Smoke rises over Ajdabiya, the last major city between forces loyal to Moammar Gaddafi and rebel-held Benghazi. A military intervention against Col Muammar Gaddafi’s onslaught on Libyan rebels has been proposed at the UN in an eleventh-hour attempt to stop the dictator crushing opposition strongholds. European diplomatic sources said that military operations could be under way “within hours”... 

The $40billion figure during the first year of the Obama administration is an increase from the last year of the Bush government in 2008, when the State Department licensed $34.2billion. The U.S. government approved $40billion in private arms sales to countries including Libya and Egypt in 2009 – before they both dissolved into unrest this year – the State Department reported. From 2008... 

U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. Western officials continue to emphasize an “all options on the table” military attitude toward the Gaddhafi regime in Libya, though it seems there is still enough resistance to the immediate attack called for by some top officials to keep it from actually happening. Still, the moves continue to be in that direction, as Secretary of Defense Robert Gates noted... 

Libya is an important partner for the West in containing al Qaeda and illegal migrants trying to reach Europe, Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi said on Monday, in an apparent warning to governments planning sanctions. “Libya plays a vital role in regional peace and world peace,” he said in an interview with the France 24 television station. “We are an important partner in fighting al... 

The wave of immigration follows the January revolution in Tunisia. Nearly 350 Tunisians have arrived on the Italian island of Lampedusa, after a week in which poor weather had interrupted the flow of people fleeing the country. “Overnight, we escorted a boat with 347 people on board, including four women,” said the island’s coast guard. The last landing from Tunisia was on February 23, when around... 

Libyan rebels who are part of the forces against Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi celebrate their victory in fighting against troops loyal to Gadhafi, in the oil town of Ras Lanuf, eastern Libya, Saturday, March 5, 2011. Witnesses say Libyan rebels have captured the oil port town of Ras Lanouf from pro-Moammar Gadhafi forces, their first military victory in what could be a long, westward march to the... 

Relations: Mr Lavrov visited Downing Street earlier this month during which time it is likely that the Middle East unrest would have been discussed. Russia’s top diplomat has today dismissed plans to create a no-fly zone over Libya as embattled leader Moammar Gaddafi unleashed bombing raids, special forces and army troops in a desperate bid to retain power. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov... 

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez claims U.S. criticism of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi has a clear aim: military invasion. “Let’s not get carried away by the drums of war, because the United States, I am sure that they are exaggerating and distorting things to justify an invasion,” Chavez said Monday, according to Venezuelan state media. At a Monday meeting of the U.N. Human Rights... 

Street art: Gaddafi depicted as a traitor to Libya, paid by Israel and being kicked out of the country by the people of Libya. Click on the image to enlarge it. Libya has never been a friendly place for foreign journalists. A media ban kept reporters away as the uprising against strongman Muammar Gaddafi began on Feb. 17, and officials of the Gaddafi regime blasted journalists entering opposition-controlled... 

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, NATO, is holding an extraordinary session on Friday to discuss the situation in Libya, amid reports of a possible military intervention in the Arab country. The Secretary General of NATO, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, made the announcement yesterday in Budapest, where he was meeting with the ministers of defense of the European Union. Normally, the NATO Council would... 

Protesters shout slogans against Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi during a demonstartion at court square, in Benghazi, Libya, on Friday. After days of prevarication through the peak of the Libyan crisis, the United States government finally moved on Friday evening to impose unilateral sanctions against the regime of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. The Obama administration’s latest move came even as the... 

Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi. Libya’s deputy ambassador to the UN says thousands of people have been killed during protests, as unconfirmed reports have come in claiming the regime has used poison gas on demonstrators. Ibrahim Dabbashi, who has turned against the Gaddafi regime, said the death toll is expected to rise as Muammar Gaddafi continues his bloody crackdown against the opposition. “There... 

President Garcia wants a no-fly zone over Libya. Peru says it has suspended diplomatic relations with Libya over the use of force against civilians there. It is the first country to take such a step since the anti-government protests erupted in Libya last week. Peruvian Foreign Minister Jose Antonio Garcia Belaunde said he hoped other Latin American countries would follow suit. Peru said the move was... 

Tunisian immigrants are guarded by policemen upon arrival on the Italian island of Lampedusa. Italy faced criticism in the European Union on Thursday (24 February) for raising the alarm about a potential wave of refugees from Libya, with several governments saying Rome’s calls for help in dealing with migrants were exaggerated. EU justice ministers were meeting in Brussels yesterday to weigh... 

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has condemned the killing of protesters in Libya and called on the Libyan government to respect the people’s will. Demands for change shaking the Middle East would end the oppression of “arrogant” powers and would reach other continents like Europe or America, unless discrimination and military occupation ended, he predicted. “Instead of...