1151: Labour leader Ed Miliband says he's fully supportive of the UK mission: "We could not stand by as Col Gaddafi was murdering his own people. And we are acting to uphold the will of the international community, to uphold the values of the international community, that's why when I spoke to the prime minister last night I said it was the right thing to do for Britain to participate in this action and I will continue to support our troops in the days and weeks ahead."1148: The BBC is not in Bengazi but is receiving reports from residents by phone. They say this morning there has been fighting in the western suburbs near Gariunis School where some Gaddafi forces had drawn back to after street fighting yesterday. In the area of Gorasha, also in the western suburbs, there has also been fighting this morning. In central Bengazi a resident told us that at the moment there is no shooting going on and no fighting that he can see or hear. 1143: The US chief military officer Admiral Mike Mullen says US and allied forces have effectively established a no-fly zone over Libya. 1133: More on reports of attacks by Col Gaddafi's forces on the city of Misrata. Anas, a pharmacist in the city's main hospital told the BBC they had received two victims and many injured. He says: "Shelling is random and heavy. Two tanks destroyed by rebels."
1129: Khaled, in the UK, writes: "I just have been told (on Sunday 20 March) by my sister who lives in Misrata that Gaddafi forces are shelling residences and homes with massive force. Everyone is hysterical and there is lots of screaming. I am very worried." Have Your Say
1127: Pope Benedict said the hostilities had sparked "great fear and alarm in me" and he was praying for peace.
1123: Meanwhile, the Pope has appealed to political and military leaders to ensure "the safety of Libyan citizens and guarantee access to humanitarian aid".
Have Your Say
1127: Pope Benedict said the hostilities had sparked "great fear and alarm in me" and he was praying for peace.
1123: Meanwhile, the Pope has appealed to political and military leaders to ensure "the safety of Libyan citizens and guarantee access to humanitarian aid".
1121: The BBC has spoken to Mohamed, a spokesman for rebels in Misrata, who says the situation in the city is "really, really" dire. Shelling had resumed "in incredible fashion" for a third day after a brief pause when the international forces intervened, he said. "Misrata is being razed to the ground right now, we heard that the city centre is almost destroyed."
1107: An eyewitness in Misrata has told a BBC team that government tanks have rolled into the centre of the city. He described what he called a "massacre" with 40 civilians injured and at least 10 dead with civilian buildings coming under attack. The BBC cannot independently confirm the details.
1101: A spokesman for the American military - Col Franklin Childress - has confirmed to the BBC reports that B-2 stealth bombers have dropped around 40 conventional bombs on Libyan targets. Col Childress said he could not specify which targets had been attacked. He said that Tomahawk missiles might continue to be used in the campaign.
1055: The British planes targeted Libya's air defence systems in overnight raids concentrated mainly around the capital Tripoli, Maj Gen Lorimer said.
1053: The BBC's Chris Mason has been to a briefing at the UK Ministry of Defence. Maj Gen John Lorimer plus RAF and Royal Navy representatives said carefully selected targets were hit on Saturday night, but it was too early to say what the impact on the ground was.
1044: Grim reading, this from the New Yorker's Jon Lee Anderson in Benghazi: a first-hand account of the aftermath of the last couple of day's fighting in the city.
1040: India, which abstained on the vote over the UN resolution, expressed regret over the air strikes in Libya. In a statement from the foreign ministry it said: "The measures adopted should mitigate and not exacerbate an already difficult situation for the people of Libya."
1031: More on the latest death-toll from Benghazi, which came under heavy bombardment by Gaddafi forces for two days before the allied military action began. AFP quotes medics in the rebel stronghold as saying at least 94 people were killed in the assault.
1121: The BBC has spoken to Mohamed, a spokesman for rebels in Misrata, who says the situation in the city is "really, really" dire. Shelling had resumed "in incredible fashion" for a third day after a brief pause when the international forces intervened, he said. "Misrata is being razed to the ground right now, we heard that the city centre is almost destroyed."
1107: An eyewitness in Misrata has told a BBC team that government tanks have rolled into the centre of the city. He described what he called a "massacre" with 40 civilians injured and at least 10 dead with civilian buildings coming under attack. The BBC cannot independently confirm the details.
1101: A spokesman for the American military - Col Franklin Childress - has confirmed to the BBC reports that B-2 stealth bombers have dropped around 40 conventional bombs on Libyan targets. Col Childress said he could not specify which targets had been attacked. He said that Tomahawk missiles might continue to be used in the campaign.
1055: The British planes targeted Libya's air defence systems in overnight raids concentrated mainly around the capital Tripoli, Maj Gen Lorimer said.
1053: The BBC's Chris Mason has been to a briefing at the UK Ministry of Defence. Maj Gen John Lorimer plus RAF and Royal Navy representatives said carefully selected targets were hit on Saturday night, but it was too early to say what the impact on the ground was.
1044: Grim reading, this from the New Yorker's Jon Lee Anderson in Benghazi: a first-hand account of the aftermath of the last couple of day's fighting in the city.
1040: India, which abstained on the vote over the UN resolution, expressed regret over the air strikes in Libya. In a statement from the foreign ministry it said: "The measures adopted should mitigate and not exacerbate an already difficult situation for the people of Libya."
1031: More on the latest death-toll from Benghazi, which came under heavy bombardment by Gaddafi forces for two days before the allied military action began. AFP quotes medics in the rebel stronghold as saying at least 94 people were killed in the assault.
