>> anti-aircraft guns opened up again over tripoli in a third night of air strikes. americans say they have weakened colonel gaddafi the's control of the sky. >> we think we have been very effective in degrading his ability to control his regime forces. >> in yemen, a growing number of army officers and diplomats defect to the protesters. 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 -- more fears that the fukushima dai-ichi nuclear plant is raising radiation levels in the sea surrounding it. and a man undergoes a full face transplant.

hello. colonel gaddafi's government in libya is telling reporters that foreign attacks that killed many people at ports and at the airport, which it describes as the series -- as a civilian airport. the government also says the last rebel stronghold in the west of the country has fallen to gaddafi loyalists. earlier, gaddafi troops were accused of firing on civilians. there is no doubt that a third night of bombardment is under way. this is the scene in the capitol. attacks on the first two nights were at a series of libyan targets, including colonel gaddafi's compound. but coalition leaders including president obama insisted the mission is not regime change. >> already in the war has come

to the heart of the gaddafi's regime, to his own compound. we heard the hard, metallic flood of the missile strike as anti-aircraft firebreak the sky. in the low rumble of the explosion. it turned be building to rubble. -- it turned the building to rubble. gaddafi himself the, authorities said, was not a target. but here, they are saying that it is not about protecting civilians, but something more sinister. >> it is not the priority. they know from the media that hundreds of civilians are here in this place to protect its, as voluntary human shields. >> they gathered earlier around a building bombed by the americans in 1986. it is a symbol of national

defiance. they cheerfully said they were not coerced. there were ready to die with their leader. an official here said ms child missed them by 50 meters. in the east, there has been a reversal of fortunes. troops loyal to colonel gaddafi are suddenly, rapidly in retreat from benghazi. only two days ago, these armored columns had supremacy. rebel forces have broken out, capturing territory they lost last week. in effect, this is under the cover of allied air strikes. >> it is now under control of the rebels, except for one gate where gaddafi's forces are trapped. >> the air strikes have given rebels in minsk new hope that they can overcome the might of

-- immense new hope that they can overcome the might of gaddafi from military. the u.n. coalition has not authorized regime change, but it will look to many in the international community like regime change by the back door. there is also a propaganda war. the gaddafi's regime is working hard to prove that that -- regime change -- is the real aim of the air strikes. bbc news, tripoli. >> our correspondent in the brown is in tobruk in the east of the country, which is under rebel control. >> we are here in the town square. you can see some of the anti-but not the -- into-khaddafi graffiti.

"bill away gaddafi -- "go away gaddafi." there is a real hatred. in the square and in 1981, several people were hanged. simply because they opposed his will and wanted his -- wanted freedom. tell us what you think about the air strikes over the last few days? >> the air strikes -- the people here are very happy. because we were so afraid of what would happen to them. so, now they are all white and they are expecting good things will happen here -- they are all right and they are expecting good things will happen here and in the future, also. >> thank you in d. here are pictures of those who

have died here, and pictures of the hangings back in 1981. people come here to pay their respects for the dead. there is a sense in tobruk that this town is free. it is no longer under colonel gaddafi's control. but people are saying that is not enough. they want the whole of libya to be freed from colonel gaddafi and for him to leave. >> ben brown for us. the general in charge of implementing the no-fly zone insists that and i sat in colonel gaddafi is not the aim of the mission he says that the operation could end in stalemate. >> i could see accomplishing the military mission that has been assigned to me, and the current

leader would remain the current leader. is that ideal that i do not think anyone would say that is ideal. i could envision that as of possible situation, at least for the current mission i have. i would reiterate though, that i have no mission to attack that person, and we are not doing so. we are not seeking his whereabouts or anything like that. we think we have been a very effective in degrading his ability to control his regime forces, and we think we are seeing that lay out in various parts of the country. >> in yemen, protests against the president have gained momentum with more senior defections to the opposition. some prominent generals, and a top tribal leader, along with

key ambassadors are calling for him to step down. we have this report. >> cheering in the yemeni capitol after weeks of demonstrations. there is an atmosphere of celebration. support for the president is getting away. the fall of the government and in yemen will be just like what happened in egypt, he says. tribal leaders have been joining these crowds. now several military officers have come into the square to publicly show support. >> i announced my joining of the revolution to bring down the corrupt regime. >> we will finish the revolution, god willing. what's the killings on friday of more than 50 protesters -- >> the killings on friday of more than 50 protesters upped the stakes.

