>> back in control. anti-government forces in libya rappelled the first major attack by gaddafi lowland -- loyalists. 14 are killed in the fighting. >> we will put your fingers in your eyes. we will put our fingers in the eyes of weber defies the libyan people. >> britain and france volunteer to repatriate thousands fleeing the fighting. welcome to "bbc world news," broadcast to our viewers on pbs in america, also around the globe. my name is mike embley. coming up later for you -- in pakistan, the only christian government minister is shot dead, a killing he predicted a few weeks ago. >> i was told if i were to continue the anti-blasphemy law,

i would be assassinated. >> micro loans for the board and why his country is trying to sack him -- for the poor and why his country is trying to sack him. hello. this was the day that gaddafi loyalists' seem to be fighting back against the libyan uprising in earnest. but now the leader's opponents look to be in complete control of the eastern ports, a major center for the oil industry. the army did at one point have the upper hand with vastly superior weaponry. as many as 40 people died in the fighting. john since then -- simpson said this report. >> it was an extraordinary day when defeat became unexpected

victory. the last phase took place here, as colonel gaddafi's soldiers escaped back to their own territory. it is indeed a big turnaround for them. a lot of people this morning but that colonel gaddafi's men were going to roll up the coastal farms one after another. they planned to head to where we work -- were. news of the attack reached us in nearly morning. the defenders started preparing for the possibility colonel gaddafi's forces would wall street bond and try to capture this place -- rolled street -- wall street on and try to recapture this place. descenders here have a few ancient russian tanks which

they ruled out, older and less effective than the tanks being used by the gaddafi forces. many of these men were untrained volunteers. some were of -- summer soldiers themselves a few days ago. >> there is only one place to go. the right way. forward. >> and close to where we were standing, an air force jets. -- jet. the pilot misses the ammunitions stores, but this is the fourth attempt in at 12 days to blow them up. this is the entrance. but the road, down which colonel gaddafi's troops are supposed to

be advancing -- people are very excitable, as you can imagine. >> indeed as it turns out, the gadhafi forces were still slugging it out and yet there -- at their first targets. at that moment, the tank -- the jet took another pass over the ammunition dump. everyone expected this would be colonel gadhafi's next target. was all over in a few hours. the difference -- it was not equipment. the rebels were less well-armed men colonel gaddafi's gunmen. this man is not only scared. he is utterly demoralized. tonight, this might not be the

final victory, but it is an important achievement. 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 north to south, east to west. >> they cheered all the defiance. but there were hints of reconciliation, too. colonel gaddafi's speech was read out of hand by the most committed rebels. but he left behind and offer of amnesty, even talks of a free press. for his hard-core supporters, it was a family day out and they did not care what he said. the libyans who do not like things as they are but do not want civil war might listen and wonder if the risks to removing the regime are worth it. the colonel's leadership style is eccentric, but he is hitting back part in slowing the rebellion against his will.

that is something they could not do in egypt for -- or tunisia. >> and international operations to repatriate tens of thousands of farmworkers, most of them egyptians. britain has sent two emergency flights. a third is getting there tonight. our world affairs correspondent is on the border. he said this. >> the struggle for liberation and the arab world led to this. -- in the arab world but to this. men of fighting for a seat on a bus, desperate to escape libya, pleading to be allowed to go home. 85,000 people struggled through this post in less than one week.

the exodus from a country in turmoil seems without end. most are migrant workers. arabs, indians, and bangladeshis. they have come here for the chance to earn a few hundred pounds a month, and search for a better life for their children. but they have been caught in a world wind blowing through this region, and most are left with only a few possessions. now britain and france are helping to fly people out. but there is little doubt that aid agencies are right when they call this "a humanitarian crisis." and just a few meters away in no-man's land, a reminder of the struggle for power in libya. there is no doubting who they support. colonel gaddafi may insist he is not the leader of his country. his supporters think otherwise.

