Kumar Singh Saidhere said, “The eighth edition of the biennial Aero India show is expected to surpass all previous editions of the premiere air show in terms of participation and volume.”

There will be two shows every day for general visitors at the Air Force station in Yelahanka from 10am to noon and from 2:30pm to 5pm. On Feb 9, the first day, there won't be a morning show.

The tickets will be available at the venue from the day the show begins and it can also be purchased at Garuda, Forum and Mantri malls. Weekdays the ticket cost is Rs 400 and Rs 500 on weekends.

CAIRO -- Cairo's international airport was a scene of chaos and confusion Monday as thousands of foreigners sought to flee the unrest in Egypt and countries around the world scrambled to send in planes to fly their citizens out.

Nerves frayed, shouting matches erupted and some passengers even had a fistfight as thousands crammed into Cairo airport's new Terminal 3 seeking a flight home. The airport's departures board stopped announcing flight times in an attempt to reduce tensions -- but the plan backfired, fueling passengers' anger.

Making matters worse, check-in counters were poorly staffed because many EgyptAir employees had been unable to get to work due to a 3 p.m.-to-8 a.m. curfew and traffic breakdowns across the Egyptian capital.

"It's an absolute zoo, what a mess," said Justine Khanzadian, 23, a graduate student from the American University of Cairo. "I decided to leave because of the protests, the government here is just not stable enough to stay."

A U.S. military plane landed at Larnaca Airport in Cyprus on ferrying 42 U.S. Embassy officials and their dependents from Egypt. The U.S. Embassy in Nicosia said at least one more plane was expected Monday with about 180 people. U.S. officials have said it will take several flights over the coming days to fly out the thousands of Americans who want to leave Egypt. Read More...