Libya live blog February 28

Reporting by Karl Stagno-Navarra, Matthew Vella, Miriam Dalli and Nestor Laiviera.

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22:34 Muammar Gaddafi demonstrated today that he was "delusional", according to Susan Rice, the US ambassador to the UN, who is taking a press conference at the White House. "When he can laugh talking to international journalists, when he is slaughtering his own people, only underscores how unfit he is to lead," she said, referring to his interview with international news organisations today.

Rice also deflected questions about why it took until this week for the US administration to call for Gaddafi to go, saying: "We have taken very strong and very swift actions."

She added that the UN was dealing with a request the Gaddafi regime to the UN secretary general to withdraw recognition of Libya's diplomats at the UN who called for measures to be taken against him at the weekend.

22:33 Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi has told the BBC he is loved by all his people and has denied there have been any protests in Tripoli. He said that his people would die to protect him. Gaddafi laughed at the suggestion that he would leave Libya and said that he felt betrayed by the world leaders who had urged him to quit. 

Col Gaddafi was speaking in an interview with the BBC's Jeremy Bowen in Tripoli. The interview with Gaddafi took place in a restaurant on the seafront overlooking the port in Tripoli. He came in with his entourage, he had sunglasses on, and some kind of autumnal brown robe. He was relaxed throughout the interview. He laughed quite a bit when asked various questions. He seemed very unconcerned about foreign pressure, saying the Libyan people were behind him, the Libyan people loved him. He departed at the head of his motorcade, which consisted of dozens of vehicles. They left at high speed.

Col Gaddafi accused Western countries of abandoning Libya and said that they had no morals and wanted to colonise the country. When asked whether he would resign, he said he could not step down as he did not have an official position and insisted that the power was with the people. Col Gaddafi challenged those, including UK Prime Minister David Cameron, who have accused him of having money abroad to produce evidence. He said he would "put two fingers in their eye".

Col Gaddafi said true Libyans had not demonstrated but those who had come on to the streets were under the influence of drugs supplied by al-Qaeda. He said those people had seized weapons and that his supporters were under orders not to shoot back.

21:30 Malta will not remain idle if faced by a genocide in Libya, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi has said on television. "We respect human dignity and fundamental human rights. We hold neutrality dear, but that does not mean being neutralised, especially if there are circumstances such as a genocide," the Prime Minister said on Bondi+.

"In such circumstances we have a role to play and I am sure the people would shoulder such responsibilities to protect people's lives," he said, adding that durin Monday he held talks with his Cabinet to discuss the eventuality of using Mlatese hospitals to care for wounded. Gonzi also revealed that it was the Libyan prime minister personally who had requested the return of the two defected Libyan Mirage fighter  jets which were flown to Malta by deserting pilots. Malta has refused the request and the jet fighters are still in Malta. The Prime Minister stressed that Malta would not shelter any fugitive from Libya's war crimes.

21:06 The Pentagon is repositioning warships and planes in the waters off Libya to be ready to enforce a no-fly zone or deliver humanitarian aid, military officials said. By shifting Naval and air forces in the Mediterranean, the U.S. is preparing the groundwork for possible intervention in the civil war that has engulfed Libya. In recent days, U.S. military leaders have been planning for a range of options, in the event the White House steps up the U.S. response.

"I think it's safe to say as part of that we're repositioning forces to be able to provide for that flexibility once decisions are made...to be able to provide options and flexibility," Col. David Lapan, a Pentagon spokesman, told reporters.

21:00 10 Maltese oil workers arrived back in Malta from Libya. They flew in on a private flight operated by Medavia, the third organised in coordination with the Maltese government. Another worker arrived on board the HMS Cumberland and five are on their way back on board a Virtu Ferries catamaran.

18:22 British Prime Minister David Cameron has said he is working on plans for a no-fly zone over Libya as pressure mounts on Colonel Muammar Gaddafi to quit.  In a statement to the House of Commons, Cameron also said he has not ruled out the use of military action. He said: "We will not rule out military assets. We will not tolerate this regime using military force against its own people. This is an illegitimate regime which has lost the support of its people. To that end, I have asked the Ministry of Defence to look into the no-fly zone. Our message to Colonel Gaddafi is simple: go now," he said. Britain has meanwhile frozen Gaddafi’s assets, along with those of five of his children, and banned them from entering the country.

