As Thomas Paine said, “If there must be trouble, let it be in my day, that my child may have peace.”
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Alleged mercenaries deployed by Gaddafi in the capital of Tripoli.
As protests in Libya enter their ninth day, following a "day of rage" on Thursday, we keep you updated on the developing situation from our headquarters in Doha, Qatar.
7:40 am We've been told that the UN Security Council will have "informal consultations" regarding Libya at 9:00 am local time in New York City, beginning in around eight hours.
7:28 am CNN's Ben Wedeman, a Cairo-based reporter who covered the uprising in Egypt, is the first international journalist known to enter Libya. In an article posted last night, Wedeman describes the scene after entering through the border with Egypt:
"Your passports please," said the young man in civilian clothing toting an AK-47 at the Libyan border.
"For what?" responded our driver, Saleh, a burly, bearded man who had picked us up just moments before. "There is no government. What is the point?" He pulled away with a dismissive laugh.
On the Libyan side, there were no officials, no passport control, no customs.
I've seen this before. In Afghanistan after the route of the Taliban, in Iraq after the fall of Saddam Hussein. Government authority suddenly evaporates. It's exhilarating on one level; its whiff of chaos disconcerting on another.
7:24 am Maryam Elomani, a protester in Tripoli who is also a fifth-year medical student, tells us this morning that she was present at a hospital when dead and injured - all 17 to 34 years old - arrived last night. All injuries were in the head, chest or spine, she said, but she added that the streets of Tripoli are quiet at the moment.
Elomani, like many others, described the security forces firing on protesters as "Africans" - foreigners from outside Libya.
7:07 am Libya's deputy UN ambassador has called on the longtime ruler to step down. The Libyan ambassador to the US says he can no longer support Gadhafi; the ambassador to India plans to resign, and the ambassador to Bangladesh has quit to protest the killing of family members by government troops.
6:55am More than 1,000 Chinese construction workers in the eastern city of Ajdabiyah were forced to flee after gunmen stormed their compound, stealing computers and luggage, the company and state media said.
6:51am A resident of east Tripoli tells AFP over the phone:
It's definitely the end of the regime. This has never happened in Libya before. We are praying that it ends quickly
6:37amKhalid Alkhalifa, the foreign minister of Bahrain, uses Twitter to express his views on the violence in Libya. Bahraini security forces last week killed pro-reform protesters who were demonstrating in the island nation's capital.
What is happening in #Libya is senseless , ruthless brutality against innocent people .. God help them.
6:31am More than 200 very vocal protesters are demonstrating at the Libyan embassy in Kuala Lumpur. The Libyan Ambassador says he has realigned himself with the people of Libya and is supporting the demonstrators.
6:22am Khaled Al Ga'aeem, under-secretary of Libya's foreign ministry, phoned Al Jazeera on Monday night. Here is a translation of the ensuing conversation.
6:14am UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon said that he had nearly an hour long telephone conversation with Gaddafi.
As I said extensively to Colonel [Muammar] Gaddafi this morning over the phone, I urged him that human rights and freedom of assembly and freedom of speech must be fully protected.
This is a fundamental principle of democracy. I sincerely hope that the current situation will be resolved peacefully through dialogue -- a broad-based dialogue involving all the parties concerned.
6:05am Gaddafi spoke on Libyan state TV early on Tuesday, reportedly from outside his house:
I am in Tripoli and not in Venezuela. Do not believe the channels belonging to stray dogs
5:50am The UN Security Council will hold a closed-door meeting on Tuesday to discuss the crisis in Libya, diplomats have said.
3:32am Crowdsourced Googlemap of violence by Gaddafi loyalists against protesters in Libya.
3:07am Hacktivist group Anonymous issues statement in solidarity with Libya protesters.
3:05am A 2009 US diplomatic cable obtained by WikiLeaks and published today by Afterposten asks which of Gaddafi’s sons is best positioned to take over in any power struggle following the end of their father’s rule. Read full cable here.
