let's get more on libya, live now to eastern libya and my bbc colleague, ben brown. ben, just as far as the rebels are concerned, they've been trying to regroup, but the reality surely is they're still not well enough trained or armed. >> yeah, trying to regroup, peter, trying to advance. but each time they do that, they seem to be pushed back by colonel gaddafi's forces who have, no doubt about it, vast superiority in terms of long-range weaponry, artillery, tanks, missiles, grad rockets, that sort of thing, which the rebels on the whole, although they do have some rockets, they don't really have very much of an answer to those overwhelming forces that gaddafi has. in fact, the american military have been talking about the difference in saying that it's something like 10-1 in terms of superiority that colonel gaddafi's armed forces have. despite the days of coalition air strikes we've seen, the americans also saying that so far something like 25% of gaddafi's military machine has been destroyed. so only a quarter has been destroyed by the air power. that leaves 75%,

in libya, rebel forces on the ground say they will accept a cease-fire is colonel gaddafi withdraws. it began up the government has declined, but it has sent an envoy to london to talk with british officials. they did make it clear that gaddafi must go. yet our diplomatic correspondent has all the details. >> colonel gaddafi and his regime have been under bombardment for two weeks now. the libyan leader has been weakened, but not defeated. some news of his aides talking to the british government raises more questions than answers. the foreign office will not say what was discussed, except that britain has stressed gaddafi must go. >> people serving in the skies over libya -- >> and the prime minister speaking in wales stressed what had been achieved by britain's armed forces. >> i think we should make it clear that by acting rapidly with our allies we prevented and massive sacrifice and benghazi of innocent people -- in benghazi of innocent people. >> it is two weeks since britain joined the battle for libya. some of the most advanced weaponry in the west was dropped from the air. th

. >> to libya now. a group of leaders from the african union is going to benghazi in the east to try to persuade the rebels to end. connell gadhafi has accepted the peace plan and for talks on reaching a political deal. >> he was received in triply with all the ceremony such a high profile visitor might expect. but this was no courtesy visit. rather the african union's joint attempt to broker a cease fire. he brought with him a road map out of the crisis contained four key pillars, an immediate cessation of violence, delivery of humanitarian assistance, protection of foreign nationals and what the au called the implementation of necessary political reforms to eliminate the causes of the crisis. after long talks he emerged to confirmed that connell gadhafi had -- colonel gadhafi had accepted the terms. >> have accepted the roadmap as presented by the high planners of the au. the delegation to this and i'm leaving the minister with the heads of state tomorrow. to meet with other parties. >> but what of th

a west libya and in east libya are starting to emerge. >> thank you very much indeed. >> in other news from around the world, an explosion at a mattress center in the center of minsk, the capitol of belarus. smoke was seen billowing from the metro station in the city center. the blast occurred at 6:00 in the evening, local time. it is unclear what caused the blast. protesters across yemen have been calling for the presidency step down immediately. there was a mediation to ensure a smooth transition. he has not specify a time frame for saleh to leave office. silvio berlusconi has made a rare appearance in a land where he is in charge for tax fraud. he describes the charges as laughable and unfounded. today, a french law against full face veils led to the arrest of two women in paris. the police say their participation in an unauthorized demonstration sparked the arrest. it is the first of its kind on the continent of europe. here is our europe editor, gavin hewitt. >> at this moment, a young mother became a lawbreaker. she appeared in public and a full face veil, that from today is outl

. >> now the french government has accused nato of not doing enough to protect libya. the foreign ministers said the alliance should destroyed more of the heavy weapons. there have been weeks of fighting between rebels and troops loyal to gaddafi. >> nato must play its role fully. we accepted it. it must play its role now. we will try to encourage people toward a national dialogue between representatives on the council who took weapons to free themselves from gaddafi. and also those in tripoli what started to say gaddafi does not have a future. you know there are more and more of them. >> reality or fantasy. david that come -- beckham is the new youtube phenomenon. >> the public should decide if this is it you're not. we can see him here. kicking balls. there are three dustbins way back on that beach. the question is, is this -- is it digitally enhanced? did he really do that? >> is fun to watch. frankly, it is improbable. impossible. >> we all know he is good. he proves that every time. did he do that? he is not wearing football boots. >> i suppose you never quite get

distillate and libya. which forces are prevailing at the moment -- you have a stalemate in libya. which forces are prevailing at the moment? >> if you are looking at nation- building and changing in society, you will of ups and downs in the process. with u.s. seen in egypt is a fundamental transformation from an apathetic society to one that is three active. it differs in other parts of the arab world. it will conclude differently at different point in time. they are all moving towards the boiling point. >> thank you very much. police in belarus have arrested several people in connection with monday's explosion in the subway in minsk. 12 people were killed. the bomb that tore through a busy metro station in rush hour. the chinese government says it is unhappy that foreign governments are treating him as a hero. he is being investigated for alleged economic crimes. at jfk airports last night, at two airplanes came too close for comfort last night. no one was injured and the incident. in the ivory coast, it has been a day since gbagbo was removed from power. the streets of the count

they're opposing khaddafi in libya. air strikes have so far failed to tip the military balance decisively in favor of the rebels. among those attending is his former foreign minister the defected to britain to two weeks ago. >> the war has ground to a halt. colonel gaddafi will not surrender. rebel forces have not been able to dislodge them. nato air strikes continue. cracks are emerging. but one other members to share the burden and increase the number of attacks on libya. >> it is possible to do that. we have additional ground attacks over the last week. we look for other countries to do the same. >> finding a war for word of the libyan conflict is what mr. hague and other politicians will be trying to achieve. also there on the sidelines will be colonel gaddafi's foreign minister and right hand man who fled to britain. families of those killed in the 1998 bombings say he should not be allowed to leave britain until he has been tried for his alleged involvement. can these talks achieve anything? libya's rebel leadersh

