There are unconfirmed reports that the Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has left Tripoli. His exact

whereabout

s are unknown, but the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said he had spoken to him to express deep concern at the

escalating

violence. John McManus reports.

As protests continue in Libya, two of the country's air force pilots have landed in Malta, seeking political asylum. And in London, nine embassy staff have left their offices to join around 100 protesters outside. There have also been several reports that army personnel inside Libya have changed sides. Earlier today, the British Foreign Secretary William Hague said that he'd seen some unconfirmed information suggesting that the country's leader Colonel Gaddafi was on his way to Venezuela, something that both the governments in Tripoli and Caracas have denied.

Egypt's public prosecutor has

instruct

ed the foreign ministry to seek a freeze on the foreign assets of the former President Hosni Mubarak and his family. The move is the first sign that Mr Mubarak could be held accountable by the country's new military leadership. Critics say Mr Mubarak illegally

amass

ed wealth during his three decades in power. It's also been announced that the former ministers of interior and tourism will face trial on charges of misusing public funds.

Thousands of people have occupied a square in the Tunisian capital Tunis to demand that the transitional government step down. They are angry that the administration contains allies of the ousted President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.