Libya (and Beyond) LiveBlog: A No-Fly Zone....And More

2055 GMT: Libya's Deputy Foreign Minister has said that the regime has asked Turkey, Malta, and China to send observers to monitor a cease-fire, denying reports that attacks on the opposition were continuing: "The armed forces are respecting [the cease-fire] and will protect civilians."

2010 GMT: Al Jazeera English summarises King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia's carrot-and-stick in his televised speech.

The King decreed that media must not criticise clerics and praised security forces for blocking protests, "You are the hitting hand against whoever considers undermining the nation's security and stability." He also thanked Saudis for not taking to the streets: "I am so proud of you. Words are not enough to describe you. You are the safety valve of this nation and you struck at that which is wrong with the truth and at treachery with loyalty."

Sweeteners in the King's speech included $66.7bn would be spent on 500,000 housing units, $4.3bn on more medical facilities, an extra $40m for private hospitals, an additional two months' wages for all government workers, and two extra payments for university students worth around $500.

The King also raised the monthly minimum wage to $800 and announced a monthly payment of around $260 to the country's unemployed. Millions more in capital for the government's housing loan fund was promised, with the maximum loan for homes raised to around $130,000.

Libya Video: Today's Statement by President Obama
Libya and the No-Fly Zone: Scott Lucas on the BBC
Syria Video: Friday's Protests
Libya Feature: On the Opposition's Front Line "Where is America?"
Libya: The Text of the UN Resolution for a No-Fly Zone & "All Necessary Measures"
Thursday's Libya, Bahrain (and Beyond): Foreign Interventions

2000 GMT: Syria's state news agency SANA has declared that today's violence over protests, which killed at least two people and injured dozens, occurred when "acts of sabotage" forced security forces to intervene: "Infiltrators took advantage of a gathering of citizens near the Omari Mosque in the city of Deraa on Friday afternoon to provoke chaos through acts of violence which resulted in damage to private and public property."

The agency claimed, "The infiltrators also set cars and shops on fire, which obliged security forces to intervene in order to protect citizens and property. They were also attacked by the infiltrators before the latter dispersed."

1955 GMT: Yemeni journalist Jamal al-Sharaabi, a photographer for the independent weekly Al-Masdar, was fatally shot today. Another photojournalist working for BBC Arabic, was wounded in the shoulder.

1945 GMT: Al Jazeera is reporting clashes 50 km (31 miles) west of Benghazi.

1825 GMT: President Obama now speaking on Libya, saying that Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi had "every chance" to stop the oppression of his citizens: "Left unchecked, we have every reason to believe Qaddafi would commit atrocity against his own people."

Obama called on the Libyan regime to cease-fire and continued, "If Ghadafi does not comply with the(UN) resolution.. the resolution will be enforced through military action." Obama, however, ruled out the use of US ground forces.

1820 GMT: An opposition spokesman, Khaled El-Sayeh, has said at least 28 people have been killed in fighting in Libya today.

El-Sayeh said 26 people died and 83 were seriously wounded in the lengthy battle for Misurata (see 1650 GMT). In Ajdabiya in eastern Libya, two died and three were seriously wounded.

Fighting has also been reported in Az Zintan in the west.

1810 GMT: Two of the protesters killed in Darra in southern Syria today have been named as Hussam Abdel Wali Ayyash and Akram Jawabreh.

They were among thousands of demonstrators chanting "God, Syria, Freedom" and accusing President Bashar Al-Assad's family of corruption.

Witnesses have claimed up to six people were killed.

1650 GMT: An activist website has posted video from Misurata, 210 km (130 miles) east of Tripoli, with testimony from a cameraman on the four-hour battle today:

Today Gaddafi’s forces expanded their action in the city. They managed to enter the city but the revos [revolutionaries] managed to stop them. Some of their vehicles, because they brought in tanks and snipers were cornered and didn’t know to escape. So they started shooting randomly and shelling the buildings and the areas they entered from.

They entered from Benghazi and Tripoli, they also entered from Borwayya which we call the coastal highway. This means they entered from East, West and South. After that, the revos managed to stop the guys coming in from Borwayya area. The tanks managed to reach Al Jazeera area which is 10 km away from the centre of the city where two of the tanks were destroyed. After that, the forces coming in from the west retreated to their bases outside the city.