1029: Prayers are to take place in Misrata and Tobruk in memory of Mohammed Nabbous, a well-known activist who was killed in Benghazi on Saturday as he filmed the pro-Gaddafi attacks on the city. Mr Nabbous was the founder of Libya Free TV and was due to become a father.
1025: Yahya, in Birmingham, writes: "I am a Morrocan citizen but this affects me and my family much of the time, all the killings and massacres, all we want is for him to step down and let the next generation of people rule the country in peace and equality." Have Your Say
1023: BBC defence correspondent Jonathan Marcus says the coalition military planners will be studying satellite and other reconnaissance imagery to determine how much damage has been done to Col Gaddafi's air defences and to see if some targets might have to be hit again. They will also be monitoring the activities of Libyan forces near key populated areas like Benghazi and Misrata. Any offensive action on their part will bring down urgent air strikes.
1020: Mr Hague said Britain remained the world's fourth biggest military power despite planned defence cuts. "We have the resources to do what we started, now of course it is a great help to have many countries involved as well."
1017: Sobering analysis from Abdel al-Bari Atwan over at The Guardian, who argues that the relief of defeating Gaddafi will fade as we see the real impact of intervention in Libya. Welcome though it seems on humanitarian grounds, there are six serious problems with the UN resolution on Libya, he says, and the country's people face a long period of violent upheaval whatever happens.
1014: Mr Hague said Col Gaddafi no longer spoke for Libya. "He continues to have cash to buy support but as we know from defections around the world there is huge opposition from those who feel allowed to say so. This resolution does not allow us to regime change, it allows the population of Libya to decide their own future."
1013: UK Foreign Secretary William Hague told BBC 5 live what was important about the UN resolution is that it allowed for more than just a no-fly zone. "It brought in other measures to protect the civilian population, so that makes it possible to attack forces that are threatening the people of Libya," he said.
1008: Libyan rebel spokesman Mustafa Gheriani in Tobruk tells the BBC that Benghazi is "fairly safe", having taken a heavy pounding from pro-Gaddafi forces on Saturday. "There's a few remnants of Gaddafi's embedded cells operating but for the most part they've been eliminated." He says that, so far, the intervention of western powers has been very effective. "We want to change a tyrant - this guy is a criminal and has to be judged as one," he adds.
1003: Planes from Denmark are among the Western aircraft arriving at Mediterranean bases. Danish Defence Minister, Gitte Lillelund Bech, said she hoped the mission succeeded in bringing Col Gaddafi to justice. "The military action is not about killing Gaddafi. My hope is that what we can do is that we can make sure we can get Gaddafi, we can put him towards the International Criminal Court, and then it will be the International Criminal Court who actually judges him."
0959: Pharmacist in Misrata, Libya, Anas, writes: "We can hear shelling now, heavy shelling. Gaddafi militiamen are entering from the west and they are positioned on the main street which leads to the town centre. There are tanks and snipers on top of buildings. There was a big explosion just now. I am currently staying in the main hospital, this is what we hear is happening. In the last three days, there have been Gaddafi ships in the port. We have been unable to collect containers with medicine from the port because of that - they would shoot." Have Your Say
0956: What a sign-off: "We will be victorious, the coalition of the devil will be defeated," says Col Gaddafi, before hanging up.
0954: For Churchill it was World War II, for Thatcher the Falklands, for Blair it was - arguably - Iraq. Will this conflict define British Prime Minister David Cameron? Ian Birrell thinks so in this piece for the Mail on Sunday. The British leader's creation of an international coalition was a personal triumph, Mr Birrell argues, but that was the easy bit compared with thwarting this wily desert despot.
0953: In his speech to the Libyan people, Col Gaddafi adds that all those who cooperate with the British and French "will be dealt with". He describes the air strikes as a "new Crusader aggression" and "a new Hitlerism".
0946: Shami Chakrabarti, director of UK human rights organisation Liberty said the current action was justified. But she added: "There seems to be a lack of clarity about the difference between any ground forces at all, and an occupying force. This is difficult stuff we are getting into. What if aircraft by themselves are not enough to protect the Libyan people? What then at security council level and what then for British public opinion?"
0942: ITV news anchor Mark Austin tweets: "Idea of military action is always more accaptable than reality. Will west and more imp Arab nations have stomach for it ??"
0940: Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi is speaking on Libyan State TV. "Those who are on the land will win the battle," he says in an audio address. "Oil will be not be left to the USA, France and Britain". He promises a long, drawn-out war, and adds: "You're not going to frighten us with your bombs."
0931: Najib Bencherif, in Dubai, tweets: "Heard also that Tripoli hotel where media centre is located has been invaded by protesters, chanting pro-#Gaddafi slogans. #Libya #Benghazi"
0929: UK Chancellor George Osborne, who attended a meeting of the government's emergency Cobra committee before the first mission on Saturday - says the UN mandate authorising action in Libya is "very clear" - adding there are no plans for putting troops on the ground "at the moment".
0926: Libyan state TV quotes the country's foreign ministry as saying Libya will "use military and civilian aircraft in self-defence".
0924: Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi tweets: "Al Jazeera: Libyan State TV: Gaddafi will speak soon. #Libya"
0922: More from the UK chancellor. Mr Osborne says Saturday's mission by UK warplanes was focused on "specific military targets" and "every precaution" had been taken to prevent civilian casualties. He tells the BBC's Andrew Marr show that reports from Libyan TV that up to 50 civilians had been killed in UK and French raids should be "treated with caution".
