President Obama welcomes the lifting of a state of emergency in Algeria and urges the government there to do more to meet its people's demands for greater rights. www.reuters.com

China has so far evacuated 12,000, or about a third, of its citizens from turmoil in Libya, many of them workers for Chinese-run projects and businesses in the oil-rich nation, official media said on Friday. www.reuters.com

The Daily Telegraph says the British government is preparing to seize billions of pounds worth of assets Muammar Gaddafi and the Libyan regime have deposited in London in bank accounts, commercial property and a £10 million mansion. "In total, the Libyan regime is said to have around £20 billion in liquid assets, mostly in London. These are expected to be frozen as part of an international effort to force the dictator from power," it says www.telegraph.co.uk

The UK Foreign Office has confirmed that there are up to 220 Brits still stranded in LIbya, and Prime Minister David Cameron is due to chair two high-level meetings of the National Security Council on Friday morning. Top of the agenda will be how to get these people out, the BBC reports www.bbc.co.uk

Libyan TV reports that the country's government will raise wages, increase food subisidies and order special allowances for all families.

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said he had called an emergency NATO council meeting for Friday afternoon to discuss the situation in Libya.

"I have convened an emergency meeting in the NATO council this afternoon to consult on this fast-moving situation. So I will return to Brussels in a few hours," he told Reuters during a visit to Budapest on Friday.

"Before I do so, I will meet with EU defence ministers and discuss with them how we in a pragmatic way can help those in need and limit the consequences of these events."

He said priority must be given to evacuation and possibly humanitarian assistance. uk.reuters.com

Time for another so-called "Day or Rage", this time in Iraq, where thousands of people have taken to the streets to protest against corruption and a lack of basic services inspired by uprisings across the Arab world.

Reports suggest these protests are well co-ordinated, with demonstrations taking place from the northern city of Kirkuk to Basra in the south.

Baroness Ashton was talking before a meeting of EU defence ministers when she said the world must consider restrictive measures against Libya.

She said: "For the EU it's time to consider what we call restrictive measures... to ensure we put as much pressure as possible to try and stop the violence in Libya and see the country move forward.

"I don't think at this point there's any discussion about any sort of military action around Libya."

The latest from the town of Zawiyah is that there no security forces inside the town. Zawiyah had seen heavy fighting. This is based on an eyewitness report.

@thomaslydon tweets: "There are still 42 British nationals trapped in Tripoli harbour on US boat. Been stuck for two days."

Now seems like a good time to sum up the latest state of affairs in Libya. Here goes:

- The U.N. Security Council is meeting to discuss a draft proposal for sanctions against Libyan leaders locked in a bloody battle for survival against a popular uprising. The Security Council meeting follows U.S. efforts to drum up international backing for ways to stem the bloodshed in Libya, where Muammar Gaddafi's forces have fought back against a rebellion in which French estimates say some 2,000 people may have died.

- NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said he had called an emergency NATO council meeting for Friday afternoon to discuss the situation in Libya. He said he would also meet EU defense ministers to discuss helping those in need and evacuating foreigners from the country.

- U.S. President Barack Obama consulted the French, British and Italian leaders late on Thursday on immediate steps against Gaddafi over his bloody crackdown on the revolt.

- Two pages on the social networking website Facebook called for mass demonstrations in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, after Friday prayers.

- Government forces are fighting rebels for cities near the capital. Gaddafi's troops control Tripoli after cracking down on anti-government protests several days ago, and residents say they are staying indoors unless forced to search for supplies.

- Libyan state television said the government was raising wages, increasing food subsidies and ordering special allowances for all families, in its first practical attempt to enroll the support of citizens since the uprising began. Each family will receive 500 Libyan dinars ($400) to help cover increased food costs, and wages for some categories of public sector workers will increase by 150 percent, the television station said.

- Foreign governments focused on evacuating thousands of their citizens trapped by the unrest. Chinese official media said on Friday that Beijing had so far evacuated 12,000, or about one third, of its citizens from Libya.

- Opposition forces were already in control of major centers in the east, including the second city Benghazi. Reports of the third city Misrata, as well as Zuara, in the west also falling brought the tide of rebellion closer to Gaddafi's power base -- though information from western Libya remained patchy.

- The nature of the new ruling orders in eastern cities is still unclear. There was little sign of radical Islamists among the lawyers, doctors, tribal elders and army officers who made up committees trying to bring order. uk.reuters.com

@iyad_elbaghdadi tweets: "Libya state TV Friday Sermon: "Whoever obeys the ruler has obeyed God, and whoever disobeys the ruler has disobeyed God"

The Libyan ambassador in France has resigned, according to a Libyan diplomatic source.

CNN reports a chartered ferry carrying Americans and other evacuees has left Libya. Bad weather had so far made it difficult for these ships to sail.

The U.S. State Department confirms that a U.S.-chartered ferry carrying hundreds of Americans left Tripoli this morning at 6:37 a.m. EST for Malta after being delayed by high winds and choppy seas. www.reuters.com

Witnesses say an attempt by Libyan security forces to seize back control of the coastal town of Zawiyah was driven back by opponents of Gaddafi's government.

The town is in a strategic position because it is the site of an oil terminal on the main highway into Tripoli.