18:17 US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says humanitarian teams have been sent out to the Libyan borders.

18:10 Bulgaria has evacuated 41 of its nationals and nine other foreigners from Libya, as it warned that prospects for evacuation were dwindling. Bulgaria has been particularly anxious to evacuate as many of its expats from Libya as possible, remembering the fate of five Bulgarian nurses jailed for eight years in a Libyan AIDS case in Benghazi before being freed in 2007.

18:02 The UN migration agency has warned that the number of refugees fleeing the bloodshed in Libya is rising "by the hour" as it begins evacuating thousands of people. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) says it has opened two transit centres for 800 refugees at Ras Jedir on the border between Tunisia and Libya. The UN agency also said that 1,800 Egyptian refugees will be repatriated from Tunisia over the next two days on specially chartered flights.

17:53 The British broadcaster SKY TV has shown dramatic footage from the western town of Nalut, where pro-democracy protesters used a digger to topple a giant statue of Gaddafi’s Green Book - a key symbol of the strongman's regime.

17:42 There are still no reports of casualties after warplanes bombed two ammunition dumps in areas held by anti-Gaddafi forces in eastern Libya. The jets bombed ammunition dumps in Adjabiya and Rajma as Gaddafi seeks to protect the area under his control in and around Tripoli

17:25 There is a dire shortage of food and medical supplies in the anti-Gaddafi stronghold of Benghazi, according to Al Jazeera.

17:22 Steep increases in fuel prices have been announced this evening, and will come into force as of Tuesday March 1. The increases have been triggered by the ongoing crisis in Libya that has spiked oil prices internationally. Unleaded petrol will sell at €1.34 per litre (up 3c) while diesel will sell at €1.34 (up 7c) and kerosene will sell at €1.28 (up 7c)

17:15 Al Jazeera is reporting that the beleaguered Gaddafi  regime has asked Bu Zaid Dorda - Libya's foreign intelligence chief - to hold a dialogue with opposition leaders in eastern Libya.

17:00 Italy's biggest bank UniCredit - in which Libyan authorities hold a 7.5% stake - has said it is "watching the situation" in light of new UN sanctions against the Gaddafi regime  UniCredit must decide whether the UN sanctions will require it to freeze the Libyan-owned share of the bank.

16:44 Anti-Gaddafi protesters say they hit a military helicopter near the town of Misrata (150 km east of Tripoli) after the aircraft had fired rockets at the transmitting antenna of the local radio.

16:40 British Prime Minister David Cameron said that he was “personally thanking Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi for Malta's assistance for the evacuation of British workers from Libya.” In a statement delivered to the House of Commons on the Libya crisis, Cameron said he also wanted to pay tribute to the people of Malta, "not for the first time". The British Prime Minister discussed the situation in Libya with Maltese Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi over the phone last Saturday.

16:37 World oil prices have retreated after Saudi Arabia's intervention to ease worries over growing unrest in the Middle East. Brent North Sea crude for delivery in April slid 34 cents to US$111.80 per barrel in afternoon deals, having earlier spiked as high as US$114.50.

16:31 The White House has said that exile is just 'one option' for the longtime Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi

16:25 Libya has freed two Jordanians who were detained in the bloody crackdown on the anti-regime protests. "Efforts by [our] embassy in Tripoli have succeeded in releasing two of the four citizens who were arrested in Libya," Jordanian foreign ministry spokesman Mohammad Kayed has told the state-run Petra news agency. "We are doing our best now to help free the other two," he said.

16:23 Libyan warplanes have attacked ammunitions depots in two separate locations on the outskirts of Benghazi, according to several witnesses. Benghazi is Libya's second-largest city and a stronghold for the anti-Gaddafi protesters.

16:14 The International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo has promised to move "swiftly and impartially" in his assessment of the alleged war crimes in Libya. "If people were in a square and were attacked by tanks, planes and soldiers, and if people were killed in a systematic way, this was a crime against humanity," said Moreno-Ocampo.

15:59 Saudi Arabia has said it is committed to the stability of the oil market after the EU energy commissioner said Gaddafi has lost control of Libya's large oil and gas installations.

