Libyan army advances as no-fly efforts falter

MUAMMAR GADDAFI’S forces bombarded Libya’s third largest city with artillery fire and advanced on the rebel stronghold of Benghazi as diplomatic steps to prevent him quelling a revolt ran aground.

In Geneva, former French foreign minister Bernard Kouchner berated the international community for its delay in imposing a no-fly zone on Libya, saying it was already too late to save lives.

“A no-fly zone is a minimum. It’s certainly already too late,” Mr Kouchner said of the crackdown on the revolt, an increasingly vulnerable-looking uprising inspired by pro-democracy rebellions that toppled the Egyptian and Tunisian presidents.