Libya live blog February 25

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

February 24 live blog    February 23 live blog    February 22 live blog

23:04 Rachel Zammit Cutajar and Miriam Dalli have been speaking to people on the quay in Valletta where the Virtu ferry has berthed. US ambassador Douglas Kmiec said he was "extremely satisfied" with how the staff operated, and that he was in agreement with the Prime Minister's and Opposition leader's stance on Libya. "Libyans must now work to build a democratic government."

The ferry also had a P3 plane surveilling the trip. Passengers alighting from the ferry boat said they had been caught off-guard by the Libyan uprising. "There were mixed comments. Some people said the media was blowing things out of proportion, others said they had heard bombings and firing," MaltaToday's Miriam Dalli said.

The American nationals in Malta will be hosted in a hotel tonight, while British nationals will be flying home tomorrow at 8:30am (CET).

22:31 UN secretary-general Ban Ki Moon urges Security Council to impose sanctions on Libya and freeze Gaddafi family assets.

21:57 Irene Bonello, one of the Maltese nationals who came aboard the 'Maria Dolores' ferry says she was assisted by Libyans in her bid to board the US-chartered ferry. She said that at night she would lock herself at home, in central Tripoli where she lived. "I was aware of their frustration... I saw so many young Libyans fighting each other because they wanted a better life."

Bonello said she was aware of the killings but she had not witnessed any directly. "I can't believe this is taking place because I saw that many families there are very united."

21:28 UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon: those responsible for the violence in Libya should be punished.

21:00 Virtu Ferries' catamaran 'Maria Dolores' enters port with some 338 passengers from Tripoli. 'San Gwann' expected to make harbour later today.

20:46 The White House says the US is moving forward with plans to impose unilateral sanctions on Libya in response to violence there.

Obama spokesman Jay Carney says the US is finalizing that process Friday. He says the U.S. is also working with European partners on additional sanctions and other multilateral actions that could be taken.

The announcement comes as hundreds of Americans are evacuated from Libya following days of violence. Militias loyal to Muammar Gaddafi have been firing on protesters demanding the Libyan leader's ouster. Carney says President Barack Obama will meet with the United Nations secretary general in Washington Monday to discuss the situation in Libya.

20:44 Sarah Leah Whitson, director, Middle East North Africa "Standing today on the Tunisian side of the border with Libya, we watched hundreds of refugees stream across. We have talked to a dozen Egyptians who have come directly from Zawiya, a city between Tripoli and the Tunisian border, that they say is encircled by troops loyal to Qaddafi. Although Zawiya is largely under the control of demonstrators, they say that pro-Qaddafi troops reportedly fired live ammunition at persons exiting mosques after the Friday prayer, killing several of them.

"One Egyptian said that after the televised speech on February 21 of Qaddafi’s son Seif al-Islam blaming foreigners in part for the revolt, ten to fifteen armed men wearing plainclothes burst into the homes of several Egyptians in Libya, accusing them of fomenting trouble. The armed men told the Egyptians that they had until today to leave Libya."

19:58 Miriam Dalli has details of Malta's logistical plans as an evacuation hub for the next day.

Virtu ferries' 'Maria Dolores' and 'San Gwann' returning at 2100h and 2230h (CET) tonight in Valletta, with 338 and 328 people respectively. Health stations will be present on the quay to receive passengers as reports come in of passengers suffering of sea sickness and possibly from dehydration. First aid will be provided upon arrival. If need be, passengers will be sent to clinics set up on spot. There will be assistance from reserve volunteers and NGOs.

HMS Cumberland is expected to berth at 2am from Benghazi, carrying some 200 mostly UK nationals.

The Brazilian-chartered SNAV Toscana, carrying 1,720, is scheduled to leave at 10pm and arrive tomorrow 11am in Valletta.

Chinese-chartered cruise ship MSC Crociere will arrive with 2,150 aboard tomorrow at 10am - 13 Maltese nationals and 16 Italians are also on board.

There are 64 Maltese nationals who still have to return, but Benghazi bishop has indicated he will stay on. Director of Information Martin Bugelli says the Maltese who made contact with Maltese authorities are safe.

Malta's hotels are on stand-by with 2,000 hotel rooms and 4,000 beds if needed. Chinese nationals will be staying on board the ship, while American nationals have their own arrangements.

18:26 A Maltese entrepreneur has told MaltaToday of the harrowing account his Libyan business associate recounted today after being involved in an attack by government mercenaries after the Friday prayers in Tripoli.

18:00 LIBYAN LEADER MUAMMAR GADDAFI makes reinvigorated appeal in public appearance at Green Square in Triplo, calling on crowds of supporters waving green flags "to protect Libya and its petroleum interests." - "Gaddafi is one of you, dance and rejoice."

 - "we will die here on the dear soil of Libya, we will defeat the rats like we defeated Italian imperialism. This is the invincible force of youth."

 - "Life without dignity is worthless. Life without the green flag is useless."

