• 150 rescued from Libyan desert by RAF aircraft • Gaddafi ‘arming civilian supporters to help quash dissent’ • EU agrees strong sanctions against Libyan government • Gaddafi’s son Saif al-Arab ‘has joined Benghazi uprising’ • Egyptian army beats protesters near Tahrir Square

10.03pm: Three people have been killed in clashes between Tunisian security forces and youths rioting in central Tunis, an interior ministry official told Reuters.

The official, who declined to be named, said another 12 had been injured in the clashes, which he said occurred after a riot orchestrated by loyalists of ousted President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali. He said about 100 people had been arrested.

“Those who were arrested have admitted they were pushed by former Ben Ali officials,” he said. “Others said they were paid to do it.”

A Reuters witness had earlier seen Tunisian soldiers fire into the air and use tear gas in an effort to disperse dozens of youths, many carrying sticks, who were breaking shop windows near Tunis’s Barcelona Station.

9.53pm: USA Today has posted the statement made by Hillary Clinton after Barack Obama said Muammar Gaddafi should relinquish power immediately. Clinton, the US secretary of state, said Gaddafi “has lost the confidence of his people, and should go without further bloodshed and violence”.

The full statement is here:

We are moving quickly on a series of steps to hold the Libyan government accountable for its violation of human rights and to mobilise a strong response from the international community. Last night the United States took action to limit the ability of senior officials of the Gaddafi regime to travel. As secretary of state, I signed an order directing the department to revoke US visas held by these officials, others responsible for human rights violations in Libya, and their immediate family members. As a matter of policy, new visa applications will be denied. This step followed President Obama’s executive order freezing assets and imposing financial sanctions on members of the regime responsible for abuses against their own people and the suspension of the very limited defence trade we have had with Libya, including pending sales of spare military parts and other licences allowing private companies to sell military equipment there. The United States is also working with our friends and partners to mobilise a strong and unified response from the international community to hold accountable the perpetrators of these unacceptable violations of universal human rights. This afternoon I continued close consultations with our European allies, including EU high representative Catherine Ashton. Negotiations are under way at the United Nations security council on a resolution that would impose new sanctions and restrictions. On Monday, I will meet with a number of counterparts in Geneva and address the UN Human Rights Council, which on Friday recommended suspending Libya’s membership. We are also working with partners to determine how to provide humanitarian assistance to those in need. Consistent with the President’s guidance, we will continue to look at the full range of options to hold the Libyan government accountable and support the Libyan people. We have always said that the Gaddafi government’s future is a matter for the Libyan people to decide, and they have made themselves clear. When a leader’s only means of staying in power is to use mass violence against his own people, he has lost the legitimacy to rule and needs to do what is right for his country by leaving now. Muammar Gaddafi has lost the confidence of his people and he should go without further bloodshed and violence. The Libyan people deserve a government that is responsive to their aspirations and that protects their universally recognized human rights.

9.39pm: President Barack Obama says Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi must leave the country now, AP reports.

Obama made the comments to German chancellor Angela Merkel in a private telephone conversation today. The White House says Obama told Merkel that when a leader’s only means of holding power is to use violence against his people, then he has lost the legitimacy to rule and needs to do what’s right for his country by “leaving now.”

The comments mark the first time that Obama has called on Gaddafi to step down.

8.13pm: More from Reuters: Libya’s ex-justice minister Mustafa Mohamed Abud al-Jeleil has led the formation of an interim government based in Benghazi, the online edition of the Quryna newspaper reported on Saturday.

Quryna quoted him as saying that Muammar Gaddafi “alone” bore responsibility “for the crimes that have occurred” in Libya and that his tribe, Gaddadfa, were forgiven.

Quryna also claimed that Abud al-Jeleil insisted on the unity of the homeland’s territory, and said that Libya is free and its capital is Tripoli.

8.01pm: The Italian oil firm Eni, which has been evacuating staff from Libya, says it still hsd 21 Italian employees in the country, according to Reuters.

Eni is Libya’s biggest foreign operator.

In a statement, Eni said repatriation of its staff in Libya was still under way in coordination with the Italian foreign ministry.

