Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft, says Steve Jobs is ‘monomaniacal’ and describes Google duo’s ‘elbows and claws’ Paul Allen, the billionaire co-founder of Microsoft, has lashed out at internet rivals such as Apple and described Google as “evil”. After his views on his co-founder, Bill Gates, emerged last month w hen extracts from his memoirs were published in the US , Allen is now focusing on his rivals. He describes Steve Jobs, the boss of Apple who is on medical leave, as “monomaniacal”. In an interview with the Sunday Times, Allen criticises Sergey Brin and Larry Page, the co-founders of Google, for their corporate mission statement: “Don’t be evil”. Allen talked about their “elbows and claws” in their pursuit for growth. “I chuckle when I see people pushing the boundaries all the time of what they can do to monetise things, capture things – and then say, we’re not evil, as if their default is not to push the boundaries,” Allen said. “If your default is to push the boundaries, to just go for it, and then see if you get pushed back, then don’t say you’re not evil,” he added. Google was criticised after it emerged that while it was gathering the images for its Street View site, it was also collecting information on email addresses and passwords. In his autobiography, Idea Man, Allen describes how he and Gates were inseparable at school in Seattle but their relationship later soured and he describes Gates as a sarcastic bully who tried to force him out of the company. Allen describes how Gates brought in Steve Ballmer, the current boss, and how after returning from fighting Hodgkin’s lymphoma he heard the pair trying to reduce his influence – and confronted them about their intentions. It sparked Allen’s resignation and he refused an offer to buy him out for $5 a share – a sensible move given the share price is now $25 and his fortune is estimated at $13bn. Microsoft Computing Internet Apple Google Steve Jobs Sergey Brin Larry Page Jill Treanor guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft, says Steve Jobs is ‘monomaniacal’ and describes Google duo’s ‘elbows and claws’ Paul Allen, the billionaire co-founder of Microsoft, has lashed out at internet rivals such as Apple and described Google as “evil”. After his views on his co-founder, Bill Gates, emerged last month w hen extracts from his memoirs were published in the US , Allen is now focusing on his rivals. He describes Steve Jobs, the boss of Apple who is on medical leave, as “monomaniacal”. In an interview with the Sunday Times, Allen criticises Sergey Brin and Larry Page, the co-founders of Google, for their corporate mission statement: “Don’t be evil”. Allen talked about their “elbows and claws” in their pursuit for growth. “I chuckle when I see people pushing the boundaries all the time of what they can do to monetise things, capture things – and then say, we’re not evil, as if their default is not to push the boundaries,” Allen said. “If your default is to push the boundaries, to just go for it, and then see if you get pushed back, then don’t say you’re not evil,” he added. Google was criticised after it emerged that while it was gathering the images for its Street View site, it was also collecting information on email addresses and passwords. In his autobiography, Idea Man, Allen describes how he and Gates were inseparable at school in Seattle but their relationship later soured and he describes Gates as a sarcastic bully who tried to force him out of the company. Allen describes how Gates brought in Steve Ballmer, the current boss, and how after returning from fighting Hodgkin’s lymphoma he heard the pair trying to reduce his influence – and confronted them about their intentions. It sparked Allen’s resignation and he refused an offer to buy him out for $5 a share – a sensible move given the share price is now $25 and his fortune is estimated at $13bn. Microsoft Computing Internet Apple Google Steve Jobs Sergey Brin Larry Page Jill Treanor guardian.co.uk
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More than 100,000 people reported to have made the trip to south coast beaches amid high weekend temperatures The UK basked in its hottest weather of the year so far this weekend, with forecasters predicting that this April could be the warmest on record. The Met Office said Wisley, in Surrey, peaked at 27.8C on Saturday, although the temperatures are expected to cool during the week. Despite the expected retreat towards more normal April temperatures by the time of the royal wedding on Friday, a spokesman for MeteoGroup said it was “quite likely” the month would go down as the warmest April on record. Temperatures on Saturday were the highest since 20 July last year, Rebekah Sherwin, a forecaster at the Met Office, said. “It’s quite unusual for this time of year,” Sherwin said. “Obviously its not unusual to get some warm temperatures in April, but this is a good 10 degrees plus above average for what we’d normally expect around this time of year.” Sherwin said temperatures at the end of April would normally be at a maximum of around 15C in London. On Saturday, St James’s Park recorded temperatures of 27.1C, while on Sunday the temperature in the capital was around 25C. Wisley was the hottest location in the UK over the weekend – much higher than the usual average