In Libya, anti-goverment rebels have been celebrating victory after troops loyal to Col. Gaddafi were forced to retreat following the battle in the eastern oil port of Brega yesterday. Jubilant rebels fired their guns in the air. Well-armed Gaddafi forces had arrived in large numbers, and at one stage appeared to hold the upper hand. But they were later forced to retreat. Meanwhile, Col Gaddafi warned he would fight until the last man and woman. In a televised speech, Col Gaddafi also said that thousands of Libyans would die if Western forces intervened.Meanwhile, the American Defence Secretary, Robert Gates has played down suggestions that the no fly zone might be forced in Libya to prevent Col. Gaddafi's air force from bombing rebels. Mr. Gates was speaking to Congressional Committee in Washington. International efforts to rescue the tens of thousands of migrants stranded on Libya-Tunisia border have been stepped up. Free planes charter by Britain have left the UK for Tunisia to rescue thousands of Egyptians stranded on the Libyan-Tunisian border after fleeing violence.The Arab League is rejecting any direct outside military intervention in Libya, but says it would consider backing a no-fly zone. Foreign ministers from the league's 22 members said today after meeting in Cairo they will pursue talks on the best way to protect Libya's citizens and assure their security. The Arab League said it will do this in coordination with the African Union. The U.N. General Assembly voted by consensus Tuesday to suspend Libya from the Human Rights Council for committing gross and systematic violations of human rights. The Assembly expressed deep concern about the suppression of human rights in Libya. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the General Assembly showed that ‘governments who turn their guns on their own people have no place’ in the 47-member U.N. rights body in Geneva. The resolution was co-sponsored by 72 mainly Arab and African nations. Libya is the first nation to be suspended since the rights council was formed in 2006.