Respondents worldwide not only want the United States out of Iraq "as soon as possible," but also want an end to military intervention in Afghanistan.
The poll of 45,000 people also found growing wariness toward other major powers. Concerns over China's economic and military might have tarnished its image, and confidence in President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia has dropped sharply.
Majorities in most every country polled, including 97 percent in France, 80 percent in Argentina, and 75 percent in Lebanon, said the United States promoted democracy mostly where it served American interests.
U.S. envoy to Iraq sees
progress by September
BAGHDAD - Daniel Speckhard, America's No. 2 diplomat in Iraq, predicted progress by fall on bringing together Iraq's feuding factions as violence claimed more lives yesterday, including 14 people killed in a late-night car bombing near a Shiite shrine in the capital.
In all, at least 60 Iraqis were killed or found dead across the country, most of them in the Baghdad area, according to police reports. Also yesterday, one American soldier was killed and four were wounded in a roadside bombing in east Baghdad, the U.S. command said.
_ In Washington yesterday, a bipartisan report concluded that after spending $19 billion to train and equip 346,500 Iraqi security forces, the Pentagon doesn't know how many of them are on the job or if their weapons have been stolen or turned against American forces.
Blair takes Mideast post;
successor promises change
LONDON - On a day of poignant farewells and sober new promises, Gordon Brown took over yesterday from Tony Blair as prime minister, offering Britain a pledge to "try my utmost" and declaring, "Now, let the work of change begin."
For his part, Blair moved swiftly, shedding the leadership with a wisecrack and resigned as a member of Parliament to assume the new post of Middle East representative for the so-called quartet of the United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations.
Israeli raids in Gaza
kill 11 fighters, 2 civilians
JERUSALEM - At least 11 Palestinian militants and two civilians were killed yesterday during Israeli raids in Gaza in the deadliest day of fighting since the Islamic militant group Hamas took control there nearly two weeks ago.
The new raids underscored that Israel intended to maintain military pressure on Gaza, amid widespread concern over Hamas' seizure of control there earlier this month when it drove out its rival, Fatah.
China says it's discovered
23,000 food-plant violations
SHANGHAI - After weeks of insisting that food here is largely safe, regulators in China admitted that they had recently closed 180 food plants and that inspectors had uncovered more than 23,000 food safety violations.
The nationwide crackdown, which the government said began last December, also found that many small food makers were using industrial chemicals - cited for pet-food recalls in the U.S. - banned dyes and other illegal ingredients in things like candy and seafood. *
Bunny
hope
HONG KONG - Hugh Hefner is planning to open a Playboy Mansion in the burgeoning gambling mecca of Macau, complete with "bunny" dealers, a villa-style hotel and several dozen gaming tables, his daughter said.
The 40,000-square-foot Playboy Mansion Macau is scheduled to open in late 2009.
Macau, located an hour by high-speed ferry from Hong Kong, overtook the Las Vegas strip in gaming revenue last year.
