Britain urges action over Libya

Britain was tonight pressing with key allies for wide-ranging powers to intervene in Libya amid warnings that Colonel Muammar Gaddafi’s forces are closing in on the key rebel stronghold of Benghazi.

The diplomats at the United Nations Security Council in New York were debating a strongly-worded draft resolution calling for “all necessary measures short of an occupation force” to protect civilians under threat of attack from the regime.