 - "You the youth, people in the square, stay up all night, live a life of dignity... dance and sing."

A glaring contradiction in his speech is his praise of the "youth of the revolution" after having accused Libya's youth of fomenting an insurrection and of being on drugs."

17:30 The Maltese government “is aware” of British special forces in Malta on stand-by for more Libya evacuations, reliable sources have told MaltaToday.

17:23 Various unscheduled movements in and out Malta International Airport, a spokesperson says. "These are being operated by both commercial and charter airlines as well as military aircraft of air forces of various states."

In total, there have been 69 movements directly related to Libya evacuations since Monday - 31 commercial airlines, 21 military (Austrian, UK, Germany, Ireland, Romania and Canada); and 17 movements by small private aircraft. Total passengers brought over from Tripoli is over 2,000. "As yet, normal scheduled operations at MIA have not been affected," the spokesperson said.

17:08 The airspace over the Libyan capital Tripoli was closed indefinitely on Monday, according to the Austrian Army, which sought to evacuate European nationals from Libya on a military plane.

16:22 UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterrez says thousands are stuck in Tripoli without the ability to escape Libya. He told Al Jazeera many innocent 'black Africans' are being threatened and targeted by Libyans who believe they are mercenaries employed by the Gaddafi regime. "We are very attentive to the possible crossing of refugees coming of countries where they cannot go back because they can be persecuted in their own countries.

"My appeal to the international community is that it is very importantly to give massive support to Egypt and Tunisia, because people in these countries are showing enormous generosity by opening their borders.

15:31 From US embassy: “The M/V Maria Delores has departed Tripoli at 1337 local enroute to Malta. Estimated time enroute is eight hours, subject to weather conditions. Aboard are more than 300 passengers of which more than half are American citizens. Additional passengers were added prior to departure."

15:27 Two RAF helicopters just landed at Malta International Airport. Keith Demicoli via Twitter says "Libyans residing in Malta pray for the death of Gaddafi and his family in front of the Libyan embassy in Balzan".

13:48 Great photos from David Degner on the Wall Street Journal of the aftermath of fighting in Baida, eastern Libya after days of media blackout and unconfirmed reports of a bloody, but successful, uprising against Col. Moammar Gaddafi.

13:30 CNN and CBS reports US-chartered ferry to Malta with 285 people on board left Libya. Two German vessels will be boarding German nationals who landed in Malta earlier in the week from Tripoli airport, while another vessel the 'Branderburg' remains offshore Valletta. Another catamaran carrying 300 mainly American nationals is also en route.

13:14  Foreign Minister Tonio Borg and shadow George Vella agree Malta must be cautious in talks for applying sanctions on Libya, in a meeting of the parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee. Concern is especially high due to the repatriation to Malta of all those being evacuated from the country, especially oil field employees in remote parts of the country.

The UN Security Council is considering the imposition sanctions, and Borg says Malta would follow the UN line but says the government must still "safeguard its nationals and national interests". Vella also said that imposing sanctions would be premature and that Malta must still maintain good relatinos with Libya "whoever governs it" and condemn any brutalities taking place.

12:02 More #FEb17voices on Audioboo, this was posted at 1am. Special guards gathering at main squares and Revolutionary Committee headquarters.

11:42 The HMS Cumberland has left the port in Benghazi and is on route to Malta carrying 207 passengers, 69 of which are British nationals. Due to adverse weather conditions of 25 knots and a 5 foot swell an accurate time of arrival in Malta cannot be estimated at this time.

11:08 Press TV (Iran) video of protestors being shot at by Gaddafi forces.

10:44 FGS BERLIN A1411 arriving in Valletta Harbour tweeted by @Jason_CP

10:35 The Maltese logistical company Medserv has announced in a stock exchange communique that the company has had to curtail its activities in Libya. "The exceptional nature of the instability that has been created in Libya is being kept under close review by the directors with the aim of obtaining reliable information that should enable them to assess the possible impact that this may have on the company's operations both in the short term and the longer term. However, the level of uncertainty as well as the integrity of the information being received is such that it would be premature to make any assessment of the situation at the moment."

The company said it continues to service its clients from its base in the Malta Freeport.

10:13 A source who spoke to MaltaToday via Skype says the Libyan police are in a "major clean-up" in Tripoli of people communicating via social media. "Last night six of the guys who were posting in Facebook were taken by police... various European companies have been hired to block and monitor internet traffic and jam internet signals. At least three companies involved. One is French and the other two are Chinese."

09:36 Former ambassador to Libya George Saliba interviewed by sister newspaper Illum, says it is unlikely that Libya ends up a divided country because of Tripoli's dependence on the oil reserves of Cyrenaica.

07:00 The Libyan government has formally requested the return of two Mirage F1 fighter jets that were flown to Mlata last Monday by defecting pilots. The planes entered Malta's airspace without authorisation and landed at Malta International Airport.  Both pilots have requested political asylum as they defected not to follow orders to bomb Benghazi.