[car horn] >> it looks like military stalemate and libya. rebels by turns pushing forward and being pushed back and unable to cocker gaddafi's forces. the hope this meeting has strengthened the opposition and weakened the regime could a concluding statement hardened previous language and made clear that the documents lee power, allowing the libyan people to determine their own future -- that gaddafi must leave power, allowing the libyan people to determine their own future. >> we will have saved lives, helped libyans choose their own future, and help restore stability in a vital part of the world at a time of great crisis. >> today's talks agreed to consider channeling money to the opposition rebels, although it has not been a firm commitment. it is a significant boost. a growing crisis could mean 3.5 million people needing humanitarian assistance. even nato firepower have not made a decisive difference. these new pictures show a typhoon destroying one of gaddafi's tax. more countries should -- gaddafi's tanks. more countries should provide

we look at the options for nato. >> target libya. nato air strikes are aimed at stopping attacks on civilians there. but the air raids are leading to divisions within nato, divisions that the meeting in berlin will try to resolve. nato involvement in libya currently covers three areas -- policing the arms embargo, enforcing the no-fly zone, and ground attacks. and its this role that's prompting the most debate. britain and france want to increase air strikes and want more nato countries to play a bigger role. but other nato members want a political rather than a military solution. in the past, u.s. leadership has often united nato, but so far, washington says it wants to play a supporting role. that may be changing. the u.s. has accused colonel gaddafi's forces of what it calls renewed atrocities against libyan civilians, and it's emerged the u.s. has continued to play an active military role in libya. the rebels can't defeat colonel gaddafi without more help from nato, but can nato members overcome their differences and agree a way

in libya, it is not happening. it's -- if it is to be successful, britain and france will have to put even more weight on their shoulders. >> thank you very much. >> thank you. >> as waves of popular protest spread throughout the arab world, today bahrain said it would dissolve the main opposition group in the toughest crackdown by the sunni-ruled monarchy. international human rights groups have warned of abuses taking place in the gulf states. our security correspondent, he used to live there, when there and brought up this report. some of you may find it distressing. suburb, a body arrives. six guys -- six days later, he died in police custody. his family is seeing his body for the first time. but the wounds are shocking. [unintelligible] they are calling the man who died in police custody a martyr. >> i took this case to the health minister. she said the wounds had been planted by the opposition to make them look worse. i told her we had seen them ourselves. >> i would find, you know, the minister in charge of h

gaddafi is not only in libya, but also in their hearts. there's an agreement between nato countries that gaddafi should go, but there's infighting about whether military action should be stepped up. foreign ministers have been meeting in berlin to try to close ranks. nato's secretary general says there is a clear expression of unity, purpose, and resolve, and daily air strikes will continue. >> let's go to paris and speak to our correspondent there, hugh schofield. france, one of the leaders of this military action in the first place, hugh, but is there language suggesting they're moving beyond u.n. resolution 1973? >> well, the language certainly suggests that because u.n. resolution 1973, as you implied there, makes no reference at all to colonel gaddafi, and now we have the three leaders of the coalition quite clearly stating that the attacks will continue until colonel gaddafi goes. so yes, i mean, we are moving into new territory here, and i think that has to be acknowledged, and publishing this letter so sort of openly, it's a clear

it is a far different response than with libya. that has led to some accusations of double standards on the part of the administration. >> part of the concern in washington, and we are hearing it voiced this week, is that a radians are backing of the protesters in bahrain -- arab ians are backing the protesters -- irani and are backing the protesters in bahrain. >> to the rulers of bahrain, a minority suny monarchy, they are concerned about their relationship with the saudis. americans are also concerned about their relationship with the saudis right now because they have a shiite minority that has been inspired by the protesters in bahrain. when it comes to the issue about i ran, certain -- about iran, the obama administration has said it does not really believe that the bahraini opposition is being sponsored by iran. they believe it is a homegrown protest. the obama administration has talked about universal values. that appears to be what the protesters are fighting for. >> just hours from now the people of nigeria will go to the

