Libya Live Blog - March 10

Libya Live Blog - March 10

As the uprising in Libya continues, we update you with the latest developments from our correspondents, news agencies and citizens across the globe. Al Jazeera is not responsible for content derived from external sites.

• Timestamp: 

  11:56pm

  That's it for today's liveblog, but never fear - we're starting up a brand new, fresh Libya liveblog for March 11, which you can stay updated with by clicking here.

• Timestamp: 

  11:35pm

  Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State, says that she will be meeting with members of Libya's opposition National Council during a visit to Egypt and Tunisia next week.
  
  She has also warned against unilateral action on the part of the United States in Libya, as it could have "unforeseeable consequences".

   

• Timestamp: 

  11:17pm

  A Greek military plane has landed in Tripoli, carrying the Greek undersecretary for foreign affairs, reports Al Jazeera's Karl Stagno-Novarra.

  The diplomat is understood to be picking up the three Dutch soldiers captured by Libyan forces during an attempt two weeks ago to evacuate a pair of Dutch civilians. The civilians, who were also held, have since been repatriated.

  The plane is expected to return to Athens in the next few hours, with the Dutch troops heading onwards to Eindhoven tomorrow.

• Timestamp: 

  11:10pm

  It's been a long day for the Libyan rebels who took up arms against Gaddafi's 42-year rule. This photo shows two fighters catching some rest after the bulk of the day's fighting outside Ras Lanuf. The city has been taken by Gaddafi forces, but sources in the town say opposition forces are still in control of the oil facility there.

  

  Picture: GALLO/GETTY

• Timestamp: 

  11:02pm

  And the diplomatic games continue. British prime minister David Cameron and French president Nicolas Sarkozy write to EU president Herman Van Rompuy, stating their commitment to "the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and national unity of Libya". Parts of it do seem to be a statement of intent toward further politcal - and military - action.

  We welcome the formation of an Interim Transitional National Council based in Benghazi and we are engaging with the Council and its members to develop a cooperative dialogue ...

  We support continued planning to be ready to provide support for all possible contingencies as the situation evolves on the basis of demonstrable need, a clear legal basis and firm regional support.  This could include a no-fly zone or other options against air attacks, working with Allies and partners, especially those in the region. We are working together on elements of an appropriate UN Security Council resolution.

• Timestamp: 

  10:59pm

  The Gulf Cooperation Council - a coalition of six Arab nations - has issued a statement saying the Libyan regime has lost its legitimacy.

• Timestamp: 

  10:46pm

  The White House is reportedly trying to scale back retired Lt Gen Clapper's statement, saying he had given a "static assessment" of the situation as it stood today.

  But if you look at it through a "dynamic lens", taking into account motivation, isolation, Gaddafi's loss of legitimacy... You can come up with a different assessment,

  said President Obama's National Security Advisor Tom Donilon.

  Asked if the US administration was content with the intelligence director giving Congress "a static assessment", he replied:

  The president is happy with Director Clapper.

• Timestamp: 

  10:42pm

  James Clapper, the US director of national intelligence, told today's Senate Armed Services Committee hearing that the west must be prepared for a drawn-out impasse - or a Gaddafi military victory.

  Because of its superior weapons and logistical capabilities, "I think over time, over the longer term, that the regime will prevail," he said, adding that Gaddafi has military units - equipped with tanks and artillery - that  have the ability to maintain and replenish their weapons and ammunition.

• Timestamp: 

  10:36pm

  More diplomatic movements you may have missed... Three envoys of the Benghazi-based Libyan national transitional council this morning met none other than Belgian prime minister Yves Leterme.

  
  The delegation refused to speak to reporters as they left the meeting, but Leterme said they told him of "thousands" of casualties of Gaddafi's crackdown. He said the Libyans also pressed for the imposition of a no-fly zone over Libya to prevent Gaddafi's air force bombing rebel fighters.
  
  But Leterme revealed the group did not seek any kind of diplomatic recognition from Belgium.

• Timestamp: 

  10:26pm

  This photo shows an anti-Gaddafi rebel fighter shooting a rocket-propelled grenade in the middle of the battle outside Ras Lanuf, earlier today.