0920: After the clinical strikes, the bloody body count: A Reuters correspondent reports seeing at least 14 dead bodies around the bombed out military vehicles of pro-Gaddafi forces on the key artery between Benghazi and Ajdabiya.
0918: Chancellor George Osborne says the UK is part of an "incredibly broad" international coalition which is "enforcing the will of the UN" in Libya. He tells the BBC the military action "has already had some effect" in protecting civilians from government attacks in Benghazi.
0916: The UNHCR, the UN's refugee agency, says on Saturday some 3,823 people crossed the Salloum border from Libya into Egypt - a quite considerable increase from Friday when approximately 2,300 crossed. UNHCR's Elizabeth Tan told BBC a lot of these were families who waited on the Libyan side when they arrived. When they heard the Western bombing begin they turned round and went back.
0908: If you've been following the news from Libya, you might have been inundated with references to Tomohawks, Mirages, CF-18s, Sentinels, Tornadoes, Nimrods and Typhoons. For the lowdown on the hardware being used in the Libya offensive check out our explainer on allied weaponry.
0902: Lord West, the UK's former First Sea Lord, wants pro-Gaddafi forces to surrender. He said: "What I hoped might happen is that the military who are still fighting for Gaddafi would see what's happening and think this is just not worth the candle and change sides. If they did that, that is a game changer, if they don't then it becomes a little bit more protracted."
0859: Muhamad in Tripoli writes: "You guys are doing a great job of bombing my country. No really, thumbs up! I'm sure that if we were not rich in oil you would still come to our rescue! It is like a mob hit by the international mafia that rules the world. "Take him out, he's no use to us anymore" etc." Have Your Say
0854: A Reuters reporter reports seeing burned out military vehicles lining a strategic road to Benghazi following the Western air strikes. They said dozens of vehicles littered the route, some so charred it was difficult to identify them, but some looked like wrecked trucks with multiple rocket launchers.
0852: More from our world affairs correspondent David Loyn. He says Gaddafi's ageing but still potent anti-aircraft defences have also been targeted in order to allow more freedom of movement for lower-level bombing raids. As always in warfare, the precise consequences of the action are unpredictable. The new Libyan opposition is feeling its way, its military operations have been disorganised, and it faces a ruthless government which has seen off threats before.
0850: Reuters is reporting a resident of rebel-held Mistra as saying pro-Gaddafi snipers are on rooftops in the centre of the city. They say his forces are still encircling the city.
0846: World Affairs Correspondent David Loyn says that from the first moment that French warplanes hit tanks and other Libyan government vehicles on the ground on Saturday, it was clear the assault on Libya was about more than just a no fly zone. Some 110 Cruise missiles were launched from US warships and a Royal Navy submarine, and Tornados, supported by mid-air refuelling planes, flew the longest RAF bombing raid since the Falklands war in 1982. In this early stage of the campaign targets have focused on what are called C3I - command, control, communications and intelligence, in an effort to disrupt the ability of the Libyan government to continue offensive operations against the rebels in the east.
0840: This just in: Armed men have detained the crew of an Italian ship in the Libyan capital's port, Italy's Ansa news agency reports. It says the ocean-going tug comprise eight Italians, two Indians and one Ukrainian.
0839: Tony Hartin tweets: "China and Russia condemn attacks on Libya yet stayed silent when the vote was taken at the UN. Hypocrites or what? #libya"
0831: More from Tripoli resident Sami. He said "nothing was going on" in the city and people were going to work as normal. "People are trained for this confrontation, we have been bombed by the US in 1986. We're not pleased, this is double standards. When Gaza was attacked by the Israeli army the whole world was watching. This is a matter of oil." He said the rebellion was a mixture of, "tradition, hate and corruption". "Some of these people have an agenda. They want to ruin Libya and pull it down."
0827: Our correspondent in Tripoli says reporters in Libya's capital are working under severely restricted circumstances and can't go out independently. It's easy to find people swearing undying loyalty to Col Gaddafi, he says, and there's no doubting their sincerity. But you wonder what's in the heads of the many millions who do not take part in these angry demonstrations of support for the leader. All other voices are drowned out by that intense and passionate voice of loyalty in which the person of Gaddafi is fused with the very identity of Libya itself.
0825: The BBC's Allan Little in Tripoli says that despite a loud barrage of anti-aircraft fire at 0230 Libya's capital this morning is relatively calm, with traffic moving around as normal, although the atmosphere is quite tense. That is not to say targets on the periphery of the city have not been hit: State TV says 48 civilians have been killed and more than 100 wounded; last night the speaker of the parliament said hospitals were filling up and that there had been a bombardment of a civilian part of the city, but there's been no independent confirmation of that.
0821: A Tripoli resident, Sami, explained to the BBC why he still supported Col Gaddafi. "We've been living in peace and harmony for 42 years. He changed the situation of Libyan people. We were living in tin huts, we didn't have cars, we couldn't go to school, no hospitals, no education - he brought that all to us. A Libyan can raise his head high and be proud of himself," he said.
0817: The BBC's Ben Brown in Tobruk said rebel leaders told him the military action had come late, but not too late. Before the air strikes had started Col Gaddafi had launched a major offensive in Benghazi, but now the rebels feel they are in a much stronger position, he said.
0810: BBC Foreign Editor Jon Williams tweets: "Forget airbases in Sicily or Cyprus, RAF Tornados flew from Marham, Norfolk to #Libya - longest range bombing mission since Falklands war."
