in libya, rebelorcen the ground say they will aepta cease-fire is colol gaddafi withdraws. it beganp thgovernment has declined, but it h sent an envoy to london to talk with brish ficials. ty did make it clear that gaddafi must go. yet our diplomatic correspdent has all the details. >>olol gaddafind h regime haveeen under bombdmenfor twoeeksow. the libyaneade has bn wkene but not defeated. some ns o h aides lkin to t brish governnt raises more queionshan answers. the reigoffice will n say what was discued, cept that britain has stressedadda must g >> pele serving i the skies ovibya -- >> andhe prime minister speaking in wales stressed what d be achved b briin's armed forces. >> i think we should make it clear that by aing rapidly with ourlliewe prevented and massiveacrifice and benazi ofnnoct people -- in benghazi of innont pple. >> it is two week since britain joined the btle for libya. so of the most advanced eapoy in the west was dropd fromhe air. theesul--etween0% and 25% o gaddafi's forces destroyed. it seemed toto the ballo and in favor othe bels. -- it seemed to p th

and libya has been warned not to celebrate the anniversary. >> it has been a year since libya celebrated the ridleys of the man convicted of the lockerbie bombing. today, he is still alive, and so, too, the questions surrounding his freedom. scottish officials said abdelbasset ali al-megrahi was treated like any other prisoner. his medical records and were reviewed, and he was given three months to that. but critics say no prognosis can be given with any certainty. >> i was quoted in the herald saying exactly that, a week or so after he was released. and here we are, and iran, he is still alive. this is embarrassing for the scottish government and also for the u.s. and elsewhere. >> mr. on the ground he has prostate cancer. he will die from that prostate cancer. the decision stands. everyone knows somebody with a prognosis of short life expectancy that outlives that prognosis. that happens in these cases. >> it is more than two decades since flight 13 was blown up here on its way to new york. -- flight 103 was blown up here on its way to new york. abdelbasset ali al-megrahi's release has

unrest in libya as well, ruled by colonel gaddafi for years. hundreds of protesters clashed overnight. the riots were triggered by the arrest of a human rights campaigner that have worked to free political prisoners. the toppling of north africa as autocratic rulers has given new determination to government opponents. in iran the state run media reports of further trouble between supporters of the government and protesters. reinvigorated by events in the arab world. more demonstrations in yemen both for and against the government. casualties were reported in the southern port of aden. the president has already said that he will step down, but it has a stem a tide of protest. -- has not stemmed a tide of protest. >> minute by minute coverage from across the region on our web site, bbc.com. the state television in egypt is giving the death toll to the protest, and there is concern for about 100 people being still missing. paul adams has been talking to some. >> it has been three weeks since one man disappeared. for his family, long and anxious da

they have -- there also been protests in yemen and libya. dozens of protesters have been held in military camps in egypt. final day of campaigning in uganda for friday's presidential elections. the president has been in power for 25 years. today he dismissed a claim that you down debt is a ripe -- ripe for a egyptian style change. for them, this is the first piece time poll. -- peacetime poll. >> northern uganda has changed. the laughter is back. rebels and a long-term haunt this land and children are free. for the first time in their lives, they do not need food aid here. free from the squalid camps, you can hear their happiness. these women hold onto painful memories. her relatives were killed in front of her. the lord's resistance army took away her brother, forced to join the rebels, and he has been missing for more than 10 years. >> i only hear rumors about him. some people have escaped from the rebels say he is alive. others report that he has been killed. >> during more than to kill a decade at war, the rebels. terror, torched village

he came to libya 40 years ago. reports have been coming through that large protests have been gathered with thousands chanting that the people want to topple the colonel. >> protesters set fire to vehicles and anger spilled onto the streets in a number of towns in libya. demonstrations spread to the capital, aaa. it is a day of rage. -- the capital tripoli. it is a day of rage. >> some demands are said to be far-fetched. it is too early, too optimistic. but there is a trend of anti- khaddafi feeling. >> he has ruled bolivia for more than 40 years. he is the longest serving arab leader and controls all the legions of power. forces have responded to protests against them by mounting their own demonstrations. in the wave of. against entrenched leaders, his authority is now being questioned. the mood of anger has spread to a growing list of countries. there have been demonstrations in algeria, jordan, iran, and yemen. authorities have responded with a mixture of promised reforms and strict clampdown on protesters. yeme

libya is also facing a change. last night, video posted on at the web that showed clashes in libya was the third biggest city. today, a libyan television showed only a pro-government rally. >> artifacts are still missing from the museum in cairo. authorities say a number of men have been arrested and that journalists have just been allowed inside since the unrest. >> it houses the secrets to the world's most mysterious and civilization. today, the egyptian museum is heavily guarded by the army, but on the first night of the uprising, the most priceless collection on her it was abandoned. thieves were busy planning a fire escape to the roof of the museum. this is arguably the greatest museum in the world, but it is also a very old building. according to egyptian authorities, the people that came into the building came through a skylight like this, dropping onto the museum floor. eight pieces are known to be missing and glass cabinets are smashed. three have since been recovered from the grounds of the building. amon

. >> there are demonstrations in at least half a dozen towns and cities in libya. human rights organizations estimate 24 people have died in this week's unrest. the internal security offices have been said to have been set ablaze. prisoners have been freed from jail. >> amateur video shows protesters on thursday. the group tried to knock down the statue of the green book, the word dating back to the 1970's where khaddafi laid out his political and social philosophy. the crowd cheers. apparently, an injured man is carried away. there were reports of protesters taking to the streets in several towns on thursday. it has been dubbed by activists as a day of rage. this poster congratulates colonel gaddafi for changing the course of history. this is amateur video from libya's second-largest city that shows a group of demonstrators chanting slogans. later came reports of violent clashes with injuries and security forces now deployed on the streets. a number of prisoners have escaped. >> about 100 of them. we do not know exactly how many escaped. we expect 2000 to 3000 pri

a sense possibly of history in the making for libya, one way or another. bamut egypt's ruling military council has declared on state tv that it will not tolerate the strikes that have been disrupting the country's economy and will confront them. seven days after president mubarak resigned, bass numbers swamped tahrir square in cairo. they are celebrating his departure, but reminding those now in power that they expect promises to be of help. the united states has vetoed a draft united nations security council resolution condemning israeli settlements in the west bank. this is a resolution put forward by a palestinian leadership and by arab countries. the u.s. said the issue should be resolved in direct peace talks but in the two sides. there was a risk the resolution would harden attitudes. >> our opposition to the resolution before the council today should therefore not be misunderstood to me and we support settlement activity. on the contrary, we reject in the strongest terms the legitimacy of continued israeli settlement activity. for more than four dec

a true libya. he did this, or libyans, be ready for separatism and civil war. forget oil, forget gas. get ready for chaos. >> supporters of the kernel of also been out on the streets, waving the green national flood -- supports of the colonel. a regime marked by an iron fist is looking brittle. with reports that many of the influential tribal leaders have sided with the opposition. now, the libyan delegation with the u.n. says it will resign, calling for two of the airspace over the country close to stop mercenaries from being flown in, in their words to prevent genocide. parts of the country now appear to be in the hands of the protesters. this has now gone to the east, where his rise to power began and where it may end, this time for independence. tonight, the justice minister was reported to have also resigned over the use of force, but this is not a done deal. state tv is warning security forces will storm what he called "the dance of terror and seven ties," and another night of clashes and death seemed unavoidable -- "the dens of terror." demonstrators gat

, a true libya. either this, or, libyans, be ready for separatism and civil war. forget these resources. get ready for trouble. >> some have been on the streets, waving the green flag. and the regime that has ruled with an iron fist is looking brittle. some have sided with the opposition. and parts of the country now appear to be in the hands of protesters. his rise to power began where it could end. tonight, the justice power is allegedly resigned. state tv is morning security forces -- warning of security forces. >> a correspondent in tripoli. there is talk that colonel qaddafi's faith will be reachingfate -- fate will be soon decided. >> his ascent to power was the result of a bloodless army to. there are people from his own tribe -- a bloodless army coup. it is a very volatile situation. two situations are considered it important. >> one man is important because he has been prominent in the military command of eastern libya ever since 1969 in one way or another, and another of the key figures has

briefly back to libya. our correspondent have confirmed that virtually all of the east of the country is now under opposition control. much more for you on bbc.com. >> see the news unfold. at the top stories from around the globe. click to play video reports. go to bbc.com/news to experience the expert reporting on line. >> funding was made possible by the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu, the newman's own foundation, the john d. and catherine t. macarthur foundation, and union bank. >> union bank has put its global financial strength to work for a wide range of companies. what can we do for you? >> "bbc world captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> ifill: good evening. i'm gwen ifill. embattled libyan leader moammar gadhafi refused to step down today, saying in a televised address he would "die a martyr" rather than leave the country. >> brown: and i'm jeffrey brown. on the newshour tonight, we have the latest on the bloody revolt gripping the north african country

