World Week Ahead: Brokering a Deal in Libya; One Month Since Japan’s Quake

Rebel fighters in Brega, Libya (Odd Andersen/AFP/Getty Images)

An African Union delegation is working to broker a deal this week between Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi and rebels seeking his ouster. And Japan hits the one month mark since the devastating earthquake and tsunami as answers on nuclear safety and the exact number of victims remain elusive.

LIBYA: South African President Jacob Zuma is leading an African Union delegation trying to find a political solution to Libya’s revolt. Over the weekend, the AU delegation met in Tripoli with Gadhafi and then with rebels in Benghazi. Zuma reportedly said Sunday that Gadhafi accepted the terms of the AU cease-fire plan.

Read: The Financial Times reports on how rebels are unlikely to accept the deal, which would have a continued role for Gadhafi. His opponents, however, are demanding his removal.

JAPAN: Monday marks one month since the deadly earthquake and tsunami struck northeastern Japan. A 6.6-magnitude aftershock rattled the region once again Monday afternoon; there were no reports of serious damage. We’ll have an update on nuclear and humanitarian developments.

Watch: The Associated Press reports on temporary housing for some Japanese families. The modular units include a television, refrigerator and washing machine:

We’re also watching the following areas:

IVORY COAST: U.N. and French military forces bombed weapons positions of supporters loyal to Laurent Gbagbo, who has refused to give up power to president-elect Alassane Ouattara. News reports Monday morning indicated that Gbagbo had been arrested at his compound in Abidjan.

View: BBC photos of the fighting and aftermath. Caution: Some photos are graphic.

PERU: Former army Lt. Col. Ollanta Humala led the polls in Peru’s presidential election on Sunday, though the second-place finisher could still win the June 5 runoff, the Associated Press reports. In an apparent tie for second are Keiko Fujimori, daughter of jailed former President Alberto Fujimori, and Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, former World Bank economist and investment banker.

Read: The Christian Science Monitor describes how the current electoral match-up resurrects another political grudge match.

MORE: President Obama addresses the nation on his deficit-reduction plan Wednesday ahead of Friday’s expiration of the latest continuing resolution extending funding of federal institutions. On April 16, results of Haiti’s presidential runoff become final.

Editor’s Note: Our partners at GlobalPost say freelance contributor James Foley, who was picked up Tuesday by the Libyan military along with three other foreign journalists, is reportedly in position for release in Tripoli. Afterward, the four will be taken to the Tunisian border and brought home.

Read: The latest report from GlobalPost on the journalists’ situation.

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