0807: Col Stewart said news reports from Tripoli showed people apparently supporting the regime but, "people are petrified, and if they didn't show enthusiasm they'd be taken round the back and done in. All the people of Libya will want to get rid of this man who has tyrannised them." He added: "We can only do what we can do, I endorse what the PM said. We can't do lots but let's do a little. In Libya, thousands of people were threatened with death. We've stopped all that."
0801: Col Bob Stewart, former United Nations commander in Bosnia said he, like the world's leaders, not only wanted to stop people dying, but would also like to see Mr Gaddafi depart very rapidly. "The onus is back on people in Libya to make their decision. I really am totally with the idea that all we've done is to stop the killing. I've watched what happened in Sarajevo in 1992 and 1993 and could see a repeat of that in Benghazi with brutes shelling civilians. These casualties would be a damn sight more if Gaddafi had continued," he told the BBC.
0755: OnlyOneLibya tweets: "I would just like to remind Libyan people, air-strikes will not remove #Gaddafi, we have to do that, #Libya has to rise! "
0748: Russia and China, who both abstained from the UN Security Council vote authorising the no-fly zone, said they regretted the decision by Western powers to use force against Libya. The Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Aleksandr Lukashevich, said: "We are again urging both, all the parties in Libya, as well as participants in the military operation, to do everything possible to avoid suffering among the civilian population, achieve a ceasefire and put an end to violence as soon as possible."
0740: Paul Smyth, a defence analyst, former wing commander and tornado navigator, told the BBC the mission was unusual because of the cruise missiles carried by the planes. "The difference here, perhaps why you haven't seen this in the past, is this the employment of the Stormshadow air launch cruise missile effectively, which allows them to release a weapon outside of Libyan air space to attack targets within Libya," he said.
0735: The Sunday Telegraph says it is critical that the removal of Gaddafi is not the prelude to the catastrophic breakdown of order seen in Iraq.
0729: S. Leonard in Namibia writes: I personally believe that what the actions of the coalition of US, France and Britain are wrong - they will cause destruction and harm to the Libyan people. They did not even offer diplomatic solution to Gaddafi. They are siding with the rebels instead of being mediators and bringing peace without bloodshed. They are bias. " Have Your Say
0723: The BBC's Kevin Connolly in the city of Tobruk on the border with Egypt says people in eastern Libya are waiting to find out the effectiveness of the tomohawk attacks before Western aircraft are dispatched over the country, which will make people there feel a lot safer. Because Gaddafi knows there won't be western boots on the ground in this operation, he is revising his strategy to try and cope with western control of the air while consolidating his power base on the ground, adds our correspondent.
0718: The Telegraph's Rob Crilly in the rebel stronghold Benghazi tweets: "Heavy downpour first thing and now the sun is shining. Benghazi looks like a city reborn #benghazi."
0713: Meanwhile, the UK's Observer newspaper thinks Col Gaddafi could well be satisfied with a stalemate which leaves NATO impotently policing empty skies while he maintains a stranglehold on his people and taxes the unity of the alliance opposing him. It believes only the Libyans themselves can change the regime.
0706: Dr John Gearson from the Centre for Defence Studies at Kings College in London said Libya did not have much chance to defend itself. "But it really depends on whether or not Col Gaddafi takes the view that the public relations battle is actually going in his direction. All he has to do is sit it out and not do anything, in which case we'll have to be very careful about what we do. Or the international coalition takes the view that this opportunity has to be exploited now."
0702: More Western aircraft from Canada, Denmark and Spain are arriving at Mediterranean bases, and are expected to be in action again today. French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe says the raids will continue until Col Gaddafi stops attacking civilians, withdraws his troops from areas they have penetrated, and allows Libyans to express their aspirations to democracy.
0700: Here's a quick upsum to bring you up to speed on what is a fine Sunday morning in London: Western forces have continued their air and sea attacks against Libyan government targets overnight as part of a UN-backed plan to establish a no-fly zone and prevent government attacks on civilians. US and British naval forces fired more than 100 cruise missiles at air defence sites around the capital, Tripoli, and the western city of Misrata. French and British warplanes also attacked targets on the ground.
0656: Over at the Washington Post, David Ignatius has penned this assessment of the allied intervention in Libya. This war may be messy, and it certainly won't be what Pentagon planners would do if they could dictate matters, he says, but that's the point: That the US won't be the writing this script on its own is a good thing.
0654: Good morning. If you're just joining us, welcome to the BBC's live coverage of the Libya crisis. Stay with us for the latest updates - reports from our correspondents on the ground, expert analysis, and your reaction from around the world. You can contact us via email, text or twitter.
0625: The "major" airfield was not further identified. A Pentagon spokesman told the Reuters news agency that he had no information about such an attack.
0614: CBS News tweets: "Three U.S. B-2 stealth bombers dropped 40 bombs on a major Libyan airfield"
0603: The BBC's Paul Adams in Washington says: "Eight years to the day after his predecessor launched the first air strikes against Saddam Hussein's Iraq, President Barack Obama announced that American forces were once again attacking an Arab country. Despite the fact that French warplanes struck the first blows, it is clear that this early phase of operations is an overwhelmingly American affair. All but a small number of cruise missiles have been fired from American ships and submarines. But Mr Obama seems anxious that this not be interpreted as yet another American-led foray into the Arab world. The Pentagon says it will transfer command of Operation Odyssey Dawn in the coming days, almost certainly to Nato. But that will happen only after the Americans have established that the first wave of attacks has done sufficient damage to Libya's air defences for a no fly zone to be safely patrolled."