events in libya. several european union countries are considering sanctions against the country, including calls from the french president nicolas sarkozy. >> the french president, nicolas sarkozy, has called on europe to hold economic relations with libya while gaddafi stays in charge. it has been backed by senator john kerry in the u.s., the chair of the senate foreign leash -- foreign relations committee. silvio berlusconi has rushed to establish his relation with colonel gaddafi. investors are from bp, and other oil companies to commit to exploration deals with the regime. those contracts may not be at risk. severing ties with still have the biggest impact on a leash. >> italy can no longer count on libya for oil and natural gas deliveries. in addition, the libyan central bank, which holds a significant share of italy's largest bank has pretty much gone missing. >> mr. sarkozy is also keen for sanctions on the gaddafi family. his football playing son is involved in major construction projects. his

president obama contends the bloodshed in libya. he says his administration is preparing a full range of options in response. in christchurch, new zealand, rescue workers say no more survivors have been found overnight. 17 -- 71 people are known to have died. there have been violent clashes between the police and protesters and the greek capital of athens. police fired tear gas and stun grenades. protesters hurled petrol bombs from athens, we have this. >> it did not take long for violence erupts -- to erupt, marking the first nationwide strike of the year. yet the protesters prepared an arsenal of petrol bombs and hurled volley after volley at riot police. skirmishes broke out in several regular battlegrounds, especially outside the university where police were taunted and an constitution square, outside parliament. several people were not fast enough to escape the pentagon's. they suffered minor burns. -- several people were not fast enough to escape the petrol bombs. police applauded the air with teargas and stun grenades. that t

in the battle for libya, what is next? the fighting could end quickly if gaddafi added stithy or chooses to flee. if not, there could be the danger of prolonged and bloody fighting. the civil war with all its terrible consequences. >> the state of opposition control is explained in the east of the region. >> not a single picture of colonel gaddafi anywhere. plenty of signs of where many of them have been. not a single supporter of muammar gaddafi is prepared to come out and show himself. this is now what people here call a liberated, completely liberated area. there have been extraordinary battles. at the end of last weekend at the beginning of this week, but all now seems to be peaceful. one minister says he has come over to the rebels. i think they don't trust him terribly much, but nevertheless, there he is. he is still a free man, protected by his own supporters. he is apparently taking part in discussions about the way the city is run. but he is clear that he is not trusted. >> a british judge has ruled the founder of

in the battle for libya, what is next? the fighting could end quickly of colonel gaddafi admits defeat or chooses to flee. if not, there's a danger of a prolonged and bloody fighting, a civil war with all its terrible consequences. >> thousands of foreign nationals are fleeing libya as the situation deteriorates. many countries are sending ships and military planes to rescue stranded oil workers. the british government sent a warship, one of an increasing number in the east of the country. from there, our correspondent now reports. >> a passage to safety thanks to the royal navy. they have come from across libya after word spread that hms cumberland was are arriving here in benghazi. some of them traveled from remote desert compound. even though the porters are in opposition hands, there is an official here to stamped passports. some of these people have traveled hundreds of miles across on certain libyan territory. some have come from benghazi. they're all the light of the royal navy has come to rescue them. as they gathe

we will live and die for libya. we will live and die. >> welcome to "bbc world news," broadcast to our viewers on pbs in america, also around the globe. coming up later for you -- more footage of the terrifying massive earthquake that hit christ church in new zealand. 200 remain unaccounted for. and back where they met, britain's royal couple returned to university where their relationship began. the anti-government demonstrations in libya are getting closer to the capital. protesters took the streets of tripoli but were fired on by a government militia. one eyewitness described the scene as a massacre with the sky raining bullets. earlier, colonel gaddafi's son went on tv to say he and his father would never leave libya alive. we have this from the border. >> this is the man at the center of the storm blowing through libya, colonel gaddafi, live on state tv this afternoon. as defiant as ever. >> he called on the grounds to sing, dance, and be ready and to fight those who were against them. but the battle for libya

plan a is to live and die in libya. plan b is to live and die in libya. plan c is to live and die in libya. thank you very much. >> the gaddafi family is an amazing to be getting closer to home, closer to their power base here in the capital. the bbc received these pictures showing anti-government protesters in the center of tripoli, marching after the noon prayer. chanting that they would avenge the blood of the murders. -- the martyrs. and the bbc has also received these pictures, which show protesters been fired upon as they leave a mosque in tripoli. [gunfire] a witness in tripoli who wanted to say -- stay anonymous spoke to the bbc about an attack on worshipers. >> as we are just praying, the shooting is starting and as people came out, they were shooting at people. a lot of my neighbors today died and the situation is horrible here. the sky is raining with bullets. [chanting] >> this was west of tripoli yesterday, in march appears to be a track -- attacked by government forces. to be precise about what is happening town by town in this country, but

on the newshour tonight, we'll have the latest from libya. and margaret warner examines what the international community's next steps should be. >> woodruff: then we'll look at congressional efforts to prevent a government shutdown while still searching for common ground on a federal spending plan. >> brown: we speak with health and human services secretary kathleen sebelius and republican senator orrin hatch of utah about president obama's endorsement of a plan allowing states to opt out of health care reform. >> woodruff: and we report on how political satire in the vein of the "daily show" became a hit on iranian television. >> a lot of people have come here from the opposition groups and they watch the show. now if they choose to change their mind and see things a little bit differently, that's up to them. >> woodruff: that's all ahead on tonight's newshour. major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> blooet in. breathe out. as volatile as the markets have been lately, having the security of a strong financial partner cert

on the newshour tonight, we'll have the latest from libya. and margaret warner examines what the international community's next steps should be.