2:00am A group of Libyan army officers have reportedly issued a statement urging fellow soldiers to “join the people” and help remove Gaddafi from power
1:42am In a statement released by the UN, Ban Ki-moon is said to be “outraged” at reports that Libyan authorities shot at demonstrators from war planes and helicopters.
Such attacks would constitute a serious violation of international humanitarian law
1:40am Libya's deputy ambassador Dabbashi to UN: "No fly zone should be called over Libya"
1:20am Al Jazeera Arabic reports that adverts appear in Guinea and Nigeria offering would-be mercenaries up to US $2000 dollars per day
1:09am Any news of that address by Gaddafi? No. We recommend you stay tuned to our TV stream for the latest news - by clicking here. And if you're in the US, you can Demand Al Jazeera on your cable provider...
1:01am Reports flowing in of protests in solidarity with Libyan anti-Gaddafi activists being organised in London, Berlin, Paris, Washington DC, Cairo, New York City... Check the #Libya tag on Twitter for details in your area
12:59am Financial Times reports oil groups are preparing to shut down operations in Libya
12:53am Dozens of students and political activists have been arrested in Zimbabwe for watching Al Jazeera's reports on uprisings in north Africa, reports the New York Times.
12:49am Reports emerge that BP is preparing to evacuate its employees from Libya. The corporation has major contracts with Libya, the EU's third-largest supplier of oil
12:45am Regular Al Jazeera contributor Marc Lynch has written this interesting piece, weighing the merits and pitfalls of foreign intervention in Libya. Check it out for yourself here.
It is time for the United States, NATO, the United Nations and the Arab League to act forcefully to try to prevent the already bloody situation from degenerating into something much worse.
12:41am State TV is airing "confessions" by Tunisians in Libya saying they were behind the uprising.
12:34am Images of bodies gutted in the attacks are too harrowing to be shown. Our colleagues on the TV side of the newsroom have had to pixellate the bloodied bodies, where limbs have been hacked off and torsos maimed.
12:32am Saif Gaddafi denies any airstrikes on Libyan cities
12:30am Further reports that Libyan border guards have abandoned the eastern border with Egypt
12:22am Deputy FM denies use of mercenaries against Libyan citizens
12:20am Still waiting for that speech from Gaddafi.
12:17am Once the Libyan foreign minister comes off air, we'll bring you a translated transcript of the fascinating exchange as soon as possible. Watch this space. Or follow Al Jazeera correspondent Rawya Rageh on Twitter @RawyaRageh who is tweeting about it constantly...
12:15am Hillary Clinton, US secretary of state, issued a statement on Libya:
The world is watching the situation in Libya with alarm. We join the international community in strongly condemning the violence in Libya. Our thoughts and prayers are with those whose lives have been lost, and with their loved ones. The government of Libya has a responsibility to respect the universal rights of the people, including the right to free expression and assembly. Now is the time to stop this unacceptable bloodshed. We are working urgently with friends and partners around the world to convey this message to the Libyan government.
12:11am Al Jazeera Arabic presenter tries to corner Khaled al-Gaeim, deputy foreign minister, to allow the network into the country to report on events there.
If you don't trust our coverage, why are you on air with us now?
Deputy FM:
I called in to tell you about your dismal coverage, and to say that you do not own the airwaves
12:09am Libyan deputy foreign minister denies any massacres have occurred in Benghazi or anywhere else in the country. He then blames Al Jazeera for "inciting strife".
What do you gain from your coverage? More employees?
12:06am Calls for solidarity protests around the world spread globally across online social networks.
12:03am Al Jazeera's Anita McNaught, reporting from Istanbul, says a plane sent earlier today to pick up some of the 25,000 Turkish workers in Libya had to turn back after approaching the country - because there was no-one left in air control facilities
12:01am Online reports say Darnah city now under attack from "mercenaries".
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