  [Picture: GALLO/GETTY]

• Timestamp: 

  10:14pm

  A Greek minister is on the way to Tripoli to pick up the three Dutch soldiers captured a fortnight ago, Maltese government sources tell Al Jazeera. This reportedly follows yesterday's talks between Libyan envoys and Maltese and Greek diplomats. More details expected in the early hours of the morning. Naturally, we'll keep you updated...

• Timestamp: 

  10:06pm

  Khaled al-Koaem, the Libyan deputy foreign minister, tells reporters that troops loyal to Gaddafi have captured more than 1,500 rebel fighters.

  And what you can tell from the way they dress - the beard, the turban, the trousers - for us it's clear, they are really part of al-Qaeda. Some of them I'm sure are not al-Qaeda members. But the core of these attacks are the al-Qaeda elements.

  That's why we are insisting on a fact finding mission from the international community to come to Libya as soon as possible. 

  From February 15 to February 28, all media - TV channels or newspapers or news agencies, all of them came to the conclusion that Libyan armed forces were using mercenaries from Africa and there are heavy aerial bombardment on different towns and cities of Libya.

  
  Until the 28th of last month, there was no engagement between the army and militias.

  Until today, until this moment, there is no curfew, no state of emergency, no call [up] for reserves.

  This information should give you some real information on the situation in Libya.

  As I mentioned, peaceful demonstrations are allowed.

• Timestamp: 

  9:53pm

  With NATO secretary-general Angers Fogh Rasmussen announcing an increased presence of its "maritime assets" in the central Mediterranean - and "directing NATO military authorities to begin detailed planning with regard to supporting humanitarian operations", Al Jazeera's Alan Fisher reports from Brussels on what all this means in terms of military intervention in Libya.

• Timestamp: 

  9:39pm

  Al Jazeera Online's Evan Hill, reporting from north Libya, tweets:

  Rebels have been driven from the town of Ras Lanuf, but I am told by a source who was there there an hour ago they still hold the refinery.

  You can follow him for yourself: @evanchill

• Timestamp: 

  9:32pm

  Good evening, London! We're now broadcasting live on the UK's Freeview digital network. So you can tune in now to Riz Khan, who is discussing Libya and the Arab uprisings with French philosopher Bernard-Henry Levi.

  But if you're not lucky enough to get us on your TV just yet, don't forget you can watch our TV stream online by clicking here. And, if you're in the US, why not Demand Al Jazeera on your cable network?

• Timestamp: 

  9:27pm

  Luis Moreno-Ocampo, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, says would welcome hearing Gaddafi's version of events as part of his investigation. Speaking in The Hague, he told Reuters:

  I have met Saif, Gaddafi's son. I would welcome any information from Gaddafi and others who are on notice on how they are punishing past crimes and preventing new crimes.

  I will inform the UN Security Council on May 4 on the Libya situation. I will inform them when I will present a first case to the court. The court has a mandate to do justice and will do its part.

  If the judges then issue an arrest warrant, the UN Security Council will plan for its part. The real challenge for
  the Security Council and states is how to implement arrest warrants.

  There are no exit strategies for anyone who commits massive crimes. The new rule is: No leader can commit massive crimes to retain or gain power.

   

• Timestamp: 

  9:23pm

  This image posted online purports to show a sign erected by the Libyan anti-Gaddafi opposition in Benghazi, following France's diplomatic recognition of the national transitional council based in the city...

  

• Timestamp: 

  9:13pm

  This image, reproduced from a Guardian report, has been doing the rounds on Twitter in recent hours. We thought you might find it interesting. The emphasis is not ours.

  

• Timestamp: 

  8:50pm

  Saif al Islam Gaddafi moved from his reuters interview to address a crowd of young regime supporters, telling them "victory" was "in sight".

  I send a message to our brothers and friends in the east who are sending us daily calls for help and asking us to rescue them: We're coming.

  Victory is in sight. Victory is near. I swear before God that we're going to win.

