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In Libya, the focal point has been on the continued siege of the western town of Misrata. But there is also erratic fighting in the east between rebels and forces loyal to the government of leader Moammar Gadhafi. The front line there is outside the city of Ajdabiya. A busy city just a few weeks ago, Ajdabiya now has the feel of a ghost town. Chunks of concrete, twisted light poles and other debris garbage the streets. Much of that was dragged there to slow the traffic, of which there is very little these days. A few knots of fighters suspend out on street corners. They don't look up at the sound of a jet above your head � the NATO planes circling on their no-fly zone patrols. In recent weeks, the eastern front of the clash between rebel fighters and Gadhafi forces has moved back and forth between this city and the oil ports of Brega and Ras Lanuf to the west. Ajdabiya has calculated value because it's the point where two major highways intersect. From here, it's just 100 m...

President Obama will focus on four items in today's speech on reducing the federal debt, the White House says in a statement: Lower domestic expenses, less defense spending, excess spending in Medicare and Medicaid, and elimination of tax breaks that favor the wealthy. Medicare and taxes are likely to be the most controversial: Liberal groups such as MoveOn.org have warned Obama against making changes to Medicare; congressional Republicans have said that Obama's calls for tax improvement amount to a call for tax hikes. Obama will also "borrow" many of the recommendations made by his bipartisan fiscal commission, the White House said in a statement, but it did not detail which specific proposals the president will endorse. "The President will advocate a balanced move toward to controlling out of control deficits and restoring fiscal responsibility while protecting the investments we need to grow our economy, create jobs, and win the future," said the statemen...

It may be time to add a long workday to the list of danger factors for heart disease. A new study has found that office workers in England considerably increased their chances of having a heart attack by working more hours than their peers. The study, conducted by researchers at University College London, found that workers who regularly worked 11-hour days or longer were 67 percent more likely to develop heart disease than those who worked seven- or eight-hour days. One U.S. specialist said many factors could account for the rise in risk among those tied too long to the office. Those working long hours may have very less time for exercise, healthy eating and physician�s visits," said Dr. Gregg C. Fonarow, associate chief of cardiology at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine. "They may be exposed to more strain, get less sleep and engage in other behaviors which contribute to cardiovascular risk." About 70 percent of the workers were men, and most (91 percent) were...