15:52 Belarus has denied receiving a jet from Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. Belarus foreign ministry spokesman Andrei Savinykh said the reports were part of a smear campaign against Minsk. "First they make up Belarussian contract soldiers in Libya, then the landing of a plane with Libyan gold and diamonds... these statements do not reflect the reality," he said.

15:50 US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has told the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva that Moamer Gaddafi "has lost the legitimacy to govern in Libya". Clinton says Libya should be suspended from the UNHCR as "governments that turn their guns on its own people have no place in this chamber". The anti-Gaddafi youth movement Shabab Libya tweets: "Libya has an incredible history, an incredible people, largely forgotten due to Gaddafi, and must not be underestimated"

15:42 In what could prove to be a decisive blow to his crumbling regime, the EU's energy commissioner Gunther Oettinger has said pro-Gaddafi forces no longer control Libya's large oil and gas installations.

15:31 The EU's crisis response commissioner Kristalina Georgieva has said around 650 Europeans are still stranded in Libya, with many stranded in hard-to-reach places. The humanitarian situation has "deteriorated significantly" over the last few days in the country as Moamer Kadhafi's forces cracked down on a rebellion, Georgieva said.

15:20  The Corinthia Group says it is closely following events in Libya, to secure the welfare of its staff and clients and providing  humanitarian assistance that its resources in the country allow. "Expatriate employees and their dependents have been evacuated from the Corinthia Hotel Tripoli and Palm City Residences over the past days. The employees are from several nationalities and have been brought over to Malta via air and sea. The evacuation of Corinthia’s expatriates was coordinated by a task force set up at Corinthia’s Head Office in Malta, which has maintained ongoing contact with colleagues and staff at both the Corinthia Hotel in Tripoli and Palm City Residences," a spokesman for the Corinthia Group said.

Corinthia has also been supplying catering to various commercial sea craft docked in Tripoli Harbour awaiting weather conditions to improve prior to departing for Malta. Hundreds of expatriates have spent long hours on board the Maltese catamarans as well as other vessels awaiting departure, with Corinthia providing food and drink on an ongoing basis.

15:10 More Britons have arrived in Malta after being rescued from Libya. Around 50 British nationals on board the HMS Cumberland, which left Benghazi with 200 evacuees. Sky News correspondent Amanda Walker, in Valletta, said: "Malta has been an evacuation house and continues to be so. "There were around 200 people of mixed nationalities on board the HMS Cumberland, and about 50 of those were British. After leaving the vessel, they will head to a hotel and fly back to the UK or whatever countries they come from."

Later today, a further British military aircraft will arrive in the capital Tripoli to fly out more British nationals. UK Defence Secretary Liam Fox told Sky News the "vast majority" of British nationals who have wanted to leave Libya have now departed.

14: 52 US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has echoed the calls of several world leaders, for Kadhafi to step down. "We are just at the beginning of what will follow Gaddafi," she told reporters in Geneva. "First we have to see the end of his regime and with no further bloodshed," she said, noting Washington was eager for his ouster "as soon as possible."

14:44 US, Russian and European ministers have discussed a "post-Kadhafi" Libya in Geneva, a strong sign that the international community now considers that his regime's days are numbered. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told journalists that she was seeking not only a humanitarian response to the aspirations of Libyan people but "a political and civil response as they try to sort through how they’re going to organise themselves post-Gaddafi."

14: 33 Al Jazeera is reporting that anti-Gaddafi protesters remain in control of the eastern port city of Tobruk, but are preparing for possible attacks from forces who remain loyal to longtime leader.

14:32 The European Union has agreed to impose an assets freeze and travel ban on Muammar Gaddafi and 25 members of his family and inner circle.

14:30 World Food Programme chief Josette Sheeran is currently visiting Tunisia to assess the needs of the 40,000 people who have fled the unrest in neighbouring Libya. The UN agency has said Sheeran will visit the border between the two countries on Tuesday to talk to refugees, aid officials and local authorities to assess the food needs of those arriving from Libya. The WFP has said an airlift of 80 tonnes of high energy biscuits from its store in Brindisi, Italy, is due to arrive in Tunisia today.