• Timestamp: 

  8:27pm

  Saif al-Islam Gaddafi's threat to use "full-scale military action" against the Libyan people brings a no-fly zone closer, British foreign secretary William Hague says. He also said Britain and France had paved the way at the UN Security Council to prepare a resolution endorsing the action, and that NATO was doing the planning on the practical steps of its operation. Hague told the BBC:

  Clearly if there were to be large-scale bombing attacks that the world could see and understand, and that could be verified, on civilians, on populated areas in Libya, then that would massively strengthen the case for the introduction of a no-fly zone.

  It's worth noting that one of the three preconditions for military action laid down by Hague earlier today was "a clear trigger" event.

• Timestamp: 

  8:12pm

  The Libyan national transitional council, based in Benghazi, says it will respect all oil contracts signed by Libya. Council spokesman Hafiz Ghoga said:

  We are seeking to increase our production of oil but the bombardment of certain oil industry locations will definitely affect our levels of production.

• Timestamp: 

  8:07pm

  US officials say they are planning to shut down Libya's embassy in Washington DC, but has stopped short of formally cutting diplomatic ties. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told lawmakers:

  We are suspending our relationships with the existing Libyan embassy. So we expect them to end operating as the embassy of Libya.

• Timestamp: 

  7:55pm

  It seems that the various homes of the Gaddafi family around the world are becoming the focus of renewed solidarity protests. Danish police have moved to block plans for a giant party at Gaddafi's US$2.6million villa near Copenhagen.

  The Facebook page set up as an open invitation to the March 25 bash had received 3,700 "confirmed attendees" within days. But police in the upmarket Gentofte suburb said they would also turn up. Danish police told the AFP news agency:

  They do not have the authorisation, so they might as well stop planning it, because there won't be a party. If they try, we'll be there.

  Undeterred, party planners said they would instead hold a pub-crawl-style "dictator's crawl", writing on Facebook:

  Because the house is occupied, we'll be having a dictator's crawl instead. We'll gather in front of the entrance of embassies to party and support uprisings in the Middle East, North Africa, and the rest of the world!

  Police said the event was being organised by "a pair of anarchists".

• Timestamp: 

  7:41pm

  Italian energy group ENI says it will only hit its yearly profit growth target if "normal production" resumes in Libya. Italy's largest industrial company - in which the Italian government holds a 30 per cent stake - revealed it has had to cut its oil and gas production in Libya by over 50 per cent due to the "ongoing unrest".

   

• Timestamp: 

  7:31pm

  Saif al-Islam, Gaddafi's second-oldest son, goes on:

  We will never ever give up. We will never ever surrender. This is our country. We fight here in Libya. The Libyan people, we will never ever welcome NATO, we will never ever welcome Americans here.

  Libya is not a piece of cake.

• Timestamp: 

  7:30pm

  In the interview with Reuters, Saif al-Islam says Libya is "committed to introducing democracy and freedom".

• Timestamp: 

  7:28pm

  Saif al Islam Gaddafi says "the time has come for full-scale military action" against Libyan rebels. He goes on to say that Libyan forces loyal to his family "will never surrender, even if western powers intervene".

• Timestamp: 

  7:18pm

  Al Jazeera Online's very own Evan Hill, reporting from northern Libya, has filed this piece for us, detailing how the opposition forces are being pushed back by mortar and sirstrikes, after making swift progress toward Gaddafi's hometown of Sirte. Click here to read: Rebel push stalls outside Ras Lanuf.

  You can follow his exploits on Twitter, @evanchill

  

• Timestamp: 

  6:56pm

  Imposing a no-fly zone over Libya would be "an act of war", a US general has told a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing. Lt Gen Ronald Burgess, chief of the Defence Intelligence Agency said:

  My understanding as I've studied in my schools, that would be considered an act of war

• Timestamp: 

  6:50pm

  Credit rating agency Standard & Poors has lowered Libya's rating four notches to 'BB', due to heightened risk. The agency then suspended its ratings on the country due to the international sanctions imposed on business with the state.

• Timestamp: 

  6:41pm

  Muammar Gaddafi, the Libyan leader, slams Western countries as they weigh the option of a no-fly zone over Libya, and dismisses Libya's rebels as traitors. But as Gaddafi becomes increasingly isolated, what are his options? And as the standoff continues, would an international military intervention be the right solution?