of 13.3C. More than 100,000 people were reported to have made the trip to south coast beaches over the weekend, with tourism bosses in Bournemouth reporting that 90,000 ice creams were sold. Beaches were also packed as families made the most of the sunshine in Swanage, Dorset, and in Blackpool, Lancashire. Visit England estimated that, over the next 10 days, some 10.3 million Britons are planning to take a break including at least one night’s stay away from home. Paul Knightley, a senior forecaster at Meteogroup, said: “It’s been a remarkable spell of warm weather for this early in the season. The previous warmest April came in 2007, and Knightley said: “It would have to get quite cool during the last few days of the month to pull the average temperature down enough [for it] to not be the warmest April on record.” On Sunday, temperatures were around 25C in London and in the low to mid-20s across much of southern England, Sherwin said, with cooler weather in Scotland and the north of England. In the capital, thousands took to Primrose Hill and Hyde Park to soak up the sun. Many workers are believed to have taken advantage of the so-called “magic three days” by booking Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday off work this week, ensuring a 10-day holiday. But temperatures are expected to drop from Monday, and Sherwin said: “We’re looking at a general downward trend in temperatures. “[Monday] will probably be down at around 21-22C in London – so still very warm really compared to normal temperatures – and it will be mainly sunny again in the south-east. “But beyond that I think we’re generally looking at down towards the high teens by the middle of the week.” Sherwin said an easterly wind would make it feel cooler and provide the prospect of some rain, particularly in the north of England and in Scotland. Neither Sherwin nor Knightley would be drawn on the prospect of April’s sunny weather continuing into the summer, although Knightley had a warning for those getting too used to the sun. “There are at least some indications in the past that warm dry Aprils have been followed by reasonably wet summers,” he said. “In 2007, the summer was awful. We had floods in Sheffield and Hull in June and then, of course, the massive southern England floods in July.” Weather Adam Gabbatt guardian.co.uk
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Arsenal’s journey towards the title has turned down its final cul-de-sac. Arsène Wenger’s side are nine points adrift with only four games remaining after being undone here by an 90th-minute goal from Tamir Cohen. The Bolton substitute flashed a header beyond Wojciech Szczesny from Matt Taylor’s corner and Wenger turned away in anguish to hurl a water bottle to the ground in frustration. Arsenal had contributed to a game of rich entertainment but here, too, was a telling demonstration of the flaws that have brought them to the brink of a sixth successive year without a trophy. In attack they were beguiling; defensively, they were bewildering. Their football was slick, penetrative and frequently thrilling, culminating in an onslaught on the Bolton goal before Cohen’s goal. Yet there were times, particularly in the first half, when Bolton sliced them open far too easily. Daniel Sturridge opened the scoring in the 38th minute, his seventh goal in nine appearances since joining on loan from Chelsea, and Bolton could also reflect on Szczesny keeping out Kevin Davies’s penalty two minutes into the second half. A minute later Robin van Persie exchanged passes with Cesc Fábregas before driving his shot past Jussi Jaaskelainen for the equaliser. Arsenal were then thwarted by Jaaskelainen’s goalkeeping, some last-ditch defending, their own poor finishing and some over-elaborate buildup. In many ways it was a performance that symbolised Arsenal’s season – and Cohen made them pay with a late, decisive blow. Premier League Bolton Wanderers Arsenal Daniel Taylor guardian.co.uk
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Leader of the Catholic church in Scotland says Christianity is being marginalised as PM invites churchmen to Downing Street The leader of the Catholic church in Scotland has used his Easter address to attack “aggressive secularism”, suggesting there were “those who would indeed try to destroy our Christian heritage and culture and take God from the public square”. He made the address as David Cameron publicly endorsed the “enormous contribution” of Christian values to Britain, days before he welcomes senior churchmen to Downing Street for an Easter celebration. Cardinal Keith O’Brien, archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh, who is known for his outspoken views, eschewed traditional Easter themes of resurrection and hope and instead set his sights firmly on the “marginalisation” of Christianity in the UK. He told the congregation at St Mary’s Cathedral; “Christians must be united in their common awareness of the enemies of the Christian faith in our country, of the power that they are at present exerting, and the need for us to be aware of that right to equality which so many others cry out for.” His homily included instances where Christians had fallen foul of equality legislation, preventing discrimination against gay people, and swiftly drew fire from groups campaigning against