. >> when they pushed for action against libya, they cited in benghazi and people killed in that city. you have people being killed than homs -- in homs, but there will not be action by the international community. >> syria is not quite the pariahs that the deal was under gaddafi. there is a bit of intervention fatigue and the kind of intervention that one would have to imagine in syria is orders of magnitude greater, more risk, more casualties taken. it is harder to design and harder to execute. >> doesn't it suggest that the humanitarian barometer for international intervention is there. when you cite humanitarian reasons, you end up with this very murky decision. >> you can cite humanitarian reasons but every situation will have to stand on its own and the bottom line is that there will be in consistency. outside governments are more likely to intervene when they agree. secondly, when they have other vital interests at stake in addition to anything a humanitarian. thirdly, when they can do away when their costs are low and the likelihood of succeeding is hard. virtually none of tho

i think governments in egypt and libya will be looking nervously at this. they will be wondering what frustrations that were expressed so angrily are boiling beneath the surface. they are a danger to their own futures. but for the moment they have to work out how they can put together a credible government. i think they will be watching closely to see whether these people who are still associated with the old regime -- are they going to bring in their opponents? will they allow freedom of speech on the state media? maybe people might trust a better future. >> we have been hearing this is a country with more police than many other in the region. and the role of the military will be crucial. what are your predictions there? >> a big problem in this part of the world is -- there is a lack of any legitimate institutions. there is no rule of law. it does not mean anything. unless you can -- you will start to have a country that does not matter. if a policeman shoots an unarmed civilian, he/she gets tried and convicted. the immediate short-term problem as freeing

we see him a free man in libya. he should have served out the rest of his life in a scottish prison, which was the original agreement. in doing so, she indicated that congress will be having hearings, having questions. she hopes that the british government will provide help. this was the decision by scottish authorities to release him on humanitarian grounds. >> the can ask all the questions they want. there is little doubt there is not much of both governments can do to turn the clock back. he is still alive, despite the prognostic a the time, which said he only had three months to live. >> they're going to investigate the circumstances leading up to his release. the bad feeling is not to go away? >> no, absolutely. we are going to have this hearing in the senate foreign relations committee on july 29. they will be looking into events leading up to the release of mr. al-.q.qdumegarahi. there is some suggestion that they will be calling executives from bp as well. certainly bp's reputation and in the united states i

scottish authorities decided to allow him to go home to die in libya. now hillary clinton has spoken to william hague about the growing concern. >> it is an insult to the families of the victims of the bombing of pan am flight 13. legitimate concerns were raised about the medical information that led to the decision. people of raised -- have raised questions about the prisoner transfer agreements. we will look to the british government to help us fully understand the basis of the decision that led up to his release. >> here on in washington, there is real anger over the circumstances surrounding his release. the scottish government insists it acted independently. the british government said bp did not influence the decision, and bp says it was not involved in discussions about sending the bomber home. al-megrahi's continuing health has angered groups representing the lockerbie victims. >> now looks like he may outlive all of us. the next book will be the anniversary of his release, august 20 at. the pan am families are going to have to relive this horro

the investigation will look into whether his release was linked to an oil deal between bp and libya. he is the only person convicted of the bombing that killed to under 70 people over lockerbie, including 109 americans. >> in may 2007, and tony blair looks on as the bp chief tony hayward signed a multimillion oil field in libya. fast forward to august 2009, at the lockerbie bomber arrives home, having been released by the scottish government on compassionate grounds. senators in washington are considering whether the issues were at their -- were ever linked. they want to talk to jack straw. he has declined their invitation. earlier, he gave this explanation. >> i cannot help them on the key issue, which i found out is the central concern from their letter. which is, why was it mr. al- megrahi released on compassionate grounds? i literally had nothing to do without. >> problems the justice secretary has said he will not be going to washington, and nor will the massacre at -- medical advisers. >> it was agreed by the united nations and all parties. the matter is one for which i am acco

