LIBYA

This article originally appeared in The Times, The Washington Post and Le Figaro

US President Barack Obama has joined with his counterparts in Britain and France, David Cameron and Nicholas Sarkozy, to pledge that the battle in Libya will persist until Moammar Gaddafi is removed from power.

Embattled Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's daughter Aisha Gaddafi made a rare public appearance in capital Tripoli to rally support for her father, saying the talk about Gaddafi stepping down is an insult to all Libyans. Gaddafi is not in Libya but in the hearts of Libyans, she said.

Moussa Koussa, the former Libyan foreign minister who defected to Britain and is now attending the peace summit in Qatar, might decide not to return to the UK, European and Arab diplomats have suggested.

U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton has advocated that NATO uphold unity in its resolve to pressure Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi into stepping down.

The European Union (EU) said it has lifted sanctions against Moussa Koussa, the most prominent member of Moammar Gaddafi’s regime to have defected.

NATO foreign ministers will review the Libyan situation on Thursday, more than two weeks after the western military bloc took command of air strikes on pro-Gaddafi military bastions in strife-torn Libya.

However, one the most bizarre and unlikely “partners in crime” with Gaddafi was probably Nick Griffin, the British ultra-nationalist who is now the head of the British National Party (BNP),

For the first time in history, private investor [Gold] holdings now exceed official-sector holdings, said Philip Klapwijk - executive chairman of precious-metals consultancy GFMS - at a presentation in London's Canary Wharf today, commenting on last year's strong physical Gold Investment demand.

The international “contact group” that is meeting in Qatar to discuss the crisis in Libya has agreed to establish a temporary “trust fund” that will be used to move financial assistance to rebel groups seeking to topple Moammar Gaddafi.

Libyan students are using mobile phones, an amateur video camera and YouTube to offer a glimpse of the war in the besieged city of Misrata where journalists are prevented from reporting freely.

The British Foreign Secretary William Hague has proposed the establishment of an international fund to assist opposition groups in Libya seeking to topple Moammar Gaddafi.

Government officials from around the world have gathered in Doha, Qatar for a summit on finding a resolution to the crisis in Libya after weeks of deadly fighting and fears of a military deadlock.

A cell phone network called Free Libyana, brain child of a Libyan-American telecom executive Ousama Abushagur, is allowing rebels to communicate using a hijacked portion of the Libyana network.

Stock index futures rose on Wednesday, rebounding from the previous day's decline, after results from JPMorgan Chase beat expectations and spurred bets that other bank earnings will be strong.

Oil crept back above $121 on Wednesday, partly reversing a deep sell-off as foreign ministers met for talks on Libya's future and the market awaited U.S. inventory data for possible signs of demand attrition.

World stocks put in modest gains on Wednesday after recent declines, while oil prices also rebounded as investors sought fresh opportunities to bet on risky assets.

Brent crude rebounded to above $122 on Wednesday, halting a two-day decline, on fears that the Libya conflict could settle into a bloody stalemate, while a sudden disruption in Kuwaiti oil exports boosted sentiment.

SINGAPORE The yen weakened and Asian stocks headed higher on Wednesday, with investors looking for fresh opportunities to bet on risky assets after a sharp drop in oil the previous day caused an unwinding of positions.

Brent crude rose above $121 on Wednesday, halting a two-day decline, as traders focused on the stalemate in Libya and a sharp fall in U.S. gasoline stocks ahead of peak demand season, while global agencies warned high prices could erode demand.

Former Libyan strongman Moussa Koussa, who is strongly believed to have played a role in the infamous Lockerbie bombing, was allowed to leave London on Tuesday. Britain's coalition government has been accused of offering a transit lounge for alleged war criminals after a foreign office spokesperson said Koussa was free to come and go.