In Libya, Col. Muammar Gaddafi’s forces have launched new air strikes on towns captured by rebels in a popular uprising over the past two weeks. Bombs were dropped on the oil export town of Brega and the nearby town of Ajdabiyah. Meanwhile, Al Jazeera is reporting Gaddafi has accepted an offer from Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez to mediate the crisis. Gaddafi reportedly spoke to Chávez and agreed in principle to a mediation plan. More than 140,000 people have fled Libya to escape the violence. A United Nations refugee official said the exodus is growing.

Hovig Etyemezian, United Nations Refugee Agency: “The crisis is growing. On a daily basis we have more people coming in. We need more ships and airplanes coming in to evacuate the nationals here, the Egyptians, Bangladeshis, Vietnamese. People need to leave at a faster rate; otherwise, this crisis is going to go worse.”