Fighting rages for Sirte

Fresh shelling rocked the Libyan city of Sirte yesterday, as interim authority forces renew their offensive in the face of fierce resistance.
A BBC correspondent just outside the city says pro-Gaddafi forces are putting up extraordinary resistance in defence of what seems a lost cause.
Interim troops pushed deep into Muammar Gaddafi's birthplace on Friday, taking most of it street by street.
At least 12 people were killed and more than 190 injured, doctors said.
Thousands of civilians have left Sirte but many remain behind.
On Friday, the two sides battered each other with mortar shells, rockets and tank fire in what transitional government (NTC) forces described as the final assault on Sirte, some 360km east of the capital, Tripoli.
Anti-Gaddafi forces seized control of virtually all of Libya nearly two months ago, ousting the long-time former leader.
The colonel fled Tripoli when the capital fell to the NTC and his whereabouts remain unknown while several of his family members are in hiding or have fled the country.
Meanwhile, commanders of Nato operations in Libya believe forces loyal to ousted leader Muammar Gaddafi are on the verge of defeat in Sirte, a key milestone for ending alliance military operations.
The commanders' assessment was delivered to US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta, who was visiting the US Navy base at Naples, Italy, that serves as headquarters for the 6th Fleet. He was briefed on the status of air and sea operations aimed at protecting Libyan civilians from attacks by Gaddafi loyalists, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Commanders told Panetta in closed-door sessions that Gaddafi, whose exact whereabouts are unknown, effectively has no nationwide command and control over militias who support him, the official said.
Gaddafi loyalists in the city of Sirte, the last major concentration of resistance to Libya's new rulers, are likely to be defeated within days or weeks, the official said.
The defeat of Gaddafi supporters in Sirte is a key milestone in deciding when to end Nato's Operation Unified Protector, which includes a no-fly zone, air strikes against forces attacking civilians and a maritime arms embargo.
"Everyone understands that this is entering a new phase in the near future," the defence official said.
Panetta on Thursday cited several factors being weighed as NATO leaders decide when to end their UN-sanctioned operations in Libya.
In addition to the defeat of Gaddafi loyalists in Sirte, they included an assessment of whether Libyan civilians faced any additional threats and whether the ruling Transitional National Council could provide security and governance.
Commanders told Panetta the TNC was improving in its ability to provide security and governance but still needed to take additional steps to ensure it can provide security in the long term, the defence official said.