Industry sources told Reuters crude oil shipments from Libya had all but stopped because of reduced production, a lack of staff at ports, and security concerns.

7.07pm: Some quotes from Liam Fox, the defence secretary: “I can confirm that two RAF C130 Hercules aircraft have evacuated more than 150 civilians from desert locations south of Benghazi.”

He added that the frigate HMS Cumberland was on her way back to Benghazi from Malta to evacuate any remaining “entitled persons” from there.

Cumberland has already evacuated 207 British and other citizens to Malta.

Fox said the destroyer HMS York has arrived in Valletta to take on board stores in order that she can assist with the evacuation effort as required.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said the Hercules planes were being met by a team of consular officials and Red Cross staff in Valletta.

6.32pm: More breaking news from Libya: the operations of the British embassy in Tripoli have been temporarily suspended and its staff evacuated on the last government-chartered flight, which has just taken off for Gatwick carrying 53 British nationals.

6.22pm: Two RAF Hercules aircraft have evacuated more than 150 civilians from desert locations south of Benghazi, defence secretary Liam Fox said tonight. More details soon …

6.14pm: The unrest in Libya opens up all options including civil war and foreign intervention, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi has told Al-Arabiya TV.

“What the Libyan nation is going through has opened the door to all options, and now the signs of civil war and foreign interference have started,” the son of the Libyan leader said.

“An agreement has to be reached because the people have no future unless they agree together on a new programme.”

5.22pm: Here’s a round-up of today’s main developments:

• Clashes are continuing in Tripoli and across Libya between forces loyal to Gaddafi and anti-government protesters. Protesters now control some areas of the capital, although the centre of the city is thought to largely remain under the regime’s control.

• The UN security council is meeting to decide what action to take against Gaddafi’s regime. The US and European countries, including Britain and Germany, want to impose sanctions. However, the Turkish prime minister has opposed sanctions, saying they will hurt the people of Libya rather than the government.

• The evacuation of foreign national from Libya continues. The final flight chartered by the British government has touched down in Tripoli.

• In Egypt, the mood has grown tense in Cairo after clashes overnight between the army and pro-democracy protesters.

5.06pm: Human Rights Watch has more on the casualty toll from Friday’s attacks on anti-government protesters in Aden.



One hospital treated 29 wounded victims, one of whom died and two remain in critical condition. The wounds, according to the doctor, were mostly in the legs.

Two victims had been wounded by machine-gun bullets, the doctor said. A doctor from another hospital said that he saw at least two killed and five wounded protesters last night.

Another two injured were delivered to the third hospital. One of the doctors told us, however, that he believed more people were killed last night as patients reported seeing many bodies on the street after the shooting. The doctor thought that police might have picked up the bodies and delivered them directly to morgues

5.05pm: Algeria: Reuters reports that the anti-government protests in Algeria are dwindling, with only around 50 people attending a banned rally in the capital, Algiers, on Saturday.

The protest in Martyrs Square in the city centre was the third in three weeks and on each occasion the numbers attending have fallen, according to the news agency.

Thousands of police in riot gear lined the streets and stopped protesters from marching through the city, dispersing them after two hours.

4.53pm: Canada has evacuated its embassy staff and suspended its diplomatic presence in Libya, AP reports.

A military plane carried the Canadian ambassador, five consular officials as well as 18 other Canadians out of the country early on Saturday. There are now fewer than 100 Canadians in Libya hoping to leave.

4.51pm: Bahrain: A prominent opposition leader has returned from exile and urged the kingdom’s rulers to make good on their promises of reform with action as thousands of demonstrators marched on government buildings in the capital, Manama.

Hassan Mushaima leads a Shia group known as Haq that is considered more hardline than the main Shia political bloc that has played a leading role in two weeks of anti-government protests.

“Dialogue ... is not enough. Promising is not enough. We have to see something on the ground,” he said, adding that the Gulf state’s rulers “have promised before but they did not do anything.”

Philip J. Crowley (@PJCrowley) Despite #Qaddafi's hardly sober claim that the protesters are on drugs, the people of #Libya are clear-eyed in their demand for change.