14:28 In Brussels, a diplomatic source tells AFP news agency that around 25 Libyans will be targeted by the EU asset freeze and travel ban. "It is quite clear that we are targeting Colonel Gaddafi and members of his family and inner circle," says EU spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic.

14:26 British Foreign Minister William Hague says Libya should be suspended from the UN Human Rights Council for its violent oppression of the anti-Gaddafi protests.

14:24 The Ukrainian nurse - who allegedly was a vital part of Muammar Gaddafi’s daily routine - has refused to comment after returning home from nine years away working in Libya. Dozens of journalists remain camped outside Galyna Kolotnytska's ground floor apartment in the Kiev suburb of Brovary, hoping to catch sight of the nurse who was infamously described as as a "voluptuous blonde" in leaked US diplomatic cables.

14:11  The Liverpool-born captain of a Royal Navy frigate today told of his role in the Libyan evacuation effort. Steve Dainton, captain of HMS Cumberland, spoke to the Liverpool’s ECHO as he set sail from the Libyan port of Benghazi last night with his second batch of more than 200 evacuees to Malta. As British Prime Minister David Cameron urged Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi to “go now”, Capt Dainton received fresh orders from the Admiralty. He said: “this is the second group of people we’ve picked up from Benghazi and taken back to Malta. I got off and spoke to some of the people from 27 different countries we have aboard. It was clear some of them had arduous and difficult journeys to get to us. And there was a huge sense of relief when they got on board Cumberland. People have been very grateful to us for helping them out. But that is part of what we do.The whole ship’s company have been absolutely brilliant. They’ve been helping care for babies and children if their mothers get seasick, which on our last evacuation happened to a large number of passengers because of the sea conditions.”

14:00 British warship HMS Cumberland has docked in Valletta’s Grand Harbour, after returning  from its second evacuation mission in Benghazi, carrying more than 200 workers, including some Maltese.

13:57 MV Ionian Star has birthed at Valletta Harbour after sailing from Misurata, which fell to anti-Gaddafi protesters last week after a bloody battle. Many of the workers on board are Chinese.

13:55 Air Malta has once again cancelled its scheduled flight to Tripoli due to security considerations. A Libyan Arab Airlines flight however, remains still scheduled.

13:50 Concerns over turmoil in the Arab world has seen the price of London Brent oil rise back above $112 per barrel.

13:47 Germany turns the screw on the Libyan regime, with Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle proposing an international freeze on all payments to Libya for 60 days to deprive Tripoli of the means of "oppressing the people".

13:44 Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd has urged the international community to enforce the no-fly zone over Libya. Rudd told the UN Human Rights Council that a no-fly zone would "help protect the Libyan people from the violence they have already experienced

13:42  France's Prime Minister Francois Fillon has not ruled out using NATO air power to impose a no-fly zone over Libya. "We're studying all options to ensure that Colonel Kadhafi understands that he has to go. I know that people have mentioned military solutions, and these solutions are being examined by the French government," Fillon says in a radio interview with RTL. "I have heard several observers, for example, evoke the idea of a no-fly zone over Libyan territory. It's an option that is being considered," he added.

13:49 Second ferry with 1,200 Chinese workers from Libya docks at the Grand Harbour.

13:47 The High Representative of the European Union and Vice-President of the Commission, Catherine Ashton, has declared the EU's full endorsement of the resolution adopted by the United Nations Security Council in order to implement sanctions on Libyan authorities in bid to stem violent repression. In a statement delivered in Brussels, Ashton declared that the European Union had already started to work on restrictive measures such as assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo to Libyan regime, and she is in constant contact with international partners, including with the United nations and the United States in order to discuss next steps and take coordinated decisions. Within these conversations, Catherine Ashton today met with U.S Under Secretary of State Bill Burns, and had telephone conversation with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to discuss the next steps following United Nations' Security Council resolution.

13:37 The EU says it is trying to establish contacts with the Libyan opposition.

13: 35 Jordan says four of its nationals have been detained in Libya. "We know their location and we are still in contact with Libyan authorities. We want to make sure their rights are respected and their safety is ensured," foreign ministry spokesman Mohammad Kayed told AFP news agency.

13: 33 The New York Times has reported that US and European officials discussed plans to impose a no-fly zone over Libya to prevent further killings of civilians by troops loyal to Gaddafi. The newspaper cited an unnamed senior administration official as saying that no decision has yet been made.

