2234 The White House has said it is not recognising the Libyan ceasefire and will continue to enforce the UN resolution.
2214 Borzou Daragahi, Los Angeles Times Correspondent, describes the situation in Tripoli tonight.
2210 US Defence Secretary Robert Gates has said his country will not play a ‘pre-eminent role’ in military action against Libya, with other countries soon taking the lead.
US President Barack Obama ‘felt strongly, I would say, about limiting the scale of US military involvement in this,’ Mr Gates said.
‘We will have a military role in the coalition. But we will not have the preeminent role,' he added.
In deciding to back intervention in Libya, Mr Obama stressed the ‘importance of a meaningful coalition’ with partners ‘making serious military contributions,’ Mr Gates said.
2051 A Libyan rebel spokesman has told Al-Jazeera that the death toll in the country stands at more than 8,000.
2034 The Pentagon has said that it questions all statements from Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's government, including its claim that it would enter into a ceasefire.
The Pentagon reported no aircraft lost in coalition attacks thus far on Libyan air defences and ground forces and was aware of no civilian casualties in those attacks.
2031 Smoke has been seen rising from the direction of the presidential compound in Tripoli, shortly after an explosion, Reuters has reported.
The source of the smoke was not entirely clear.
The United States has said Colonel Gaddafi is not on their target list and that the coalition is not targeting his residence.
2027 The coalition in Libyan operation now includes the US, UK, France, Canada, Italy, Belgium and Qatar, according to a US military official.
1959 UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has said that he hopes the Libyan army will 'keep its word' on a new ceasefire it announced as a second night of international air strikes appeared imminent.
1900 A spokesman for the Libyan armed forces has said they have issued a command to all armed units to observe an immediate ceasefire from 9pm (7pm Irish time).
1835 Reuters is reporting that heavy anti-aircraft gunfire has been heard in central Tripoli.
The sustained bursts were accompanied by tracer rounds. Machine gun fire was also heard.
1749 More than 3,800 refugees crossed into Egypt from Libya yesterday, up about 70% on the numbers seen in recent days, according to UN officials.
1744 A top US military officer has said that the immediate goal of the coalition's intervention in Libya is to protect civilians with a no-fly zone, not to oust Gaddafi.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen said initial air and sea strikes by France, the US and Britain had stopped Gaddaffi's forces in their tracks and the aim now was to cut off logistical support.
‘We're in a situation now that what we do will depend to some degree on what he does,’ Mullen told Fox News.
It's hard to know exactly how this turns out,’ Admiral Mullen told CBS.
‘He's a thug; he's a cagey guy; he's a survivor. We know that,’ he said.
‘I can't say exactly how long... the military part of this will be in effect and I think it's for others to determine where this goes long-term.’
1719 The United States expects to conduct more strikes on Libya, according to a senior US military official.
The official also said that General Carter Ham, the head of US Africa Command currently heading the coordinated operations against Gaddafi, was ‘working very hard to effect transition in the next few days’ to coalition leadership.
1659 Colonel Gaddafi is reported to have sent his troops and tanks into Misrata, the last rebel-held city in western Libya.
Residents said several people have been killed by gunfire.
The aerial assault by the coalition forces is said to have halted Colonel Gaddafi's forces in the city of Benghazi.
The bodies of at least 14 government soldiers and the remains of tanks and troop carriers were seen on the main road outside the rebel-held city.
1658 French warplanes encountered no opposition in enforcing a no-fly zone over Libya today.
A French armed forces spokesman said 15 French combat aircraft took part in allied patrols, but they did not have to fire at airborne or ground targets because they met no resistance.
1629 US Senator John Kerry has said that the main Libyan air defence facilities that needed to be taken out in order to enforce a no-fly zone had already been targeted.
‘The essential targets, I believe, in terms of his (Gaddafi’s) air defences were already targeted,’ Kerry told reporters on a visit to Egypt.
Earlier, the US Africa Command had said US missile strikes on Saturday had hit at least 20 of their 22 targets.
‘It looks like things have gone well as far as the strikes are concerned. We had 20 of 22 targets hit,’ said AFRICOM spokesman Lieutenant Commander James Stockman.
‘The other two targets are still under assessment,’ he added.
1553 Colonel Gaddafi’s son Saif al-Islam has said that the Western strikes came about as a result of a ‘big misunderstanding’ about the nature of Libya's rebellion.
Saif al-Islam has claimed the rebels are ‘gangsters’ and ‘terrorists’.
Mr al-Islam, who had been tipped as a future Libyan leader, defiantly denied there was any reason for his father to step aside.
‘There is a big misunderstanding,’ he told US television network ABC. ‘The whole country is united against the armed militia and the terrorists.
‘Our people went to Benghazi to liberate Benghazi from the gangsters and the armed militia," he said, referring to the rebel bastion in eastern Libya.
‘So if you, if the Americans want to help the Libyan people in Benghazi... go to Benghazi and liberate Benghazi from the militia and the terrorists.’
1542 Libya's Al-Watyah air base, which is 170km southwest of Tripoli, was among the targets of Western air strikes overnight.
'They tried to attack the (base's) anti-aircraft defences,' said a Libyan military official who did not want to be identified. 'Some were damaged.'
He said there was no other damage to the base.
1410 The Arab League chief said that Arabs did not want military strikes by Western powers that hit civilians when the League called for a no-fly zone over Libya.