about how to get aid supplies to thousands of people trapped by fighting in libya. a suicide attacker enters the closely guarded afghan defense ministry in kabul. there are reports of casualties. welcome to "bbc world news." i'm lucy hawkings. also coming up -- talks are being held in lisbon to set up the terms of a financial bailout to rescue portugal's economy. high in the him lay i can't say, the world's youngest monarch may not have his own kate middleton, but he does have a down-to-earth mission. >> election observers in nigeria have welcomed the peaceful conduct of the weekend presidential elections, which the incumbent head of state, goodluck jonathan, appears to have won with a comfortable victory. with nearly all the votes counted, mr. jonathan, a christian from the oil-producing niger delta, has almost twiles the number of his main rivals, the former military leader. komla dumor has this update. >> for the first time, nigeria has handed a clear mandate to an individual to govern this nation coming from a very free and fair election. i've been looking at th

misurata has become the open wound of libya's protacted civil war. forces loyal to muammar gaddafi have been killing hundreds of civilians and rebels. today the u.n. called for a cease-fire and examine ways to help thousands flee the violence. some injured civilians have already managed to get out and being treated in the eastern city of benghazi. from there, our correspondent sends us this report. >> street fighting in miss rat that -- street fighting in misurata, these are the battles of the city, rebels ducking for cover and opening fire. with or without nato's help, they are trying desperately to drive out muammar gaddafi's forces. the plight of this besieged city now provoking, growing international concern. >> i'm extremely worried about the situation there. i very much hope that the security situation will allow us to get into misurata. no one has any sense of the depth of what is happening there. >> two months into this conflict, the needs are immense in heb rebel-held areas. doctors in the defactor capital of benghazi are now experts in guns

to libya, where he was subsequently tortured. he is a military commander. he is saying he wants accountability. his lawyers in britain have launched of this lawsuit, this civil action case. >> i think when you look jack reputation, he has stood a vehemently against torture. this will be quite embarrassing. >> i was able to get through, and he said, i would love to talk about this. i love talking. he talks more than us journalists. but, i cannot talk about it because the whole issue in the condition is important and our elected involvement is subject to investigation. -- alleged involvement is subject to investigation. he is been given one month to say, yes, i signed off on these documents. if not, they're going to ask him to produce his diaries. eventually, they are saying, look. you're going to end of defending yourself in court. is your choice. >> thank you very much. i know we're going to have to watch this very closely. >> and just to tell you, there is plenty more coverage on "bbc world." tell us what you think of the stories we're covering. >> make se

. >> this is a front line in the war for libya. it is bombarded by gaddafi forces. 48 workers to help here, the fighting would have to stop. -- for aid workers to help here, the fighting would have to stop. the government will not agree to a cease-fire. >> the first responsibility of any government is the safety in the security of its citizens. >> the wounded rebels are battling to return to battle as soon as they can. the fight shows that gaddafi has not crushed the insurgency. the international community is failing to protect civilians. bbc news coming united nations, new york. >> we speak now to our editor, jeremy. is no, wement's view are not going to stop the fighting. >> they are trying to get humanitarian supplies. britain is paying for the evacuation of migrant workers. it is a real headache for nato. the point of the mission is to protect the civilians, and they are not protecting them in misrata. libyans say they would accept a cease-fire here. what they object to is when they are being asked to have a cease- fire and the

. >> tom friedman compared basidia and libya. -- compared syria and libya. what does the united states feel about the current changes under way? where would you like syria to go? >> we believe the president has an opportunity to enact meaningful, political, social, and economic reform. he has that opportunity and we believe that it is critical that he sees the opportunity and a response to the desires of the syrian people. over the last two weeks, the people have been coming out in very significant numbers. protesting, demonstrating for greater freedom. we think he has a greater opportunity to move the country and a positive direction. >> you do not want wholesaled regime change, you want a dent the president running syria. >> what matters is what the syrian people want bread what they're calling for is greater feel at -- freedom. they are calling for freedom of expression and freedom of association. they are calling for their human rights to be respected. it matters what they want. >> another sign of growing unrest and the arab world, reports from yemen say

. >> libya's foreign minister suggests colonel gaddafi's future may be up for discussion if a cease-fire takes place. nigeria more than 00 people are arrested for taking part. and exports from china drop. welcome to "bbc news." also coming up in the program, one year on from a mexican gulf situation, we look. and prince william's godfather is sharing his look on the life of the royals. hello. two months into the libya conflict and with apparently military stalemate on the ground it's hinted colonel gaddafi's political future could be up for discussion. it's said the libyan government was serious about a cease-fire super advised and an interim period of six months could be followed by elections and the libyan people would be able to put anything on the table. >> rebels maneuver and prepare. defended by nato airpower, they can hold their ground but don't have the power to beat gaddafi's troops. neither side has a decisive answer. so a cease-fire could signature any phi a more plausible approach to a solution. >> i think everything, especially the -- the election solution would be on the ta

we do not say that we are rolling libya. our mission is very specified. it is to manage this crisis until the libyans get their demands. and prepare their constitution and prepare their elections and choose what government libyans want. >> on the benghazi area, crowds gather for prayer and emotions soar as a bodies are brought on logging. despite the fact that these five men died in the mistaken nato airstrike, for the mourners, being allies against gaddafi includes horrible details of the botched raid. how long before this supply of revolutionaries begin to waiver? >> as the military still make goes on day after day, those emotional troops may waver. and bigger questions will of merge about whether the government here is really capable of running the country and whether it should receive more widespread recognitions. >> the area around the old court house has become a hub for activists and those who simply wished to celebrate new freedoms. like many a revolution, this one at scorns its enemy, reveres its dead, and asks everyone, are you for us or against