soldiers have taken positions across the city, at the presidential palace and the upper government buildings, but it was not certain what their orders were. their general was calling on the president to step down and avoid more violence. >> on behalf of officers and commanders in the armed forces, i declare our peaceful support for the use of revolution and their demands that we will fulfil our duties in maintaining security in the capitol and other cities. >> but the differing voice from behind another big office desk. the defense minister pledging his support for the president. yemen is one of the poorest countries in the arab world with half of its 20 million people living below the poverty line. much is remote, and many communities are out of government control. al-qaeda operates from a year,

and american officials have described him as being closed to a failed state. here is an american ally and a dictatorship whose failure to win the trust of its people has spilled onto the streets with an impact that can reach far beyond yemen itself. bbc news. >> oil prices have surged again with the latest air strikes on libya. there are fears a prolonged fighting and supply disruptions in the middle east. it is not clear when prices will go back down. silvio berlusconi is accused of bribing his lawyer to provide false testimony in different trials. berlusconi denies the charges. 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 calling for revolution. any -- and the angry reaction has resulted in a building is being set on fire. the government has sent condolences to the families of the victims, and they had even suggested that police and army opened fire because people were in the skies. the demand for change started in

tunisia and is now and syria. but protesters near the syrian government is unused to the finest in has been moving with emergency laws for nearly 50 years. bbc news, barry. >> just briefly, president obama has called for a new relationship with latin america based on equal partnership and shared responsibility. he described what america as fundamental to the security of the u.s., and he said he is ready to see it serve a greater role in world affairs. the latest headlines for you on "bbc world news." the multi-national force setting up the no-fly zone over libya -- army officers and tribal leaders have joined opposition protests and in yemen. the president though says he is

staying in power. abnormally high levels of radioactive substances have been found in seawater near the fukushima daiichi nuclear plant in japan. the radiation is 127 times higher than the government standard. a thousand people have died in the quick and tsunami. our correspondent sent this report. -- at 1000 people have died in the quake and tsunami. >> when the sea has taken all they know, how do you comprehend it? every landmark obliterated. even finding where his home stood is not easy to this 12- year-old. this is the first time he has been back. but for the third house on history, there is just avoid. >> my desk was up there.

my dad was over here. this is where my bookshelf was. >> this is his 10-year-old sister and all that she found -- her schoolbag. she was used you trips to the beach with her father. >> i would go with that. it was fun. when the tsunami came, it was scary. >> her father is missing. he was a rescue worker directing people to safety while his wife and children fled. 500 bodies have been found here so far. but not his. when the tsunami struck at 2:45 that friday, most of the adults work here, in the middle of town. this is the place of 26,000 people. it is hard to believe it now, but you have to imagine shops and businesses and supermarkets

and restaurants. all the children were in schools. those were killed on higher grounds to protect -- those were built on higher ground to protect them from the tsunami. most of them survived. this refuge is full of children who are grieving. it has become the temporary home for these children. but i wish more people were searching for the missing. -- >> i wish more people were searching for the missing. i hope my dad is found same. >> in the debris, sayaka discovers something else. a photo of their father. >> he was a very good man.

