Gulf ministers at a key meeting in Riyadh said the Libyan regime of Muammar Gaddafi has lost its legitimacy, the news agency of the UAE reported.

The GCC council called on the Arab League to take measures to stop the bloodshed in Libya, including the imposition of a no-fly zone on Libya to protect civilians.

The European Union tightened sanctions on Libya on Thursday and called on Muammar Ghaddafi to step down immediately, but there was disagreement over whether to recognise Libya's anti-Gaddafi movement.-Reuters