Reply #55: The Guardian's summary of Libya-related developments so far today:

[pinboy3niner]

• Eight people have been killed in the western city of Misrata, after government forces bombarded the besieged city with Grad rockets again, a doctor at a local hospital told al-Jazeera. One person was reported killed in Ajdabiya, in the east of the country, when Gaddafi's forces opened fire on opposition soldiers on the western edge of the city.


• Barack Obama signalled the return of America to the forefront of the international effort in Libya. In a joint article written with David Cameron and Nicolas Sarkozy, the three leaders commit their countries to pursue military action until Muammar Gaddafi has been removed.


• Nato launched three new air strikes in and around Tripoli, striking a missile battery and two other targets, according to al-Jazeera.


• Gerard Longuet, the French defence minister, suggested that a new UN security council resolution might be needed to help curb the violence in Libya. He expected countries such as Russia and China would "drag their feet" over any new resolution, however.


• l-Qaida's deputy leader Ayman al-Zawahri has instructed Muslims in north Africa to rise up and fight Nato forces in Libya. At the same time, he said they should fight against Gaddafi's "mercenaries". Gaddafi had previously claimed the uprising against him was driven by al-Qaida.


http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/blog/2011/apr/15/libya-middle-east-uprising-live#block-25