afternoon/evening Libya highlights from the BBC feed

I went through and picked out the most salient ones from HERE:

1308: Our correspondent adds: “Hour by hour there are reports of more defections. Almost all major tribal leaders seem to have joined the opposition, as well as important religious leaders, and several senior Libyan ambassadors. The east of the country is already almost entirely out of the hands of the government.”

1457: British construction worker Mike Bailey, who has just flown back to London from Tripoli, has told the BBC there was a “very palpable air” that trouble was coming and he was woken up during the night by gunfire. He has an apartment about half a mile from Green Square in the Libyan capital. When he got to work on Sunday, he was told it would be best to leave the country. “We heard very heavy gunfire, small arms and heavy calibre stuff about 0330 this morning. It lasted for round about an hour. We then left the apartment about 0530 local time, to go to the airport. Everywhere was dead quiet. The roads were quiet. We saw evidence of barricades and fires and pictures of the boss being ripped down, but no actual people on the street after that time in the morning.”

1530: Libya’s army chief, Abu-Bakr Yunis Jabir, is reported to have been put under house arrest after siding with the protesters, according to a former Libyan official, reports the Libya al-Yawm website.

1615: More on the unexpected landing of fighter jets in Malta (1556): Shortly before the jets landed, two helicopters touched down at the airport. The persons who were on board are being held for further investigation, Maltastar.com reports

1626: UK Foreign Minister William Hague says he has seen some information suggesting Libya’s Col Gaddafi is on his way to Venezuela, Reuters reports.

1628: Journalist in Istanbul, Turkey, Isin Elicin, tweets: “A retired judge in Benghazi, said: We have buried today 11 bodies of soldiers who refused to fire on civilians.”

1636: A senior source in Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez’s government denies Libya’s Col Gaddafi is coming to Venezuela, Reuters further reports.

1648: Military aircraft are firing at protesters in Tripoli, al-Jazeera international TV reports.

1716: Enough Gaddafi tweets: “Mercenaries are being released in neighborhoods, Suq Jumaa, and shooting at any group of people gathered #libya #feb17.”