vulnerable
economies.
World News from the BBC
Libyan rebels say they've succeeded in creating a defensive arc south and west of the city of Misrata by
linking up
two fronts. From Misrata, here's Gabriel Gatehouse.
Rebel commanders say that the fighting started in the early morning, and along the frontline, firing and shelling continued from both sides well into the afternoon. Anti-Gaddafi forces have been dug in here at the village of Dafniya, west along the coast from Misrata for more than six weeks. Now their commanders say their fighters have
managed to
link up with a second front to the south of Misrata, creating a defensive arc around the city's southwestern flank. The BBC was also shown a number of soldiers from Colonel Gaddafi's army who had been wounded and captured in the fighting.
The countdown has started for the final launch of an American space shuttle. Atlantis is due to
blast off
on Friday from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida,
bound for
the International Space Station. Its 12-day mission, the 135th, will bring to an end 30 years of shuttle flights.
Venezuela is celebrating its declaration of independence from Spain 200 years ago with a focus - a colourful parade along a ceremonial avenue in the capital Caracas. President Hugo Chavez, who returned on Monday from an extended absence in Cuba following emergency cancer surgery, made a live televised address from the presidential palace ahead of the parade, but he was not there to witness it in person.