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Shortages of food and gasoline were being felt in parts of Japan on Thursday nearly a week after a deadly earthquake and tsunami, as people hoarded basic items fearing that supplies would soon dry up.

The death toll officially climbed above 5,300 Thursday in the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan almost a week ago. Amid deepening nuclear, humanitarian and economic crises, the U.S. authorized the first evacuations of its citizens out of Japan.

Safety concerns loomed at two neighboring nuclear power plants after a giant tsunami driven by one of the largest earthquakes on record swamped northern Japan's eastern coast Friday, leaving massive destruction in its wake. The final toll of the disaster is far from clear, but Japanese officials say at least a thousand people have died.

Mexican authorities have unearthed a suspected smuggling tunnel that runs beneath the border between Mexicali and Calexico. It is about two miles east of the Calexico East port of entry.

The surging price of diesel fuel in California is putting a chokehold on an industry that's moves most of the state's commercial goods.

Warplanes attacked the rebel-held oil port of Brega as opposition forces fought off an attempt by troops loyal to Moammar Gadhafi to take control of the oil refinery. Gadhafi appeared to be pulling out all the stops to regain large swathes of rebel-controlled eastern Libya.

Troops loyal to the regime battled for control over a major oil refinery and a massive arms depot.

Opposition commanders say they have enough troops and arms to mount an offensive against Tripoli and other cities that remain in Moammar Gadhafi's control. But their army does not appear to be a cohesive, professional force. In the dusty outpost of Ajdabiya, men almost seem to be playing at being soldiers.

Libyan army troops who have defected to join the pro-democracy rebels are trying to organize an offensive against the regime, according to senior military commanders in Benghazi, the birthplace of the uprising. What's unclear is how unified the fractured military command is.

Randy Howland took a customer service position that pays $10 an hour just to get back into an industry he loves. Many Americans are settling for less. Some, like Brian Barfield, are even taking part-time jobs to tide them over while they continue to search for full-time employment.