13:30 Al Jazeera is reporting that France will send two planes with humanitarian aid to the Libyan city of Benghazi.

13:29 EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton says restrictions imposed on the Libyan regime will take effect "quickly". The violent crackdown on protesters "shocks our conscience," she says.

13:27 The GRTU has called on Maltese businesses and their partners in the EU to donate food to Libya as well as medicinals and equipment for use in Libyan hospitals. In a statement, the GRTU said that it was is calling for donations of accident and emergency items and pharmaceuticals, antibiotic preparations in all forms, bandages, IV fluids, analgesics and pain management medications, orthopaedic supplies, splints, sutures and any other medications and medical consumables that are consonant with injuries normally seen in a war zone. Monetary donations are also being accepted. Meanwhile, arrangements are being made for donated items to be gathered in a central location in Malta for onward delivery to Libya as soon as the situation allows it.

12:54 Following a call for the setting up of a Task Force on the escalating situation in Libya, the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry has called on the business community with business interests and investments in Libya to come forward and present their concerns. In a statement, the Malta Chamber is in constant communication with the Ministry for Finance and Malta Enterprise in order to pass on these concerns, whilst communicating its recommendations on how these concerns can be alleviated. The Malta Chamber encouraged businesses with Libyan interests to set an appointment in order to convey their concerns through our organisation to the authorities. It will assist in determining the extent of the business risks involved and the resultant effect on the national economy. The Malta Chamber expressed its appreciation to the Government for its quick action in setting up the Task Force, and undertakes to support government's efforts and ensure better communication with the people and companies directly affected.

12:40 Witnesses say the Libyan town of Misrata and its airport are under the control of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's opponents, according to Reuters.  The rebels reportedly held off an attack by pro-government forces near the town, which is 125 miles (200 km) east of the capital Tripoli, and shot down a military aircraft. "An aircraft was shot down this morning while it was firing on the local radio station. Protesters captured its crew," a witness said.

12:21 British Prime Minister David Cameron is expected to address the House of Commons in London on the situation in Libya

12:09 The UN Human Rights Council is holding an emergency meeting in Geneva over the brutal crackdown by Kadhafi's forces on protesters The UNHCR says at least 1,000 people have been killed in the uprising. "The council should not relax its vigilance over Libya as the threat of violent reprisals against civilians still looms," UN high commissioner for human rights, Navi Pillay, told delegates.

11:58 “However, the post-Gaddafi future does not bring much optimism either; the country is deeply divided and could fragment and collapse into civil war.” – Hassan Arif, writing in Canda’s Telegraph Journal today.

11:51 "We call upon the international community to respond quickly and generously to enable these governments to cope with this humanitarian emergency," said Antonio Guterres, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees as he spoke in Geneva on the ongoing exodus of refugees fleeing Libya into neighbouring Tunisia.

11:30 With at least 100 Canadians still in Libya looking for a way out, two Canadian Forces airplanes remain on standby in Malta to assist evacuations in Libya as the capital Tripoli prepares for what could be the worst of the country's 12 days of protesting.  Canadian Defence Minister Peter MacKay told CTV's Question Period last night that international evacuation efforts have so far helped about 235 Canadians leave Libya. MacKay said there are about 100 Canadians still in Libya who've told the Canadian government they'd like to leave the North African country. His comments follow Canada's decision to cut diplomatic ties with Col. Gaddafi's regime.  A C-17 cargo plane landed at Tripoli Airport early Saturday morning to fly 24 Canadians, including Ambassador Sandra McCardell and five other diplomats, to safety in Malta.

11:24 The Philippines government has also chartered ships to evacuate nationals to Malta and to Crete, while a Turkish navy frigate, the TCG Orucreis, and a navy personnel carrier, the TCG Iskenderun, carrying 1,221 Turks and 517 other nationals, including Vietnamese and Bosnians is expected to reach Marmaris, on Turkey's Mediterranean coast, on Monday.

11:11 The UK's Defence Ministry has released two photographs of two Maltese workers who were rescued yesterday evening from an oil platform in the desert South of Benghasi. The men are seen on board an RAF Hercules plane on their way to Malta.

