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WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Despite questions about whether Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl (boh BURG'-dahl) deserted his unit in Afghanistan before being held for five years by the Taliban, President Barack Obama says the government isn't currently looking to punish him as a deserter. Obama says the top priority now is for Bergdahl to have a "successful" transition. But Gen. Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, says the Army may still pursue an investigation that could lead to desertion charges.
DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Tens of thousands of Syrians are pledging renewed allegiance to President Bashar Assad today, in an election that has been denounced by the opposition as a charade. Crowds of Assad supporters waved photos of him and danced with Syrian flags. Some chose to vote publicly, in full view of other voters and TV cameras, rather than go behind a curtain. Assad's followers say re-electing him would give Assad a stronger hand in finding a solution to the country's three-year civil war.
BEIJING (AP) — Additional police are in place on the streets of China's capital, and government critics have been detained. It's part of a security crackdown on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the crushing of pro-democracy protests that were centered in Beijing's Tiananmen Square. In an apparent sign of government nervousness, connections to the global Internet appear to have been disrupted.
WASHINGTON (AP) — There's more evidence today that the nation's manufacturing sector is regaining momentum after a harsh winter. The government says orders to U.S. factories rose for a third straight month in April. The improvements followed two big declines in January and December.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Commuters in San Francisco are facing a second straight day of delays and tourists will again have to do without the city's famed cable cars today after city transit workers called in sick again. The city's transportation agency says it is running more service than it did yesterday, but riders will still experience significant delays. Cable cars will not run. The union representing transit operators has rejected a contract that would give workers a raise of more than 11 percent over two years, but also require them to cover a 7.5 percent pension payment currently paid by the transit agency.
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