Hope fades for more NZ survivors

Death toll in quake-shattered Christchurch rises to 98 with grave fears for more than 300 missing, officials warn. Last Modified: 24 Feb 2011 08:29 GMT Hopes fade of finding more survivors in quake-shattered Christchurch, New Zealand's second biggest city, as the death toll rises to 98 with grave fears for more than 300 missing. A "miracle" was required to find more survivors amid the wreckage, John Key, the prime minister of New Zealand, said on Thursday, as the focus turned to recovering bodies. "We are hopeful that we might find survivors but as time passes hopes fade" Russell Gibson, superintendent "The loss of life could be more substantial that any one of us had ever dreamed of," he said. Two days after the 6.3-magnitude earthquake flattened buildings in Christchurch, police said there had been no communication with people trapped inside the rubble for 24 hours, reducing the chances of finding survivors. "We are hopeful that we might find survivors but as time passes hopes fade," superintendent Russell Gibson said. John Carter, the civil defence minister, said around 2,500 people have been injured, with164 seriously. However, despite fading hopes of finding any more people alive and fears that a damaged 26-storey hotel tower could collapse and trigger a new disaster, international rescuers intensified their search for survivors. Teams from quake-prone countries such as Japan and the United States sent in sniffer dogs and lowered microphones into rubble to probe for signs of life on Thursday. Salvaging bodies But as the text messages and tapping noises of the hours after the quake diminished, rescuers began to fear the worst and efforts turned to salvaging bodies. Search teams said their aim remained to rescue those trapped but advised caution. "It remains a rescue operation. There could be people alive, we don't know," Dave Cliff, the Canterbury province police commander, said. Teams rushed to a small church after it was believed that a woman's voice had been heard - apparently the first sign in more than 15 hours that people might still be alive. It turned out to be another false hope. Key has declared the quake a national disaster, and analysts estimate its cost at up to $12bn [AFP] "Right now we do not have any active contact with any person or any indication of signs of life at any location we are working at," Jim Stuart Black, a fire rescue co-ordinator, said. Hopes continue to fade by the hour, but there was renewed activity at what was feared to be the deadliest single collapse - a six-storey Canterbury Television or CTV building, where up to 120 people, including many missing Japanese students, are feared buried. Police, however, described the CTV building as not survivable. "[It] had a number of overseas students in it and my heart goes out to those families that are away knowing that some of their children, family have probably been killed," Dave Lawry, a police operations commander, said. "The situation is that we don't believe this site is now survivable." A 70-member disaster relief team from Japan is assisting the rescue effort at the decimated building. 'Miracles happen' Elsewhere rescue efforts were hampered by a two-block exclusion zone around the city's tallest hotel, the Grand Chancellor, as the 26-storey building teetered precariously, appearing close to collapse. "It's incredibly dangerous ... If it hits the ground it will create a significant shock wave," Bob Parker, the mayor of Christchurch, said. A survivor, Ann Bodkin, was rescued from the ruins of a collapsed building on Wednesday [Reuters] Al Jazeera's Tania Page, reporting from the city's central business district, said the centre of the city was a "restricted zone". "One of its tallest buildings - the Grand Chancellor Hotel - is expected to collapse, further hampering rescue efforts in the worst affected area," she said. Rescue teams had worked through a second night under floodlights, but found only bodies. They still hoped for a miracle, along with distraught onlookers awaiting news. "Miracles happen and we're keeping that in the forefront of our minds. That sort of things drives you and pushes you on," rescue official Keith Norton said. A rare moment of good news was met with applause on Wednesday when a woman wrapped in blankets was dug out from a finance company building, some 24 hours after the quake. Rescue operations have focused on the central business district, which bore the brunt of the quake on Tuesday afternoon when streets and shops were filled with lunchtime crowds. Aftershocks However, the clock is ticking for those still trapped, with New Zealand's emergency management chief John Hamilton saying rescuers may have just two or three days to pull out anyone still alive. More than 100 aftershocks have brought down more debris. Roads have buckled and large pools of water have welled up from broken pipes and sewers. The 26-storey Grand Chancellor Hotel tower (centre, back) leans to the right, prompting fears it could collapse Investment bank, JP Morgan, estimates the quake could cost insurers $12bn, while catastrophe modelling firm AIR Worldwide Estimates says the insurance industry faces claims of $3.5bn to $8.6bn. The prime minister on Thursday reshuffled his cabinet to allow a senior minister to focus on the country's worst natural disaster in 80 years - 256 people died in a 1931 tremor. Officials said fresh teams from Taiwan, Australia and Singapore, were due to join the Japanese and American specialist teams already on the ground, to assist the expanded search of three square km littered with flattened buildings. More than 1,000 workers were expected to comb though shattered buildings, with the city divided into search grids. New Zealand sits on the "Pacific Ring of Fire", a vast zone of seismic and volcanic activity stretching from Chile on one side to Japan and Indonesia on the other. Source: Al Jazeera and agencies

Yemen to 'protect protesters'