We can now hear random bombardments here in the outskirts of Misratah. We are approximately 5 km away from the city centre. There was random shelling by the forces after they were cornered, and they started shelling houses and residential areas....The shells were random and lethal. The residents were targeted and some of them died as martyrs at the hands of snipers.

After that, a number of snipers were cornered in Benghazi street. Some of them were with personnel carriers and tanks, and the revos managed to destroy one tank after which the rest of the convoy withdrew to an area which is 3km away from the center of the city. Some of the snipers lost the way they came from so headed to the Humanities College where they were cornered. Praise be to God the revos managed to capture a number of them. Thank God, the revos were victorious.

1620 GMT: Al Jazeera English's report on the killing of more than 40 person and injuring of many others by security forces today in Yemen:

1610 GMT: Residents in Syria are claiming that at least one person and up to six have been shot dead and dozens wounded in the protests in Darra.

Ahram Online has a summary of today's protest at the Ummayad Mosque in Damascus:

"There is no God but God," a crowd inside the men's section of the Omayyed Mosque started chanting in crescendo after Friday prayers at noon.

Dozens of security forces, who had gathered outside the mosque during the prayers, pulled out batons as soon as the chants broke out and detained at least two people, dragging away one who resisted while beating him and kicking him in the nose (see separate video)....

At least 200 people immediately gathered in a square outside the mosque, chanting support for President Bashar al-Assad and waving Syrian flags. Some carried portraits of his late father and predecessor Hafez al-Assad.

1510 GMT: In Sudan, a student was killed and at least seven injured on Wednesday during clashes between seucrity forces and protesters demonstrating against a ban on political activity.

The incident occurred at El-Fasher University in North Darfur after police blocked the campus and fired tear gas. Earlier in the week, the university had banned cultural and political activities.

1505 GMT: Footage from Bahrain State TV on today's destruction of the monument at Pearl Roundabout, the centre of the protests since 14 February:

1503 GMT: The death toll in Yemen today, from the firing of security forces on protesters, is now 41.

President Ali Abdullah Saleh has appeared to declare a state of emergency, announcing that the carrying of guns is illegal.

1500 GMT: We have posted footage of today's demonstrations in Syria in a separate entry. A clip has now emerged of a protest in Baniyas in the northwest of the country.

1455 GMT: Al Jazeera English's correspondent in Tripoli is reporting a "loud succession of explosions" west of the capital, possibly on the road to Zawiyah 55 km (35 miles) away.

Zawiyah was held earlier in the conflict by the opposition and was re-taken by the regime last week after several days of fighting.

1425 GMT: Prominent Bahraini blogger and Global Voices Online writer Ali Abdulemam is missing.

AbdulEmam was arrested last September and released on 23 February 2011 in a mass pardon of political prisoners by the King.

1420 GMT:

Mareb Press

reports that the house of the Governor of Mahwit Province, where the capital Sanaa is located, has been burned after snipers used it to fire on protesters.

1330 GMT: An extract from the remarks of Libyan Foreign Minister Musa Kusa:

Libya now has knowledge of this resolution, and according to article 25 of the UN charter, and taking into consideration that Libya is a full member of the UN, we accept that it is obliged to accept the security council resolution.

Therefore, Libya has decided an immediate ceasefire, and the stoppage of all military operations.

Libya takes great interest in protecting all civilians, and offering them all necessary humanitarian aid, and respecting all human rights, and obliging to the international and humanitarian laws and it is also obliged to protect all of the foreigners in Libya and protecting their assets.

In doing so, Libya is in accordance with the resolutions of the Security Council and the articles of the charter of the United Nations.

We emphasise in the resolution 1973 for the year 2011, we emphasise and agree to the article regarding the protection of civilians and the territorial unity of Libya.

And therefore, building on this, we are opening all dialogue channels with everyone interested in the territorial unity of Libya.

And my country is very serious about continuing the development, economic, political, humanitarian and social development of the Libyan nation.

1310 GMT: The death toll in Yemen, after security forces fired on protesters, is now 33.

1305 GMT: Bahrain State TV has been announcing that the monument at Pearl Roundabout was suddenly demolished (1230 GMT) because it was old and would have collapsed soon.