0559: Our correspondent adds: "Such claims are hard to verify, but the Gaddafi strategy is now clear - to portray the UN-sanctioned operations as a Colonialist act of aggression. His aim will be to use the attacks to rally enough of the Libyan people behind him to maintain his grip on power. The Allied air operations will enter a new phase once the planners are satisfied that Libyan air defences have been destroyed and combat aircraft will begin patrolling the skies here. Only then will it become clear in what circumstances they plan to attack smaller military targets like the tanks under Col Gaddafi's orders. It is that which will determine the outcome of this campaign."
0556: The BBC's Kevin Connolly in Tobruk says: "In the arid jargon of the Pentagon, it was the first phase of a multi-phase operation against Libya's integrated air defence capability. On the ground it was a spectacular display of Allied military power. More than 100 Tomahawk guided missiles fired at radar stations and missile sites - antiquated facilities, but still dangerous according to the American military. The Libyan media immediate began reporting that there were casualties on the ground, and that Col Gaddafi's supporters had rushed to his compound and to Tripoli's airport, effectively offering themselves as human shields."
0549: msamogh tweets: Pentagon has taken a major decision by attacking #Libya..The US will only create chaos by supporting the rebels"
0544: Mohammed al-Nabbous was a Libyan journalist who ran a live-stream channel called Libya al-Hurra, or Free Libya, which broadcast pictures of the aftermath of government attacks and commentary on the uprising. Mr Nabbous was shot dead by a sniper in the eastern city of Benghazi.
0539: Libya In Me tweets: Yesterday this time, we were watching #MohammadNabbous live in his final night...Good night everyone #libya #feb17"
0523: The New York Times reports that hundreds of Col Gaddafi's supporters on Saturday offered themselves up as human shields outside his heavily fortified compound in Tripoli. The crowd included women and children, and some said they had family among the government's forces. The paper said shouted: "House by house, ally by ally," the catchiest song went, quoting a speech by the brother leader, "Disinfect the germs from each house and each room."
0509: Libyan state television is claiming that 48 people have been killed and 150 other civilians wounded by the air and missile strikes launched by Western powers. Abdul, a doctor in the western city of Misrata, has told the BBC that the local hospital has recorded 16 deaths and 46 injuries. "Beside those who we couldn't recover by the ambulance, they have positioned snipers on the high buildings, civilian buildings, and they started to shoot randomly on persons, on civilians, on the rebels."
0456: Stephen Henderson of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) tells the BBC that it is extremely worried about the risk to civilians from the violence in Libya. "This an armed conflict that's turning international, so the escalation these past days, this morning, this afternoon is extremely worrying from our perspective for the civilian population on the ground. There are military operations going on in different places, so this is a general message to all parties involved in this complex armed conflict that all civilians need really to be respected."
0447: Timothy Katungi in the UK writes: "Has the West considered the demographics of Libya? Is any of the leaders in the West aware of the tribal divisions in Libya? Western democracy can not work in Libya, the events unfolding in Libya will only succeed if at all by dividing the Libya into tribal settings, for Libya to stay as one country, it has to be led by a dictator. The west is once again displaying its double standards by ignoring events happening in other Arab States because they are poor and concentrating on Libya because of its wealth." Have Your Say
0441: Al-Jazeera reports that Col Gaddafi sent a top diplomat to neighbouring Tunisia. Ali Treki, a former foreign minister, reportedly berated an al-Jazeera team when they filmed in the lobby of the Regency Hotel in Gammath, shouting: "You animal, shop Shooting!" Hotel security staff meanwhile tried to destroy al-Jazeera's camera and confiscate the footage of the minister, the channel said.
0434: Japan has said it supports the air and missile strikes on Libya. "The Japanese government supports measures taken by UN member states under UN Security Council Resolution 1973," Japan's Foreign Minister Takeaki Matsumoto said in a statement. "We strongly condemn the Libyan authorities for continuing violence against the people. We strongly urge the Libyan authorities to make a prudent decision as quickly as possible," he added.
0421: The US Navy has published images of its ships firing Tomahawk cruise missiles at Libyan military sites in support of Operation Odyssey Dawn.
0413: The US state department has released an advisory recommending against news media organisations sending journalists into Libya at this time. Acting deputy spokesman Mark Toner said no US officials remained in Libya and that US citizens still there should get out immediately. Earlier, al-Jazeera reported that the Libyan authorities had detained a team of four of its journalists in the western part of the country.
0408: The Shadow UK Defence Secretary, Jim Murphy, tells the BBC that he believes it is unlikely that foreign troops will need to invade Libya. "We are trying to achieve something relatively precise, which is to stop Gaddafi, his military, his heavy artillery, his tanks, his aeroplanes from being able to make attacks upon civilian centres. And I think that can be done in the way in which the UN has outlined. It won't happen immediately, but I think it can be done."
0352: More on the Chinese foreign ministry statement on the strikes on Libya: Beijing respects Libya's "sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity".
