U.S. military: 54 dead, 16 missing, seven captured
British military: 27 dead, none captured or missing
Iraqi forces: Neither Iraq nor the coalition has given an estimate of military casualties. Iraq says nearly 500 civilians have been killed and more than 4,000 wounded.

— Associated Press

Q&A

Q: During the Vietnam War, Army privates were paid about $200 a month. What is their pay now?

A: They earn about $1,300 a month, after a year in service. Wages in all U.S. military branches are based on rank and time in service. For instance, an enlisted man or woman at grade E4 (corporal in the Army) earns about $1,670 a month.

Entry-level pay for a second lieutenant, the Army's lowest officer rank, is about $2,200 a month. Gen. Tommy Franks, the four-star general with 36 years of service, earns a base pay of about $13,000 a month.

Quote

"At the end, they came charging in a human wave — 10 to 15 guys with AKs that we mowed down." — Lt. Col. B.P. McCoy of the 1st Marine Division speaking about a fierce firefight with Iraqis near Kut yesterday.

By the numbers

7 — gallons of water a soldier needs a day in 100 degree heat
10 — town named Baghdad in the United States
200 — war protesters outside the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City yesterday
725 — cruise missiles fired since March 20
2,000 — Kuwaitis attending a rally yesterday to support the war
116,000 — barrels of oil Iraq pumped to Turkey on Wednesday

Oil prices

New York: Up 41 cents, or 1.4 percent, to $28.97 a barrel.
London: Up 29 cents, or 1.2 percent, to $25.50 a barrel.

The time

Iraq's time zone is 14 hours ahead of Hawai'i time.

Persian Gulf weather

Saturday's forecast:

Baghdad — Day: 98 degrees, isolated thunderstorms. Night: 66 degrees.
Basra — Day: 104 degrees, partly cloudy. Night: 70 degrees.
Kuwait City — Day: 102 degrees, sunny. Night: 68 degrees.

Spotlight

The Navy is searching for a pilot missing since his F/A-18 Hornet was shot down on Wednesday. A look at the Hornet: