Heavy fighting has been continuing in Libya between government and rebel forces, who are still battling for the oil town of Brega. At one point, both sides simultaneously claimed control of the town. A UN envoy is in the country, asking for an end to the violent response to opposition protests and immediate humanitarian access.

In the west, government forces have moved into the rebel-held town of Zuwara and are shelling Misrata city. But the focus has also moved east to Ajdabiya, the last town before the rebel base in Benghazi. It seems rebel fighters have been hiding inside the oil installation in Brega in the daytime, in the belief that the government does not want to shell the facility. Opposition sources are also saying there are divisions within the government ranks, with some troops apparently reluctant to fire on civilians, reports say.

UN envoy Abdul Ilah Khatib has met Libyan Foreign Minister Moussa Kusa in the capital, Tripoli. In the meeting, Mr Khatib, a former Jordanian Foreign Minister, reiterated demands for an end to the violence and requested access for humanitarian groups, a UN spokesman said.