Despite #Qaddafi’s hardly sober claim that the protesters are on drugs, the people of #Libya are clear-eyed in their demand for change.less than a minute ago via webPhilip J. Crowley

PJCrowley

4.47pm: Libya: A US official has poured scorn on Gaddafi over his claim that anti-government protesters are on drugs.

4.03pm: Tunisia: Security forces in the Tunisian capital have fired tear gas into crowds of protesters outside the interior ministry.

The demonstration comes a day after police cleared protesters from the streets demanding the resignation of the interim prime minister, Mohammed Ghannouchi.

Although Ghannouchi has introduced some reforms, protesters remain angry that figures from the authoritarian government of ousted President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali remain in place. Ghannouchi, who had served under Ben Ali, has promised elections by mid-July.

Reuters reports that the youths targeted in Saturday’s protest were loyalists of Ben Ali. “These are Ben Ali’s thugs,” a police officer told the news agency.

Crime rates have soared since the Jasmine Revolution with security officials claiming the deposed president’s supporters are trying to destabilise the country, Reuters added.

4.02pm: Tunisia: In Tunisia, where the current unrest in the Arab world began, hundreds of journalists and technicians from the state-run TV broadcaster have gone on strike over what they say is continued government censorship of their dispatches, Reuters reports.

The industrial action has halted state TV news bulletins. One striker said: “We are on strike demanding an end to all the pressure and to stop the censorship, and to allow us to work freely ... We will not accept restrictions any more.”

Romanian evacuees board a C-27J Spartan military airplane at Tripoli airport. Photograph: Reuters/HO

Romanian evacuees board a C-27J Spartan military airplane at Tripoli airport. Photograph: HO/Reuters

3.54pm: The final flight to take Britons home from Libya has touched down at Tripoli airport. The government-chartered Boeing 737 has 148 seats. It is believed there are around 50 British citizens still in the capital.

Meanwhile, PA has spoken to more Britons who have already been evacuated to Malta. Richard Weeks, 64, a contracts manager from Sully, near Cardiff, described how the security situation worsened in recent days.

Weeks, who had been working on a clean water project, said: “We were faced with looters rushing into the property where we were holed up, and there was nothing we could do. It had been getting more risky for the 10 days before and there was no prospect of it easing.

“They were armed with knives and knew they could take what they wanted, so it was better to let them get on with it. It was a very sad and terrifying situation.”

Teacher Sue Rodgers, who worked in a British school in Benghazi, said: “It was very surreal because we could hear gunfire but could still pop to the shops to get items. It was in the last few days that the situation really worsened and we knew we had to go.”

3.09pm: Libya The Guardian has been sent details of a list of demands drawn up by around 100 Libyan judges, lawyers and state prosecutors in response to the violent crackdown by Gaddafi’s forces:

• The bloodshed and attacks on Libyan citizens must halt immediately.

• A transparent independent inquiry must be launched immediately to identify those responsible for the violence and death.

• An assurance must be given that the rule of law is to proceed unhindered and no one is above its execution.

• Reforms of civil liberties and society must commence along with the creation of a national constitution.

The legal experts met on Wednesday morning for a peaceful demonstration in the Tripoli Courts Compound, also known as the Palace of Justice. They also declared that they were staying their positions in order to do their duty to protect the Libyan people and the law.

3.00pm: Libya The prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has urged the UN security council not to impose sanctions on Libya.

Erdogan said sanctions would punish the Libyan people rather than Gaddafi’s regime. He also suggested that the international community might be acting more out of concern about Libya’s oil reserves than about the welfare of the country’s people.

The people are already struggling to find food, how will you feed the Libyan people? Sanctions, an intervention, would force the Libyan people, who are already up against hunger and violence, into a more desperate situation. We call on the international community to act with conscience, justice, laws and universal humane values not out of oil concerns.

2.58pm: Libya Gaddafi’s security forces have abandoned parts of Tripoli, where protesters now openly defy the regime, Reuters reports.

The withdrawal of security forces from the working-class Tajoura district after five days of anti-government demonstrations leaves Gaddafi’s grip on power looking tenuous, says the news agency.

Residents say troops killed at least five people overnight when they opened fire on protesters trying to march from Tajoura to the central Green Square. The number could not be independently confirmed.

