At a conference today in Paris, Libya's rebels are expected to present a rough sketch of what the country's transition to democracy will look like in front of representatives of about 60 countries. "A road map for a constitution and democratic elections are expected to come out of the conference, according to the diplomats, even as rebels battle forces loyal to Moammar Gadhafi," reports CNN. Among the conference's chief goals is to determine what resources rebels need to satisfy humanitarian and reconstruction needs. A State Department official tells CNN that delivering water, food, electricity and gas to citizens "will really be a key test" for the rebels. Elsewhere in rebel-related news, Russia recognized the rebel Transitional National Council today, no minor matter, given that the country is a strong ally to Muammar Qaddafi and remained critical of the NATO mission in Libya. According to The Washington Post, "Russia's recognition of the rebel council further isolates Gaddafi on the day he would have commemorated the military coup that brought him to power 42 years ago, when he was a charismatic young colonel."

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John Hudson