  Al Jazeera's Inside Story examines Gaddafi's options.

• Timestamp: 

  6:18pm

  The three Dutch soldiers taken captive by Libyan troops during a botched operation a fortnight ago to evacuate two civilians are to be freed, Libyan state TV says.

• Timestamp: 

  6:14pm

  More from Al Jazeera's Tony Birtley, whose vehicle was hit by gunfire on the road outside Ras Lanuf. Je descibes the scene:

  We were travelling with one of the commanders who told me that all of his men were killed by pro-Gaddafi forces when they came into the town, so its pretty heavy fighting there.
  
  A lot of them have run away, but there is a hard core of opposition fighters who are going back in to fight. There are dozens that have been killed, and many more wounded, but a lot of the bodies still remain behind in Ras Lanuf.
  
  We actually stood on a hillock and watched the operation in progress. Pummelling by artillery, mortars, and then by the air force. And then the attack came from both the sea and the west of the town, and it was quite brutal when it came. We were told that patients in the hospital, which had already been shelled earlier, were shot. Of course there is no independent corroboration of that, but it sounded like it was pretty ugly in there.
  
  The difference has been with this attack they tried to hit the main crossroads where the main concentration of opposition forces was. But they followed the road in, and we actually saw the attack in motion, and they dropped two bombs. They missed the crossroads slightly, and missed the ammunition dumps which are nearby ... and pretty soon afterwards the main offensive was launched.
  
  It showed the professionalism of Gaddafi's troops and it shows that ... he's hitting back. So this is a warning. And also his air force has hit Brega which is further east, it seems a major offensive is underway.
  
  

   

• Timestamp: 

  6:05pm

  NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen tells reporters following a summit of the 28-member bloc:

  It is clear the international community is united in condemning the outrageous violence against the civilian population ... This course of action requires close international coordination ... time is off the essence.

  Today we have made two decisions: First, to increase the presence of NATO maritime assets in the central Mediterranean. These ships will improve NATO's situational awareness, which is vital, and will contribute to surveillance and monitoring, including with regard to the arms embargo.

  We have also directed NATO military authorities to begin detailed planning with regard to supporting humanitarian operations, and, subject to further UN decision, more active work to enforce the arms embargo.
  
  We considered a no fly zone .... ministers agreed further planning will be required. But NATO is united, vigilant, and ready to act. In moving forward, we must bear in mind the sensitivities in the region. And any NATO operation must show its added value to existing efforts, must have a clear legal madate and have strong regional support.
  
  We will also maintain intensive contact with humanitarian organisations and key actors and not lose sight of wider changes. We are determined to enhance the role NATO can play in assisting the transition process more broadly, in particular in Tunisia and Egypt - but only after specific requests.

• Timestamp: 

  5:54pm

  Saif al-Islam's London home was surrounded by protesters yesterday, who then took to the roof. We've been sent this picture:

  

• Timestamp: 

  5:43pm

  Andrei Netto, journalist for Brazilian newspaper Estado, is to be released shortly, the paper says. The reporter was apparently held "because of mistakes he made in forms he filled out to enter Libya" - according to Libya's ambassador to Brazil.

  However, there is no word on the whereabouts of Ghaith Abdul-Ahad, a correspondent for Britain's Guardian newspaper, who was travelling with him.

• Timestamp: 

  5:37pm

  William Hague, British foreign secretary, has spoken on the phone with Mahmoud Jabril, special envoy of Libya's transitional national council. A statement from the UK foreign office reads:

  "The Foreign Secretary told Mr Jabril that European foreign ministers had today discussed how the EU should respond to the continuing appalling and unacceptable actions of the Gaddafi regime, in preparation for Friday's European Council. The EU had today extended its restrictive measures against the Libyan regime to include key financial entities.
   
  "Jabril stressed the need for humanitarian aid, particularly in the form of medical supplies and reiterated his request for the West to act to hinder Gaddafi's ability to inflict further violence on the Libyan people, including through a no fly zone.  The Foreign Secretary made clear that planning was underway on a full range of responses, including the possible establishment of a no-fly zone. It would need international support, a clear trigger and a legal basis. He also said that another diplomatic mission would be sent to Benghazi shortly."