A funeral on Saturday morning for one of the victims turned into another show of defiance against Gaddafi. “Everyone in Tajoura came out against the government. We saw them killing our people here and everywhere in Libya,” Ali, aged 25, told Reuters.

“We will demonstrate again and again, today, tomorrow, the day after tomorrow until they change.”

2.24pm Egypt: Jack Shenker in Cairo has more details about the overnight clash between protesters and the Egyptian army outside the cabinet office near Tahrir Square.

He says the mood in Egypt has grown tense following the clash, which has left many questioning the sincerity of the millitary’s desire for genuine reform in the aftermath of Mubarak’s departure.

The international press is reporting that the army has issued an apology for its brutality, which included demonstrators being beaten and tasered, but that’s not quite true. In fact it has posted a series of statements on its new Facebook page, one of which is entitled ‘apology’ but which actually says only that the overnight fracas was ‘unintentional’ - prompting scorn and anger from many activists on the ground. The army is a highly-respected national institution in Egypt, but suspicions are now mounting about its willingness to tolerate - and even prop up - lasting remnants of the Mubarak regime, and its intolerance of any public dissent. Combined with fierce fighting last night in the Nile Delta town of Mansoura, where protesters did battle with central security forces (who hadn’t been deployed in large numbers since Mubarak’s downfall), the incidents outside parliament are amplifying the voices of those who believe the army cannot be trusted, either to build a meaningful and durable set of civilian-led democratic political institutions, or to see through the kind of root and branch economic reform which is needed to answer the legitimate aspirations of millions of poor Egyptians. (For more details on how Egypt’s poor have done so badly from the country’s neoliberal reform programme in recent years see this analysis piece by Walter Armbrust.) You can get a taste of the shifting perspectives on the armed forces at the Inanites and Occupied Cairo websites. It’s also worth watching out for an announcement later on Saturday by the country’s constitutional reform committee, which is set to reveal which constitutional amendments will be put to the nation in two months time ahead of an expected general election later this year. Critics of the ruling supreme military council say that the army is moving too quickly to implement cosmetic reforms, when it would be better to appoint a civilian transitional government who would take time to rewrite the constitution from scratch. So far that hasn’t happened, and the depth of the constitutional amendments announced later will be viewed as a litmus test for how serious the military really is about supporting meaningful political change in Egypt.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest 1.08pm: This video on YouTube apparently shows an anti-government rally in Misurata following the liberation of the city.

There are more videos of protests around the country on this YouTube channel.

(Please note, we cannot independently verify these clips.)

1.06pm: David Cameron and other European leaders have agreed that the UN and the European Union should take urgent action against Gaddafi’s regime, including tough sanctions, Reuters reports.

A spokesman for the British prime minister said Cameron had spoken about the crisis to German chancellor Angela Merkel, Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi and Turkish prime minister Tayyip Erdogan in the last 24 hours.

“There was clear agreement that the actions of the Libyan regime were totally unacceptable and that brutality and intimidation would not be tolerated. He [Cameron] agreed with counterparts that urgent action was needed through the EU and UN, including a tough sanctions package targeting the regime directly.”

12.21pm: Egypt Military police have beaten protesters outside the cabinet office near Tahrir Square where they were trying to camp out to press for sweeping political reforms.

The clash signalled both a tougher line from the country’s military rulers and the growing impatience of the opposition movement, AP reports.

Tens of thousands of protesters rallied in Tahrir Square on Friday to keep up the pressure for reform, in particular to demand the dismissal of prime minister Ahmed Shafiq, who was appointed by Mubarak.

Military police moved in on a group of about 150 demonstrators outside the cabinet office near after midnight, said youth activist Shady Ghazali. “One man was slapped so hard he bled from his face,” Ghazali told the news agency.

He and at least four others were detained and taken to a lockup that already held dozens of other protesters who were apparently arrested throughout the day, he said. Some of them showed bruises and other signs of mistreatment, he said.

“The military police is behaving like the state security,” Ghazali said.

The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces later apologised for the military’s response and said the situation “wasn’t intentional.” In a statement, the council promised such confrontations would not happen again.

