Tuesday, March 22, 2011, Chandigarh, India
Updated at 2:30 am (IST)

Attack on Libya intensifies
Gaddafi’s command centre flattened, one of his sons may have been killed
Tripoli/Cairo, March 21
The US-led coalition forces today intensified air and sea strikes on Libyan defence targets flattening a command centre of Muammar Gaddafi close to his residence in Tripoli, as the Arab League voiced concerns over the bombardment taking a toll on civilians. The western powers denied that civilians had been killed in their operations which got underway after the UN Security Council (UNSC) gave its nod for imposing a ‘no-fly’ zone over Libya.

World page: In Yemen, Saleh’s 32-yr empire about to fall
Editorial: Action against Libya

trail of destruction: Onlookers gather at a site, about 35 km west of Benghazi, bombed by coalition forces on Monday. Reports said Muammar Gaddafi’s forces had retreated 100 km from Benghazi. — AFP

Special to the tribune
Air strikes shock and divide Arabs
The massive US-led military offensive against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi’s loyalists could play into his hands and undermine the pro-democracy uprisings that are sweeping the Arab world, Arab politicians and columnists warned this week. Even those Arabs who had called on the international community to impose a no-fly zone over Libya now appear to have second thoughts about the idea.

RAF rushed to clear tracks of Jat protesters
New Delhi, March 21
Even as agitating Jats threatened to block the Delhi-Jammu rail link, the government's crisis management group (CMG) on Monday decided to use the Rapid Action Force (RAF) to clear the rail tracks. The Northern Railway today announced cancellation of 68 trains. Two trains were diverted and five others were terminated short of their destination.

Haryana page: Jats refuse to budge

Manmohan misleading public on trust vote cables: Assange
New Delhi, March 21
The head of the whistleblower website WikiLeaks today accused Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of deliberately misleading the public by claiming that the leaked US diplomatic cables allegedly pointing to payoffs to the MPs during a 2008 parliamentary trust vote were not authentic.

Nation page: BJP may face WikiLeaks heat today

Kerala can extend Rs 2 per kg rice scheme
High Court rejects Election Commission’s plea against govt move to include fresh beneficiaries on Assembly poll eve
Kochi, March 21
In a relief to CPM-led LDF in the run-up to the April 13 Kerala Assembly poll, the High Court today set aside the Election Commission order restraining it from extending the scheme to distribute rice at Rs 2 per kg to fresh beneficiaries, holding it as “wholly arbitrary”.

Student shot dead by Manipur minister’s son
Imphal, March 21
A 21-year-old student was shot dead allegedly by the son of a Manipur minister, prompting a local committee to demand his immediate resignation over the incident. Irom Roger, a student in a Bangalore institute who had come to Manipur to celebrate Holi was allegedly shot dead by N Ajai Meitei (27), son of Manipur minister for irrigation, flood control and sports N Biren, last evening at Kwakeithel area in Imphal West district, the police said.

Cricketing debate: To walk or not to walk New Delhi, March 21 A dilemma worthy of Hamlet confronts all batsmen in the World Cup on whether they should walk or not after nicking the ball. Australia captain Ricky Ponting clearly belongs to the school that believes the man in the white coat decides when his time is up. Ponting stood his ground after edging the ball to Kamran Akmal on Saturday even though Pakistan's successful review appeal meant he had to go back.