President Saleh instructs security forces to protect demonstrators after at least 15 protesters have been killed. Last Modified: 24 Feb 2011 14:18 GMT Ali Abdullah Saleh, Yemen's president, has issued a directive ordering his security forces to protect demonstrators trying to end his 32-year rule, after at least 15 people have been killed in the country's recent unrest. The statement, relayed by the Yemeni press attaché in Washington on Thursday, said Saleh had "demanded security services to offer full protection for the demonstrators". "Late this evening [Wednesday] ... Saleh instructed all security services to thwart all clashes and prevent direct confrontation between pro- and anti-government protesters," it said. "Furthermore, the government calls on protesters to remain vigilant and take all precautionary steps to prevent the infiltrations of individuals seeking to carry out violent actions. "The government ... will continue to protect the rights of its citizens to assemble peacefully and their right to freedom of expression," the statement said. Thousands of protesters were camping out for a fifth day in an impromptu tent city outside Sanaa University. Members of the university's professors' union also turned out to support the demonstrators, who have one demand: that Saleh step down. Fifteen people have been killed in unrest shaking Yemen since protests began on february 16. Saleh has said he will not give in to what he described as opponents advocating anarchy. Pro-Saleh loyalists wielding clubs and daggers have often sought to break up opposition protests in the capital Sanaa and elsewhere. MPs resign Saleh has already made significant verbal concessions to the opposition, promising to step down when his term ends in 2013 and not to try to bequeath power to his son. But opposition parties are suspicious of his calls for dialogue because of the violence used against protesters. Eleven members of parliament have quit Saleh's ruling party in protest at what they described as government violence against demonstrators, parliamentarians said on Wednesday. About 80 per cent of legislators still back the president. "The people must have the right to demonstrate peacefully," Abdulaziz Jubari, one of the MPs that resigned, said. A group of 28 legislators with Saleh's General people's Congress party, including those who have resigned, have sent a 10-point letter to Saleh with demands for immediate reform. The parliamentarians called for national dialogue between all parties within a week and restructuring of the army to make it more representative of Yemen's society. They also demanded that Saleh acknowledge "problems and mistakes" in the poverty-stricken formerly independent south of Yemen. Residents of the region complain of discrimination by the Sanaa government and regularly stage rallies calling for secession. On Thursday, a bomb exploded during such a protest march, killing one person and wounding two in the town of Lawdar. In the port city of Aden, an unemployed 27-year-old man who had set himself on fire four days earlier, died of his injuries. Abdullah Mohammed Qasem died after dunking himself in five litres of gasoline and setting himself ablaze due to "difficult" living conditions, his family told the AFP news agency. Source: Agencies

Egypt ex-VP survived 'car shooting'

Egypt's foreign minister says Omar Suleiman escaped an assassination attempt in Cairo during country's recent uprising. Last Modified: 24 Feb 2011 18:26 GMT

Egypt's foreign minister said Omar Suleiman, above, was targeted in a shooting [Reuters] Omar Suleiman, the former vice president of Hosni Mubarak, the ousted Egytian president, survived an assassination attempt a few weeks ago, the Middle East News Agency has reported, citing a television interview with Egypt's foreign minister. Ahmed Aboul Gheit confirmed on Egyptian satellite channel, Al Hayaat TV, that Suleiman's life was targeted at the height of the recent nationwide revolution, MENA, an Egyptian news agency, said on Thursday. Gheit said that he witnessed the shooting attack on Suleiman's vehicle in an area near the presidential palace in Heliopolis, in the capital Cairo. He said assailants stole an ambulance in order to approach Suleiman's cortege and attacked it. The incident left one of Suleiman's bodyguards dead, while another bodyguard and a driver received injuries. On February 5, a senior Egyptian security source denied reports in the US media that there had been an assassination attempt, calling them "groundless". Since 1986, Suleiman had been one of the leading figures in Egypt's intelligence system. He was appointed to the long vacant vice presidency seat by Mubarak last month. In February, Suleiman announced Mubarak's resignation and left his post. Arrests Meanwhile, Egyptian police detained former information minister Anas al-Fikki and former state broadcasting chief Osama al-Sheikh on Thursday as part of a probe into alleged fraud under Mubarak, according to a security official. Both men were arrested from their homes during the morning on warrants from the financial affairs section of the prosecutor's office, the official said. Fikki is the fourth member of Mubarak's former government to be detained, after the former ministers of interior Habib al-Adly, tourism Zoheir Garranah and housing Ahmed al-Maghrabi. On Wednesday, the judiciary announced that former culture minister Faruk Hosni, who stood unsuccessfully for the leadership of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in 2009, was banned from leaving the country pending further inquiries. A dozen businessmen regarded as close to the ousted regime have also been placed under investigation since Mubarak's resignation on February 11.

Source: Agencies

Live Blog - Libya Feb 24

Live Blog - Libya Feb 24

By Al Jazeera Staff in

Africa

on February 23rd, 2011.

Photo by Reuters

As the uprising in Libya enters its tenth day, we keep you updated on the developing situation from our headquarters in Doha, Qatar.

Blog: Feb17 - Feb18 - Feb19 - Feb20 - Feb21 - Feb22 - Feb23

AJE Live Stream - Special Coverage: Libya Uprising - Twitter Audio: Voices from Libya

Benghazi Protest Radio (Arabic)

(All times are local in Libya GMT+2)

February 24, 2011

9:03pm And here it is - Gaddafi's speech, uncut:

8:45pm Randa Fahmy Hudome, the former US Associate Deputy Secretary of Energy, tells Al Jazeera that Obama is being "characteristically quiet' on Libya.

She says Western countries have little leverage on Libya, given years of cold relations.

"We have to look at the history about what our relationship has been with Libya," she said.

The Libyan elite, she notes, has done well since their country came in from the cold, after Gaddafi agreed to give up his WMD in 2003 in a deal with the Bush Administration. In return, Libya was removed from the "terrorist" list and international sanctions were lifted.

He managed to hold on to some chemical weapons, she comments.

But does Gaddafi care about sanction threats, given his pledge to fight to the bitter end?

8:32pm Patty Culhane, Al Jazeera's correspondent at the White House, says Obama's comments on Libya - that "this must stop" – are "striking".

Yet the White House is not considering any action, she reported, and sanctions are the only likely action in the foreseeable future.

"So far, however, the only action they're talking about is talking," Culhane said.

8:23pm The Swiss government has announced that it will freeze Gaddafi's assets.

7:57pm Interesting bit of graffiti in Tobruk...

7:55pm Via Reuters news agency:Libyan television airs video of weapons and foreign passports allegedly seized by Gaddafi loyalists..

7:24pm The first issue of a Benghazi newspaper is out:

7:12pm Jazeera's Jamal Elshayyal reporting from Saloum, Egypt, at the Libyan border, says that Egyptians living in Libya are still flowing back into Egypt on a very cold night.

"There is no United Nations, there is no shelter for these people who are trying to escape the violence in Libya," said Elshayyal, who adds that the Egyptians living in Libya felt that they were being targeted by mercenaries.

6:57pm We'll have the full speech for you shortly - in the meantime, here's a taste...

6:35pm Noted: Audioboo, the call-to-tweet site that allows people to call in messages from Libya, has been silent for 17 hours.

6:09pm Al Jazeera's correspondent in Al Baida reports says that the situation can be described as a "nervous quietness" - with most of the town being under the control of the residents as they've taken over the military barracks and all the weapons there.

"Shops are closed - life is at a standstill - schools are closed, local tribal leaders are trying to take things into their own hands...still, in the area, they say there are mercenaries," said our correspondent. The mercenaries, she said, are either Libyans working for the government or foreign fighters.

She added that in Al Baida, most people are staying indoors, and that residents there rejected any claims made by Gaddafi that they were following al-Qaeda and that they were on drugs.

She also said that people there feel like they've reached "a point of no return",

5:45pm - France's top human rights official told Reuters that up to 2,000 people could have died by now in Libya. Francois Zimeray also said there was clear evidence to suggest the Libyan leader had committed crimes against humanity.

The question is not if Gaddafi will fall, but when and at what human cost ... For now the figures we have ... more than 1,000 have died, possibly 2,000, according to sources.

5:13pm As this Tweeter puts it:

Great question. Where was Gaddafi calling from? Intially, word was that the Libyan leader would appear live and make his statement from Az Zawiyah, but then, a phone call, which ended rather abruptly. We'll Youtube that and embed it here for you shortly.

4:45pm From Tobruk, a simple request (via AFP):

4:15pm Gaddafi's speech, broadcast on state television, was a phone-in affair, in which he said that like Queen Elizabeth II, he was only a symbolic leader of Libya. Gaddafi also blamed the unrest on al-Qaeda arming drugged teenagers.

He said that married people with families and good jobs weren't participating in the protests, saying that no one over the age of 20 was involved and that "people with any brains won't take part in these protests".

He also said that "It's obvious now that this issue has been lead by al-Qaeda ...get control of your children, keep them at home".

4:00pm An eyewitness named Ali from Az Zawiyah tells Al Jazzera that soldiers fired at protesters with heavy fire arms for five hours this morning. Some of the protesters, he said were armed with hunting rifles, others were unarmed.

"The shooting was direct to the people. They shot the people in the head or in the chest. They were trying to kill the people, not just terrify them," said Ali.

He added that at least 100 people had been killed and that around 400 injured were taken to the hospital in Az Zawiyah.

3:24pm There are multiple reports of gun battles taking place between security forces and protesters in the town of Az Zawiyah, 50 km west of Tripoli, on Thursday. Reuters reports that gun fire has broken out there, while sources tell Al Jazeera that the army attacked the town this morning, firing shots at protesters for roughly four hours.

The death tolls vary greatly - from 16 to 100, and Reuters is unable to confirm any numbers. The agency reports that the army attacked the Souq Mosque where protesters had been camped out for several days:

The soldiers opened fire with automatic weapons and hit the mosque's minaret with fire from an anti-aircraft gun, he said. Some of the young men among the protesters, who were inside the mosque and in a nearby lot, had hunting rifles for protection.

The witness said that earlier in the day, a Gaddafi "envoy" had come to Az Zawiyah and told the protesters in the mosque to leave or "you will see a massacre". He also said, "Those who attacked us are not the mercenaries, they are the sons of our country".

3:15pm The US state department has issued a statement saying that in a meeting between two US diplomats and the senior Libyan officials, the US diplomats were told that while some journalists were allowed to report from Libya, others who had entered the country illegally (presumably through the country's broken eastern border) were considered "al-Qaeda collaborators" by the Libyan government.

The statement continues:

The Libyan government said that it was not responsible for the safety of these journalists, who risked immediate arrest on the full range of possible immigration charges. Foreign journalists already in Libya who are not part of the approved teams were urged to immediately join the approved teams in-country.

Be advised, entering Libya to report on the events unfolding there is additionally hazardous with the government labeling unauthorized media as terrorist collaborators and claiming they will be arrested if caught.

3:07pm Al Jazeera's Jamal Elshayyal reporting from Saloum, Egypt, reports that things are slowing down at the eastern border crossing with Libya, where, he said, the situation has been "quite chaotic". He said roughly 20,000 have crossed the border in two days.

Elshayyal also said people continue to get injured or killed in attempting to cross the border.

2:52pm Reuters also reports that Britain has urged greater pressure on Gaddafi, while the European Union might be sending humanitarian intervention into Libya:

British Foreign Secretary William Hague said an international investigation should be launched into Libyan state violence, while Gaddafi's forces continued their week-long struggle to crush armed and unarmed anti-government protesters. ...

'We will be looking for ways to hold to account the people who are responsible for these things and they should bear that in mind before they order any more of them,' he said.
'We will want some kind of international investigation ... We are finding a lot of support from other countries,' he said.

In Brussels, senior officials said the European Union was weighing a range of options to evacuate 5,000-6,000 EU citizensstill in Libya, many of them oil company employees, and said one possibility was a military humanitarian intervention force.

2:37pm Reuters wire agency is starting to move some images from Libya - here's a shot out of Tobruk, where we can see burnt security vehicles in the background.

2:11pm Another caller from Misurata tells Al Jazeera that up to 1,000 members of Gaddafi forces - the "Hamza Brigade" - mounted an attack on protesters near the city's airport and were repelled, but later launched an attack on the centre of the city, and fighting continues. He says anti-Gaddafi protesters are holding their ground.

2:07pm Chinese citizens fleeing across the border into Tunisia confirm to Al Jazeera's Nazanine Moshiri in Ras Ajdir that there was fighting in the nearby Libyan cities of Az Zawiyah and Zuwarah.

2:01pm Miftah Mohamed, a caller from Misurata, tells Al Jazeera "the revolutionary forces have driven Gaddafi's forces from Misurata".

1:51pm Sherine Tadros, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Cairo, gives us more information on Ahmed Kaddaf el-Dem - Gaddafi's cousin and former Libya-Egypt security co-ordinator. We understand he's on his way to Syria, after the statement which AP reported - condemning Gaddafi's use of violence - was issued by his Cairo office.

Kaddaf el-Dem denied he was asked to recruit Egyptian bedouin tribes to fight in Libya - a charge reportedly brought against him by a group of Egyptian lawyers yesterday.

1:31pm Saudi Arabia says it is "ready and willing" to make up for any shortfall in oil production caused by the uprising in Libya, says Reuters.

1:23pm Several reported dead in the latest attack on Misurata, Reuters reports.

1:15pm A cousin of Gaddafi, and one of his closest aides, has arrived in Cairo, says AP. Kaddaf el-Dem reportedly says the crackdown has seen "grave violations to human right and human and international laws".

1:11pm Gaddafi forces attack crowds near Misurata, which was earlier reported to have been taken over by protesters, eyewitnesses tell Reuters.

1:09pm Gaddafi is soon to address residents of Az-Zawiyah, where troops attacked protesters this morning, Al Arabiya reports. If it happens, we'll be covering it on our TV feed. You can watch it - live - by clicking here.

1:06pm Former minister of justice tells meeting of tribal elders:

No negotiation, no solution - until Gaddafi and his sons leave.

1:03pm The president of Chad tried to send troops into Libya to support Gaddafi, says Al Arabiya.

12:59pm A group of 34 Filipino citizens are being held by armed men in Libya, ABS-CBN reports. No further details yet available.

12:55pm A friendly chant rings out round the meeting of tribal elders, held in Al Baida, home to the former justice minister:

Oh Al Jazeera, oh Al Jazeera: We swear by Allah, you are not vile!

12:50pm Here's that video of Al Jazeera's James Bays, fresh off the plane from Libya, telling us about the scenes of chaos in Tripoli airport - and of Gaddafi's police beating people trying to get in.

12:48pm Turks arriving back in their home country tell Al Jazeera's Anita McNaught:

Gaddafi didn't give us a drop of water - but the Libyan people gave us everything. Three cheers for the people's revolution!

12:44pm Gaddafi's former minister of justice attends meeting of tribal leaders in eastern Libya.

12:40pm This video has emerged on YouTube, claiming to show protesters in Tripoli running for cover amid heavy gunfire in Libya's capital.

12:35pm Mobile phone messages are reportedly circulating in Tripoli, calling for mass protests against Gaddafi following Friday lunchtime prayers.

12:30pm Gaddafi's forces have reportedly kidnapped two daughters of the Libyan leader's former aide, Noura al-Masmari, after he spoke on Al Jazeera yesterday. They were allegedly forced to denouce their father on Libya's state TV. His lawyer told the AFP agency:

Two of Mr al-Masmari's daughters have just been abducted by men working for Mr Gaddafi - and forcibly taken to the television [station] to deny their father's statements. They are still in the hands of Muammar Gaddafi's men, which shows there's a will for reprisals.

12:24pm Chinese oil company CNPC says on its website its Libyan facilities have been attacked, and it is evacuating workers.

12:19pm Saif al-Islam Gaddafi appears on Libyan state TV. He speaks of a conspiracy perpetrated by "Arab brothers" and mentions that the media "spread lies" - though not mentioning any network by name.

He asks Egyptians, particularly, not to participate in the "conspiracy". Egypt's army has already been ordered to evacuate its citizens from Libya, after authorities there took Saif Gaddaffi's earlier speech as incitement to violence against Egyptians.

He also said that he would invite media and international organisations to tour Tripoli tomorrow - though he did not specify a time.

"Life in Tripoli is normal," he says.

12:10pm Gaddafi forces blast a mosque minaret with anti-aircraft weaponry in Az Zawiyah during ongoing attack on protesters, says the AP news agency.

12:04pm More on that initial reaction from Al Jazeera's James Bays, fresh back from Tripoli airport. He adds:

Signs of the decay and the end of regimes that I've seen elsewhere is happening now. People are asking for bribes. If you want to do anything in the airport, it will cost you. A $20 taxi ride to Tripoli airport now costs $200.

Check out our live TV stream, by clicking here. If you're in the US, don't forget, you can Demand Al Jazeera on your cable provider.

11:55am In a Q&A session with Al Jazeera and YouTube, British Prime Minister David Cameron threatens Libya with "consequences":

What Libyan authorities are doing is completely unacceptable - it must stop. I back what President Obama said about this - these actions must have consequences ... We should look at our full range of options.

All of our minds are focused on Libya. What we've seen is unacceptable. It must stop - and if it doesn't there will be consequences.

Question: If you could ask any world leader anything, what would it be?

My question would be to Colonel Gadaffi right now: What on earth are you doing? Your people deserve democracy, your people deserve better.

11:53am Nigeria is latest country to evacuate citizens from Libya, with aircraft due to depart in coming hours.

11:44am London School of Economics, where Saif Gaddafi completed his PhD, issues a new statement.

11:34am Eyewitnesses confirm to Al Jazeera that demonstrators have taken control of Zuwarah city, 120km west of Tripoli.

11:30am Seven reported killed and 40 injured by "Gaddafi Brigade" in Az Zawiyah

11:27am These pictures were sent to us by Antoine Kienlen, who works for an oil company operating in Libya. He says they were taken in Tripoli on Monday morning.

11:19am Egyptian workers fleeing Libya say anti-Gaddafi militia control the town of Zuwarah, 120km west of Tripoli, Reuters reports.

11:15am Libyan diplomats at the Libyan embassy in the Moroccan capital announced they are joining "the people's revolution" and the end of Gaddafi's rule. A video showed Libyan diplomats lowering a flag in the embassy's courtyard to half-mast, taking down a large picture of the Libyan leader, and then smashing it.

11:13am Reports are coming in that Gaddafi forces are attacking Az Zawiyah city in north-west Libya, where thousands are currently demonstrating. An eyewitness phoned Al Jazeera, saying 50 injured people were taken to hospital in the city after the "Gaddafi Brigade" used anti-aircraft weapons in the assault. Several protesters were reportedly killed.

11:11am James Bays, Al Jazeera correspondent, tells us of the scene of panic he witnessed just hours ago at Tripoli airport. Video of the interview coming soon.

The airport has become logjammed. Some have been there for three days in pretty awful conditions, though many more are outside. Police are beating people with clubs, stopping them getting into airport, saying it is full.

Flights are leaving and they are not full, because people can't get into the airport.