0343: Anas in Misrata, Libya, tells the BBC: "The city is currently relatively calm, from time-to-time I hear the voices and the sounds of artillery fire. Now I hear gunfire and artillery. Water is totally cut off from the city, electricity cut off from some areas, the forces of Gaddafi stationed away from the city, but there are some tanks stationed in the outskirts of the city. The humanitarian and medical situation is bad in Misrata. We suffer a shortage of medicines especially anesthetics, dialysis and cancer drugs. We appeal to the international community to intervene effectively and humanely protect us." Have Your Say
0340: Robert Haddick, in Foreign Policy, wonders if a quagmire lies ahead for the international coalition striking Libya. "Qaddafi is a particularly unscrupulous and ruthless adversary with long experience using terrorism as a strategic weapon -- Libya was a large source of suicide bomb volunteers during the Iraq war -- so members of the coalition should expect terror retaliation in various forms."
0330: OmarAlmu5tar tweets: "It baffles me when non-Libyans tell me that I don't know what is best for my country. Are they pro-Gaddafi or just stupid?"
0328: Varwhite850 tweets: "Obama was denigrated for doing nothing, and now is vilified for taking action? I'm not a fan (understatement), but are we being fair? #libya".
0321: China, which abstained with Russia from the UN Security Council vote authorising the Libya no-fly zone, has made an official comment on the conflict. The foreign ministry said China wants stability restored as soon as possible and hopes the situation will not escalate and lead to greater loss of civilian life, Reuters reports.
0314: Abdel, a doctor in the town of Misrata, Libya, about 200km east of Tripoli, tells BBC World television that Gaddafi loyalists have been moving the bodies of people killed in clashes between rebels and government forces to sites that have been bombed by the coalition to make it appear they have died in the strikes.
0308: A reminder of just how expensive modern military hardware is. CNN's Wolf Blitzer tweets: "Each Tomahawk cruise missile costs roughly $1 million. US launched 100+ against #Libya targets. You do the math".
0305: race2jannah tweets: "Libyans are brave and they don't fear death, they fear living with oppression."
0304: Shahoon in Pakistan writes: "My parents are in Libya and I have had no contact with them past two days. I pray to God and hope they are fine and all my relatives and friends." Have Your Say
0301: A number of Latin American supporters of Col Gaddafi say the intervention in Libya is being conducted with an eye on Libya's oil. In a televised speech in Venezuela, President Hugo Chavez said: "More death, more war. They are the masters of war... What irresponsibility... They want to seize Libya's oil. The lives of Libya's people don't matter to them at all."
0300: If you're just joining us, welcome to the BBC's live coverage of the Libya crisis. Stay with us for the latest updates - reports from our correspondents on the ground, expert analysis, and your reaction from around the world. You can contact us via email, text or twitter. We'll publish what we can.
0249: Asuma in Tripoli, writes: "The West is very sick, wasting its time and rendering itself useless to the region. The first French strikes on Libya were a big, big mistake. Now the whole of Mediterranean Sea is impassable, you can't go in there with a boat nor a ship, so what type of madness is this? Libya does not have an air defense system that the West can hit and strike, and command posts are mobile, how the hell in the world will you neutralize Libya? You just set your own selves on flames!" Have Your Say
0246: Nic Robertson of CNN tweets from Tripoli: "City now eerily quiet, occasional sporadic heavy machine gunfire, at least 3 earlier blasts reportedly at military airfield in east of city."
0240: David Mack, from the Middle East Institute in Washington, tells the BBC that the no-fly zone is only be a small part of what has to be done. "At the end of the day, there is going to have to be a fair amount of determination on the part of the international community to do without Libyan oil, to, in some cases. It will be very tough for Italy and Spain, to perhaps do without Libyan gas, in order to make this really effective," he says.
0234: Feb 17 Voices tweets: "LPC from #Tripoli: 4 more explosions just heard, possibly around Ayn Zara or Tajoura. Very loud. Heard from approx. 20km away. #Libya #Feb17 "
0229: Mr Joshi adds: "Just to give you a sense of how disjointed this operation is, not only did the French strike first, by they did so without giving full warning to their own allies. This would have angered many. It will be very difficult to hold together such a disparate collection of allies, who are not operating within Nato and which perhaps soon will include Arab states, alongside whom Western powers have not fought since the 1990s. The fact that they delayed action until Saturday will have a serious impact on the course of the next couple of days. Col Gaddafi has been able to move his armoured units into urban areas where they cannot be hit easily."
0226: Shashank Joshi, an associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (Rusi) says there have been "very mixed messages" from Washington. "On the one hand, the US is insisting on playing a peripheral role and staying at arms' length. The statements we've seen so far, as well as the means of attacking Libya - cruise missiles rather than jet aircraft - give you a sense of just how strongly the Americans want to stay at some distance until the Arabs have joined the operation," he says.
0218: The BBC's Imogen Foulkes in Geneva says: "The ICRC is deeply worried about the fate of civilians in Libya for a number of reasons. First, the air strikes have begun only after Libyan government forces reached Benghazi, a city of almost 750,000 people, who may now find themselves in the crossfire. Then, there is the threat by Col Gaddafi to show no mercy to those he considers rebels, and the already very credible reports received by the ICRC that forces loyal to him have entered hospitals and attacked both the wounded and medical staff."
0214: The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has said it is deeply concerned about the risk to civilians. In a statement, the organisation said all parties to "abide strictly by the rules and principles of international humanitarian law". "In particular, they must distinguish at all times between civilians and fighters," it added. ICRC Director General Yves Daccord said: "We urge the parties to the conflict to allow humanitarian organisations safe access to war-affected areas and to enable medical personnel and ambulances to reach the wounded."