  "International support", and "a legal basis" echo the NATO chief's words earlier, seen to be warning against action without a further UN resolution. But it's not clear what "a clear trigger" would be.

  And "another diplomatic mission". We'll keep you updated on that one.

• Timestamp: 

  5:30pm

  Ras Lanuf now in control of Gaddafi's forces, says Al Jazeera's Tony Birtley. One rebel commander told him that all his men were killed when Libyan troops arrived. Casualties remaining in the town's hospital were shot dead, a source tells him.

• Timestamp: 

  5:24pm

  Hillary Clinton says she will meet Libyan opposition figures both in the US and on a forthcoming Middle East tour, says Reuters.

• Timestamp: 

  5:17pm

  The Red Cross says the situation in Libya has now descended into civil war. ICRC President Jakob Kellenberger said:

  We have now a non-international armed conflict, or what you would call civil war ...  We see increasing numbers of wounded arriving at hospitals in the east and we are extremely worried.

• Timestamp: 

  5:10pm

  In a joint letter with Germany, British foreign secretary William Hague says the upheaval in the EU's "southern neighbourhood" presents Europe with "a challenge and opportunity on a scale matching the revolutions of 1989".

  The UK foreign office also condemned the "abhorrent treatment'" of the three BBC journalists, promising "a day of reckoning" for the abuses.

   

• Timestamp: 

  5:07pm

  AP news agency is quoting an Eastern Libyan oil official as saying production at the Sirte Oil Company is down by 90 per cent.

• Timestamp: 

  5:05pm

  Al Jazeera's Hoda Abdel Hamid reports Gaddafi has offered a $500,000 bounty for the head of the leader of Libya's Benghazi-based transitional national council.

• Timestamp: 

  4:57pm

  Free media activist organisation Reporters Without Borders says Guardian reporter Ghaith Abdul-Ahad has been arrested and imprisoned by Libyan government forces, alongside Andrei Netto, a journalist for Brazilian paper Estado. Read more: Two journalists missing in Libya.

• Timestamp: 

  4:47pm

  Iman Bugaigis, a media officer with the rebel February 17 Coalition, dismissed Gaddafi's claim that al-Qaeda was behind the uprising, telling reporters in Benghazi:

  Gaddafi is hiring PR agents and consultancies. For us, everything is spontaneous but we have right on our side.

  If we are bearing arms, it is just to defend ourselves. Everything he [Gaddafi] says about al Qaeda is his propaganda. Hillary Clinton said she was worried about al-Qaeda, about civil war. But it is just us against this [Gaddafi] family. How can this be her perception?

  Gaddafi tries all the time to stir conflicts between us ... We are a homogenous society. Our name is the Libyan Republic, not the Libyan Arab Republic because we have different ethnicities.

  She also acknowledged the rebels would attempt to purchase more arms: "Of course. All options are on the table," she said.

  We have secured a condemnation from the Gulf states and they urged the Arab League to call an emergency meeting. This is what the national council has done.

  They met the Swiss president, they will meet tomorrow the EU. We also have an advance delegation with the
  British.
  
  
  

• Timestamp: 

  4:21pm

  Al Jazeera's Evan Hill sent us this collection of photos: The Road to Sirte

  He tells us:

  Around 300 kilometres of coastal highway lies between Sirte, the well-defended hometown of longtime Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, and Brega, the last relatively safe rebel-held town in the east.
  
  In between is Ras Lanuf, Libya's largest oil refinery, and Sidra, an oil-exporting port. Gaddafi's jets have struck Ras Lanuf, Sidra and Brega in recent days, and the highway to Sirte remains a shifting battleground between the Libyan regime's troops and mostly untrained rebels armed with confiscated heavy weapons.

• Timestamp: 

  4:00pm

  We got Al Jazeera's Tony Birtley on the phone, who told us how he found himself on the front lines of the fighting, just outside Ras Lanuf.

  We've been wondering for the last few days about why Gaddafi has not employed his full forces, and today we've seen those forces in action.

  We were caught right in the middle as his forces out-flanked, and then out-bombed and out-shot the opposition forces. There was sustained aerial and artillery and mortar bombardment, and then following in by a flanking movement.