1300 GMT: Libyan Foreign Minister Musa Kusa says, as Tripoli must acknowledge the UN resolution, the regime is declaring an immediate cease-fire.

1232 GMT: Photo of thousands attending the funeral of a slain protester in Sitra in Bahrain:< /p>

1230 GMT: The regime in Bahrain has torn down the symbolic monument at the centre of Pearl Roundabout, the focal point for protests since 14 February.

Pearl Roundabout last month during the demonstrations:

1145 GMT: Reports now say, from medical sources, that 28 people were killed and more than 200 injured in Yemen today when security forces fired on protests.

1132 GMT: Tom Finn, an editor at The Yemen Times, quotes a doctor in a makeshift hospital at Sanaa University that 15 people have been killed and 50 are critically wounded.

1130 GMT: King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, addressing the nation on television, has announced an increase in housing loans. The King decreed that all government projects and contracts must be checked by an anti-corruption body, and he said 60,000 jobs will be added in the Ministry of Interior.

King Abdullah also declared that media must respect clerics and violators will be punished.

1115 GMT: Several thousand people, defying a ban on protest, have staged a demonstration in Diraz in Bahrain after Friday Prayers.

Sheikh Issa Qassem, Bahrain's senior Shiite cleric, led the Prayers. He said the people demanding rights and reform "do not believe in violence that authorities are trying to push them to....The peaceful approach has been our choice since day one." The crowd chanted, "Allahu akbar" (God is Great), and "We will not be humiliated!"

1105 GMT: A medical sources says Yemeni forces have opened fire on an anti-government protest in the capital Sanaa after Friday Prayers. There are dead and injured.

1025 GMT: Al Arabiya reports four people were killed and 70 wounded in the regime's bombardment, which lasted several hours, of opposition-held Misurata by regime forces this morning.

1010 GMT: Hundreds of protesters have gathered in the Sadr City section of Baghad in Iraq to rally against foreign intervention in Bahrain.

Hundreds of protesters also gathered in Baghdad's Tahrir Square to demand political reforms and freedom of expression.

1000 GMT: Another video of Saudi forces establishing themselves in Bahrain this week, blocking a highway:

0945 GMT: The Wall Street Journal is reporting from US officials and members of the Libyan opposition that Egypt's military has begun shipping arms to the insurgents.

The shipments, mostly small arms such as assault rifles and ammunition, began "a few days ago", according to "a senior U.S. official": "There's no formal U.S. policy or acknowledgement that this is going on....[But] this is something we have knowledge of."

"We know the Egyptian military council is helping us, but they can't be so visible," said Hani Souflakis, a Libyan businessman in Cairo who has been acting as an opposition liaison with the Egyptian Government.

0840 GMT: Interfax report that Russia's Chief of General Staff has said involvement in a military operation in Libya is "out of the question".

0925 GMT: Al Arabiya reports that Turkey has called for a cease-fire and opposed any military intervention.

0905 GMT: This message from Saqer Al Khalifa, an ardent support of the regime, on Twitter:

My friends, just a reminder that City Center is open today. Completely safe for you to enjoy. Carrefore has all your necessities.

It is guarded and completely safe for all of us to go to City Center. Don't forget to wave to our police/army heroes when you see them.

Come on guys, each one of us have done some saving in the past month. Let's save our economy & take the ladies out shopping/dining.

0900 GMT: Foreign Minister Uri Rosenthal says the Netherlands is likely to join the enforcement of the UN resolution, including a no-fly zone, against the Libyan regime.

Al Arabiya is reporting that Qatar is the first Arab nation announcing its participation.

0855 GMT: Regime forces have launched another assault on Misurata, 210 km (130 miles) east of Tripoli. An opposition fighter says about 25 tanks are involved, with firing on the city for the last three hours.

Meanwhile, Muammar Qaddafi's son Saif Al-Islam has said the regime army will surround Benghazi in the east but will not enter it. Instead, commandoes will infiltrate the city to disarm opposition fighters.

