World leaders to discuss sanctions against Libya

World leaders will meet Friday to discuss sanctions against Libya as nations braved rough seas to whisk citizens away from the escalating violence in the north African nation.

A British ship left Benghazi -- the second-largest city -- with 207 people on board. A United States ferry with at least 275 people safely onboard was expected to follow suit later Friday.

The State Department said that the ferry's departure from Tripoli to Malta would be within the "next several hours" depending on the weather, according to GreaterKashmir.com.

A second planeload of Chinese citizens evacuated from Libya has arrived in Beijing. China's official Xinhua News Agency says 227 people were aboard the chartered flight that arrived in the capital early Friday.

About 12,000 Chinese nationals have been evacuated from the strife-torn Northern African country, including 224 who arrived home on an earlier chartered flight.

Others are being pulled out by bus or by boat, including 4,500 who were whisked to the Greek island of Crete on Thursday over churning seas, Washington Post informs.