Around the world

on historic visit to Libya

TRIPOLI, Libya — The United States and Libya sealed a historic turnaround after decades of terrorist killings, American retaliation, suspicions and insults with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s peacemaking visit Friday with Moammar Gadhafi, Libya’s mercurial strongman.

"The relationship has been moving in a good direction for a number of years now and I think tonight does mark a new phase,” Rice said following a traditional Muslim dinner — the evening meal that breaks the day’s fast observed during the holy month of Ramadan — at Gadhafi’s official Bab el-Azizia residence. It is the same compound hit by U.S. airstrikes in 1986 in retaliation for a deadly Libyan-linked terrorist attack in Germany. The attack killed Gadhafi’s baby daughter.

"We’re off to a good start,” Rice said with Libya’s foreign minister at her side. "It is only a start, but I think, after many, many years, I think it’s a very good thing that the United States and Libya are establishing a way forward.”

Canada’s prime minister

to call Oct. 14 election

TORONTO — A spokesman says Canada’s prime minister will dissolve Parliament on Sunday and call an early election to be held next month.

Dimitri Soudas says the vote will be set for Oct. 14.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Conservatives need 28 seats to form a majority government in Parliament.

The Conservatives unseated the opposition Liberals in 2006 after nearly 13 years in power.

But as a minority government the Conservatives have a tenuous hold on power, relying on opposition lawmakers to pass legislation.

Analysts say the Conservatives have a better shot of winning an election soon rather than waiting until a time when the Canadian economy might be worse off.