Rebels Fight Qadhafi with Heavy Weapons

Libya's opposition battled for military and diplomatic advantage against Moammar Qadhafi's embattled regime on Thursday, winning official recognition from France and hitting government forces with heavy weapons on the road to the capital. France became the first country to formally recognize the rebels' newly created Interim Governing Council, saying it planned to exchange ambassadors after President Nicolas Sarkozy met with two representatives of the group based in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi. Germany said it froze billions in assets of the Libyan Central Bank and other state-run agencies.