People are telling horrifying stories - one woman told me about watching soldiers shooting people in front of her, then shooting at them, as they do not want witnesses.

The authorities in control of the airport don't like international media, and they certainly don't like Al Jazeera

The airport is still very much in control of Gaddafi's forces. He appears to be consolidating his support.

10:58am The families of IRA victims have pledged solidarity with the victims of Gaddafi's recent violence.

Gaddafi supplied Semtex to the Provisional IRA so that it could be used to commit acts of terrorism throughout Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It was and with devastating effect. Gaddafi bears a responsibility for the deaths of our loved ones ...

Our dialogue with the regime has now been terminated, though our campaign has not.

Looking to an optimistic future without the Gaddafi dictatorship, we believe that UK victims and Libyan victims of Gaddafi can be at the forefront of creating a new and prosperous relationship between the UK and the new Libyan government which will be built on solid foundations rather than on the sand of the previous inter-govermental raproachment. The current victim initiative can form the key foundation stone for the future; progressive and forward thinking on the one hand whilst being respectful of the past on the other.

Until such a day, our prayers are with the good people of Libya.

10:56am The first Chinese citizens to be evacuated from Libya are expected to arrive in Beijing at 1800GMT. The China Daily says more than 30,000 Chinese citizens were in Libya when the unrest began.

10:52am Lebanese authorites confirm they refused to allow a Libyan plane to land in Beirut yesterday - because its pilot would not identify its passengers. Online reports suggest the passengers included the wife of one of Gaddafi's sons.

10:50am Lebanon's Manar TV reports "sources" told the family of Shia leader Musa Sadr, who disappeared in Libya in 1978, that he may still be alive and in a Libyan prison. His family and the government are reportedly re-opening his case. Libyan officials had previously said Sadr was killed more than 30 years ago.

10:42am This video was posted on YouTube - and claims to show anti-Gaddafi protesters burning down a police station in Tripoli. Once again, Al Jazeera can't independently verify the veracity of this video - or where or when it was filmed.

10:03am More on international solidarity between struggles for autonomy in the Middle East and those in the West. After Egypt sends pizza to protesters in Madison, Wisconsin, rock star, guitar hero and all-round troublemaker Tom Morello reads a message from Egyptian protesters at a gig to support the rights of workers in the US.

To our friends in Madison, Wisconsin:

We wish you could see first hand the change we have made here. Justice is beautiful, but justice is never free.

The beauty in Tahrir Square you can have everywhere - on any corner, in your city, or in your heart.

So hold on tightly and don't let go, and breathe deep Wisconsin - for our good fortune in on the breeze, in the midwest and in the Middle East. So, breathe deep Wisconsin, because justice is in the air - and the spirit of Tahrir Square be in every beating heart in Madison, Wisconsin.

Check it out:

9:55am Alain Juppe, French defence minister, calls for sanctions on Gaddafi's administration, telling France Inter radio:

I hope wholeheartedly Gaddafi is living his last moments as leader.

9:11am Youcef Bouandel - a Professor of International Affairs at Qatar University - tells Al Jazeera: "The fact that Gaddafi no longer controls these areas in the west of the country will give encouragement to those closer to the capital and in Tripoli."

9:00am With Libyan oil production reportedly down by 25%, Western nations consider economic sanctions against the Gaddafi family. US says it is "looking at full range of options".

8:45am An Algerian man, who like the others reported below, asked not to be identified, tells us of discrimination at Tripoli airport:

We suffered so much at the airport. Shame on the Arabs, but Europeans were treated better. Arabs were badly treated. I am so tired and I will never set foot in Libya again. We are so grateful to the Libyans for their hospitality when the situation was peaceful - but thank God that we are back, safe and sound in our country.

8:40am Another Algerian tells Al Jazeera, having fled Libya:

I feel like crying, I am so happy to be back in Algeria. Thank God I escaped the carnage.

Did you see Baghdad? It was like being in Baghdad. They used planes, helicopters. People, women, were screaming, as they were slaughtering people. There were about 60 dead people in Green Square in the centre of Tripoli, these 60 people were slaughtered.

High buildings, the ministry of justice, were burned down. We were just working there, trying to make a living. Thank God, our president - bless him - has helped us. It took us four days to get to the airprort. You need too many papers to get in and leave the country.

8:30am Algerians returning home from Libya speak to Al Jazeera. One man who was in Tripoli tells us, as foreigners, they were targeted: "It was just crazy. It did not make sense. There were so many mercenaries shooting at people." Our reporter asked if he saw the mercenaries with his own eyes.

Yes, I did. Of course I did. They entered houses - but even the Libyans used violence against the foreigners - Moroccan, Tunisian, all Arabs - under the pretext they were against the regime.

8:12am A Libyan woman in Ras Lanuf, 400km west of Benghazi, tells us she is scared of Libyan airstrikes, as she lives near an oil refinery. "We are terrified every time they say they will attack something," she says.

8:09am Charles Levinson of the Wall Street Journal tweets:

Meeting of Bayda elders gave us standing ovation today. 1st time meeting wstrn journos in 42yrs. Gadhafi says foreign journos = al qaeda

7:55am More from the western Libyan city of Misurata. This photo was published by Feb17.info, and purports to show protesters having taken over a tank in the city.

7:44am "The Libyan Youth Movement" @shabablibya has launched a campaign to get the Google logo changed into the red, green and black of the country's former flag, now adopted by protesters as the Libyan 'independence flag'.

7:33am It seems Gaddafi is losing control of more cities. If these videos are correct, the city of Misurata - less than 200km from Tripoli - is the latest to have been taken over by protesters. Al Jazeera's Charles Stratford examines how much of Libya Gaddafi still controls.

7:23am Highlights from those WikiLeaked diplomatic cables on Libya's ruling family say Gaddafi "enjoys flamenco dancing and horseracing", who fears flying over water or staying in upper floors of buildings. He apparently also paid Mariah Carey US$1milion to perform four songs at a party (other western pop stars also reportedly performed at the same do).

US ambassador Gene Cretz reported last year that the family - with allegations of drug abuse, scuffles with police and one son reportedly beating his then-girlfriend - "provided enough dirt for a Libyan soap opera". More details at The Guardian.

