The United Nations on Wednesday raised its aid funding appeal to $407.8 million from $310 million to help over two million people affected by the Libyan conflict.

The sum would extend aid to September 2011, and would help 1.6 million people within Libya, as well as 500,000 others who have fled the country.

Russia on Tuesday hosted an envoy of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, telling Tripoli to obey a U.N. resolution on Libya as Moscow seeks to position itself as a mediator in the conflict.

The visit to Moscow by Mouhammad Ahmed al-Sharif, general secretary of the World Islamic Call Society, the Libya-based group founded by Gadhafi, comes as Russia is also preparing to hold talks with rebels fighting the regime.

The Arab League has asked satellite operator Arabsat -- which it owns -- to stop transmitting Libyan state-owned channels, the 22-member bloc said in a statement distributed on Monday.

The Arab League's council of ministers "has requested the Arab Satellite Communications Organization to halt the transmission of the Libyan Jamahiriya channel and all television channels affiliated with the Libyan authorities, in compliance with U.N. Security Council Resolution 1973," it said.

NATO on Monday carried out fresh air raids east of Libya's capital, destroying a radar base, residents in the neighborhood and JANA state news agency reported.

A radar station in the heart of a residential area was destroyed in Tajura, residents of the eastern suburb told Agence France Presse, adding they heard three loud explosions and blasts further to the east.

The U.N. war crimes court's chief prosecutor said Monday he would seek arrest warrants against Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, his son Saif al-Islam and his intelligence head for crimes against humanity.

"Today, the office of the prosecutor requested the International Criminal Court (issue) arrest warrants," Luis Moreno-Ocampo said at a press conference in The Hague, where the International Criminal Court is based.

Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini drew a distinction between Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Libyan leader Moammer Gadhafi, saying Assad had proposed reforms and played a strong diplomatic role.

"Assad made promises for reforms that he didn't keep. Gadhafi never promised reforms," Frattini said in an interview with Corriere della Sera daily.

A NATO bombing blitz, which the alliance insisted was not aimed at Moammer Gadhafi, rocked Tripoli on Tuesday, as rebels in besieged Misrata claimed to be pushing back the Libyan strongman's forces.

The United Nations, meanwhile, said the offensive launched by Gadhafi's forces was paralyzing the oil-rich nation and causing the population to suffer widespread shortages of essential goods.

France has ordered 14 people who served as Libyan diplomats under Moammer Gadhafi's regime to leave the country within two days, the French foreign ministry said on Friday.

"France has declared persona non grata 14 Libyan ex-diplomats posted in France," the ministry said in a statement, indicating that Paris no longer recognized their diplomatic status.

A ceasefire in the Libyan conflict could be reached within weeks, Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said Thursday following a meeting of the international contact group on Libya.

"A few weeks is a realistic period" to secure a truce, Frattini said on Radio Uno in reply to a question.

Libyan leader Moammer Gadhafi’s forces pounded the lifeline port of Misrata with deadly fire on Wednesday, as the International Criminal Court said his regime was still carrying out crimes against humanity, Agence France Presse reported.

A rebel spokesman said at least five people were killed as loyalists shelled Misrata port, from which an International Organization of Migration ship managed to evacuate about 800 people, including stranded migrants and wounded.