they call him "the hero of the revolution in the." and they deny protesters have been attacked. apparently there have been no demonstrations. it is all just alive. -- a lie. tell that to zachary and his family. they have just fled the fighting they swear to never go back. tonight, the situation at the border is pretty much at the tipping point. you can announce and -- they are trying to altogether to keep warm. many have spent vast amounts of money to get the job in namibia and the first place. astonishingly, even though they have lost everything, they will tell you it was worth. the answer is clear. he would not only did his job for freedom, but his life.

they may be cold and exhausted, but the believe that tomorrow we can be better is brighter than ever. -- the belief that tomorrow can be better is brighter than ever. >> let's take you on the best of the international news. the only christian in the pakastani cabinet was shot dead in islamabad. he predicted his assassination four months ago. he recorded a tape to be sent to the bbc if he was killed. they had been calling for changes in pakistan's blasphemy law. from islamabad, orla guerin said this report. -- sent this report. >> a hail of bullets in broad daylight claimed the life of a minister on his way to a cabinet meeting. he was a marked man who asked for a bulletproof car, but did not get one. when the taliban came, there was

no one to stop them. >> after that, they took him. >> but there was no one to protect them? >> no, no one. >> so, there are still some signs of the attack here. there are bullet holes. demand struck as the minister -- the man struck as the minister's car was coming down the road. he refused to go into hiding, so he knew his life was in risk. in recent weeks, he was concerned about security. last december, he recorded this message and asked that he be sent to the bbc in the event of his death. >> i am ready to die for the cause. and i will die to defend their rights. >> just two months ago, he was

morning and other prominent liberal -- the punjab governor who was killed for challenging pakistan's blasphemy laws, often used to persecute minorities. the minister shared his cause and knew he might share his fate, but he told me he would not about to the extremists. >> the forces of darkness, forces of violence cannot threaten me. they cannot divert my attention. >> so you will not be silent? >> not at all. >> but he will speak no more. and the hard-liners are getting louder as the government looks the other way. this is the hero worship of his assassin. it is feared the extremists have been emboldened and will not stop here. >> i think it is starting to

feel like part of the system to silence dissent in pakistan. and it is working. has been very effective. it takes a few people who are willing to instill fear in the society, and it takes the silence of people who should have been speaking out. >> and you will speak out now when they might be next? -- and who will speak out now when they might be next? the fear is the hard-liners are winning. bbc news, islamabad. >> stay with us if you can on "bbc world news." still to come -- new york's experimental art scene from the 1970's is being revived in london. first, two american servicemen have been shot dead, two others wounded on a bus at frankfurt airport in germany. german authorities say it is not clear whether the attack had a

terrorist motives. the gunman's parents moved from coast to vote for years ago. but the attack happened in the middle of the afternoon -- >> the attack happened in the middle of the afternoon. the attack opened fire on the bus before fleeing. german chancellor angela merkel said that two men were killed. >> i would like to say how upset i am. i would like to stress the german government will do everything to find out what happened there. i would like to express my condolences to the american soldiers, their families. it is a terrible tragedy. what's the 21-year-old gunman was -- >> the 21-year-old gunman was of kosovan background. in washington, president obama condemned the shootings.

>> this is a reminder of the extraordinary sacrifices men and women in uniform are making all around the world to keep us safe and the dangers they face oliver on the globe. >> security has been higher in german airports following information of a terror attack being planned. but de alarm level -- but the alarm level was lowered one month ago. frankfurt's is -- 20,000 americans work around frankfurt, which is often used as a logistical base for operations in afghanistan and iraq. bbc news, berlin. >> the latest headlines for you this hour on "bbc world news." anti-government forces in libya propel an attack the -- repel an

attack from gaddafi malleolus. britain and france announced a plan to repatriate those fleeing on the border. wikileaks has been charged with 22 new counts -- the new counts against private bradley manning include aiding the enemy. give us more on this. it sounds serious form manning -- for eli manning. >> he was informed of the charges earlier on wednesday. these 22 charges taken together alleged the 23-year-old former military analyst was stationed in iraq and but unauthorized software into government computers with the alleged aim of extracting information, and later transmitting it for public