i asked him if tim had talked to him about the risk of covering the front line in libya. an incredibly experienced war reporter. he understood this. he understood the risks but he took them when necessary because it wasn't possible to report. he specialized in going into places extremely difficult to access. >> in china, hundreds of truck drivers have protested. >> chris, did they manage to shut this completely down? no. the policemanaged to clear them out they gathered to about four hou hours. we are told there were a number of arrests. >> really, what they are saying is that it is now so difficult for them that it may as well not be working. they say it's incredibly hard to be working. >> the cars responsibly for significant amount. all too easily visible. >> the government is now trying to find ways to cut the smog. one possible answer was showing up at the motor shed. car that's use normal and electric engines. they will see the cost of the car subsi diezed. >> the consumer has to believe the electric car is worth the man. why should china lead in that. one solution t

to the conflict in libya. the death of two of the journalists yesterday once again highlighted the dangers here today, the u.s. secretary of state, hillary clinton, had this to say about the loss. >> we are particularly today by the loss of two journalists. we extend our condolences to their family. we also call for the immediate release of americans who are being unjustly detained by libyan authorities, including at least two reporters. >> one of those reporters of whom hillary clinton spoke is an american free lancer who was working for the "atlantic" and "usa today." two weeks ago, she and two other journalists were detained by libyan security forces. i spoke to her parents about the ordeal. welcome to the program. what motivated your daughter to go into journalism? she is an academic. >> we were quite surprised. it was about two years ago when she told me that she was making plans for what she was going to do after she had a doctorate, and she asked if i was interested. and i said, "please tell me what is

i mean you were talking earlier about the use of it in libya. and here in pakistan we have seen some pros and some cons. the pros are that they are quite targeted. and actually even people from the area where this attack happened, some of them say that they are quite targeted and they -- that they do hit their targets and the militants. but it's hard to say how many civilians are hurt but it means you don't have to have ground troops there, but the big downside to these drone attacks stth is the public reactions, the fact that these are attacks on pakistani soil so people feel their sovereignty is somehow being abused. and also there's an issue that the taliban has told us in the past that while their movements have been disrupted by these drone attacks, they use them as a recruiting tool. the fact that they are happening, they persuade others by saying these attacks are killing indiscriminately. >> looking at the business news, an emergency budget from japan at a time when they can ill afford an emergency budget. >> but when you're replacing th

in libya the military most senior officer says that the fighting is heading towards a stalemate. just a day after the u.s. military said it would use predator drones to carry out the attacks on the forces. and seeing some of the heaviest clashes, and rebel fighters declaring a victory. we have this report. >> free to walk their own streets now colonel qaddafi's reb cellsl r rebels are here and had a key target and omar took me to see it. this office block where insurance was sold before snipers moved in. >> this area is downtown. >> so the snipers were killing people from here. >> yeah, they get people so easy, because highest building and you can see all this area, downtown and uptown too. >> how good does it feel to stand here? >> so heavy, my brother got shot from this building. >> his brother, ali, is one of many killed by the snipers and now that danger is gone. >> now the local people are back on the streets, and they are checking the heavy damage that's done, and there is plenty of evidence here and the rebels were kept out of this area for 25 days. they lost a lot of men

. >> nato has to understand if it is really interested in democracy it libya it should stop bombard being us and start talking to always. talking is cheap, useful, productive and it gains results. come down on the ground and talk. stop the air bombardment because it is killing people and making the situation worse and it is not helping anyone. with respect eged city of misrata there have been reports of fresh attacks. hospitals in the city are struggling to cope. >> the situation is very critical and chaotic. there is a lot of explosions going on right now in misrata. they have begun their work as a result of the rocket attack on the city and there are a lot of casualti casualties. dead rightt least 21 now. >> earlier rebel leaders said they had made gains pushing back pro-gaddafi forces and some control of the city. but as nato launches fresh strikes it seems gaddafi is launching a renewed assault. aaron joins us with the business news. we are talking about toyota and the japanese car market. >> we know they are being hit but today we saw production numbers of march and they have fallen

now to libya, where the fighting continues to rage. today, word came that believe will join nato air strikes. the announcement follows the bombing in tripoli of a compound used by colonel gaddafi. government officials are describing in a tent on the libyan leader's life. our correspondent said this report. >> and standing at the scene of one of bp -- of one of the missile strikes overnight. you can see -- you cannot make it out, but andy distance, there is a military -- in the distance, there is a military compound. you can see some of the devastation, the debris that has been sprayed out. in particular, that is one of the buildings that was targeted, one of three buildings that was hit by at least three missiles strikes, we believe. you see the total devastation. the walls have been blown out. as i said, there is debris everywhere. nato contends that it is targeting what it calls military command and control facilities, and in other words, where the military campaign has been orchestrated. at this building was only used by it -- fort