11:09 Alternattiva Demokratika welcomed the Prime Minister’s condemnation of the Gaddafi regime. Prof Cassola stated: "Though it has been late in coming, the Prime Minister's clear declaration today that 'violence should not deny the people of Libya their legitimate aspirations and that the end of the Gaddafi government was therefore inevitable' is most welcome."

 He added that “the Maltese government and the Maltese PL opposition should have condemned Gaddafi the moment he started killing his own people and he and his son threatened to use their last bullet to shed Libyan blood.  Criminal politicians in this state of mind resort to all kinds of unimaginable violence".

AD Chairperson Michael Briguglio also said that "We agree with the Prime Minister that Malta should work to see our region return to peace and stability as soon as possible, with the priority being international coordinated action for humanitarian aid such as food and medicine to the Libyan people.  In this respect, AD pays tribute to the staff at Virtu Ferries and AirMalta for their great act of solidarity with the people still trapped in Libya in these dramatic moments.  The courage and the altruism of the company workers are to be commended".  

10:38 Labour has dumped its former minister Reno Calleja over his comments this morning to The Times, where he criticised Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi for saying that Gaddafi’s downfall was “inevitable.” A Labour Party spokesman said that the party has disassociated itself from Calleja’s comments and added: "the Leader of the Opposition is being continuously consulted by the Prime Minister and has been assured that Malta’s role is purely of a humanitarian nature.”

10:34 Greek ship Knossos Palace has arrived in Malta bringing some 2,000 more workers from Libya. Many are Chinese.  Three more ferries are expected in harbour today, along with the catamaran Maria Dolores, on its third trip from Tripoli. A South Korean frigate which is also picking up workers in Libya is due in harbour tomorrow.

10:05 Turkish ships will be arriving in Libya today. Two are due to arrive in Tripoli, one at Ras Lanuf and one at Misratah. A Russian ship is due to leave Ras Lanuf for Malta in the early hours of 28 February and may be able to take a limited number of British Nationals who wish to leave Libya.

09:54 A military aircraft is scheduled to arrive in Tripoli today to evacuate British nationals to Malta. A Foreign Office statement issued this morning urged those who wish to register their interest in this flight should call the hotline on +44 (0)20 7008 0000 or Skype 'Libyacharterflight'. “We advise those wishing to depart on this flight to travel to the airport at first light and make their way to the Air Malta desk at the main terminal.  There will be at least one flight, organised by the Romanian Government, leaving Tripoli on 28 February at 19:00 local time. They have said they will allow UK nationals to use it, space permitting.”

09:50 Over the last seven days at least 8,000 foreigners with more than 50 different nationalities between them have been evacuated from Libya and brought to the island of Malta. Whether it by air or by sea, the country has welcomed them as part of a full scale international operation.

Foreign Minister Tonio Borg said: “The more difficult areas are the oil fields in the desert, and I say this because there is not just one but there are a lot of installations if you look at a map. So those are more difficult to evacuate and we not have evacuated everyone.”

09:34 China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC), the nation's largest oil and gas producer, announced this morning that it has halted production in crisis-hit Libya and evacuated all its employees from the country.  The company has suspended production operations and sealed up its equipment in in the oil-rich north African state "in a timely and orderly manner", state-owned CNPC said in a statement. It said last week that some of its project camps and operating sites were attacked during "the recent security upheaval", without giving any specific details about damage. The last batch of its nearly 400 employees in Libya arrived safely at Tunisia's main international airport in Tunis on Sunday and will be repatriated to China by Tuesday afternoon, according to the latest statement.

CNPC, the parent of listed company PetroChina, has been present in Libya since 2002 and now has oil and gas assets and interests in the country, according to its website. It also provides oilfield services. The company statement gave no figures on its Libyan oil and gas production.

09:32 The president of Libya's newly-formed National Council has said that if Tripoli does not liberate itself then the rebel army will take it by force.  In an interview with Sky News - his first since being elected - Mustafa Abdul-Jalil appealed to the international community for help. He said: "Tripoli is fighting against oppression and when it falls the regime will follow. Now the support around (Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi) is collapsing. "What we want is an air embargo to stop Gaddafi bringing in mercenaries. He said: "Any intervention will be confronted with more force than we are using against Gaddafi."

