Torrential rains kill 18 across Pakistan

The incessant rain of three days caused destruction in interior Sindh and destroyed standing crops. Several villages were inundated and cut off from other areas. Three killed in a roof collapsed in Shikarpur. In various accidents during rain one man each was killed in Badin, Ghotki, Nosheroferoz, Matyari, Moro and Hala. Rain flooded many areas in Dadu district. In Badin, 400 millimetre of rain submerged many areas and land link of the district was also disconnected. The hour long rain in Hyderabad turned the city roads into the brooks and streams. The situation is not different in other areas of Sindh where rains have disrupted life. Two men in Lasbela and one in Loralai districts of Balochistan were killed in rain related incident. People are starting evacuation from Nasirabad where rain has seized the cycle of life. It is feared that lower areas in Sibbi district can be sunk if rain continues. Two people were also reported to be dead in rain related incidents in Punjab.

Gaddafi calls for guerrilla war against rebels

Libya s fallen leader Moamer Gaddafi called for a guerrilla war against rebel forces who have seized control of the country, in audio tapes aired on an Arab satellite television. "Prepare yourselves for a gang and guerrilla war, for urban warfare and popular resistance in every town ... to defeat the enemy everywhere," he said in a second message of the day that could not be immediately authenticated. "The aim is to kill the enemy wherever he may be, whether he be Libyan or foreign," Gaddafi, himself a revolutionary who led a 1969 coup against the country s monarchy, said on the 42nd anniversary of his takeover. "We will never allow our (oil) wells and our ports to be under their (the West s) control. Our resistance will expand," vowed the 69-year-old colonel. Earlier, in a less calm voice likewise broadcast on the pro-Gaddafi, Arab television Arrai Oruba which is based in Syria, Gaddafi reiterated he would not surrender and was prepared for "a long battle" even if Libya burns. He urged his supporters to keep up their resistance to the insurgency which has forced him into hiding, as a major conference opened in Paris on aiding the rebel National Transitional Council to set up a new administration. "Even if you cannot hear my voice, continue the resistance ... We will not surrender. We are not women and we are going to keep on fighting," he said. "If they want a long battle, let it be long. If Libya burns, who can govern it? So let it burn," Gaddafi added in the message sent from an undisclosed location. A senior rebel leader dismissed the statements as a reflection of Gaddafi s "despair" at the success of the insurgency. "Gaddafi s speech is a sign of misery and despair," Ahmed Darrat, who is overseeing the interior ministry for the rebels until a new government is elected, told AFP in Tripoli. Gaddafi claimed there were splits between NATO, "the alliance of aggression" whose warplanes have paved the way for the insurgents  advance, and the rebels, "its agents."

World Powers Line Up Behind Libya’s Provisional Government

World powers have pledged to give Libya's provisional authority billions of dollars in financial and humanitarian support. They announced the assistance plans on Thursday at the end of a Paris conference that included representatives of 60 nations and Libya's National Transitional Council . U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told delegates that the U.N. should move to ease restrictions on Libyan assets. She also said the United States had transferred $700 million of the $1.5 billion in assets that were unfrozen for Libya last week. The U.S., the Netherlands and France have vowed to unfreeze nearly $5 billion in funds withheld from Moammar Gadhafi's government as it fought rebels seeking to end his 42-year rule. Also Thursday, the European Union announced it was lifting sanctions on 28 Libyan entities, including ports, banks and energy companies. U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon said the meeting focused on the urgent needs and priorities presented by the NTC. He said the U.N. would deploy a civilian mission to Libya as soon as possible. British Prime Minister David Cameron said NATO would continue its operations in Libya for as long as needed. He also urged the country's provisional leaders to pursue an inclusive, democratic transition. NTC leader Mustafa Abdel Jalil pledged to pursue stability and security. Meanwhile, Mr. Gadhafi delivered a defiant message from an undisclosed location. He said his forces would not surrender and would ultimately be rewarded with victory. His audio statement was carried by Arabic television stations. Libya's provisional authorities on Thursday gave pro-Gadhafi fighters in his hometown of Sirte an additional week to surrender. The NTC originally set a Saturday deadline and said it would resort to military action if the deadline was not met. But NTC officials said there has been progress in negotiations with holdouts in Sirte.