UN IMPOSES SANCTIONS AGAINST LIBYA

UNITED NATION - The UN Security Council has voted unanimously to impose sanctions on Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, his five adult children and top associates.
Voting after a day of discussions interrupted at times for consultations with home capitals council members agreed on Saturday to impose an arms embargo, freeze the assets of Gadhafi, his four sons and one daughter, and to ban travel by the whole family plus 10 close associates.

• The day was consumed mainly with haggling behind closed doors over language to refer Libya's violent crackdown on protesters to the International Criminal Court for investigation of possible crimes against humanity.
• All 15 nations on the council ultimately approved referring the case to the permanent war crimes tribunal. The vote came hours after U.S. President Barack Obama said Gadhafi must leave now.
• Obama made the comments to German Chancellor Angela Merkel in a private telephone conversation Saturday as they discussed the violence in Libya. The White House says Obama told Merkel that when a leader's only means of holding power is to use violence against his people, then he has lost the legitimacy to rule and needs to do what's right for his country by "leaving now."
  

The comments mark the first time that Obama has called on Gadhafi to step down. The Libyan leader has launched a violent crackdown against protesters demanding his ouster and has vowed a bloody fight to the end.

Source: CBC