Coalition air strikes beat back pro-Gadhafi forces
Rebels in Libya have advanced on Sirte after coalition air raids bombarded the city, a key strategic location that lies halfway between Tripoli and Benghazi, and is the hometown of Col. Moammar Gadhafi. Celebratory gunfire erupted in Benghazi after unconfirmed rumours circulated the Sirte had fallen to the rebels. Meanwhile, pro-Gadhafi forces continue to shell the western city of Misrata, where eight people were killed and 26 wounded on Sunday. Qatar has formally recognized the rebel leadership, the Transitional National Council, as the official representatives of the Libyan people, making it the first Arab nation to do so. In Tripoli, four people were arrested after a woman, Iman al Obeidi, claimed she was raped and tortured by Gadhafi supporters after being abducted from the Rixos Hotel while speaking to foreign journalists.