religious privilege in public life. Keith Porteous-Wood, from the National Secular Society, said religious leaders were becoming “increasingly paranoid by the mass exodus from their churches” and were blaming the “bogeyman of secularism” rather than their own “narrowmindedness and bigotry”. In his Easter message the prime minister said: “Jesus taught us to love God and love our neighbour. He led by example and for millions of us his teachings are as relevant now as they were in his lifetime. As we share in this festival with our friends and family, we can all be reminded of the enormous contribution Christianity has made to our country.” Wednesday’s No 10 meeting – which embraces various denominations – will be seen as an endorsement of Britain’s Christian heritage and identity amid a perceived climate of anti-religious sentiment. It is the most explicit outreach to Christian groups in Britain by a government in recent times. Prior state-led engagement with religion has focused almost exclusively on Muslims and the Islamic faith. Baroness Warsi is one of several cabinet figures wooing church leaders. Earlier this month she was the keynote speaker at a Roman Catholic conference addressing the issue of social responsibility, while last year she unequivocally told Anglican bishops that, unlike the previous administration, the coalition did “do God”. Andrew Copson, from the British Humanist Association, described O’Brien’s remarks as “ill-informed” and “alarmist” and accused him of sectarianism. He said: “What these attacks ignore is that campaigners for secularism in our public life are overwhelmingly motivated, not by anti-religious prejudice, but by a positive desire for equality and an equitable public sphere. “These alarmist speeches, designed to stir up the faithful and foster a false narrative of persecution, are divisive and sectarian.” Such attacks “obscured” the reality of the situation, he said. “The churches are seeking to defend a level of influence and privilege totally out of proportion to their significance,” Copson added. The plight of British Christians – and the sidelining of their faith – also figured in the Easter Sunday homily of the Roman Catholic archbishop of Westminster. The Most Rev Vincent Nichols stepped into the debate on assisted suicide. He told his congregation that the “light of faith” gave meaning to their lives and that those without it risked ending their lives – or even the lives of others. “Without this faith so much is missing from life. Without such faith we can become afraid of living. Indeed, in pain and loneliness, or in even the prospect of pain and loneliness, life, for some, loses its purpose and killing oneself or a loved one becomes a beguiling temptation. “Those who belittle faith and ridicule the things we cherish do so from a distance, with little understanding of the true reality of a relationship with the Lord. We know better because we live these truths of faith.” A spokesman for Dignity in Dying Dignity in Dying said “a clear majority” of religious people supported a change in the law on assisted dying – 71% according to the 2010 British Attitudes Survey. Christianity Catholicism Religion David Cameron Conservatives Riazat Butt guardian.co.uk
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Guiseppe and Caterina Massaro, aged 80 and 77, were found by relative in bedroom in ransacked house in Wolverhampton Detectives in the West Midlands have launched a double murder investigation after an elderly couple were discovered dead in their bedroom over the Easter weekend. Guiseppe and Caterina Massaro, aged 80 and 77, were found by a relative in their bedroom in their ransacked home in Wolverhampton on Friday night. The couple, originally from Italy, had moved to England in 1960. Post mortem examinations have been carried, but there was no immediate indication as to how the couple had died. They were said to have been found on their bed, but there were no signs of blood or of them having put up any resistance. In a tribute released through West Midlands police, the Massaro family said they could not “begin to grasp the evil” that had taken place. It said: “Words cannot describe the devastation that has struck our family after discovering our beloved grandparents hurt by the hands of someone else. We cannot even begin to grasp the evil that took place in their home, and how frightened they would have been. “An entire generation was taken away from us that day, and we cannot comprehend how something could go this far. “We only hope this devastation can save the lives of many other people by being aware that tragedy can strike at any time, so all we can do is be more vigilant towards our neighbours and the entire community. “Their lives will be sadly missed, and this has severely affected our family and a lot of our friends.” The couple had two children and a number of grandchildren. One grand-daughter, Lindsey Booth, 22, told the Sunday Mercury it was clear that the couple’s home had been burgled. “When I got upstairs, I opened their bedroom door and saw my grandad lying still on top of the mattress,” she said. “I screamed to my mum to stay downstairs and walked over to touch the body, and it was cold and clearly dead. “That’s when I noticed my gran lying next to him … her body had been covered by the duvet. They