TRIPOLI // Nato air raids rocked Tripoli yesterday as rebels in besieged Misurata claimed to be pushing back Col Muammar Qaddafi's forces.
Jets screamed in low over the capital in the early hours, carrying out an unusually heavy bombardment that lasted more than three hours. The alliance said the raids were not aimed at the Libyan strongman.
The attack came after the Nato chief, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, claimed time was running out for Col Qaddafi. The Libyan leader "should realise sooner rather than later that there is no future for him or his regime", he said.
The United Nations said the offensive launched by Col Qaddafi's forces was paralysing the oil-rich nation and causing the population to suffer widespread shortages of essential goods.
The UAE pledged yesterday to continue aid to Libya's people and called for an "inclusive political process" that would allow all Libyans to have a say in how their country was run.
Addressing the UN Security Council, the UAE's ambassador to the UN, Ahmed al Jarman, said the Emirates had embarked on an "intensive and continuing endeavour" to tackle the humanitarian crisis brought about by Libya's civil conflict.
"The UAE affirms its support for the legitimate aspirations of the Libyan people within the framework of an inclusive political process that would enable the Libyan people to determine their future and bring a lasting peace to their country," Mr al Jarman said.
The envoy described a "critical humanitarian situation facing the Libyan people" in which civilians faced danger and widespread shortages of basic supplies. "We will continue our cooperation with these international efforts to ensure the protection of civilians," he said.
Witnesses said the latest Nato-led air bombardment hit targets near Col Qaddafi's compound, but the mission's chief operations officer, Brig Gen Claudio Gabellini, denied the raids aim had been to kill the Libyan leader.
"All Nato targets are military targets, which means that the targets we've been hitting, and it happened also last night in Tripoli, are command and control bunkers," Brig Gen Gabellini told reporters.
"Nato is not targeting individuals," he said via videolink from his headquarters in Naples, Italy.
Asked whether Col Qaddafi was still alive, the Italian general said: "We don't have any evidence. We don't know what [Qaddafi] is doing right now.
"To tell you the truth, we are not really interested in what he is doing. Our mandate is to protect civilians from attacks or from the threats of attacks, so we are not looking after individuals."
Col Qaddafi escaped a similar Nato bombing blitz on May 1 in Tripoli, which killed his second youngest son, Seif al-Arab, and three of his grandchildren.
The rebels said they had driven Col Qaddafi's forces back from around Misurata, which has been under loyalist siege for about two months, and were poised to make another thrust.
After heavy clashes, the rebels took control of a stretch of coastal road west of Misurata, their last major stronghold in the west, prompting thousands to flee.
The rebels forced government troops about 15 kilometres from Misurata, advancing to Dafnia, and were preparing to move on Zliten, the next major town on the road to Tripoli.
Ahmad Hassan, a rebel spokesman in Miusrata, said the insurgents had also "liberated" areas south and east of the city, killing government troops and seizing a large amount of weapons. Eighteen rebels and civilians were wounded.
The rebel claims could not be immediately verified.
Brig Gen Gabellini said Nato had struck more than 30 military targets in and around Misurata in the past week, including a dozen main battle tanks, three rocket-launcher systems, three self-propelled artillery pieces and 15 ammunition storage sites.
There has also been deadly fighting in recent days on the frontline between the rebel-held east and the mainly government-held west, observers said.
* Agence France-Presse, with additional reporting by James Reinl at the UN
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Generational responses to the pandemic
Devesh Mamtani from Century Financial believes the cash-hoarding tendency of each generation is influenced by what stage of the employment cycle they are in. He offers the following insights:
Baby boomers (those born before 1964): Owing to market uncertainty and the need to survive amid competition, many in this generation are looking for options to hoard more cash and increase their overall savings/investments towards risk-free assets.
Generation X (born between 1965 and 1980): Gen X is currently in its prime working years. With their personal and family finances taking a hit, Generation X is looking at multiple options, including taking out short-term loan facilities with competitive interest rates instead of dipping into their savings account.