perhaps covering whole of libya. but it would be controlled by combat aircraft, american and possibly other nationalities, and ordered to shoot down other aircraft in specified circumstances. today, david cameron is repeating the calls to get them to think ahead and to plan for every eventuality. >> to have a situation where colonel gaddafi can be murdering his own people, and we have to plan now to make sure if that happens, we can do something to stop it, and that is why i said is right for us to plant it. >> but before any no-fly zone can be enforced, who authorizes it? it would come from a u.n. security council resolution. then, somebody would have to enforce it, possibly nato, and then, clear rules of engagement would have to be established, determining when aircraft would be shot down. already, two with veto powers, france and russia, have questioned its. david owen wants a no-fly zone, but itñ will take time. >> it will probably not be done until we see an outrageous episode. it is a sad thing that we have to

in libya, colonel gaddafi is making efforts to shore up areas around capital of tripoli. u.s. secretary of state hillary clinton is warning that the country could go into a protracted civil war. jeremy bowen says that gaddafi says there are no demonstrations against him, and jeremy has a different account of how peaceful the city is. >> colonel gaddafi supporters were in the town to wave off the convoy. they say his authority will be restored. >> forever. forever. >> the regime's power is concentrated in the capital. colonel gaddafi has genuine support here, but there are protesters in tripoli, too. this is the center of the city, and green square. authorities say the foreign media has not been showing signs like these because they are wrongly portrayed in libya as chaotic and violent. here in tripoli, it is not normal, and if they thought there wasn't any chance of a violent regime change, they would not be in the streets pitches if there was any chance. -- and if they thought there was any chance of a violent regime change, they would not be in the streets. in the suburbs, i

is in direct contact with libya's opposition. france became the first country to formally recognize that the rebels. although diplomatic activity is intense, it is inconclusive, as we report from brussels. >> this is not be easy revolution world leaders had hoped for. 's hold onddafi to power may be shaky, but it still holds. there was a warning to libya's leader. >> and the international community and the united nations will not stand idly by if colonel gaddafi continues attacking his people systematically. >> today in paris, the french president became the various world leader to officially recognize the libyan opposition . the french president has also suggested a limited campaign of targeted air strikes, among them the military airfield in the colonel gaddafi tom down, and one at his barracks in tripoli. -- a colonel gaddafi's home town, and one at his barracks in tripoli. >> i think there is a clear legal basis to do it. there is regional involvement. there is a feeling that if we undertook such a commission and did not have

declared after much arguing that the situation in lickia ask -- libya is important. our middle east editor has been there. >> almost a week after the rebel group said it had captured zawaria we were allowed to visit. the square the rebels used as 9 core of their protest has now been captured by gaddafi's men. there are signs of the fight -- a building damaged by shell power, bandaged with greerning the clol of colonel gaufed's libya. his gun was a toy. the others weren't. other. center of the rebellion in the tripoli area, was full of secret police. the regime is hated by many but it's tightening its grip here too. the crackdown is continuing. we've just been confronted with some kind of plain clothes officials who want us out of the area now. they are sweeping us up and taking us somewhere else. once potential witnesses were out of the way there was another show of force to intimidate would-be protesters. much further east in brega, they're feeling the pressure of the regime too. this was the town's small hospital 24 hours oofplg the rebels are outgunned by gaddafi'

bbc news, benghazi, libya. >> good to have you with us. still to come -- how does a community cope with almost complete obliteration? first though, our correspondent has been hit you the -- has been to the port of sendai, near the epicenter. >> this is the first full working day since the tsunami hit last friday and it has caused a surge in rescue operations on a massive scale. there are still thousands of people unaccounted for. the official death toll overall is a result of what happened, around 1500 people. that is expected to rise quite sharply in the next days and weeks. as rescue teams manage to get out to those outer lining, remote coastal areas they still have not been able to get to. about 100,000 army personnel, along with 250,000 police and other rescuers are part of the relief effort. it is on a huge scale, as i say, and the prime minister has suggested the problems of this country are as bad as was the case back in 1945. the situation has not been worse since the second world war. after that of course, the fear of the populati

and desperate to leave libya. gaddafi's forces report gains. we have reports from refugees trying to lead the conflict. -- believe that the conflict. -- leave the conflict. hello. four explosions in as many days, and radiation levels at levels authorities acknowledged to be dangerous. the struggle to stop and knelt down at the fukushima daiichi nuclear plant it is ongoing. cooling water is recovering smoothly. but the plant is 150 miles north of the japanese capitol. there are still serious concerns. we have this from tokyo. >> it was built to help fuel and economics to work -- superpower. but now the fukushima daiichi nuclear plant is only adding to japan's was. the buildings house reactors, broken and overheating at risk of melting down. today, the latest in a series of blasts, the result of desperate efforts to cool them. amid the smoke, dangerous levels of radioactive substances. the levels are now 400 times the legal safety limit. they are falling to levels that are still abnormal, but not posing an immediate public health and safety risk.