12.16pm: AP has more details on the reports of Gaddafi’s forces arming civilians in Tripoli loyal to the regime. The news agency says most residents of the Libyan capital remain in doors, terrified of bands of armed civilians running checkpoints and patrolling the city.

A 40-year-old business owner said he had seen Gadhafi supporters enter one of the regime’s Revolutionary Committee headquarters Saturday and leave with arms.

He said the regime is offering a car and money to any supporters bringing three people with them to join the effort.

“Someone from the old revolutionary committees will go with them so they’ll be four,” the witness said when reached by telephone from Cairo. “They’ll arm them to drive around the city and terrorize people.”

Other residents reported seeing trucks full of civilians with automatic rifles patrolling their neighborhoods. Many of the men are young, even teenagers, and wear green arm bands or cloths on their heads to show their affiliation to the regime, residents said.

12.14pm: Britons arriving in Malta on HMS Cumberland have expressed their relief at being evacuated.

Mike Wilson, 61, a Falklands veteran from Stamshaw in Portsmouth, said: “It was a very dangerous situation which was escalating and all of us on board were glad to be rescued.”

Wilson, who was involved in building a pipeline from a giant underground water source to the rest of Libya, said he travelled north by car past fighting factions to catch the Royal navy vessel at the eastern port of Benghazi.

“We were in a compound of buildings back in the desert and we had looters trying to get in, armed with knives. It was potentially terrifying situation and it’s sad for Libya, where I’ve been for three years.”

Best protest signs. Photograph: Eric Bowers

12.04pm: In a lighter look at the ongoing protests against Gaddafi’s regime, BuzzFeed has a gallery of the 40 best signs from demonstrations around the world.

11.57am: Gaddafi’s youngest son, Saif al-Arab, has joined the anti-government protesters in the eastern city of Benghazi, Press TV is reporting.

Saif al-Arab was sent by his father to co-operate with Libyan security forces in the crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators. He also hinted that his father would commit suicide or flee to Latin America in the face of growing condemnation over his violent crackdown on the protests.

11.54am: The Italian prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, says Gaddafi does not seem to be in control of Libya anymore. Berlusconi, Gaddafi’s strongest European ally, told a political meeting in Rome: “It appears that, effectively, Gaddafi no longer controls the situation in Libya.”

11.45am: Reuters has more on the evacuation of foreign nationals from Libya:

Bosnia: 150 Bosnians left the country on Friday on Turkish boats from Benghazi and a some by air.

Brazil: Malta harbour authorities said on Friday that 3,000 Brazilian workers were due to arrive overnight on a cruise ship.

Bulgaria: Around 100 Bulgarians are expected to leave Benghazi on a Turkish ship.

Canada: As of Thursday, nearly 200 Canadians had been, or were about to be, evacuated on planes and ships arranged by other nations. A C-17 military transport plane is due to fly out more evacuees from Tripoli.

Croatia: 28 Croatian workers have left Benghazi on an Italian military ship bound for Malta. A plane from Zagreb landed in Tripoli and Croatian officials were trying to reach the remaining 125 workers.

Germany: Three ships, two frigates and a supply vessel, are heading to the Libyan coast to help evacuate German citizens. They are currently anchored off Valetta.

Greece: 227 Greeks and Cypriots have been evacuated from Tripoli and Sabha on three C-130 military aircraft. Two Greek frigates have also be sent to waters off Libya and island of Crete.

India: The foreign ministry said it has sent a ship to Benghazi to evacuate at least 1,200 Indians and is seeking permission for its planes to land in Tripoli for other evacuations.

Ireland: Efforts are underway to get a plane back to Tripoli to evacuate about 70 Irish citizens. An air force plane returned to Malta from Tripoli with no passengers on board, according to media reports.

Italy: The foreign ministry said it planned to send a C130 aircraft on Friday to evacuate remaining Italians in Libya. The remaining Italians in the country were expected back within the next 48 hours.

Netherlands: The Dutch foreign ministry said on Friday 50 Dutch nationals remained in Libya, 25 of whom were looking to leave.

South Korea: A chartered plane carrying about 200 nationals took off from Tripoli on Friday for Cairo and another is scheduled.

Spain: Spain is planning the evacuation of a small number of Spaniards from outside Tripoli, the foreign ministry said.