estimate some 16 million unexploded devices remain on this battlefield, stretching to the border with libya. the focus -- the mines and munitions have shifted in the sand. there are no accurate maps available. the brave men who died on the battlefield will be forever remembered in a three cemeteries maintains bite british, german, italian forces. no proper record has been kept of how many bedouins have been maimed or killed since 1942, but the number is likely to stretch into the thousands. today, munitions are scattered across some 2.5 square kilometers of desert. they often service in fields where children play. this 11-year-old was a keen footballer until the date she kicked what she thought was a tin can. arrested detonator that blew hurt -- a rusted detonator that blew her foot off. she says that she is sad. >> i cannot play with my friends anymore. >> you must be very upset. >> of course. it is the british must be held responsible. it was their battle. they brought the war to egypt. >> but the expos tibetan removed the girl's foot could bid -- the explosive that remove the girl's foot

military intervention has been authorized in libya. perhaps that will increase pressure to back an inquiry into war crimes. nbc news, united nations, new york. >> i am joined by the director of the media center for national security in sri lanka. what is the response nelsons the u.n. panel has reported back and -- since the u.n. panel has reported back and their findings show widespread shelling? >> [unintelligible] id is not a panel supported by the security council. >> the united nations? >> yes. so do they believe there is credibility in the way that the panel has gathered the evidence in released its findings? >> the findings of this panel is biased, because no investigation has been done in the past couple of weeks by the people love sri lanka. the civilians were not harmed by the forces. many were the human shield of the terrorists at the moment. [unintelligible] >> that the the point about human shields is something recognized by the panel. it also speaks about systematic shelling by government forces and in safe zones. does is

. >> we know there is a difference in actions when it comes to dealing with libya and syria. no action so far on syria. the difference in language is tracking as well. president obama has been fairly mild when it comes toward review. >> a statement was released by the white house on friday when he named, and i was the first time i had seen that. it has been remarkable watching the united states let its interests there, so the u.s. has participated in the nato action against libya, and they have been very quiet about brain. and even quieter about the saudis. syria is a little bit of a tougher case. on the one hand, no love is lost. on the other hand, the last thing they want to have happen is a civil war breaking out at a time when they're trying to convince the israelis to get back in conversation. >> the big fear is that if it goes too far, if there is a vacuum or a civil war, this could explode? >> it is a vacuum that they are trying to avoid because in the middle east, they rarely and well. that is the big concern about these revolutions. if we think about how rapidly we m

. >> in libya, the united nations is investigating allegations of human rights abuses. the team has arrived in tripoli. colonel gaddafi's regime says it will cooperate, but it is insisting all parties and the conflict, including nato, must be investigated. meanwhile, in yemen, protesters stepped up their campaign against president saleh. at least five protesters were killed in the capital. from the epidemic of domestic strife to a possible marriage of convenience in the region. after years of fighting, two palestinian groups have agreed to put their differences aside. they have reached an initial agreement that paves the way for national unity government. it also sets a date for a general election. but israel was quick to reject any government that includes hamas. i am joined by our correspondent in the west bank. great to have you on the program. why now? >> i think there has been a growing swell of public opinion that has been calling for political unity. we have seen tens of thousands of young palestinians on the streets in gaza, in the west bank and in recent months

. >> so, no chance of a libya-style intervention here. no one knows how or when this will end. daniel griffith, bbc news. >> we've got reports coming in that thailand and cambodia have agreed to a cease-fire to end seven days of fighting along their border. both sides are using heavy weapons in their continuing dispute as each side blames the other for starting it. a cambodian government spokesman said the two sides also agreed to a border crossing to allow displaced people to return to their homes. five people have been killed in a roadside bomb attack on a pakistan navy bus in the southern forces of calf afteree. a spokesman for pakistan's navy says four of the dead were navy officials who were on board the bus. the other person killed in a passerby. israel and the u.s. have given a cool response to the announcement from the rival palestinian factions, fatah and hamas, and they have agreed on a reconciliation plan. the two sides have reached an initial agreement that pays the way for an interim government made up of independent politicians, which would then prepare for electi

. >> the senior member from the gaddafi camp has been involved in norks between libya and the west at the time it was giving up its weapons of mass destruction program several years ago. he's a senior dip national. i think he has to be tay taken seriously. he has been make agriculture proaches to the british in the last few days. the greeks say his side is genuinely interested in some kind of deal. that's new. the turkish side said they didn't know what he was going to say burks up until now they are one of the few countries that would have negotiations with libya. they are keen to see what mr. albeti will say to them when he arrives and if there is the possibility of some kind of compromise. a compromise that involves keeping them involved in the government will be a difficult one to keep because of the bloodshed that there has been. and bl gaddafi's idea that his son has been rejected outright by the opposition. the issue is ultimately one of trust. they do see the first signs of flexibility from the gaddafi camp. >> jonathan head in istanbul, thank you very much. here are condition

let's go to libya. tonight, the u.s. military is pulling its war planes from front line missions just as other nato allies including britain are sending in more aircraft to continue the assault on pro-gaddafi forces. colonel gaddafi may be, i repeat may be seeking a way out of the crisis, after sending his deputy foreign minister to talks in greece and turkey. rebel forces say they've pushed government troops out, even as they struggle to make their troops more effective. christian frazier reports from the city of benghazi. >> the new unit that has just completed two weeks of military training. 70 men with nine rifles among them. last month, he was a dentistry student. now he's their r.g.b. specialist. some still hide their uncertainty. but others like the camp commander are proud to display a formal rank and number. >> we have our g.p.s.'s. we have our maps. we have google earth. i am a computer engineer and there are military communication arches and we manage ourselves. >> you're fighting with google earth? >> why not