were both still in their day clothes, and I didn’t see any blood or signs that there had been a struggle.” Neighbours paid tribute to the couple, and bunches of flowers were left near their home. One card read: “In loving memory of Cath and Joe. Great neighbours, will be sadly missed, never forgotten.” One local, Sarah Roberts, 61, said: “I only spoke to them a couple of days ago, and he wished me well. Another, 46-year-old Justin Greenwood, said: “They were always out and about, they seemed to live outside, maybe a continental way of life.” Detectives are trying to track the movements of the couple’s black Peugeot 307, which went missing from outside their house and was later found in nearby Wednesfield. The car is thought to have some distinctive features, including an orange fir tree air freshener hanging from the rear view mirror and a sticker of the Virgin Mary on the windscreen. Superintendent Mark Payne, from the Wolverhampton local policing unit, said: “We have had a really positive response so far from the people of Wolverhampton. “I am still appealing to anyone who may have seen this car, or seen people coming or going from this address on Thursday or Friday. “Tragedies like this are extremely rare but have enormous impact. Local people hold the key to finding who is responsible for this terrible tragedy.” Crime Owen Bowcott guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Four women and a 14-year-old girl were found brutally murdered, with their throats slashed, in the Mexican beach resort of Acapulco yesterday, reports Reuters . All were connected to a local beauty parlor, although police say they don’t have a motive yet. Three were found stripped and bound in the parlor,…
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Air pollution is such in London that drastic measures would be required before ‘greenest ever Games’ to avoid £175m fine • Toxic waste clean-up on Olympic site cost taxpayers £12.7m Britain could be fined up to £175m by the International Olympic Committee if it continues to break air pollution laws by the time the Games begin next August. The prospect of the air pollution penalty is becoming a major source of embarrassment to the government and Olympic organisers who set a goal of making the Games ” the greenest ever ” but have already watered down green measures planned for the event. To meet the legally binding agreement, London may have to reduce traffic levels by more than 30% over a period of nearly a month, raising the possibility of draconian measures such as banning cars with number plates ending in odd and even numbers on alternate days. Under the non-negotiable host city contract with the IOC – signed by the government and the mayor of London in 2005 – the IOC can withhold 25% of the expected £700m broadcasting income generated from the Games should air quality levels exceed EU limits during the games. The contract has been given a temporary extension until later this year by the EU for the reduction of levels of small particulate matter (PM10), but has so far failed to find a way to do so and London risks a £300m fine from the European commission later this year. London is one of the most polluted cities in Europe, with official studies showing that air pollution – mainly from traffic – causes more premature deaths than passive smoking and traffic accidents combined, at a cost of about £2bn a year. According to the Olympic Delivery Authority’s Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), published this week, the expected increases in traffic along the Olympic route network of 600km of London roads during the Games will lead to further breaches of European legal limits in areas that already suffer from poor air quality. Even a 30% reduction in normal traffic during the period of the Olympics may not be enough to bring emissions below the legal limit, it said. Lawyers said London now has few options left beyond actions such as imposing an odd and even number plate ban throughout the city to enable endurance events, such as the marathon, to take place. At the last Olympic Games, in 2008, Beijing had to ban more than 1m cars and close factories. “The SEA shows that there is a real risk that the Games will result in air quality laws being broken in London in 2012,” Alan Andrews, a lawyer with the legal group Client Earth , said. “By failing to take this risk seriously, the government and the mayor are painting themselves into a corner. If air quality limits look like being broken, it’s difficult to see what they will be able to do other than impose draconian bans like those used during Beijing 2008. “Plans need to be put in place now that will ban only the most polluting vehicles from inner London in time for the Games.” “The mayor should be banning all the oldest diesel vehicles from inner London,” Simon Birkett , the director of the Campaign for Clean Air in London , said. The commitments on air quality contained in the contract with the IOC apply in particular to those days when endurance events such as the marathon, the triathlon and the cycling road race take place. Officials had hoped that reduced traffic during the August holiday season, plus pleas to the public and businesses to change their habits for the duration of the Games, would help reduce pollution. “It is clearly a problem. It’s not London 