0208: Abdul Karim, a doctor in Libya's third city of Misrata, tells the BBC: "There has been strong firing from Gaddafi's tanks from the western side of Misrata, in an area called Guseir. The firing started five hours ago. I can still hear the sounds of explosions. I was heading home when I heard the explosions, so now I have gone to a safer place."
0203: Mohamed in Sheffield, UK writes: "I am from Tripoli, Libya, as you know [Col Gaddafi] has been in power for almost 42 year so. Most people don't know anything else, they haven't seen different presidents or governments... From the beginning, I knew he going to kill a lot of people. He did the same in 1996." Have Your Say
0159: Sabry Malik, a spokesman in London for the Libyan Freedom and Democracy campaign, welcomes the military action. "The military operation is very necessary," he tells the BBC. "However, we need to emphasise that the military operation needs to be coupled with political effort. We don't want a repetition of the Iraqi and Afghan experience. The United Nations must move in with a commission. It will help us through the transitional period from dictatorship to democracy."
0155: Harlan Ullman, a former US Naval commander, tells the BBC that the allies' strategy is flawed: "The trouble with this approach is that you could see a division of Libya, east/west as we saw in Europe in 1945. And if Gaddafi decides not to go, we wouldn't necessarily have an iron curtain, but we would have a sand curtain that would divide Libya somewhere east of Tripoli and west of Benghazi. Ultimately the only way that you can protect Libyans is to do away with threat number one, and threat number one is Muammar Gaddafi. Obviously Gaddafi's got to go and there have got to be new leaders in Libya."
0151: Shabab Libya tweets: "#Gaddafi tv is showing PM Baghdadi Mahmoudi in the hospital visiting injured ppl. Why didnt he do that before? He suddenly grew a heart?"
0149: Libyan TV has also shown footage of patients in hospitals who it says were injured during the recent attacks. Libyan Prime Minister al-Baghdadi Ali al-Mahmoudi was shown making bedside visits in the company of a military officer, BBC Monitoring reports. Injured patients voiced their support for Col Gaddafi and the revolution. The footage then went on to show several bodies lying on hospital gurneys with tourniquets covering some of their hands and faces, while draped with white sheets.
0141: Libyan state television reports that air and missiles strikes by Western powers early on Sunday targeted several places in the capital, Tripoli.
0138: Clovis Maksoud, a former Arab League representative to the UN, tells the BBC that Arab states will soon join the operation in Libya: "They will do it within the framework of the United Nations. Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, perhaps Jordan, will join in one form or another in whatever the leadership of the UN operation requires. There is a willingness to participate in whatever capacity they can. Already they have deployed some of their aircraft to help the coalition."
0129: Tripolitanian tweets: "#Libya has suspended the cease-fire, that's right, the cease-fire that was never there is now no longer there"
0126: Mohammed, who lives in Tripoli, tells the BBC that there has been gunfire close to where he lives. "I heard the anti-aircraft guns start shooting around 0235 in the morning. Very heavily for almost five to 19 minutes. Machine-gun [bullets] are flying all over the sky around Tripoli. They're shooting very, very close to where I live. I'm not living too far from the home of Mr Gaddafi," he says.
0121: Libyan state television is also quoting the military as saying its troops have "downed the barbaric, unjust, Crusading enemy's war jets".
0117: More now on the casualties reported by Libyan state television: An armed forces communique says the "wanton attack" on Saturday targeted military installations in Tripoli, Misrata, Benghazi, Zuwara and Sirte. "The aggression killed 48 martyrs, most of whom were children, women and elderly," the communique adds. More than 150 were injured and maimed. "This savage attack affected many educational, health and civilian installations. It also terrorised the children and women living near by the sites targeted by this savage attack."
0113: UK Defence Secretary Liam Fox says: "We made clear that if Gaddafi did not comply with the UN Security Council resolution 1973, it would be enforced through military action. Our armed forces have therefore participated in a co-ordinated international coalition strike against key military installations... This action has provided a strong signal - the international community will not stand by while the Libyan people suffer under the Gaddafi regime."
0111: The British fast jets flew 4,828km (3,000 miles) from RAF Marham and back - the longest range bombing mission conducted by the RAF since the Falklands conflict, according to the Ministry of Defence. The operation was supported by VC10 and Tristar air-to-air refuelling aircraft as well as E3D Sentry and Sentinel surveillance aircraft.
0109: A spokesman for the UK's Chief of Defence Staff says the Royal Air Force has "participated in a co-ordinated strike against Libyan Air Defence systems". "In addition to the Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles (TLAM) launched from a Trafalgar Class submarine, I can now confirm that the RAF has also launched Stormshadow missiles from a number of Tornado GR4 fast jets, which flew direct from RAF Marham as part of a coordinated coalition plan to enforce the resolution," a statement adds.
0107: Mary in Sussex, UK writes: "The Libyan people have been oppressed for 42 years, telling the opposition they should have taken time in planning the revolution to minimise the death of civilians is a bit rich as going by the history anyone who even spoke out against the regime either disappeared or were locked up! My sister has been living in Benghazi for the last 20 years, she has heard the stories, when we have been able to speak on the phone, I have heard from her what her family are experiencing and seen. Now I can't get hold of her, if by sending the UN/Coalition means that she and the extended family will be safe... things have to change now." Have Your Say
0102: Libyan state television is reporting that 48 people have been killed and another 150 wounded by the air and missile strikes, according to the Reuters news agency.
0059: The African Union's panel on Libya has called for an "immediate stop" to all attacks after air and missile strikes on Libyan military facilities, the AFP news agency reports.
