>> and now, "bbc world news." >> tony blair and is questioned again about the iraq war. this time he says he has for grabs. clients of course i regret deeply the loss of life whether from our own armed forces, family in to help people or a iraqis themselves. >> 3 died in albania against corruption. the pope voice is concerned about morality in public officials. welcome to "bbc world news." broadcast in pbs in america. a teenage boy has been tied to the wall of a psychiatric unit for three years. goodbye to the gas guzzler. one man's mission to turn the gulf region away from greed.

great britain's former prime minister face his toughest questioning yet about the decision to go to war in iraq. he admitted a ignoring earlier advice from his most senior legal adviser that an attack might be illegal. he did say to some he did profoundly regret the loss of life in iraq. >> there was no slipping in through a side door. tony blair walked through the main entrance. there were barely a dozen protesters to see him. he took his place at the witness

table. the talked about the private letters he sent to george bush in the year leading up to work. >> what i was saying to president bush was very simple. you could count on us but here are the difficulties. i wanted him to take a view radically different than those in his administration. i said i will be with you in handling it this way. i will not push you down this path and back out when a against too hot. -- when it gets too hot. i did this because i believe in this. >> but all the time he was making promises to george bush the legality of invasion was questioned by his own attorney.

>> there was a debate still going on. >> he said he was uncomfortable with the language used about a >> i was making a political point but. but i was saying it not ash a lawyer but politically. >> you asked me if i had any regrets last time. i took that as responsibility. up was taken that i had no

regrets about the loss of life. that was not my intention. i wanted to make that clear. i regret deeply and profoundly the loss of life whether from our own forces or civilians to help people or the iraqis themselves. i wanted to say that because -- >> be quiet please. >> the mother of one pilot killed in iraq shouted to late. his head was down and he did not look around. moments later the hearing concluded in the prime minister departed. at no stage was mr. blair discomfort it. his answers were robust and confident.

>> hit was not enough to persuade critics. >> three people have been killed in crashes -- crashes in the albanian capital. >> the albanian capital overcome with the violence. thousands of supporters of the opposition party gathered outside the office of the prime minister demanding the resignation of the government's. they set fire to cars and homes. police responded with teargas. three people were shot dead and several others injured.

police fought running battles with protesters who urged the prime minister. unrest has been growing since the election of june 2009. socialists say votes were stolen and demanded ballot boxes be reopened. the government maintained they warned people. there have been several street demonstrations. this is the third -- first of violence. the prime minister spoke on national television to calm tempers. he accused the opposition leader of a criminal act. using paid bandits and criminals to change the government by force. albania is in total political stalemate.

it now has its sights on the european membership. this is damaging albanian's eu hopes. >> protesters who acknowledged -- they have been spurred by the uprising the tunisia. they are calling on the government to go. in tunisia, the government has freed all political prisoners. they have begun three days of national mourning for those killed. >> the people who lived through a resolution -- revolution resume the ritual. they are demanding all of the old guard's must go.

>> [unintelligible] >> it is my country. we defend our country. everybody loves this country. we ask the country's enemies to disappear. >> the old state-run newspaper kicked out there editor in chief. journalists are free to think when they write. you can't even hear the sound of protests through their windows. what a difference a week makes in tunisia. last week, the president had the responsibility of citizens. this week, power goes to the people. i went in search of the new bosses and found the international editor. what is it like coming to work now.

>> it is a difference between day and night. the difference between last week and this week -- the change is so huge and rapid that we did not realize until now. many people >> but it is a nightmare if you belong to the ruling party. most of its senior officials are on the run or resigning. we met one man calling for reform. we finally found a senior member of the ruling party willing to talk to us. but he said do not show anything about my office. he is on the defensive now. there must be reformed and reorganization.

he tells me those who committed mistakes must be judged. those who did not should have the right to serve their country. these are the issues being debated now. over the past month there have been violent clashes. now they are forced to learn. [inaudible] one week ago this would have been possible. now it has become part of normal life. it feels like a speakers' corner. people make their views known. palestinian protesters had attacked a convoy of the french foreign minister on her first visit to gaza. demonstrators were furious about remarks attributed to her

referring to the attention of the israeli soldier as a war crime. osama bin laden appears to be demanding french forces withdraw from afghanistan. he suggests continued french presence will endanger lives of those in afghanistan. the afghan president is making his first mission -- first visit to russia since the soviet invasion. he is building stronger investment links with russia. the italian prime minister silvio berlusconi is under more pressure over allegations he paid for sex with underage prostitutes. the pope benedict himself has spoken out. he said public officials must rediscover their moral roots. >> while parties and prostitution. the devastating allegations that have left silvio berlusconi

reeling. his career at its lowest mark. the most damaging accusation is he paid for sex with a 17-year- old. she denies these sex but admits he gave her 6,000 pounds. the prime minister has gone on television twice in the face of universal condemnation. >> there has not been any abuse of power or any prostitution. there has been nothing i should be ashamed of. the accusations are not logical. >> it is a sign of life. nothing really strange. >> i have been going on for a long time. >> sometimes you feel ashamed.