2012′s responsibility, or in its gift to solve it, but it is clearly a problem,” Shaun McCarthy, the chair of the Commission for a Sustainable London 2012 , an independent body advising the Mayor of London and the Olympics minister, said. The green impact the Olympics would have here and abroad was a central component of London’s winning bid over other cities such as Paris. It was intended that the infrastructure and built environment of the Games “will be designed to take account of the potential impacts of climate change and will set new standards for sustainable production, consumption and recycling of natural resources. There will also be significant long-term benefits in terms of projects, applications of green technologies”. But some promises have already apparently been broken and compromises made. A pledge to generate 20% of energy on site, mainly from a wind turbine in the Olympic park, has been abandoned and, at most, 9% of energy on site will be from renewables. Plans to create a zero-waste Games, with all on-site waste recycled, have been reduced, and the athletes’ village will be smaller and less green than hoped. “This is a terrible admission of defeat on air pollution and contradicts all the mayor’s promises about the ‘greenest games ever’,” Darren Johnson , a London assembly Green party member, said. “Failing to deliver modest energy and waste targets on a seven-year project with billions from the public purse just shows what a mess our mayors of London and the government have made of environmental policy. “The organisers have failed on many of the promises. They are a long way short of the inspirational revolution in environmental policy we were promised.” said Darren Johnson , London assembly Green party member. The ODA head of sustainability, Richard Jackson, said: “The Olympic park has set new standards. With the exception of the 20% renewables target, we are on track to meet all sustainability targets.” A spokesperson for Transport for London said: “We have a comprehensive package of long-term measures to tackle the biggest sources of pollution and improve air quality.” The panel’s pledges … and the reality Air quality Pledge: London signed up to the Olympic host contract which specifies that the city must meet international pollution laws. Reality: Olympic route will impact heavily on air quality making London more likely to breach laws unless it bans 30% of all cars. Construction Pledge: 90% of demolition materials to be reused or recycled, half of all materials to be brought in by rail and local waterways and at least 20% of recycled material to be used to build permanent venues and the Olympic village. Reality: 95% of the buildings and infrastructure on the Olympic site was crushed and melted, but only around 1% reused. £20m was spent restoring a canal to ship 12,000 tonnes of waste and building materials a week, but only 3,000 tonnes were shipped on them in the first two years. Athletes’ village Pledge: To make the village of 8,000+ homes energy self-sufficient. Reality: Numbers reduced to 4,700 and homes built to Level 4 – good for UK but not the best possible. Waste Pledge: To achieve a ‘zero-waste’ games by reducing waste, recycling and sending nothing to landfill. Reality: Plans watered down. Some food waste to be sent to landfill in Bedfordshire, 30% to be incinerated. No catalysation of nearby authorities to improve waste policies. Energy use Pledge: To generate 20% of energy on site from renewables. Reality: The Olympic park to only produce 9% of its post-games energy from renewables. About 1,000 homes in surrounding areas to be insulated. Plans for wind turbines in Hackney and at Eton manor abandoned. Olympic flame Pledge: A low-carbon Olympic flame and torch. Reality: EDF energy announcement expected soon. Decontamination Pledge: The site was heavily contaminated and 2.5sq km of contaminated land and 1.4m tonnes of soil had to be cleaned or remediated. Reality: Independent assessors argue that more than 7,000 tonnes of radioactively contaminated material dumped in a former landfill site has been buried. Wildlife/Park Pledge: To create Europe’s largest urban park. Reality: 300,000 wetland plants grown in Norfolk and Wales. Almost 2,000 newts and hundreds of toads plucked from the site’s wetlands and waterways. But anger in Greenwich where hundreds of trees will be affected, and the park closed for several months. Future problems could include erosion of park to make way for more housing. Food Pledge: To serve “the best of British” food. Reality: Cadbury, McDonald’s and Coca-Cola are the main sponsors, but millions of meals will be prepared by caterers. Hopes that all food would be organic, British and Fairtrade have been watered down. Dutch brewer Heineken have “pouring rights”, which means no branded British ale will be sold on the 40 sites. Carbon footprint Pledge: To encourage visitors to come by train. Reality: Event tickets to include London Underground travelcard. Pollution Olympic Games 2012 International Olympic Committee Green politics London John Vidal Owen Gibson guardian.co.uk
