Cyprus Prepares to Evacuate Libya Citizens

Cyprus authorities are preparing to evacuate the 140 Cypriot citizens living in Libya amid a worsening political crisis in the country, according to a report on state radio.

Cyprus' ambassador to Libya Perikles Stivaros said that passport details of Cypriot citizens are being gathered in preparation to evacuate them along with Greek citizens.

The evacuation will take place at the Greek Embassy in Tripoli once all travel document details are gathered.

Crisis Deepens in Libya

Violence between government forces and protestors grew worse last night after the airforce was ordered to fire on protestors. Estimates of the number of dead ranges between 200-400 people and Benghazi Airport's runway has been destroyed so planes cannot land, according to news reports.

But Libyan dictator Muammar al-Gaddafi has refused to step down and remains defiant in the face of mass protests. Gaddafi - who has ruled Libya for 42 years - made a brief appearance on Libyan state TV to deny news reports that he had fled to Venezuela "like the dog channels said", according to @feb17voices, which has a live Twitter feed from Libya.

In related news, Libya's crisis has triggered a rise in oil prices. Libya has Africa's largest oil reserves and the ninth-largest in the world.