WORLD NEWS

WORLD NEWS

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A missile strike on Libyan leader Col Gaddafi's compound in Tripoli has destroyed a building which coalition officials said was a command centre.  Journalists were shown the wrecked building but it was not clear if there were any casualties. It comes as a coalition of countries including the US, UK and France continue strikes to enforce a UN-mandated no-fly zone over Libya. Col Gaddafi has been fighting a rebellion that broke out last month. US officials have said Col Gaddafi himself is not a target of the air strikes, which they say are aimed at his armed forces and air defence systems.

The Arab League has criticized Western military strikes on Libya saying that the goal of imposing a no fly zone was for the protection of civilians.  Talking to newsmen in Cairo, Arab League Secretary General Amr Moossa said from the start the League had requested only that a no fly zone be set up to protect Libyan civilians and avert any other developments or additional measures. He said preparations are underway to convene an emergency meeting of the Arab league at which Libya would top the agenda.

In Egypt, millions of people have voted in a referendum for changes in the constitution just five weeks after popular uprising swept President Mubarak from power.  The amendment put forwarded by Egypt's ruling military Council includes limits on future Presidential terms and restrictions on the imposition of state of emergency.

The US Defence Secretary Robert Gates has said that the United States would not play a permanent role in military action against Libya.  Talking to newsmen on his plane en-route to Russia, he said the US will have only a military role in the coalition and it will not have the permanent role there.

Veteran Kashmiri Hurriyet leader, Syed Ali Gilani has reiterated that only a plebiscite supervised by the United Nations and an end of India’s forcible occupation of Jammu and Kashmir is the viable and amicable solution to the Kashmir dispute.  Addressing a function in New Delhi, he said India hd not only taken the Kashmir dispute to the UN, but was also a signatory to its resolutions, which guaranteed right to self-determination to the Kashmiris. Now India is deviating from this position.