  There have been a number of casualties. We've seen trucks going along the highway, but that's being shelled by Gaddafi forces all the way along. I counted ... 50 shells falling.

  We've seen trucks with wounded lying in the back of pick-ups, and I think the casualty toll is going to be high. We also saw and heard extensive ground fire coming from the beach [in the north], we think there's been a flanking movement from the beach.

  But it seems like the major offensive that we thought was going to happen is underway now.

  More to come from Tony. We'll get his full phone report online for you as soon as we can. In the meantime, keep up to date by watching our live TV feed, by clicking here.

• Timestamp: 

  3:50pm

  Staying with France, Nicolas Sarkozy will reportedly propose targeted air strikes in Libya when he meets other EU leaders, says AFP news agency.

• Timestamp: 

  3:43pm

  Libyan state TV says it has learned of "the grave secret" which will apparently prompt the end of French president Nicolas Sarkozy's political career.

  The Jamahiriya news agency has learned of a grave secret that will trigger the fall of Sarkozy.

  Meanwhile, following French recognition of the Bengazi-based Libyan national transtional council as the "sole representative of the Libyan people", one of the opposition's envoys said further diplomatic progress had been made.

  Ali al-Issawi, who reportedly met with Sarkozy today, told reporters:

  On the basis of this recognition, we are going to open a diplomatic mission, that is our own embassy in Paris, and an ambassador from France will be sent to Benghazi.

   

• Timestamp: 

  3:37pm

  Al Jazeera's Evan Hill has just filed a selection of photos from the rebel lines of northern Libya.

  Here, a Libyan soldier who joined the uprising keeps watch for Gaddafi's forces, armed with a rocket launcher.  More photos to come as we get them online...

  

• Timestamp: 

  3:30pm

  The abuse suffered by three BBC journalists at the hands of Libyan soldiers amd secret police could amount to torture, says UN human rights commissioner Navi Pillay. She said:

  For them to be targeted, detained and treated with such cruelty, which could amount to torture, is completely unacceptable and in serious violation of international law.

   

• Timestamp: 

  3:20pm

  • NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen opens the military alliance's summit with a seeming warning that any intervention - be it "support for humanitarian missions" or a no-fly zone would not be decided upon today.

  After saying that the 28-nation bloc was working on "a range of options" after increasing surveillance and AWACS flights, he outlined three prerequisites for NATO to step in. He said there must be:

  • - A demonstrable need for NATO action
    - A clear legal basis
    - Firm regional support

  This would seem to rule out further action without a UN resolution, at least.

  It does not mean we are deciding to carry out specific operational steps today, but it does mean we are watching what the Libyan regime is doing to its people very closely.

  And if there is a demonstrable need, a legal basis and regional support, we stand ready to help.Time is of the essence ...

  It is my strong conviction that time is on the side of democarcy. In the long run, no society can ignore the will of its people. The desire for freedom lives inside every human being. And we are seeing the start of a new era of freedom, which can bring peace and prosperity ...

  We have a great amount of pressing work - and we need to get on with it.

• Timestamp: 

  3:10pm

  Al Jazeera's Hoda Abdel Hamid, reporting from Benghazi, tells us there is a feeling there that "the tide is reversing", and people are worried the city could be next in line for Gaddafi's backlash.

  About eight days ago, people were very excited that the rebels were advancing town after town. But now the reverse may be true.
  
  Brega is only 200km away from here, and our sources there tell us they are coming under aerial bombardment.
  
  From the beginning, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi said that if the upising continued, they could forget all about having any oil or gas and it seems that is coming true.
  
  Sirte was always going to be the tipping point, but at the moment, they [armed anti-Gaddafi fighters] ar unable to push forward.
  
  I think there is a realisation that this is going to be a long, long uprising - and that they are still exposed.
  
  The military command here feel that as long as there is no international backup, there is not much they can do.

• Timestamp: 

  3:02pm

  The hospital in Ras Lanuf has been evacuated - under rocket fire, AFP says.

  At least four rockets exploded near the hospital and a mosque where rebel fighters had just finished praying, reports the agency.