libyan authorities stabilize the situation, so, as a consequence, both weapons and fighters went from libya into syria and into mali, for example. there are arms going into syria now, and the people who have those arms, which are increasingly extremist, are using those to knock over arsenals of the syrian army and seizing more arms in syria. my point is this -- there are arms going in now. they are going to the most extreme elements. that is not a good situation. let's level the playing field and get some arms into some groups that are more willing to have an inclusive and democratic solution. >> do you think that could potentially tip the balance against the president at this point? >> i think it is remarkable how well the under-armed opposition groups are doing. one of the things they keep complaining about is they cannot match the heavy weapons of syria, which is tanks and aircraft. if we would give them anti-tank weapons and anti-aircraft weapons -- limited numbers -- i think they can create their own no-fly zones and their own no- tank zone. we do not need to put boots on the ground. w

can libya's rebels withstand gaddafi? >> police say they have smashed and online pedophile network with 75,000 members worldwide. suspects -- 7 under 50,000 suspects have been identified. >> they were schoolteachers and even karate drivers. this web site put pedophiles in touch with each other so they could share in illegal images of children being abused. this is a large network with people with an interest in child abuse. we had to work internationally as well. the headquarters of the protection agency in london, for three years they pursued the biggest global network of pedophiles to date. the u.k. played a pivotal role in breaking up this network. it was investigated -- investigators to identify the owner of the site. at its peak it had 77,000 members. in the u.k., 240 offenders have been targeted with 121 arrested. near a police team linked to the investigation raided an unidentified address. >> if you think you can abuse children and use the internet to abuse children you are wrong. he will be caught as this operati

libya and gaddafi are the same thing and an attack on him as an attack on the country. >> are reuniting the country under colonel gaddafi's leadership and control. the if there are any opposing views, they dare not speak their name in this atmosphere. >> that has been a swift and brutal reversal of fortune. in libya, they are on the verge of defeat. >> united nations officials are warning of shocking and illegal human rights abuses in bahrain. security forces have taken over some hospitals and medical facilities. >> braving the bullets. an anti-government protester yesterday. we do not know exactly who is firing the shots. a protester is hit in the leg. they are the first images to emerge from the violence on the day when military forces retook the square. these men are running from what they believe to be ministry vehicles. the men on the left drops to the ground. his condition is unclear. much of the capital is now shut down. they believed that there are checkpoints throughout the city with tanks and heavily armed men. there is a mood of defiance in the shi'ite neighborhoods, which is

libya waits for the first attack. the world waits for libya's response. bbc news in tripoli. >> in eastern libya, government troops battled rebel forces on the coast between benghazi and another area. they claimed they captured around 20 government soldiers. ian panel travelled to the front line. he is now back in the rebel stronghold of benghazi. from there, he sent this report. >> what began as a rebellion now sounds more like a war. in the distance is a town attacked from the land and sea. hours after the u.n. resolution passed, a fighter jet was still bombing the residents and rebels of this small town. over the last hour or so, we've been listening to the sounds of what appeared to be a brutal battle between the two sides. we cannot go any further down the road. you could hear the sound of rockets and artillery lending. it is simply too unsafe. we believe the frontline has now edged slightly closer to benghazi. it is difficult to know what the tactics of colonel gaddafi are, but they seem to be applying as much pressure as they can upon the rebels be

bbc news. >> colonel gaddafi blamed al- qaeda for the turmoil in libya. he said there was a conspiracy to control the country and its oil. our middle east editor jeremy bowen was there. >> his supporters were ready long before colonel gaddafi arrived. to fight back against foreign pressure. they did not need much revving up. they heard his motor coach. colonel gaddafi was driving himself in a golf buggy. here he is pushing back with armed force in the rebel areas, and telling libyans and foreign critics that without him in the country would face his and doppler -- faced chaos and domination beit al-qaeda. -- by al-qaeda. >> people are cheering. they are basking in the adulation year. they are also expressing bewilderment at the international record of what is happening here, saying libya is a friend of france and britain, cooperating. during his three-hour speech, the colonel said libya's troubles were a foreign conspiracy. >> the plot now is to control libyan oil, libyan territory. this is impossible. we will fight to the last man and last woman. from no

he says he missed the hearing because he had to attend a meeting about libya. google has been fined for collecting private information while preparing its street views service. google says it is profoundly sorry and i will delete the data. -- and it will delete the data. the to have you with us on "bbc world news." still to come -- are these soldiers capable of putting the ivory coast's selected president in power? first though, another sign of middle eastern unrest. in syria, thousands of demonstrators marched, demanding greater freedom and an end to corruption. it has only been days since a government crackdown left five people dead. what's the latest pictures from syria. the bbc -- >> the latest pictures from syria. the bbc cannot independently verify them. residents say the police fired live rounds and caused another death, bringing the total to five. the funerals for those killed by security forces have only served to escalate the tension in the town. and demands of the protesters appeared to be pardoning. -- hardening. some protestors have been openly cal