Millennials (born between 1981 and 1996): This market situation is giving them a valuable lesson about investing early. Many millennials who had previously not saved or invested are looking to start doing so now.
Veere di Wedding
Dir: Shashanka Ghosh
Starring: Kareena Kapoo-Khan, Sonam Kapoor, Swara Bhaskar and Shikha Talsania
Verdict: 4 Stars
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The specs: 2018 Dodge Durango SRT
Price, base / as tested: Dh259,000
Engine: 6.4-litre V8
Power: 475hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 640Nm @ 4,300rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.7L / 100km
The Bio
Hometown: Bogota, Colombia
Favourite place to relax in UAE: the desert around Al Mleiha in Sharjah or the eastern mangroves in Abu Dhabi
The one book everyone should read: 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It will make your mind fly
Favourite documentary: Chasing Coral by Jeff Orlowski. It's a good reality check about one of the most valued ecosystems for humanity
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: ten-speed
Power: 420bhp
Torque: 624Nm
Price: Dh325,125
On sale: Now
RESULTS
Bantamweight
Victor Nunes (BRA) beat Siyovush Gulmamadov (TJK)
(Split decision)
Featherweight
Hussein Salim (IRQ) beat Shakhriyor Juraev (UZB)
(Round 1 submission, armbar)
Catchweight 80kg
Rashed Dawood (UAE) beat Otabek Kadirov (UZB)
(Round-1 submission, rear naked choke)
Lightweight
Ho Taek-oh (KOR) beat Ronald Girones (CUB)
(Round 3 submission, triangle choke)
Lightweight
Arthur Zaynukov (RUS) beat Damien Lapilus (FRA)
(Unanimous points)
Bantamweight
Vinicius de Oliveira (BRA) beat Furkatbek Yokubov (RUS)
(Round 1 TKO)
Featherweight
Movlid Khaybulaev (RUS) v Zaka Fatullazade (AZE)
(Round 1 rear naked choke)
Flyweight
Shannon Ross (TUR) beat Donovon Freelow (USA)
(Unanimous decision)
Lightweight
Dan Collins (GBR) beat Mohammad Yahya (UAE)
(Round 2 submission D’arce choke)
Catchweight 73kg
Martun Mezhulmyan (ARM) beat Islam Mamedov (RUS)
(Round 3 submission, kneebar)
Bantamweight world title
Xavier Alaoui (MAR) beat Jaures Dea (CAM)
(Unanimous points 48-46, 49-45, 49-45)
Flyweight world title
Manon Fiorot (FRA) v Gabriela Campo (ARG)
(Round 1 RSC)
Emirates Cricket Board Women’s T10
ECB Hawks v ECB Falcons
Monday, April 6, 7.30pm, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
The match will be broadcast live on the My Sports Eye Facebook page
Hawks
Coach: Chaitrali Kalgutkar
Squad: Chaya Mughal (captain), Archara Supriya, Chamani Senevirathne, Chathurika Anand, Geethika Jyothis, Indhuja Nandakumar, Kashish Loungani, Khushi Sharma, Khushi Tanwar, Rinitha Rajith, Siddhi Pagarani, Siya Gokhale, Subha Srinivasan, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish
Falcons
Coach: Najeeb Amar
Squad: Kavisha Kumari (captain), Almaseera Jahangir, Annika Shivpuri, Archisha Mukherjee, Judit Cleetus, Ishani Senavirathne, Lavanya Keny, Mahika Gaur, Malavika Unnithan, Rishitha Rajith, Rithika Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Shashini Kaluarachchi, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi, Vaishnave Mahesh
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
2021 World Triathlon Championship Series
May 15: Yokohama, Japan
June 5: Leeds, UK
June 24: Montreal, Canada
July 10: Hamburg, Germany
Aug 17-22: Edmonton, Canada (World Triathlon Championship Final)
Nov 5-6 : Abu Dhabi, UAE
Date TBC: Chengdu, China