of boxes behind me that say bulldoze are parts from north korea to libya. but when you open them they have katyusha rockets. so we are getting an idea of who was helping colonel gaddafi at the height of his power. >> just to let you know, an oil is due in the rebel held libyan port because we have been hearing that oil will be collected and shipped out and sold with the revenue going back to the rebels. you have more on that, haven't you? this would be a very controversial move but seems to have been organized. >> what we are hearing is the tanker is expected to pick up about a million barrel as of oil at today's price and it continues in one direction and that is up. it should total about $125 million. that would be what is the worth of this particular load. most likely going to qatar and from there marketed out to european countries, perhaps in particular italy which has relied heavily on libyan oil. what this is, the first time we have seen a shipment of oil in about 18 days. and for a country that was shipping 1.6 million british prime minister david ca

our defense correspondent has this special report. >> libya, egypt, bahrain. regimes that have all used force to punish popular uprising. and all countries that until recently were being sold british-made arms. the longest list of licenses accrued by the u.k. include snyder's -- sniper rifles and submachine guns for bahrain and weapons that went to egypt. this government and the previous labor administration misjudged the risk of granting -- the previous labour administration's missteps the rest of granting these licenses he regrets the scale of the miss judgment is accurately reflected on the scale of the licenses they have had to revoke. as of today, they have had to revoke no less than 160 arms export licenses. that is an indication of the scale of the misjudgment that has taken place. >> the prime minister responded to the allegations on a visit to the middle east. david cameron says one clear reason -- it is important to the u.k. economy. the aerospace industry supports 135,000 jobs. former ministers admit these are not easy decisions. >> when you sign of

judges in the hague have again asked libya to hand over the son of the country's former leader, muammar gaddafi. the son remains in custody of the military camp southwest of tripoli. he's wanted by the i.c.c. for crimes against humanity, but libyan authorities want to try him at home. argentina's president has condemned the violence outside the british embassy in the capital, buenos aires, earlier this week. protesters threw petro bombs to mark the anniversary of argentina's invasion of the falklands islands. now, for many parents, getting their children into a preschool can be a stressful and sometimes costly exercise. well, no more so than in new york. 1/3 of children don't receive state-funded preschool at all. in response to this educational rat race, some parents are opting to set up their own underground schools. the bbc's laura trevelyan reports from brooklyn. >> it's dropoff time for preschoolers in brook brooklyn, but this is no ordinary school. it's a co-opt run by the parents. there are 10 more such schools in this neighborhood alone. >> i put out on our family list serve, an

not to libya, where gaddafi sent a rambling three-page letter to barack obama. the response was not exactly what he wanted. allied operations continued near the city of misrata in the west. rebel leaders accused nato of not doing enough to help them. we have this report. >> it is not -- is a pretty clear and effective demonstration of the effectiveness of the french and british bombing raids that started this campaign against gaddafi. this is a russian tank hit by a 500 pound bomb. you can see it has been blown completely out. nobody would have survived the attack. so hard was colonel gaddafi by the initial rate -- by the initial raids, his forces have been driven back to central libya. but his group set been able to regroup and they have gone around in plain clothes and drive around in the same pickup trucks as the rebel army. so, it is very difficult for the nato fighters to differentiate between the rebels and gaddafi's army. that means the rebel army is right back at its headquarters here, the stockholder in eastern bolivia. the rebel leaders are appealing t

congressman, kurt weldon has been sent to libya for talks about a potential cease-fire as they continue to negotiate, nato has been defending that air strikes haven't been effective enough. in benghazi for us this hour, tim, you and i had a conversation about libyans wanting more from nato. any signs they are getting more from the nato campaign? >> i think a little bit. let me just explain. where i am now gives us a sense of what the rebels are demanding and why they are complaining about these nato air strikes and the lack of activity. i'm about 15 miles south of benghazi. this area here is strewn with the wreckage of gaddafi forces and its tanks and artillery. this is the scene of the first air strike stopping the force from the going into benghazi and the air strikes to avoid a massacre of the people. you can see over my shoulder to the left. it looks like a tank. it's a self-propelled artillery gun with a range of about 20 miles. now the rebels of those say this is a very good example of about how precise these air strikes could be in misratah. you look at this vehicle. the turret,

the fighting in libya is that a stalemate. that's the assessment of the u.s. general who led the initial air strike. in testimony to lawmakers, the general also said that by staging military forces near civilian areas, colonel gaddafi's troops were making the nato mission even more difficult. his comments come as doctors in eastern libya told the bbc that 13 rebel fighters have been mistakenly killed in a nato air strike. our correspondent filed this report from the scene in benghazi. >> what they expect will be in the protective cover of nato air strikes. but army cents in truckloads to the front line this morning. the nato planes attack, but against the wrong side. soon, ambulances and pickup trucks that carried the dead and wounded rush back to ajdabiya's main hospital. chaotic scenes inside the emergency room at every available word. doctors with basic medical equipment tried to save the wounded. a rebel commander told me these men stood no chance and that at least four rockets were fired at them. no one understands why and there's a lot of anger. >> gadda