7:10am Driving under the influence? Here's a video which shows vodka bottles allegedly found in an abandoned tank - reportedly used by mercenaries - in Benghazi airport.

7:00am The pilot of Gaddafi's private jet, 57-year-old Norwegian Odd Birger Johannsen, has fled with his wife and family to Vienna, reports Norwegian TV2. He reportedly told them:

Right now, things are burning around me ... I am not a hero, I will go home.

6:45am The Gaddafi boys know how to party. Here's a video of them throwing a pretty big bash, complete with a 50Cent performance, at the 2005 Venice Film Festival.

The text at the beginning reads: "Libya palace presents: The parties of Saadi and Motassem Gaddafi at Venice Film Festival 2005." The clip ends with the words: "May Allah be my guide, with regards, Libya palace"

6:34am Further to reports we got in from Tripoli late last night, of up to ten tanks - as well as carloads of people cheering for Gaddafi - heading toward the city centre, a medical student identified as Sara called us on Skype. She said she had seen men in civilian dress holding swords - and running toward the farm opposite her house in the Janzour suburb of east Tripoli.

She and her family barricaded their front door with couches and furniture, which she doesn't think will be enough if a group tries to break through. They can hear "booming sounds in the near distance", which Sara thinks are doors being broken down at other houses.

6:25am Tunisian, Algerian and Moroccan opposition parties have made a joint statement on the killings in Libya, calling on their governments to intervene.

At this very moment, our Libyan brothers are suffering the agony of another age. Hundreds of victims have fallen under bullets, heavy arms and war planes. It is a genuine industry of extermination that has been unleashed. We must stand up to it, as any conscious individual would, and do everything to stop this massacre.

Gaddafi is capable of anything: he is setting tribes against one another, activating his militia and using an army of foreign mercenaries. This man has lost all sense of humanity.

The political parties which co-sign this statement urgently call on the governments of the Maghreb and international authorities to do everything to halt this revolting massacre which will remain engraved as a disgraceful stain on the collective memory.

The statement is signed by: Parti démocratique progressiste (PDP, Tunisie); Mouvement Ettajdid (Tunisie); Forum démocratique pour le travail et les libertés (Tunisie); Parti du progrès et du socialisme (PPS , Maroc); Union socialiste des forces populaires (USFP, Maroc); Front des Forces Socialistes (FFS, Algérie)

6:18am Libyan state TV says it will are a video that shows 'samples and the scheme of the conspiracy that was aimed at the security and stability of the country".

6:16am Online reports say an underground prison complex has been found in Benghazi.

6:01am A report of a new strategy in recruiting support for Gaddafi: "God give victory to our leader and the people," reads a text message sent round the national mobile phone network. The message also promised free phone credit if it were forwarded to other mobile users, says the AFP press agency.

5:49am The Independent newspaper has published this incisive piece from the excellent Robert Fisk. Tripoli: A city in the shadow of death

5:37am Gaddafi has long promoted himself as one of Africa's great leaders, touting a vision of progress and wealth for the entire continent. But after a week of violence in Libya, the African Union has condemned his actions against the pro-democracy movement. Al Jazeera's Yvonne Ndege filed this report from Abuja.

4:27am Twitter user @rutevera posted this to Twitpic:

4:18am According to some bloggers, a protest has been planned outside the Libyan Embassy in London from 14:00GMT to 18:00GMT.

4:17am Benghazi, eastern Libya's biggest town, refused orders from power controllers in Tripoli to cut the power.

3:30am In an interview to Democracy Now website, Libyan American activist Abdulla Darrat says:

It really shows what over the last 40 years has become a country dominated by the megalomania of this one human being [Gaddafi], who cares more for his self and his power than he cares for anybody in Libya.

2:17am Abdul Rahman Shalgum, head of the Libyan mission to the UN, has said the situation in his country is very dangerous. Addressing Libyan leader as brother, he said Libya is bigger than all of us.

The Libyan diplomat said:

The nation is bigger, stronger and greater than us all. Our nation is in danger. The brother leader [Gaddafi] can take a decision that saves and salvages the country and stops the bloodshed. Libya now has entered a very dangerous tunnel.

1:48am Aisha, Gaddafi's daughter, has appeared on state television, denying a report she tried to flee to Malta. "I am steadfastly here," she said. She added she was unaware of a report she had been dropped by the United Nations as a goodwill ambassador.

1:14am In the eastern city of Benghazi, cradle of the uprising and home to tribes long hostile to Gaddafi, thousands filled the streets, lighting fireworks and waving the red, black and green flag of the king Colonel Muammar Gaddafi overthrew in 1969, accoding to Reuters news agency.

1:31am The UN Development Program has dropped Libyan leader's Muammar Gaddafi's daughter as a goodwill ambassador.

1:24am According to Marwan Bishara, Al Jazeera's political analysts, the Libyan leader has lost all three pillars of his rule - tribal, military and diplomatic. Judging from his desperate speech last night, he seems to be losing his mind and perhaps his nerves.

1:14am Gaddafi vows to fight until his "last drop of blood", and urges supporters to take to streets.

12:30am Obama said on Wednesday, he would send Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to Geneva for a meeting of the United Nations Human Rights Council at the weekend and for talks with allied foreign ministers.

12:15am Obama said:

It is imperative that the nations and peoples of the world speak with one voice.

12:07am Barack Obama, the US president, for the first time has spoken on the Libyan crisis. He offered his condolences to the people who have been killed and suffered in the violence during the Libyan uprising.

He said that the suffering and bloodshed is "outrageous" and it is "unacceptable".

The US president on Wednesday said the violent crackdown in Libya violated international norms and that he had ordered his national security team to prepare the full range of options for dealing with the crisis.

12.05am Late on Wednesday, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon spoke at a press conference, calling for unity in the international community to ensure a "prompt and peaceful transition'' in Libya.

12.01am US president Barack Obama will speak publicly at 22.15GMT (12.15am Libyan local time).

Watch Al Jazeera's Live coverage here.

12.00am We continue our Live blog from Feb 23 here.

