In a fresh statement the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has urged the "new Libya" to be firm against "violent extremism" Mrs Clinton also said the new Libyan government must ensure that its weapons stockpiles do not fall into the wrong hands.

There has been growing concern in some quarters that raw nuclear material and deadly chemicals could end up in the hands of terrorists. The US has urged Libyan rebels to secure weapons depots to prevent shoulder-fired missiles and others from falling into the hands of al-Qaeda.

Emergency Funds needed :

The rebel government leader Mahmoud Jibril has appealed for urgent aid to avert a humanitarian crisis. Basic supplies and power are running low - the National Transitional Council (NTC) has said it urgently needs $5bn (£3bn) to prevent further destabilisation.

On Thursday evening, the UN reached an agreement to release $1.5bn in Libyan assets after the motion was modified to remove a reference to the NTC. South Africa had stalled the move, initially but later conceded provided that this proportion of the funds was used for humanitarian purposes.

The US and South Africa reach a deal to allow the UN to release part of the frozen Libyan assets