  Doctors and medics were reported fleeing the premises amid panic, cramming patients into the few amublances available.

   

• Timestamp: 

  2:59pm

  At the same meeting, Portuguese foreign minister Luis Amado says Gaddafi's days in power are over.

  The message that I transmitted was very clear: from the international community's point of view - and Portugal is on the sanction committee against Libya - the Gaddafi regime is over. Regarding its legitimacy, it is over. But Tripoli must start a national dialogue with the opposition, [and] work on a ceasefire as soon as possible to keep the unity of the country and peace and security for the Libyan people.

• Timestamp: 

  2:57pm

  At a meeting of EU foreign ministers, Guido Westerwelle, German foreign minister, tells reporters:

  We do not want to get sucked into a war in North Africa. We want to have freedom, we want to support peace and therefore we have to decide careful and wise and this means we always should think about the end of a development which starts now.

• Timestamp: 

  2:53pm

  As diplomatic wranglings continue in capitals across the world, France has announced it recognises the Benghazi-based Libyan national transitional council "as the only legitimate representative of the Libyan people".

• Timestamp: 

  2:51pm

  Rebel fighters are retreating from positions in Ras Lanuf after heavy bombardment, says the AFP news agency.

• Timestamp: 

  2:43pm

  We've been sent this photo of Guardian journalist Ghaith Abdul-Ahad, who has been reported missing near Az Zawiyah, a city which has been the site of fierce fighting in recent days.

  An award-winning correspondent, he has been reporting for the British paper for the past two weeks from Western Libya - and was last in touch with the paper on Sunday.

  

• Timestamp: 

  2:39pm

  Al Jazeera's Hoda Hamid reports that both Ras Lanuf and Brega are coming under fire from Libyan gunboats positioned in the Mediterranean sea.

  People in the town of Brega also tell her their city is being pounded by airstrikes.

• Timestamp: 

  01:41pm

  Guenther Oettinger, the European Energy Commissioner, said the European Union is in no danger of an oil shortage caused by the fighting in Libya and cannot be blackmailed by Gaddafi.

  "In the entire European market ... we get only two percent of our oil from Libya, so we are not vulnerable to blackmail from Gaddafi."

• Timestamp: 

  12:58pm

   

  With their husbands, sons and brothers at the Libyan frontlines, the women of Benghazi are busy supporting them with meals and supplies, preparing thousands of sandwiches and warm meals daily.

  Hoda Abdel Hamid reports from Benghazi, where the uprising began.

• Timestamp: 

  11:52am

  The president of the international Red Cross says doctors in Libya are seeing a dramatic rise in the number of casualties, mostly civilians.

  Jakob Kellenberger said that local doctors over the past few days saw "a sharp increase in the number of casualties arriving at hospitals in Ajdabiya and Misrata'' where there has been heavy fighting and air strikes.

  Kellenberger said in Misrata 40 patients were treated for serious injuries and 22 dead were taken there.
  He said the Red Cross surgical team in Ajdabiya operated on 55 wounded this past week and "civilians are bearing the brunt of the violence."

• Timestamp: 

  11:21am

   

  Publico, a Portugese newspaper, is reporting a Libyan diplomatic source as saying that Muammar Gaddafi would agree to talks of a transition of power.

  It comes after the Libyan leader sent an envoy to the Portugal and other countries for talks.

  Meanwhile, in Brussels, both NATO and the EU are in talks on what action, if any, to take over Libya.

• Timestamp: 

  11:04am

  Gaddafi's forces have launched a fresh bombardment on the eastern Libyan oil town of Ras Lanuf on Thursday, a day after warplanes were reported to have struck another oil port, rebels and witnesses
  said.

  Bombs or missiles were landing a few km (miles) from Ras Lanuf oil refinery and close to a building of the Libyan Emirates Oil Referiny Company (LERCO) building, a Reuters witness said.

  "One bomb landed on a civilian house in Ras Lanuf," rebel fighter Izeddine Sheikhy told Reuters.

  He said the bombardment seemed to have come from the direction of the sea. This could not be confirmed.
  A warplane was circling over Ras Lanuf, the Reuters witness said.