Judge approves Assange extradition

London court rules in favour of extraditing WikiLeaks founder to Sweden, but his lawyers say they will appeal. Last Modified: 24 Feb 2011 14:22 GMT

Lawyers for Julian Assange say he could face extradition to the United States once in Sweden [Reuters] An English court has ordered Julian Assange, the founder of whistle blowing website WikiLeaks, to be extradited to Sweden over sex crimes claims. Howard Riddle, the judge at Belmarsh Magistrate's court in London, said on Thursday that the allegations of rape and sexual molestation brought by two women were extraditable offences and that a Swedish arrest warrant was properly issued. Lawyers for the 39-year-old Australian said they would be contesting the decision, having previously argued that Assange would not be given a fair trial in Sweden and could face extradition to the United States. Mark Stephens, representing Assange, said his team remained optimistic about "opportunities on appeal" and said he was hopefuly that the matter would be resolved in Britain. Assange could ultimately seek appeal at the European Court of Human Rights, Tim Friend, Al Jazeera's correspondent at the court, said. 'Electronic house arrest' The website founder now has to find more bail to make sure he does not abscond, and is likely to have to continue to wear an electronic tagging device, which his lawyer says is a contravention of his rights. Speaking after the ruling, Assange reiterated his innocence and criticised the conditions imposed on him. "Why is it that I am subject to a $360,000 bail? Why is it that i am kept under electronic house arrest when i have not even been charged in any country and i have never been a fugitive" Julian Assange "Why is it that I ... am subject to a $360,000 bail? Why is it that i am kept under electronic house arrest when i have not even been charged in any country and I have never been a fugitive? "On February 20 the US ambassador to the UK told the BBC that the US, in relation to its ongoing investigations and attempts to charge me with espionage, would have to see what happened here today. "Why is that? What does the United States have to do with a Swedish extradition process?" Assange's mother has described the court order for his extradition as "political and legal gang rape", the Australian Associated Press reported. "The greatest fear I have is that the Western world in its effort to shut up someone who's telling the truth to the people of their countries will breach every piece of legislation in order to get him and will co-operate across borders to do so," Christine Assange said. Assange has previously said that the claims against him, which he denies, are politically motivated and attempts to smear him and his website. But in Sweden, Claes Borgstrom, the lawyer representing the two women making the claims, said it was a shame the decision had taken so long. "[Assange] will probably appeal this decision for some reason that is hard to understand. He claims that he hasn't committed a crime so he should just come here and sort it out," he said. Bjorn Hurtig, Assange's Swedish lawyer, told the AP news agency that the Australian had "great chances of being freed" in Sweden. "And I'll be waiting for him, ready to fight for him tooth and nail," he said. Fears of US extradition Swedish prosecutors issued an international arrest warrant for Assange last year for questioning over allegations of sexual misconduct, which he flatly denies. Two women have made claims against him, one alleging that he sexually molested her for refusing to wear a condom, and the other that he had sex with her while she was asleep. Assange's legal team argued during three days of hearings earlier this month, that the Swedish prosecutor had no power to issue a European arrest warrant, and that the charges did not amount to extradition offences. But lawyers representing Sweden said the warrant complied with legal requirements, and dismissed suggestions that Assange could be extradited to the US, saying Britain would have to give its consent. Assange has been in the public spotlight since his website WikiLeaks began releasing secret US military and diplomatic files. His lawyers have argued that he would not face a fair trial in Sweden, with rape cases often held behind closed doors, and that if eventually extradited to the US, he could be sent to Guantanamo Bay or even face the death penalty. However Riddle on Thursday said it was wrong for the defence to raise the question of a possible extradition to the US or to imprisonment in Guantanamo Bay given the absence of any evidence that Assange risks torture or execution. Al Jazeera is not responsible for the content of external websites.

Source: Al Jazeera and agencies

World leaders weigh Libya response

EU considering sending humanitarian intervention force to country, as UK calls for international probe into violence. Last Modified: 24 Feb 2011 18:21 GMT