>> she described her husband as the pillar of the family. she went to the morgue today, but she could not find his body. bbc news. >> the united nations is saying attacks on opposition supporters in ivory coast may announce you crimes against humanity. president laurent gbagbo is hanging on to power, even though the u.n. and african union insists he lost the presidential elections. the man most of the world says won the election, alice sent out but draw -- ellis on what torre has support in the west of the country. >> african army's have their own way of keeping control. here and in the north, soldiers who supports outarra are keeping

the pressure up. and they are displaying their skills in a training exercise. the northern army used to be called a rebel force. but because it backs the man who most of the world thinks won the elections and in ivory coast, it has grandly renamed itself up and put the republican army." -- "the republican army. they are negotiating with laurent gbagbo at the same time. >> you want peace. we will compel you to use force. >> at this army calls itself the republican forces of ivory coast, but it is a republic split down the middle. they are rebuilding from top to bottom, but that work can only begin if and when laurent gbagbo

goes. and that is the only topic of debate here. the economy in the north is perhaps surprisingly brazilian for a conflict zone. it is part of the tragedy of ivory coast that this for tell country was one of the richest in -- that this fertile country was one of the richest and in africa. this man calls himself "capt. sorcerer." he claims he has special orders to capture laurent gbagbo. he says that they will not kill him. it will put him on trial. maybe. but the army soldiers at this last checkpoint in the north know that warrant that both -- laurent gbagbo has the road still blocked, for now.

bbc news, northern ivory coast. >> they have begun counting votes in haiti's runoff presidential elections. november's elections were marred by fraud and miley clashes. -- violent clashes. the winner is expected to be announced later this month. we have this from the capitol, port-au-prince. >> all across haiti, people patiently lined up to cast ballots. despite concerns about turnout, numbers were high. this has been an election fraught with problems. last november's vote ended with widespread reports of fraud. there is pressure to get it right this time. voting in port-au-prince is under way, and turnout is strong. it seems well organized. there are observers all over the

place them and making sure things run smoothly. but whoever wins, they will have major challenges. across the city, makeshift camps are part of the life for more than half a million people. it is no place to raise a family. elsa lived here with her four children after the earthquake. she spent six months in squalid conditions. she told us, this is where her tent used to bait. she says when the rains came, it would fill with scorpions. elsa now has a proper roof over her head. it means life for the children is immeasurably better, but she is still not hopeful for those left behind. she told us she did not vote and the election. she says neither candidate will make a difference for speedup haiti's recovery.

families are moving out of the cans. it is thought that more than half have left. there are concerns about where they are living. >> people are leaving. shelters are not ready yet. some are staying with friends and families. some are choosing to go to unsafe places, such as houses that still need repairs or houses that are fully damaged. >> port-au-prince is still awash with rubble. some neighborhoods are barely standing. the next president of haiti will inherit a lot of problems. bbc news, port-au-prince, haiti. >> construction worker badly disfigured and a power line accident received the first full face transplant ever carried out in the u.s.

this story does contain graphic images. >> 25-year-old dallas wiens arrives at a boston hospital with his grandfather, ready for pioneering surgery. an accident two years ago left the young father live without glitz, nose, or eyebrows. -- left the young father blind without lips, knows, or eyebrows. he wants to field his daughter kiss him. >> i could feel pressure. so, when she kisses me, i can feel some pressure, but i cannot really feel her kidss. >> the 15-hour operation involved a huge cast of doctors,

nurses, and staff. here we see the donor tissue arriving from an unknown donor. the lead surgeon said the operation went well. >> dallas is doing great. he is meeting all the miles tons we expect. we were not able to restore his vision. >> he has been on the cell phone with his family and has been talking. he requires minimal care at this time. most of the tubes have been removed. >> this is not the first full face transplant attended. last year in spain, this man known as oscar, had his face replaced after a shooting accident. both will have to use drugs throughout their lives to stop their bodies in rejecting the new faces. this this -- is dallas's old

face. his grandfather said that he made a positive choice in selecting for the surgery. >> i always said that after the injury he had a choice. he could choose to get better -- bitter or to get better. his choice was to get better. the dog, today he is better. thank you 3 >> bbc news. >> much more on that and all the international news on bbc.com. and much more on libya. more explosions and anti- aircraft booming under way. foreign attacks have killed many people at ports and airports. the last rebel stronghold has fallen to gaddafi loyalists. we are on twitter and facebook

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