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Troops loyal to Gaddafi renew bombardment despite statement that tribal leaders would be given 48 hours to broker resolution Forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi pounded Misrata on Sunday, hours after the Libyan government claimed its troops had pulled back from the besieged city to let tribal leaders try to negotiate a political resolution, or unleash a “bloody” assault. Using multi-barrelled rocket launchers and tanks positioned at the edge of Misrata, loyalist troops fired hundreds of missiles at the city. At least six people, most of them civilians, were pronounced dead at the main hospital by midday. Dozens of injured were also treated. “There has been a lot of shelling,” said Anas Rajab, a doctor. “It looks like today will be another crisis day.” As the attacks continued, Mustafa Abdel Jalil, head of the Libyan rebel national council, said that Kuwait is to contribute 50m Kuwaiti dinars (£109.9m) to Libya’s rebel council. The renewed bombardment contradicted a claim by Libya’s deputy foreign minister, Khaled Kaim, that “armed forces have ceased operations”. The move, he said, was to give a 48-hour window for tribal leaders from the region south of Misrata to negotiate with the rebels over access to the port. If no deal could be reached by Monday night, the deadline, the tribes would launch a military assault to “liberate” the city, Kaim said. Tribal leaders have not confirmed any intervention, and rebel leaders in Misrata are sceptical about the government’s statements. But Kaim said early on Sunday that the tribes were “trying to get in contact with the rebels”. The government’s assertion that tribal leaders are ready to intervene politically and militarily may be an attempt to pressure rebels after the killing and capture of government troops, and to deflect attention from rebel gains. Many rebels expect Gaddafi to make another strong attempt to take the city, but they dismiss claims that the tribes will be sent in instead of soldiers. Ahmed Mohamed Said, a computer engineer turned rebel, said it was ruse to make the conflict look like civil war, rather than a government turning on its own people, and thus prevent Nato from assisting the rebels from the air. “Gaddafi wants it to look like brothers are fighting brothers,” he said. “That will never happen.” Gaddafi’s forces have faced setbacks in Misrata and the western mountain region, close to the Tunisian border. And Kaim acknowledged that loyalist troops had failed to take control of the port city after two months of siege. He said: “The tactic of the army was to have a surgical strike but, with the [Nato] air strikes, that doesn’t work.” He added: “The leaders of the tribes decided to do something to bring normal life back [to the city]. Their main demand is that foreign fighters leave the town or surrender themselves to the army.” The regime maintains that rebels fighting in Misrata and the east of the country are being driven by al-Qaida and Hezbollah militants – a claim rejected by the opposition. Kaim said the tribal leaders want to reopen access to the port, which has been under the control of rebel forces since the siege began. The port served all Libyans, he said, but was of particular interest to tribes south of Misrata. “The leaders of the tribes are determined to find a solution to this problem within 48 hours,” he added. “The other option is military intervention.” He claimed the six tribes in the region could muster a force of 60,000 men to “liberate” the city. Any assault by the tribal forces would be ruthless, he claimed. “The tribal leaders are pushing to intervene militarily,” he said. “We have to do our utmost to stop this. If the tribes move into the city, it will be very bloody and I hope to God we will avoid this.” On the ground, the rebels expanded on their gains of recent days. They said a large hospital under renovation in the city centre, which was used by Gaddafi’s forces as a base, is now clear. A small number of government troops appeared still to be hiding out in residential buildings and gun battles could be heard around the city. But most of the government forces and heavy weaponry remain concentrated beyond Misrata’s southern highway. In areas recaptured by rebels over the past two days, there is evidence of a crushing battlefield defeat of government forces. In the city’s main vegetable market, a large covered area open on the sides, there are six destroyed tanks and a burning petrol tanker. Thousands of machine gun shells litter the ground, along with several cases used to carry mortar bombs. Most of the buildings nearby are badly damaged or destroyed by gunfire or shells. Further south, near the technical college that was the scene of fierce fighting on Saturday, two large houses that had been occupied by Gaddafi’s troops for a fortnight were black with smoke. At least 16 government soldiers were killed there, a rebel fighter said. Two charred bodies lay in the living room. On the southern highway, controlled by the government until Sunday, a tank had nosedived into a trench dug across the road by the rebels. A burnt pickup was nearby, its cargo of rocket-propelled grenade launchers smouldering next to it. Green uniforms discarded by fleeing soldiers had been flung nearby. “There was no retreat, just fighting, and we forced them back,” said Hassan Mohamed, a rebel fighter. Libya Middle East Muammar Gaddafi Arab and Middle East unrest Xan Rice Harriet Sherwood guardian.co.uk
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