A UN Security Council vote is expected to pass any moment, with 10 of 15 votes, authorizing the set-up of a no-fly zone and other intervention powers in Libya. Targeted military strikes could begin with hours.

Two New York Times reporters and two photographers have been missing in Libya for more than 24 hours, according to the Times.

President Obama is seriously wearing on the patience of America's most war-loving war lovers, the Washington neoconservatives. Why won't Obama be reasonable and just let them have their endless War in Libya? Muammar Qaddafi is strengthening his grip and moving east, so the window of opportunity for invading another decentralized tribal country and then spending a dozen years there while alienating everyone in the region is closing. And so the neocons have banded together to write Obama a sternly worded letter asking for their war, please, now.

Libya's fledgling rebel leadership, on the defensive after blistering attacks from pro-Qaddafi forces, have added another item to their wish list from Western powers who were meeting in Paris yesterday: That someone please assassinate Brother Leader Muammar Qaddafi.

Anti-Qaddafi rebels continued to lose ground to government loyalists today, as the eastern town of Brega fell and a mass exodus began toward Benghazi. Meanwhile, the Arab League has asked the UN Security Council to impose a no-fly zone over the country.

Al Jazeera cameraman Ali Hassan al-Jaber was killed in Libya today, in what the network called an "armed ambush" on his crew. Another correspondent was wounded in the attack.

According to an Egyptian diplomat, the Arab League has thrown its support behind a no-fly zone over Libya at a meeting today in Cairo. However, it's still unclear if NATO will impose it.

Libyan rebels were pushed out of the oil town of Zawiyah today under a heavy assault by pro-Qaddafi forces on the ground and in the air. Things aren't looking too good for the rebels right now: They've lost a lot of momentum, and President Obama, though he's stuck with the "Qaddafi must go" line, has refused to offer any real support to rebel forces. All he would say in a press conference today was that when it comes to U.S. military actions, whether it's a no-fly zone or other options, you've got to balance costs versus benefits. And I don't take those decisions lightly."

President Obama's Director of National Intelligence, James Clapper, was called to testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee today, and stupidly tried to give an honest assessment of difficult foreign policy situations in response to questions asking for that. Now he's in big trouble, or at least Lindsey Graham wants him to resign.

In your painful Thursday media column: major layoffs at AOL, reporters in peril in Libya, the latest Katie Couric career rumors, anonymous commenting debated, and Newsday is new, somehow.

Today France became the first country to officially recognize Libya's rebels — under the Libyan National Council — as the legitimate government in the country. A rep for President Nicolas Sarkozy told reporters: "France recognises the National Council as the legitimate representative of the Libyan people. There will be an exchange of ambassadors between Paris and Benghazi."

Saif Qaddafi, the Western-educated sociopath child of Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi, has some guests staying in his $16 million London sex pad today, while he isn't there. Uninvited guests at that: They're activists who say they'll occupy the mansion "until this property can be returned to the Libyan people."

Looks like Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi is ready step down! But he wants to make a deal first: According to reports (none of which have been officially confirmed) in Arab media outlets, Qaddafi is looking for a guarantees of safety for himself, his family, and his rather large fortune, and rumor has it that the dictator is looking for a place to crash. But apparently the rebels aren't biting—not only have they officially rejected "broad" talks, saying that any negotiations have to start with Qaddafi agreeing to quit, but sources for al Jazeera and Reuters indicate that rebel leaders aren't prepared to let Qaddafi keep his money—and maybe not his immunity from trial, either. [Reuters; image via AP]

As deadly fighting in several Libyan cities continues, reports claim that an elite British SAS unit was captured by rebels. Meanwhile, protesters in Bahrain are stepping up pressure on the ruling elite. Here's what's happening across the Middle East.

The struggle to oust Muammar Qaddafi from power in Libyan has essentially become a civil war, and anti-government protests are showing few signs of letting up from Algeria to Iraq. Here's the latest from the Middle East and North Africa.

For the second time in two weeks, Libya has managed to cut off the country from the Internet. "It's like a post-apocalyptic scenario where the roads are there, there just isn't any traffic," explains one IT expert. [IBT via Techcrunch]

President Obama kept up the American pressure on Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi this afternoon, stating plainly, "Muammar el-Qaddafi has lost the legitimacy to lead, and he must leave." Obama has also authorized military aircraft to help evacuate refugees.

On tonight's Daily Show, Jon Stewart took a few minutes to update us on the latest Libya-related developments. Namely, Stewart focused on delusional Libyan dictator Muammar el-Qaddafi and his increasingly insane, completely nonsensical defenses for keeping himself in power.

In a televised speech today, Muammar Qaddafi compared the situation in Libya to the 1993 FBI raid in Waco, Texas, and then got snobby, saying: "I do not follow satellite TV — I read books."

Now that Libyan pro-democracy forces are taking over, Al Jazeera gets a rare peek inside one of Gaddafi's secret bunkers. Equipped with everything needed to survive a serious attack (including equipment made in the USA), the fortress suggests Gaddafi's paranoia.