0745 GMT: Al Jazeera English's report on Thursday from Bahrain:

0740 GMT: A doctor in Bahrain said this morning that Bahrain's largest hospital is still under siege by the military. Some medical staff were give permission to leave the hospital, as Bahrain State TV filmed them. When the cameras were switched off, the staff were beaten and women were threatened with being stripped. Doctors who spoke to foreign news agencies were arrested

The hospital is not being allowed to accept wounded from other clinics.

0730 GMT: Norway's Minister of Defence Grete Faremo says, "We will contribute to the operation [in the UN resolution on Libya]. But it is too early to say exactly in what way. Sending air capabilities would be natural."

0705 GMT: Amidst the standard rhetoric in an interview with American television, this striking passage from Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi's son Saif Al Islam:

In Benghazi, we have 1.5 million people. If you are listening to 1,000 or 2,000, that's a different story. But believe me, the people there are living in misery and it is a big mess. You know, the armored militia yesterday, they killed four young boys in Benghazi. Why? Because they were against them. Everybody is terrified because of the armed militia. They live in terror. Nightmare. Armed people are everywhere. They have their own courts. They execute the people who are against them. No school. No hospital. No money. No banks. Do you think the people are happy? Of course not. We are receiving every day on TV, every day, hundreds of calls from Benghazi. Every day people are crying saying, "Please come and liberate us from this nightmare.

The celebrations in Benghazi when the UN resolution was adopted....

0640 GMT: Just before the vote on the UN resolution on Libya, several Obama Administration officials briefed a group of Congressmen about the proposed measures.

Senator Lindsay Graham summarised the meeting, "I learned that it's not too late, that the opposition forces are under siege but they are holding, and that with a timely intervention, a no-fly zone and no-drive zone, we can turn this thing around."

What actions was envisaged? Graham replied, "We ground [regime] aircraft and some tanks start getting blown up that are headed toward the opposition forces." He added, "We're talking days, not weeks, and I'm hoping hours, not days."

0600 GMT: According to Al Watan, Kuwait's navy plans to head to Bahrain soon.

The newspaper quoted Kuwait's ambassador to Bahrain, Sheikh Azzam al-Sabah, that his country would join the Gulf Cooperation Council "Peninsula Shield" that has brought the entry of Saudi troops and police from the United Arab Emirates.

0555 GMT: Something to watch for today --- diplomats are saying that King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia will announce a government reshuffle, an anti-corruption drive, and a promise to increase food subsidies to combat rising prices in an address to the nation.

The speech is expected after midday Muslim prayers on Friday.

0545 GMT: In Bahrain, public protest in the capital Manama has been quelled by the entry of Gulf Cooperation Council forces, the clear-out of Pearl Roundabout, and the detention of opposition figures.

There were reports on Thursday, however, of clashes in Sitra:

Claimed footage from Wednesday of troops on a highway:

0530 GMT: Canada has said that it will send military aircraft to join the US, France, and Britain in enforcing the no-fly zone.

Germany, however, continues to distance itself from action after abstaining on the UN resolution. Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said:

We remain eminently sceptical on the option of military intervention...anticipated in this resolution. We see in it considerable risks and dangers. That is why we could not approve this part of the text.

German soldiers will not take part in a military intervention in Libya.

0515 GMT: Last night the United Nations Security Council, by a 10-0 vote with five abstentions, adopted a resolution authorising a no-fly zone over Libya and "all necessary measures" to protect civilians.

On Thursday, the US joined France, Britain, and Lebanon as a co-sponsor of the resolution. Russia and China, who had been expected earlier in discussions to use their vetoes and block the measures, abstained. So did Germany, India, and Brazil. 

The vote was watched in Benghazi, Libya's second-largest city and the base of the opposition, on an outdoor projection screen by a large crowd. When the resolution passed, people burst into celebration and green and red fireworks filled the air.

A few hours earlier, in a bit of bluster anticipating and trying to forestall the vote, Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi had called on those Benghazi residents to support the regime, warning that his forces would show "no mercy" when they attacked the city.

The assault never came. Instead, indications were that the regime's troops were still 80 miles away. There was also no clarity on whether Qaddafi's men had been able to sustain their recent advance by claiming Ajdabiya, the last major town before Benghazi. And further west, the opposition continues to hold out in the city of Misurata.