• Timestamp: 

  10:24am

  The German economy ministry says it has frozen bank accounts in the country held by the Libyan central bank and the Libyan Investment Authority.

  The ministry said in a statement that the move also covered the Libya Africa Investment Portfolio and the Libyan Foreign
  Bank.

• Timestamp: 

  10:23am

  Libya's oil port of Brega is out of crude oil stocks due to weeks of unrest, forcing crude tankers to leave the port without any cargo.

  Ivica Pijaca, a tanker chartering manager for Croatian maritime firm Tankerska Plovidba, told Reuters: "We are not going there for the time being. [Our vessel] Frankopan was canceled because there was not enough cargo.

  "The last aframax to get any cargo was on March 5."

  He said aframax tankers diverted from Libya were seeking business in Sidi Kerir as Saudi Arabia was pumping more oil to make up for Libya's shortfall.

• Timestamp: 

  10:16am

  Libyan rebels fired rockets in the direction of the sea on Thursday after reports that Libyan gunboats in the Mediterranean Sea may have attacked rebel positions on the front line in the oil-producing east.

  "We came into Bin Jawad but gunboats fired on us so we withdrew," one fighter, Adel Yahya, said.

  Rebel colonel, Bashir Abdul Qadr, at that time could not confirm whether naval vessels had been used, but said: "We had bombing from the direction of the sea."

• Timestamp: 

  9:02am

  A Libyan envoy is scheduled to meet with Greece's deputy foreign minister and the ministry's secretary general as part of Libyan diplomatic efforts ahead of a European Union meeting to discuss the upheaval
  in the country.

  The Greek ministry said the meeting was arranged in agreement with Catherine Ashton, European Union foreign policy chief, ahead of the EU foreign ministers' meeting in Brussels later on Thursday.

  Greece has traditionally had good relations with Libya and Gaddafi, with whom Prime Minister George Papandreou held talks during a visit there last summer.

• Timestamp: 

  8:17am

  Russian president Medvedev has signed a decree banning arms deleveries to Libya. State-run media also reported that Russia will examine all cargo to and from Libya if there is information on banned products.

  The order  "bans the export from the Russian Federation to Libya as well as the sale, delivery and transfer... of all types of arms and related materials, including weapons and ammunition, combat vehicles and military hardware," it said.

  Russia is the world's second-largest arms exporter after the United States and used to be one of the main suppliers of weapons to Libya.

  A senior Russian arms official said last week the unrest in Libya had cost Moscow $4 billion in arms deals.
• Timestamp: 

  6:01am

  As battles rage across Libya, dozens of people have been killed after Colonel Gaddafi's forces launched a fresh wave of air strikes on rebel groups.
  
  The repeated strikes came as Gaddafi began a major diplomatic effort which was seen by some as a sign that he may be prepared to end the war, sending diplomats to the Arab League, NATO and the European Union.
  
  Al Jazeera's Jacky Rowland was there as the bombs fell on Ras Lanuf in the east.

• Timestamp: 

  5:44am

  Vietnamese official media reports that all 10,000 Vietnamese workers have escaped from the political turmoil in Libya.

  The number of people who have fled violence in Libya since last month has passed 215,000 according to the International Organisation for Migration, but the large majority have been evacuated or left the border areas.

• Timestamp: 

  2:48am

  Associated Press news agency reported that president Barack Obama's top national security aides emerged from private talks Wednesday with a growing sense that imposing a no-fly zone over Libya would have a "limited impact" on halting the kind of violence raging in the North African nation, senior administration officials said.

• Timestamp: 

  1:14am

  The turmoil in Libya continues to wreak havoc across world energy markets. 

  Several countries now look set to benefit from the price inflation, not least Russia. Watch Neave Barker's report from Moscow.

• Timestamp: 

  0:45am

  Broadcaster BBC says three of its staff have been detained, beaten and subjected to mock executions in Libya.

  It said in a statement on Wednesday that the crew, members of a BBC Arabic team, were detained about 10km south of Zawiyah on Monday by Gaddafi loyalists.

  The three said they were repeatedly assaulted, and held in various locations. They were released after 21 hours and have left Libya. Chris Cobb-Smith, one of the staff, said a solider fired a gun close to his head.