Syria: Two vessels have been sent to pick up Syrians from different areas in Libya, along with flights from Tripoli.

Tunisia: At least 7,000 of the 30,000 Tunisians in Libya have left so far. A ferry has been sent to the port of Benghazi to transport more back home.

Turkey: As of Friday, 8,360 Turkish citizens have so far been evacuated on two ships and 26 planes. Another 12 planes were sent on Friday, including eight military aircraft, as well as a military ship and two ferries.

USA: A US-chartered ferry, carrying around 150 US citizens, arrived in Malta on Friday and another catamaran was due to dock later in the day. A chartered aircraft was also due to leave a Tripoli airfield for Istanbul.

Vietnam: Vietnam has so far evacuated about 1,300 of 10,482 citizens from Libya.

11.21am: Residents in Tripoli say Gaddafi’s regime is arming civilian supporters to quash dissent, AP reports. Locals contacted by the news agency on Saturday said trucks of pro-regime civilians were patrolling the streets. The move follows a speech Gaddafi made to his loyalists in Green Square on Friday, in which he called on them to “retaliate” against the anti-government demonstrators.

11.08am: Here’s further details on the ongoing efforts to get foreign nationals out of Libya.

• The latest flight left to retrieve Britons stranded in the crisis left Gatwick this morning and is expected back tonight. A Foreign Office spokeswoman said it was likely to be the last rescue flight, but that was not confirmed. SAS troops are understood to be ready to move in to evacuate around 170 British oil workers stranded in the desert.

• Greek officials say 2,800 Chinese workers have arrived in Crete after sailing by ferry from the Libyan port of Benghazi. It is the first of three ferries transporting a total of 6,000 Chinese workers to the island. The Chinese government has chartered four ferries and 11 hotels on the island, and is expected to begin special flights from Crete to China on Monday, AP reports.

Listen!

10.39am: In this audio clip on the February 17 Voices audioboo channel, a woman in Tripoli describes how government forces pursued anti-government protesters into their houses to kill them. She also claims that the dead have been buried immediately by Gaddafi’s soldiers in a bid to cover up their atrocities.(Please note, we are unable to independently verify these audio clips.)

Listen!

In another clip, a woman from Tripoli expresses her fear for her daughters, saying they only have knives to protect themselves against government forces. She also calls on the international community to take immediate action against Gaddafi: “If there’s anything you can [do to] help, do it now. Please do it now.”

Facebook Twitter Pinterest This video, posted on Al Jazeera English’s YouTube channel

10.24am:

This video, posted on Al Jazeera English’s YouTube channel, purports to show an army officer carried on the shoulders of anti-government protesters in the city of Zuwiya. Protesters claim this scene is being repeated across the country as soldiers uneasy with the bloody crackdown defect. A female protester interviewed by Al Jazeera in the eastern city of Benghazi says they want Gaddafi to faces justice for killing his own people.

We do not want him to flee to another country. We want to punish him because he shed Libyan blood. He killed our young people.

10.16am: Good morning and welcome to the Guardian’s live blog of the twelfth day of unrest in Libya where, despite growing international condemnation, Muammar Gaddafi’s regime continues it bloody crackdown on anti-government protesters.

Here are the main developments overnight and so far this morning.

• Anti-government protests are continuing across Libya, including in the capital, Tripoli, where protesters are reported to have taken control of some areas of the city.

• The UN security council is to meet later on Saturday to decide what action to take against Gaddafi. This could include an arms embargo against the government, a travel ban and asset freeze against the Libyan ruler, his relatives and close allies, and referring the violent crackdown to the International Criminal Court so it can investigate possible crimes against humanity.

• The US has announced sanctions against the Libyan government, with Barack Obama signing an executive order blocking property and transactions related to Gaddafi’s regime.

• Libya’s UN ambassador, Mohammed Shalgham, has denounced Gaddafi, just three days after praising him as “my friend”.

• Foreign governments are continuing efforts to evacuate their citizens from Libya. The latest - and probably last - flight from Gatwick to bring back Britons stranded in the country left early on Saturday morning. But further missions to rescue oil workers trapped in the desert are being prepared.