release, and used by the enemy, say the american military. all the 22 charges, as you said, the specific one that is far and away the most serious is the charge of aiding the enemy. the document does not specify who the enemy is or are in this case, but were bradley manning to be convicted of aiding the enemy, potentially could face the death penalty. military prosecutors are making it clear that they are not seeking the death penalty in this case. were he to be convicted, he would face life imprisonment instead. but just briefly, -- >> just briefly, what impact might this have on wikileaks? >> experts are examining his mental state to see whether he is fit to stand trial of court- martial. once that issue is cleared up, only then would we move ahead

with legal proceedings. wikileaks -- it is interesting to see that these charges linked up with what we know from the wikileaks releases. he is accused of accessing nearly half a million documents related to afghanistan and iraq. and of video related to iraq. that is consistent with wikileaks. >> thank you very much. the bank for the port of bangladesh is fighting to sacked its founder. the country's central bank says the nobel prize winner has violated the law by remaining the president of the bank. some are saying he is being forced out because he was critical of the government. >> he is known as the banker of the port, but today, he is fighting an effort to remove him from the bank he found it curious if he won the nobel

peace prize in 2006 for his invention of micro-banking, which has been copied and in many parts of the world to lift people out of poverty. his life's work has been to prove the poor are creditworthy. he formed the village bank in 1996. today, there are 200,000 branches in 81,000 villages. the majority of customers are women. >> we are talking about a poor, low income country which is trying to upset a standard for itself which -- which is trying to set a standard for itself. so the model of poverty-stricken bangladesh has been replaced by another image of bangladesh. >> but he fell out with the

bangladeshi prime minister when he tried to form his own political party. many international personalities, including at the former irish president mary robinson, have come together to express their fondness and have been campaigning for him. in the coming days, this will not only be keenly watched. it will be watched outside bangladesh. for now, he is staying in office. the issue is likely to be solved by the courts. bbc news. >> it is one of those truisms of real-estate that when a group of artists live in a rundown area, it soon becomes gentrified and property prices go up. in new york city, artist of

overt the downtime. -- the downtown area. it is now known as the well. london is now looking to recreate that scene. -- is now known as soho. soho the early 1970's became a performance space for artists who sought to break down barriers in art. >> these artists were able to create vibrant work with minimal means. it's up to about picking up material from the street. making performances. and i think it is an interesting model at a time of oppression.

>> this dance was originally formed in a warehouse, choreographed by trisha brown. she used to be seen as the inspiration for her work. she has collaborated with musicians like laurie anderson and philip glass. this is laurie anderson's electric chair, intended to be a fusion of sculpture and electronic music. this does is at peace by laurie anderson and that tends to combine storytelling, sculpture, and sound. there are speakers underneath, so my arms act like

transmitters, receiving music, poetry, a very strange sensation. this is another piece by laurie anderson called "tolkien below." as i lay my head down, i can hear a voice in my ear. it is telling me a story. >> and now my friend, we are walking up and down. >> and this is a piece called "open house." inside, there are a series of small rooms. he made this as our performance space for a dance group that lived in the neighborhood. you did say all of downtown new york became one -- you could say all of downtown new york became one huge performance space. >> there was probably not more

than 300 people. after a while, you've got to know pretty much everyone. this area attracted artists from all over the not know if they needed to build a project would have to ask help from someone else. >> this combines sculpture and performance. but the artists were also keen environmentalists. these downtown pioneers for recycling soho's industrial passed into art. bbc news. >> you'll find much more on that -- good stuff in fact -- online -- bbc.com/news. all the international news and in fact. you can catch up with me and most of the team on twitter. i'm @bbcmikeembley. and you can see what we're working on on facebook.

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