they are stuck here in libya. there are thousands of them here, creating a massive headache for the new libyan administration. there are 800 refugees in this compound alone. thousands more made the perilous journey across unforgiving deserts', often paying exorbitant fees, some of them being robbed of all they had left. >> it is very long distance to come here. >> african seeking jobs and a better life have always used libya as a transport point, but the turmoil has exacerbated the problem. we need more help from the eight agencies. these -- from the aid agencies. we have to do something about our open borders. fighting has erupted here in recent weeks. sub-saharan soften accused of being fighters, and at the checkpoint, guns have been confiscated. but most, including these men are economic refugees. they have come up with a new, perhaps desperate idea to deal with this crisis. they are piling up thousands of all, ruined cars along the border, 5 meters high, in the desperate hope that somehow it will keep out all

an american fighter jet crashed with a mechanical fault in eastern libya. both pilots escaped but libyan officials insist the air strikes have killed dozens of civilians, something that it has been impossible for the bbc to verify. a report now from tripoli. >> last night, we heard the explosion that did this, the sudden metallic thud of the impact and the thunderous rumble of the blast. it is a repair workshop at a naval base on the tripoli shore. 19 hours after the blast, it was still smoking, the acrid stench of it catching in your throat. >> you can see from the signs of this crater how powerful it was. the explosion took out the whole of this very large marine warehouse, but there's no doubting that this was a military target. these are police ill transporters behind us, utterly destroyed, and behind them, missiles themselves. this is a military naval facility. >> astonishing lig amid the wreckage, three missiles appeared to have survived just feet from the blast. one naval commander told me they were used for training and stored here for repair. we we

the navy dispatched warships in libya. amongst those leaving, the uss at norfolk and another ship that will relieve the amphibious units currently deployed. mark mardell reports. >> they are lined up, ready to leave for the mediterranean. they have gathered to say goodbye. they are embarking. on board the ship, they are surprised to be going. not necessarily about the mission, but they were expecting it. it is an assault ship. on board there are 900 marines, 26 aircraft, most of them helicopters, and state hospitals with all the medics and surgeons that implies. it is at jack of all trades, prepared for anything. nobody seems to know what the mission is. i have spoken to the commanders. they cannot tell me. they say they will not know until they get to the mediterranean i asked the guy in charge of the marines -- no bullets on the ground. that is certain when it comes to libya. his men and women going to do? he said he would only do what he was told. it just shows that no one knows what the endgame is going to look like in

the battle for libya goes on. the french air force has shut down the libyan government jet and in breach of the no-fly zone. a video on youtube shows a young boys acting out a suicide pact and has been condemned by unicef and children's charities and pakistan. where the video came from is unclear, but it seems to be filmed in the border areas of pakistan and afghanistan. orla guerin has this report. >> of young boy said his goodbyes. his little playmates are waiting in line. it is a chilling re-enactment of farewell videos made by adults suicide bombers. to the tune of a favorite song, he set off on his mission. he approaches his target. lifts his shirt to show his explosives. and then -- it was just stand tossed in the air, but the children play dead to show the bomber was successful. all this was carefully staged. we not know by whom. it is disturbing feeling, and it is attracting plenty of attention on the internet. >> they do not know what they are doing. >> children's rights activists worry about the impact o

after a week of coalition bombing, what has been the result for libya? colonel gaddafi's forces have been badly hit, but they are still able to operate. the rebels have had a big boost and taken back a lot of territory. everything now depends on colonel gaddafi. will he and the people around them keep their nerve? or will he decide to go? that's what the british government wants. and the people around him and the people obeying his orders should recognize that their time is up. do not obey his orders. walk away from your tanks. >> yet, it is not propaganda to say that colonel gaddafi still has support here. while he has got that, he will not go quietly. bbc news, tripoli. >> the general in charge of u.s. africa demand, leading coalition operations in libya, and said he does not expect operations to continue much longer. >> i do not think it will go on for very long time. and we have an opportunity to execute the requirements of the u.n. security council resolution. the most important part of which is to protect civilians. it is important to note with the

chiefly because they do not understand what america's interests in libya are. this is a speech, as far as we can tell, that is just going to be about libya tonight. >> the secretary of defense saying it is not in america's vital interests. not surprising that the american public is confused as well. >> i think secretary clint suggested it was and then mr. gates said it was the region we are concerned about. >> i think they will try to avoid the use of the work work. >> they will not try to make about a larger doctrine. -- the use of the word "war." >> is an explanatory time when they say how we went in and how we are going to get out. >> the thing there is any chance that the international community could come out of that conference having made a commitment to help the rebels more than they have done so for, in order to get rid of gaddafi? >> the president had a couple of good days on the ground. that has led the obama administration to seize the opportunity to say this is working, and have a bit of a victory lap. going forward, it is likely things will get mor