>> pope benedict appeared to pass his own judgment. the pope spoke of people in public life needing to be committed to a more robust morality. other figures in the catholic church have gone even further with bishops calling the scandal a devastating tornado. political opponents of the prime minister say he must resign. >> mr. berlusconi refused to the question today. evidence has been leaked to the press. one girl describes him as a cash machine for which you need no pin. another was asked to dress up as a nurse. she was told to wear a white coat with nothing on underneath.

a third describes the prime minister's residence as a whore house. >> i think this has probably been the most damaging media in the event for berlusconi. >> italians are used to him facing allegations of financial crimes, not sexual ones. but the prime minister is unlikely to resign. there are enough key allies allowing him to hang on in this unprecedented scandal. >> stay with us on "bbc world news." the electric car comes to the spiritual home of the gas guzzler, the gulf states. but will people want to try it? south korean navy commandos have stormed a ship hijacked by pirates in the indian ocean. they rescued all the crew and

killed eight pirates. >> as the sun crept above the horizon they sped across the sea in small boats with a helicopter providing cover overhead. their initial target is up the stairs to the steering house. they were led to safety after a seven day ordeal. these walls were evidence of a firefight earlier this week. it was for the military's in south korea to breaking news. >> the unit rescued all 21 crew hijacked by the pirates. it was a perfect military operation that did not damage our units. >> a south korean stock -- this is a result that many people say was lacking in their response to the recent shelling of a south korean island.

a successful military raid it tough work from the president. >> the most important thing is the life and safety of our people in the republic of korea. i will never tolerate any actions threatening people's lives. >> these pictures show them on an earlier training exercise. forces from south korea were sent to patrol a seized where the pirates have become an increasing mess. they demand millions of dollars in ransom thought to be secretly paid off most of the time. this was a risky operation. there was no guarantee ins -- innocent lives would not be lost. >> let's bring you up-to-date on the latest headlines. the former british prime

minister has been facing his toughest questioning about the decision to go to war in iraq. three people killed in albania with protests against government corruption. the netherlands has been plunged into a debate over how to deal with violent psychiatric patients. the trigger for this was pictures of a teenage boy who has been tethered to a wall for three years. this is 18-year-old brandon filmed at the institution where he had been tethered to the wall for the past three years. the length of the leather strap allows him to move some but not much. this was done with the permission of a judge in 2007 after staff grew afraid of his violent moves. mental health experts say this is not an isolated case. there may be 40 patients held in

similar circumstances. but when these pictures appeared on television there was widespread shock. brandon's mother says he lives like a caged animal. >> it really hurts to see your own child like this. he never gets any fresh air. even the windows are sealed shut. >> politicians were among those expressing concern. this was an emergency debate in parliament where the practice of restraint came in for criticism. the government defended the way he was treated. the deputy health minister seen here visiting the institution described the images as harrowing, but sometimes you need to protect people from themselves. she promised an urgent review of

this policy to see if any other methods can be used. >> the latest round of nuclear talks are underway in istanbul. initial discussions have been described as positive. this would mean iran giving up moa -- most of its enriched uranium. one official has insisted the country will not discuss this. gabrielle giffords shot in the head in arizona two weeks ago has been transferred to a rehabilitation center in texas. people lined the streets as her ambulance drove to the airport. doctors warn it is still too early for a long-term diagnosis. the un in congo is saying the army arrested an officer accused of leading -- leading the mass rape of multiple women.

human rights groups have condemned the execution of suspected robbers in kenya. some say the government has done little to end this treatment. >> a plainclothes police officer stands over two suspected robbers. they appear to pose no threat. moments later they are dead and their bodies riddled with bullets. these executions by the police have been widely condemned. >> it is something that does not shock us because we reported this. but what shocks us most is the sheer audacity of the police lane suspects on the ground in the broad daylight and executing them.

>> great britain is helping to train the police force. the police have a reputation for using brutal tactics. in 2007 during this crackdown, dozens of people were shot by police. no investigation and no trials. the inhabitants of this slum were terrorized. the u.n. investigation concluded the police were a law unto themselves. executions by the police were widespread. when kenya was taken to the brink of civil war after the last election, more than 1000 people were killed and hundreds shot by the police. with no justice locally, a criminal court moved in. great britain is now reviewing

its commitment to help reform the police. it is clear ending decades of impunity is a massive task. >> what we need to do is -- it is important for institutions to continue demanding this. and to deliver the influence they have in the kenyan government. >> the kenyan government says three policemen have been suspended and are investigated over these latest murders. over the years the police force has gained a reputation for being above the law. few canyons expect investigations to lead to prosecutions. -- few kenyans expect these to -- expect these to lead to prosecutions. >> the world's big car makers have ambitious plans to launch

their electric cars in the gulf region. can they win over drivers? we will find out. >> this part of the world loves its cars and the bigger the better. now this region has a problem. the gulf states had the highest carbon emissions anywhere in the world. that is a good opportunity for this man. he is on a mission to encourage more people to use electric cars. this company has launched a green car program. they are converting all their company vehicles to hybrid technology. electric cars here are rare. the plan is to raise awareness and convince skeptical drivers electrical cars to have a place on the roads of this region. >> when i drive this car on the road many people asked questions, why is it so quiet?

they have many questions. >> the largest motor show tells us diesel cars still dominate. the geography brings its own set of problems. harsh conditions could reduce battery life and performance. and long distances between cities have left drivers unconvinced electricity is reliable enough. before they can make the switch to electric there is much more work to do. >> time it is unlike any where else. we want to make sure our products can perform to the market standards. >> winning over drivers is not just a job of the car makers. governments also need to invest in infrastructure to support people making that switch. there is still one challenge. despite fuel subsidies, filling up in this part of the world is

still relatively cheap. it will cost you less than $30 for a full tank. convincing drivers to ditch the cheap fuel and charge their card somewhere like this could mean car makers have to change entirely the way they sell cars. you don't even need the comforts of your car to fill up, encouraging drivers to switch will not be easy. >> this is kind of serious but staff at an aquarium in ukraine are growing concern for the health of one of their crocodiles. it ate a mobile phone dropped into its living space. it has been refusing food for a month. the crocodile may yet need surgery. much more on that and all the international news on bbc.com.

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