nato has refused to apologize for an air strike on rebel tanks in libya. welcome to "bbc world news." i'm peter. in japan, remembering the dead as it celebrates the spring. and that's noise scientists captured. the sound of distant stars. ivory coast internationally recognized alassane ouattara has asked sanctions lifted on the exports of koko. they are also attacking the resident of his rival, laurent gbagbo, the country's isolated leader who has been refusing to give up power. they have sealed off his resident where he is said to have taken refuge in a bunker. >> pinning down the president who refuses to give up power. laurent gbagbo is block aided -- blockaded. these soldiers are backing his rival, alassane ouattara. they have said he will be captured alive to face justice for the crimes he has committed. while the battle for about onand the power struggle continues, mr. ouattara now twants world to recognize him as the rightful president and help get the president back to business starting with the trade of their biggest business, cocoa. in the teammat

here is a french mission over libya. both britain and france are receiving warm praise for their part in this military operation but the rebels are deeply frustrated with the nato for lack of results and they're frustrated with themselves for their inability to capitalize on their support from nato and the outside world. >> and now to the ivory coast where u.n. officials say more than 100 bodies have been found in the west of the country. many of the victims were burned alive, and it is believed the killings were ethnically motivated. the discovery comes as the french government claims its ambassador resident in abidjan has come under heavy fire from the leader, the rent gbagbo. gbagbo remains blockaded -- blockaded in a bunker. ihere is an update from abidjan. >> we have come to a neighborhood in abidjan that is firmly under control of the forces loyal to alastair what tarwatara. he has brought the neighborhood back to life. civilians for the first time in a week are beginning to come out of their houses. the market was

says colonel gaddafi's regime sues british intelligence services over their role in his rendition to libya. and the american golfer bubba watson wins the masters after a sudden-death playoff over the south african, louis oosthuizen. >> let's start with some news that has been coming in in the past few moments. those are reports that syrian troops have opened fire on refugee who are trying to cross the border into turkey. i'm hearing that at least five people have been wounded, including turkish nationals. this comes as syria's foreign minister visits russia for key talks on the failing cease-fire. we will be returning to the border between syria and turk toy speak to our correspondent, jonathan head, in the next few minutes. let's look at those other diplomatic occurrences around the cease-fire proposals and the foreign minister of syria is to visit moscow for key talks, as hopes of a u.n.-backed cease-fire appears to be in at that timers. russia has been a crucial ally to damascus in recent months, but supporters of the peace plan did seem to be on point of collapse on sunday. syria's gov

there is no call from the arab league for intervention, as in the case of libya. there is no prospect of a legal, morally sanctioned military intervention. therefore, we have to concentrate on other ways of influencing the regime and of trying to help the situation in syria. it is a very frustrating situation. the leaders that we have in the situation are relatively limited, but we should be frank in admitting that and then working with the ones that we have. >> the indian government is due to introduce a new anti-corruption bill in the monsoon session of parliament, which gets underway today. corruption is a big issue in india after a string of scandals from a multibillion dollar telecom scandal to last year's games. from delhi, we have this report. >> for india's billion-strong population, corruption is a part of daily life. but now it's taken on new proportions, creating an underground economy of unaccounted money, valued at anywhere between 500 billion and a trillion dollars. over the years, india has corruption, something that simply have to live with. but th

libya's government accuses nato of killing 85 civilians in an air raid west of the country. welcome to "bbc world news." i'm david eades. also coming up in the program, taking to the seas, china's first aircraft carrier is put to the test, and showing signs of recovery, asian and european stock markets rebound upon news of shares in the u.s. >> hello. incidents of violence and looting have spread to some of england's northern cities as the country suffered a fourth night of violence on the streets. liverpool and birmingham. for the first time there was relative calm as 16,000 police stood ready to quell any trouble there. 2 prime minister's office said increasing police numbers clearly worked and would continue. our first report is from manchester. here's ed tomas. >> the hours. rioters run around the city's center, smashing windows and looting shops. on market street, this area set on fire. many taunted police before running away. it left many who live here in disbelief. >> it's your city. >> question. -- [inaudible] >> while in another area, looters attack. a car was also

after the bombing, the leader of libya was an international pariah. he offered up the two suspects for trial and they paid reparations. britain and america will both reestablish relations. >> the outside world has been grudging in its acceptance of libya. libya has been grudging the world in giving it what it wants. >> what will happen next? this was a welcome home given to the other libyan suspect who was acquitted 8 years ago. when al-megrahi comes home, he will likely get the same. britons think that a line has been drawn over lockerbie, but others have been not so sure. >> we have a timeline of the bombing and more information on bbc.com. at least 20 people have been killed, more than 30 injured in two suicide bomb attacks in northern iraq the attack targeted two cafes in the region of mosul. north korea has released a south korean engineer for hyundai. he had been detained since march for allegedly insulting the north's communist leadership. there is no sign of the vessel that has disappeared from the north sea. it is believed it has been hijacke