Gaddafi struggles to keep his authority as swathes of land appear to be controlled by pro-democracy protesters [AFP] International pressure is mounting on Muammar Gaddafi, the Libyan leader, to stop the violent crackdown on anti-government demonstrators, which has killed hundreds of people. On Thursday, Britain urged the world to exert greater pressure on Gaddafi, while the European Union said it was considering sending a humanitarian intervention force to the country. William Hague, the UK foreign minister, called for an international investigation into Libyan state violence, while Gaddafi's forces stepped up their struggle to crush protesters who have been calling for an end to his 41-year rule for the past 10 days. "We will be looking for ways to hold to account the people who are responsible for these things and they should bear that in mind," Hague said. "We will want some kind of international investigation." David Cameron, the British prime minister, warned that Gaddhafi's continued violence against protesters was "completely unacceptable'.' "It must stop and, as I am absolutely clear, if it does not stop there will be consequences,'' Cameron said, speaking in Qatar on a tour of the Middle East and Gulf. UN draft resolution A UN Human Rights Council draft resolution on Libya is due to be discussed on Friday in Geneva. The draft includes recommendations on sending an independent, international inquiry team to investigate alleged violations of international human rights law in the country. It also recommends for the UN general sssembly to remove Libya from the Human Rights Council “in view of gross and systematic violations of human rights by the Libyan authorities". Europe and Russia on Thursday strongly condemned "the use of force against civilians" in Libya and urged respect for human rights and international law, the European Commission said. A joint EU-Russia statement, to be officially released later on Thursday, states that the two sides "condemn and consider unacceptable the use of military force to break up peaceful demonstrations". Alain Juppe, the French defence minister, said on Thursday said he "hop[ed] wholeheartedly Gaddafi is living his last moments as leader". He repeated calls for economic sanctions to be imposed on Libya, including halting purchases of oil from the country. The French foreign ministry has said in a statement regarding the violent government crackdown on protesters that "all options should be studied, including bringing the case before the international justice system". Juppe said the possibility of any foreign military intervention in the North African nation was not on the table, but added: "I sincerely hope that Gaddhafi is in his final moments as chief of state." 'No plans to intervene' NATO said on Thursday that the military alliance had no plans to enter the conflict at the moment. During a visit to Ukraine, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, NATO's secretary-general, said that the alliance "has no plans to intervene". "We have not received any requests in that respect. And anyway, any action should be based on a clear UN mandate,'' he said. AFP news agency reported on Thursday that Switzerland has ordered an immediate freeze on any assets that may belong to Gaddafi and his entourage, the Swiss foreign ministry said in a statement. "The Federal Council (government) condemns the violence used by the Libyan strongman against the people in the strongest terms," they quoted the ministry as saying. "In view of the developments the Federal Council has decided to block with immediate effect any possible assets of Muammar Gaddafi and his entourage in Switzerland." Barack Obama, the US president, slammed the use of "outrageous" force against protesters, saying on Wednesday that his country is considering a "range of options" on Libya. Obama said he would send Hillary Clinton, his secretary of state, to Geneva for a meeting of the UN Human Rights Council at the weekend and for talks with allied foreign ministers. The president urged an end to attacks on peaceful protesters but stopped short of calling for Gaddafi to step down as ruler of the oil-producing North African nation and did not lay out any specific measures under consideration against the Libyan government. Washington has previously said it is looking at imposing sanctions on Libya. Sanctions discussed After a meeting of EU ambassadors on Wednesday, the bloc did not announce sanctions against Libya, but Catherine Ashton, the EU foreign policy chief, said the EU stood "ready to take further measures'.' The US state department said freezing Libyan assets, including those belonging to Gaddafi, were among the options being considered, and some US legislators urged direct action such as imposing no-fly zones. Leftwing and centrist opposition parties in Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco, meanwhile, made a joint statement on Wednesday on the government crackdown, calling on their nations to intervene. "It is a genuine industry of extermination that has been unleashed. We must stand up to it, as any conscious individual would, and do everything to stop this massacre," read the statement. Italy, whose islands are just a few hundred kilometres from the Libyan coast, is worried about immigration. Its interior minister said on Thursday that Libya's pro-democracy unrest could create a humanitarian crisis that sends a million refugees fleeing across the Mediterranean to Europe. "This is not just a problem for Italy and the Mediterranean countries, it's a problem for Europe and the world,'' said Roberto Maroni. "This is a catastrophic humanitarian emergency." Gaddafi is struggling to maintain his authority in the country, with major swathes of territory in the east apparently under the control of pro-democracy protesters.

Source: Agencies

Foreigners flee Libyan chaos

Countries around the world step up efforts to evacuate citizens, but some warn an exodus of refugees could spark crisis. Last Modified: 24 Feb 2011 17:01 GMT

Around 3,000 people arrived in the Turkish port of Marmaris on Thursday after being evacuated by ferry [Reuters] Nations around the world are evacuating thousands of people from the violent unrest in Libya, amid fears in some countries that the situation will lead to an exodus of illegal immigrants. On Thursday, European nationals and thousands of Chinese people landed on the Greek island of Crete, after boarding chartered ferries from Libya, while scores of Britons were evacuated via military plane to the Mediterranean island of Malta. "The situation was pretty bad over there ... we heard lots of gunfire and saw many burned-out buildings,'' Pantelis Kimendiadis, a Greek oil worker, told the AP news agency after disembarking the ferry. Countries including France, Italy, Turkey, China, France, Brazil, South Korea, Bosnia, Bulgaria and India, among others, have scrambled ships and planes to extricate their nationals. Turkey says it has ferried more that 7,000 people from Libya via sea and air since the weekend, with 3,000 arriving at the port of Marmaris early Thursday morning. Special forces Despite the efforts of foreign governments, tens of thousands of expatriates from around the world still remain stranded in Libya. A Filipino industry support group said thousands of its workers are desperate to be rescued, while rough weather has left hundreds of Americans stranded on a ferry in Tripoli, the Libyan capital. Al Jazeera's James Bays said there was "a desperate scene at Tripoli's airport", with a "log-jam" including people who have been trying to leave the country for three days. "The airport is still very firmly under the control of Gaddafi's people," he said, adding that secret police are patrolling the area, and several checkpoints have been set up on the road leading there. Britain has said it is considering using special forces to rescue about 170 workers marooned in desert camps away from Libya's main cities, after being criticised for not acting quickly enough. Some foreign workers are reported to be fleeing through Libya's borders with Tunisia and Egypt in an attempt to escape the country. "When we spoke to one group of construction workers last night, they said they will try to make it across the border to Egypt by bus today, because they haven't heard from any government official," Gary Martinez, chairman of Migrante International, told the AFP news agency. Nazanine Moshiri, Al Jazeera's correspondent near Ras Ajdir on Tunisia's border with Libya, said she had spoken to Chinese construction workers who had fled. "They were absolutely terrified. They spent four days they say sleeping underground, unable to come out with little food and water," she said, adding a group of Austrians reported witnessing a bloody gunbattle inside the country. 'Potential invasion' Italy has also raised fears that a mass exodus could see hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants arrive on European shores. The Italian government, along with a group of other nations including Malta, Greece, Cyprus, France and Spain, took their concerns to an emergency European Union meeting on Thursday Harry Smith, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Rome, said the Italians "are hoping for solidarity" from their neighbours. "There's large numbers of people in Libya who live in sub Saharan Africa, and they believe many of them will try and get to Europe if law and order break down," he said. Smith said they were appealing to the EU for "some sort of financial help and diplomatic pressure to be brought on Libya". "Italians feel they cannot take another wave of emergency immigration. They suffered a lot when there was chaos in Tunisia. So what they're looking for is not just economic help but diplomatic help from their European turmoil," he said. Robert Maroni, the Italian interior minister, warned of "a catastrophic humanitarian emergency" on Thursday, and said his country faced a potential "invasion of 1.5m people" that would "bring the country to its knees". Yet Germany suggested the southern European countries were exaggerating the threat, and that the EU should concentrate on helping rebuild countries including Libya and Tunisia. "Italy is under strain, but it is far from overstrained," Thomas de Maiziere, Germany's interior minister, said at the meeting in Brussels. "There haven't been any huge refugee flows so far and we shouldn't talk them up."

Source: Al Jazeera and agencies