0055: The BBC's Allan Little in Tripoli says: "There has been a very defiant response to the air and missile strikes from the Libyan government. Col Gaddafi said the Libyan people should arm themselves for revolution. The government continues to insist there has been no popular uprising in the east of the country; that it is a criminal enterprise led by a few hundred gangs which are working alongside al-Qaeda. That is not a version of events that anyone in the outside world believes. State media have been preparing people all day for what is happening tonight. They have been showing pictures of the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, and the aftermath of that. The air strikes have also been called 'crusader strikes'."
0052: The Reuters news agency is now broadcasting live pictures of a small crowd of Col Gaddafi's supporters on a street in Tripoli. They are waving a Libyan flag, dancing and singing.
0046: Meanwhile, al-Jazeera is reporting that Gaddafi loyalists have again been bombarding areas of the rebel-held eastern city of Benghazi. It says some residents fled to nearby mosques for safety after they came under tank and rocket fire. Benghazi came under attack on Saturday.
0039: Anti-aircraft guns are lighting up the skies of Tripoli. There is sadly no sound on the video feed, but Reuters reporters say they have heard explosions, machine gunfire and shouts of "God is greatest".
0035: Ahmed in London, UK, writes: "I'm a Libyan and sickened by the sycophants who are able to call in on super clear lines from Tripoli, when it's next to impossible to get an international line. NO-ONE in Libya wants Gaddafi. The only ones who talk up for Gaddafi are those who suckle on his morally abhorrent resources. In Arabic, they called mounafikeen (hypocrites). As soon as Gaddafi is booted out how quickly will change sides as your fellow brothers and sisters have paid the price with blood. Shame on you." Have Your Say
0033: The Reuters news agency is broadcasting live pictures of the skies above the Libyan capital. You can see occasional orange flashes and tracers. A correspondent reports that anti-aircraft guns are being fired, presumably by forces loyal to Col Gaddafi.
0028: A US military spokesman, Vice-Admiral William Gortney, has said the initial air and missile strikes by Western powers were "just the first phase of what will likely be a multiphase military operation designed to enforce the United Nations resolution and the deny the Libyan regime the ability to use force against its own people". "This is an international military effort urged by the Libyan people themselves and by other Arab nations," he told a news conference in Washington.
0024: Libyans Revolt tweets: "Family member in #Tripoli: Saw 4 missiles go over his house and strike small base about 4km from main airport - made the whole house shake."
0022: Sarah Lynch tweets:"Got a call from my translator in #libya.. Said he fled #benghazi and just crossed the egyptian border along with thousands of others"
0018: Chris McGreal, a reporter for the Guardian newspaper who is in Benghazi, tells the BBC: "We've seen some of the explosions, presumably from the French aircraft, attacking Gaddafi's tanks a little bit beyond Benghazi... While [people in the city] are relieved that the air strikes have finally begun, there's been none of the celebration that greeted the initial imposing of the UN no-fly zone, in large part because I think people feel that the air strikes should have come earlier in order to prevent the assault on the city today."
0010: Luiz in Brazil writes: "For six years, I was living in Tripoli until 24 February 2011, when I evacuated. I witnessed the earlier protest in Tripoli by the unarmed brave people of this city. The government used against them helicopters and high-calibre guns and artillery fire. I was inside my apartment in the Zairdermani area; it was on the night of 22 February. I will never forget that night in my life. Gaddafi is a crazy man and the good and peaceful people of Libya don't deserve to have an insane man as a leader. I can't believe how Gaddafi could have been accepted as a partner by the great powers of this world. How could Tony Blair embrace him?... I hope the great people of Libya find their way out of this turmoil very soon." Have Your Say
0007: Reports from Benghazi say rebels have regained control of the city after driving out forces loyal to Col Gaddafi. The rebels say roads to the east are clogged with car loads of people fleeing.
0006: US President Barack Obama said the United States was part of a broad coalition to answer the calls of a threatened people in Libya. But he reiterated that the US would not deploy troops on the ground. The French Foreign minister, Alain Juppe, said the attacks would continue until the Libyan government complied with the UN resolution. Russia has said it regrets the decision by western powers to take military action.
0005: As his country came under attack, Col Gaddafi said the Mediterranean and North Africa had become a war zone. He warned that civilians and military targets in the region would be in danger. In a statement broadcast on state television, Col Gaddafi said arms stores would be opened so the people could resist what he called colonial, crusader aggression. The speaker of the Libyan parliament said that civilian areas had been targeted, and there had been casualties. A BBC correspondent in Tripoli said the city was calm with traffic still on the streets.
0004: Western forces have launched air and missile strikes on Libya as part of a UN-backed plan to establish a no-fly zone and prevent government attacks on civilians. The United States said American and British naval forces fired more than 100 cruise missiles at air-defence sites. The targets were mainly around the capital, Tripoli, and the western city of Misrata. French military aircraft went into action first over the rebel held city of Benghazi, which was under attack from government forces.
0003: Good evening and welcome to the BBC's live coverage of the Libya crisis. Stay with us for the latest updates - reports from our correspondents on the ground, expert analysis, and your reaction from around the world. You can contact us via email, text or twitter. We'll publish what we can.
1031: More on the latest death-toll from Benghazi, which came under heavy bombardment by Gaddafi forces for two days before the allied military action began. AFP quotes medics in the rebel stronghold as saying at least 94 people were killed in the assault