after years of resistance, the government of libya agreed to release two suspects. al-megrahi was found guilty. the families of those killed are expressing horror at the potential for al-megrahi being released. the scottish government says they have not put pressure on al-megrahi to drop his appeal. the attack which start this scottish town remains an unsolved crime. -- the attack which scarred this scottish town. >> president obama is selling his form of health care. british leaders are backing their national health service as it becomes a weapon in the american debate. 15,000 people in taiwan appear trapped in remote mountain villages. less than a week before the presidential elections in afghanistan, the main candidates spent the day traveling the country. on the karzapresident karzai is- runner. his main challenger is the former prime minister abdulla abdulla. we were speaking to him about how he would improve security. >> my first target would be thousands and thousands of people have joined the taliban because of other grievances. all of those that have joined

rebels in libya fight street by street to push government forces out of a key city. four years in jail for inciting a riot on facebook that never happened, are sentences in britain too harsh? welcome to "bbc world news," with me, peter dobbie. also in the next half-hour -- fears of a slowdown are worrying chinese firms that prepare for the christmas rush. are the perils of diving -- are the perils of driving a cool box? >> our top story this hour -- the indian prime minister, manmohan singh, has lashed out at the country's most prominent anti-corruption crusader who's refusing to leave jail until he's allowed to go ahead with a hunger strike at a city park. thousands of protesters in cities across india have come out in support of anna hazare, who began fasting behind bars. he's demanding the government overhaul anti-corruption laws, but mr. singh says his campaign is misconceived. in delhi, our correspondent, mark dummett. how is he managing to get so much popular support up and running, apparently so quickly? the word is spreading in a matter of hours. >> well, bec

pressure is put on me to return the money i borrowed to go to libya. i'm not sure what i'll do in the future. >> documents have verified cash transfers. each worker will get $700 from the bangladesh government. that is household expenses for a few months. this is to reach the thousands of returned workers across the country. >> the headlines this hour, the u.s. house of representatives approves a compromise bill to raise the limits on american national borrowing. reports from syria say people are fleeing to nearby villages as government forces push toward the center of the city. in australia, the government has decided to post images of people on youtube to deter future asylum see,. there is a study the way asylum seekers are treated in australia. australia was sending a tough message to asylum seekers. >> they have been strongly criticized by the united nation's human rights commissioner. australia will send 800 asylum seekers trying to reach its shores to malaysia. the detention centers, christmas island and on the mainland in australia, are full at

the man convicted of the lockerbie bombing our rides back in libya. mr. al-megrahi now faces a sentence imposed by a higher power. it is one that no court in any jurisdiction in any land could revoke or overruled. >> polls have closed in afghanistan after a day of voting for the presidential election. counting has begun. 15 million were eligible to vote, but it looks as though taliban threats kept many away from the polling stations. welcome to "bbc world news," broadcast to our viewers on pbs in america and around the globe. coming up later, the suspected hijackers of the cargo ship bound in west africa on monday are back in moscow. and lightning strikes twice as usain bolt breaks another world record, this time in the 200 meter. hello to you. the man convicted for the lockerbie bombing has arrived in libya, facing death from terminal cancer. for that reason, released early from his life sentence by the scholars -- scottish government. abdelbaset ali al-megrahi issued a statement, including his sympathy for the unimaginable loss of family members and aga

six years on, libya and britain were reconciled. tony blair struck a deal over prisoner transfer and witnessed a huge oil deal between libya and bp. in 2008, a al-megrahi's lawyers revealed he had prostate cancer, and he was released on compassionate grounds last year, a decision that continues to be hugely divisive. david cameron's government says it was of that decision. many in scotland question his original conviction. in the united states, there is near unanimity. a light sentence should have meant just that. james robinson, bbc news. >> of bp as rejected accusations a repeatedly ignored requests for information about the explosion of the deepwater horizon rig in the gulf. bp's spokesperson describe those accusations as faults, designed to draw attention away from the liability of transition. an emergency team in china have arrested passengers from two train passengers who were left dangling from a bridge. the recent floods and landslides across china have left hundreds dead. thousands of forest fires burning in bolivia have fo

add the man responsible for the lockerbie bombing is welcome back to libya. the federal reserve chairman ben bernanke says the u.s. is nearly out of recession. two candidates claimed victory in afghanistan, but the election commission urges caution. very warm welcome to bbc news, broadcast to our viewers in pbs in america. coming up later for you -- can at security services protect the country? from the soviet union to the european union. we revisit the baltic states that joined hands for freedom 20 years ago. hello. it was outrageous. disgusting, according to a white house spoke of. highly objectionable according to president obama himself. the man convicted of the lockerbie pam am 103 bombing returned and stirs up strong emotions. abdelbaset ali al-megrahi was freed early from a scottish jail on compassionate grounds. they are denying the real reason was to smooth commercial relations with libya. we have more. >> outrage. a hero's welcome. >> the end of abdelbaset ali al- megrahi's journey, but only the beginning of the row would follow. the reception he re