09:28 Former Labour minister Reno Calleja, who served during the Mintoff government, has criticised Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi who said yesterday that the “end of the Gaddafi government is inevitable.” In comments to The Times, Reno Calleja said that he strongly disagreed with such sweeping statements. “If he survives (and he is known to be a survivor) he will never forget what the Prime Minister of Malta, a close and friendly country, had to say about him when he was drowning. The Prime Minister should have called for dialogue and mediation and not follow blindly what others, whose only interest is to get their hands on Libya's oil reserves, are saying," Calleja said.

09:22 Russia may lose almost US$4.0 billion in arms export contracts to Libya after Moscow joined other world powers in slapping an arms embargo on Muammar Gaddafi’s regime, a report said on Sunday.  The Interfax news agency quoted a military source as saying that Russia had an order book for contracts from Libya worth US$2.0 billion while negotiations had been in progress for deals worth US$1.8 billion more.

"Among the countries of the Middle East and North Africa, Libya is one of the main buyers of Russian weapons," the source, which was not identified, told the agency. "As of today, contracts for military hardware of around US$2.0 billion had been agreed with Libya. Work on contracts for aviation equipment and air defence was also in the final stage. These were valued at $1.8 billion," the source said.

09:16 A Maltese nurse is on his way back to Benghazi hospital as part of a team of doctors and nurses with the international  organisation Medicines Sans Frontieres. Jesmond Micallef will spend his birthday travelling to Benghazi, where he has already served during the unrest .

09:04 The UN refugee agency says a "humanitarian emergency" is underway as thousands of foreigners flee Libya by air, land and sea. The UNHCR said that almost 100,000 migrant workers, mostly from Egypt and Tunisia, had fled Libya in the past week and many remained stranded at the Libya-Tunisia border as Libyan customs officers deserted their posts on Sunday. "We call upon the international community to respond quickly and generously to enable these governments to cope with this humanitarian emergency," said Antonio Guterres, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

09:01 The Irish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has expressed ‘hope’ of getting more Irish nationals out of Libya today. Yesterday, three Irish men left Tripoli Airport and were brought to Malta. The DFA said it was in contact with a small number of Irish people who are still in Libya and with their families at home.

07:17 Financial institutions are hunting down billions of pounds of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's UK-based resources as he comes under further international pressure to quit as Libyan leader.  British Prime Minister David Cameron urged the Libyan dictator to "go now" as Britain imposed an asset freeze and a travel ban as part of United Nations-led sanctions against his regime.

07:08  Frigate HMS Cumberland returning to Grand Harbour last night from Benghazi with 200 civilian evacuees, 50 of whom were British. The first wave of those rescued on Saturday arrived at London's Gatwick airport from Malta on Sunday and expressed their gratitude to the British forces.

"They were magic people, perhaps the best in the world," Mike O'Donoghue, a 62-year-old oil worker, told the BBC. "We owe our lives to them perhaps, they are the best in the world and they make it look so easy. When we got on the plane there were two locals attacking the tyres with machetes and the special forces told them to stop. Fortunately someone tackled them and brought these guys down but they were in a very difficult situation," he added.

07:05 An RAF Hercules plane plane involved in last night’s mission to rescue 150 foreign nationals who were stranded in the Libyan desert, sustained damage "consistent with small arms fire," the British Defence Ministry said. "We can confirm that during the operation to recover civilians from the Libyan Desert, one of our C130 aircraft appears to have suffered minor damage consistent with small arms fire," a Ministry of Defence spokesman said. There were no injuries to passengers or crew and the aircraft returned safely to Malta," the spokesman added. In total, three Royal Air Force C130 Hercules transport planes were involved in rescuing nationals from "multiple locations" within Libya. According to the Ministry of Defence.

Prime Minister David Cameron ordered the mission despite failing to obtain permission from Libya to fly into their air space. "It was a mission that was not without its difficulties," Cameron admitted. "It is risky and it is difficult but I judged it was the right thing to do because there are British citizens spread out across those oil platforms. I pay tribute to the very brave pilots and armed services personnel who managed to help so many British citizens back to safety, and I'm delighted they've been able to do that," the British PM added.