In comments carried by Egypt's official state news agency, Secretary-General Amr Moussa also said he was calling for an emergency Arab League meeting to discuss the situation in the Arab world and particularly Libya.
'What is happening in Libya differs from the aim of imposing a no-fly zone, and what we want is the protection of civilians and not the bombardment of more civilians,' he said.
1404 Italy has assigned eight combat aircraft for the campaign in Libya and can be used 'at any time', Defence Minister Ignazio La Russa said.
1403 Watch the One News bulletin here
1351 Michael Mullen has said he cannot predict how long military action in Libya will last and that the end-game was 'very uncertain.
The Joint Chiefs Chairman acknowleged the the Western operation could lead to a stalemate with Colonel Gaddafi.
1317 Residents in Misrata say that pro-Gaddafi forces have entered the city centre with tanks
1315 The US expects to relinquish its leadership of 'Odyssey Dawn' over the next few days.
US Joint Chiefs Chairman Michael Mullen did not say who would assume the lead when this happened.
1253 Russia calls on Britain, France and the US to 'stop non-selective use of force' in Libya.
1239 Pope Benedict issued an urgent appeal to military and political leaders to consider the safety of Libyan civilians and ensure they have access to emergency aid, in his first public comments on the conflict.
1237 Libya's state news agency has said the government will distribute weapons to more than one million men and women within hours.
1231 A Libyan health official has said the number of Libyans killed by Western air strikes stands at 64.
1147 The Pentagon has said US fighter planes backed by electronic warfare aircraft carried out air strikes on Gaddafi's ground troops and air defences.
'US Navy Growlers provided electronic warfare support over Libya while AV-8B Harriers from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit conducted strikes against (Gaddafi's) ground forces and air defenses,' the military said in a statement.
1113 US Joint Chiefs Chairman Michael Mullen said most of the western strikes 'took out' Gaddafi's air defences and a no-fly zone is effectively in place over Libya.
He said the operation had made significant progress in 24 hours and halted Gaddafi forces in Benghazi.
1100 British Foreign Secretary William Hague hailed the 'immense diplomatic effort' which led to the UN backing action against Libya.
Mr Hague said while the UN resolution technically allowed ground operations in Libya, while ruling out occupying forces, it was unlikely soldiers would be deployed.
1057 French officials said the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier was being sent to Libya to bolster the West's air campaign.
The flagship is due to sail from the southern naval port of Touloun this afternoon with 20 warplanes, helicopters and surveillance aircraft. It will be escorted by three frigates - the anti-submarine Duplex, the anti-air Forbain and the multi-mission stealth Aconit along with an oil tanker.
1054 Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan urged Muammar Gaddafi to give up power and called for an immediate end to the violence.
NATO-member Turkey said yesterday it would make the necessary and appropriate national contribution to implementing the UN-authorised no-fly zone over Libya and measures to protect civilians.
1048 British forces have targeted Libya's integrated air defence system, the majority of which are located in the Tripoli area.
1047 French air operations in Libya are continuing.
1015 Hospital sources in Benghazi say at least 94 people killed after pro-Gaddafi forces attacked city.
1007 British Chancellor George Osborne said the aim of the current operation was to make it possible to establish a no-fly zone, which could be patrolled by planes from other coalition countries.
0947 Director of human rights group Liberty says she fears British ground forces could yet be sent to Libya.
Shami Chakrabarti told BBC1's Andrew Marr Show that the current action was justified 'but there seems to be a lack of clarity about the difference between any ground forces at all, and an occupying force'.
0944 Colonel Gaddafi has said Libya is preparing for a long war and says that government forces on the ground will be victorious.
0937 The Libyan leader has told state television that all Libyan people were carrying weapons to defend the country.
He said: 'We will not leave our land and we will liberate it'.
0931 Muammar Gaddafi has said Western air strikes amount to terrorism.
0922 The International Committee of the Red Cross has called on all sides in Libya - including the multinational forces, Gaddafi's troops and the opposition - to abide by the principles of humanitarian law, particularly by distinguishing between civilians and fighters.
0921 The British Ministry of Defence has said that RAF Tornados launched a number of Stormshadow missiles at radar systems and ground-to-air missile sites around Triploli and Misrata.
0916 Three B2 US stealth bombers are reported to have dropped 40 bombs on a Libyan airfield.
0909 A Reuters correspondent saw rebels in several 4x4 pick-up trucks mounted with machine guns heading in the direction of the of Ajdabiyah after Western air strikes.
0906 Burned out military vehicles lined a strategic road in east Libya to the rebel-held city of Benghazi after Western air strikes on the area, a Reuters correspondent said.
Dozens of vehicles littered the route Gaddafi's forces used to advance on Benghazi from the hard fought over town of Ajdabiyah.
0905 Denmark has four fighter planes ready to join military operations against Libya and is waiting for instructions from the United States, Defence Minister Gitte Lillelund Bech said.
She stressed that military action was only part of a set of international measures including cutting off arms and funds from Gaddafi, and he should be brought before the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
0846 A resident in rebel-held Misrata says pro-Gaddafi snipers are on rooftops in the city centre.
0730 Libyan state television said 48 people had been killed and 150 wounded in the allied air strikes.
0700 US and British ships and submarines fired more than 110 Tomahawk cruise missiles at Libyan targets to take out their air defences, although no US aircraft were flying over Libya.
Allied air strikes and missiles hit several parts of Libya's capital Tripoli early today, state television said