-- for libya might be? especially with gaddafi clinging on? >> there is some talk in the corridors of hope. it may not be much more than that, but if the gadhafi's regime -- but that the gaddafi regime will crumble under enormous internal pressure. as the ring closes around him and his sons, they would do better to bolt, to go somewhere, venezuela, zimbabwe and try to garner as many games as they can. because almost no one believes he can restore his state. he is never again going to be the unchallenged dictator of all libya. they do not have to fight all the way westward to tripoli, but the regime travels from within and they could get a rare -- fairly rapid success in this. this could go on for some considerable time. >> and yet another sign of unrest throughout the region. today, the entire cabinet in syria resigned. here, too, is in an attempt to quell a wave of protests in the last two weeks. the president and his supporters are making their voices heard in the street. >> contents of thousands on the street in damascus, the syrian capital

libya. yet they have also pushed don to another area -- pushed on to another area. we have this report. >> after yesterday's victorious battle, the rebels marched in with a high state of nervousness. yet after an air raid on the town by planes from colonel gaddafi's air force, the nervousness grew worse. one man accidently let up a grenade. the wounded were rushed to hospital. these men are not trained soldiers. discipline is nonexistent. remarkable pictures showed the scope of yesterday's battle. they were shot by a rebel soldier. the battle was fierce. but since colonel gaddafi's forces are better armed, but their superiority sometimes holds. but the rubble numbers are far higher, and that is what the -- the rebel numbers are far higher, and that is what counts. how the dozen people were killed on the rebels' side -- half a dozen people were killed on the rebel side. one man went to hospital to get news of his missing son. he found his body there. >> that is my son. >> later, the funerals

just a few weeks ago, the rebels in libya appeared to have the upper hand and now they are on the run. such is the fickle nature of this war. speaking of a fickle, and appears muammar gaddafi's foreign minister has given up on his boss. he made his way to the u.k. today. rebel forces had been heading west from their stronghold in benghazi. but now they have lost the town of brega. we begin the coverage from further down the coast. >> revolution 101 -- beginners' of lessons in using a rocket- propelled grenade. but there is more guesswork here that expertise. the rubble -- the rebels want more weapons and the international community is suggesting they might get them. what is missing here is training and leadership. >> if we get the new weapons and someone training as, maybe we can do something to push him back. but with this old weapon, we can do anything. >> who is actually in charge? >> no commander here. altogether, we are talking together and we make the plans together. but maybe he is with us -- i don't know how it looks like. i don't know anything. >> you just heard some names? >

he is a man wh a past and kns libya's secret. the bombing of pan am 103 over ckerbie w the deadlie example of libya eaust -- lib's involveme in rrorism and the goverent insists wil not be ofred muni fromusti. they wanto ta to him via >. >> anye from the byan governme wil be of terest us. >> h is responsibl for te deat o two huned 7 innocent civilians, as well as thousands of his own people as part of the give up the regime. no matter what he says no he hato be heldaccountable for my brother' deathnd the death ofhousands of others. >>when tyblaimet colonel gaddafi,oussa kouss was in th background. clandeine contacts may be why heame britain. >>e is an olman. he has serious heah problems. his bodcoul not take th pssure we uerstd that. weive himermissionto live -- to leave libya. >> wn he was first here earsago, he was an agitator for the good door rine. nohe has returned crying-- r thgaddafi rege. now has returned. >> of the skies o libya, nato is taking le command - ave the ies of lib, nato i takingo coand of them. today, theebel

a new run of libya's flag. they are taking back libya. [crowd noise] and the mood is defiant. today, they took to the streets again. fighting has become a day of prayer. what are they shouting? gaddafi is a coward, they say. after all the bravado, they don't have the firepower to take him on. it has been up point of -- a point of pride. >> we need an airstrike. we don't need an american intervention. but we need them to make an airstrike. >> without the air strike, can you win this war? hong >> is very difficult. there is no balance between powers. you don't have anything but rivals and some guns. -- rifles and some guns. >> libyans are a proud people. >> [crowd noise] >> they don't care about the airplanes, he tells us. they will fight with everything they have. he is the fight that led the resistance against italy's occupation and won. stepping away with a swagger. these young men might see themselves marching on tripoli. but their gym shoes may only take them so far. >> the man announced as the new egyptian prime minister has told an enthusiastic crowd that they should focu