W O R L D

Gaddafi forces ‘recapture’ Libyan town of Zawiyah
Cairo, March 10
Pro-and anti-Gaddafi forces were today locked in fierce battles in several Libyan cities amid reports that strategic oil town of Zawiyah had been recaptured by the government troops. Muammar Gaddafi’s forces claimed that they had recaptured Zawiyah, 50 km west of capital Tripoli, after an intense fighting.

Anti- government protesters take out a march in central Benghazi on Thursday. — AFP

France recognises opposition group
BRUSSELS: France has recognised the Libyan opposition’s Interim Governing Council and plans to exchange ambassadors with the newly formed body, according to the president’s office. France is the first country to recognise the group.

Quake claims 19 lives in China Beijing, March 10 An earthquake today toppled houses and damaged a hotel and supermarket in China’s extreme southwest near the border with Myanmar, killing at least 19 persons and injuring more than 150, officials and state media said. Quake-hit buildings in Yingjiang county of China. — AFP

Pak arrests 26 Indian fishermen
Islamabad, March 10
The Pakistan authorities have arrested 26 Indian fishermen for allegedly violating the country’s maritime boundary, an official spokesman said today. The fishermen were apprehended with six boats late last night for violating Pakistan’s territorial waters, the spokesman of the Maritime Security Agency said.

Gaddafi forces ‘recapture’ Libyan town of Zawiyah

Cairo, March 10
Pro-and anti-Gaddafi forces were today locked in fierce battles in several Libyan cities amid reports that strategic oil town of Zawiyah had been recaptured by the government troops. Muammar Gaddafi’s forces claimed that they had recaptured Zawiyah, 50 km west of capital Tripoli, after an intense fighting. However, the rebels rejected the claim.

Witnesses were quoted as saying by media reports that Zawiyah was now under the control of forces loyal to Gaddafi, who has been in power for 41 years.

A resident who fled the city was quoted as saying by Al-Jazeera that “there was no one in the streets, the town is completely deserted, and there are snipers on the roofs”. Local residents said the city had been under sustained attack from pro-Gaddafi forces, aided by tanks and war planes, amid reports of intense fighting in another town, Ras Lanuf, where an oil installation had gone up in flames. Al-Jazeera said a steady volley of mortar and rocket fire covered the sky with dark smoke in Ras Lanuf.

The fighting raged as rebels piled up pressure on the international community to impose a no-fly zone over Libya. “It (imposition of a no-fly zone) has to be an immediate action,” said Mustafa Abdul-Jalil, head of the interim government in eastern Benghazi city.

“The longer the situation carries on, the more blood is shed. That’s the message that we want to send to the international community. They have to live up to their responsibility with regards to this,” he was quoted as saying. — PTI

France recognises opposition group

BRUSSELS: France has recognised the Libyan opposition’s Interim Governing Council and plans to exchange ambassadors with the newly formed body, according to the president’s office. France is the first country to recognise the group.

President Nicolas Sarkozy recently met two representatives of the transition council based in the eastern city of Benghazi.

The European Parliament is encouraging EU member states to recognise the opposition government. The council representatives were in Strasbourg, the parliament’s base, earlier this week, but EU policy is normally to recognise states, not governments. — AP

Tripoli may sever ties

TRIPOLI: Libya would consider severing ties with France after news that it had recognised the rebel Libyan National Council battling to end Muammar Gaddafi’s 41-year rule, the official Libyan news agency Jana reported on Thursday.

“Libya will think about severing its relations with France because of information being circulated about France’s damaging intervention in Libya’s internal affairs,” Jana quoted an unnamed foreign ministry official as saying. — Reuters

Quake claims 19 lives in China

Beijing, March 10
An earthquake today toppled houses and damaged a hotel and supermarket in China’s extreme southwest near the border with Myanmar, killing at least 19 persons and injuring more than 150, officials and state media said.

Witnesses reported that people were buried under debris from buildings damaged in the quake, centred in Yunnan province’s Yingjiang county, the official Xinhua News Agency said.

China Central Television said the quake hit while many people, including students, were home for a customary midday rest.

The report said at least two students were among those killed, but didn’t give details. The state broadcaster showed several buildings with concrete foundations that had cracked and buckled.

The website of the Chinese government earthquake monitoring station said the magnitude-5.8 quake struck just before 1 pm (0500 GMT) at a depth of 10 km.

The US Geological Survey measured the quake at a magnitude of 5.4 and at a deeper 35 km.

At least 19 persons were killed and 157 others hurt, said Ren Xueli, an official with the Yunnan Disaster Relief Centre.

China Central Television said 166 were injured. CCTV reported that about 100 armed police, firefighters and soldiers were using three excavators to try to rescue a man and a girl trapped inside a four-story building that had partially collapsed.

Xinhua said the quake-prone region has been hit by more than 1,000 minor tremors over the past two months.

The Myanmar Meteorological Department released a statement saying a quake had hit some 370 km northeast of Mandalay, the country’s second-largest city. The statement did not mention injuries, damage or the specific area of Myanmar most affected by the quake. — AP

Pak arrests 26 Indian fishermen

Islamabad, March 10
The Pakistan authorities have arrested 26 Indian fishermen for allegedly violating the country’s maritime boundary, an official spokesman said today. The fishermen were apprehended with six boats late last night for violating Pakistan’s territorial waters, the spokesman of the Maritime Security Agency said.

They were handed over to the police in Karachi, he added.

Pakistan and India arrest dozens of fishermen every year for violating the maritime boundary. Many of them languish in prison for years even after completing jail terms given to them.

Islamabad had recently repatriated 12 Indian prisoners, including 11 fishermen, who had been held in a jail in Karachi for nearly three years even after completing their prison terms.

Another 442 Indian fishermen were freed last year after two Pakistani NGOs petitioned the Supreme Court for their release. — PTI