Rebels close in on Tripoli

Anti-government protestors in Libya are preparing for a final battle for control of Tripoli, as world leaders, including Prime Minister Stephen Harper, called for Moammar Gadhafi to step down at a meeting of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. Rebels have reportedly gained control of three areas in eastern Libya, including the town of Az-Zawiyah, located 50km west of the Libyan capital. Meanwhile, government loyalists protested in Tripoli, where Gadhafi is entrenched and protected by heavily armed security forces. In Geneva, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called for an immediate end to Gadhafi’s regime “with no further bloodshed.” In an interview with Serbia’s TV Pink, Gadhafi blamed foreigners and al-Qaeda for the violence that has engulfed Libya and condemned the UN for imposing sanctions and calling for an investigation into war crimes.

Al Jazeera English