>> this is "bbc world news." funding for this presentation is made possible by the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu. newman's own foundation. the john d. and catherine t. macarthur foundation. and union bank. >> union bank has put its financial strength to work for a wide range of companies, from small businesses to major corporations. what can we do for you? >> and now, "bbc world news."

>> clashes in cairo's main square continue into tonight between pro and anti-government protesters. at least one person has been killed. supporters of president mubarak surged into the area, trying to drive them out. >> we are the egyptians. mubarak is our leader. he is our leader. >> our bridges and deplorable, the international community condemns those behind the bloodshed and calls for the of violence to end now. welcome to "bbc world news." coming up later for you come up one of the biggest cyclone's hits the australian state of queensland. there are warnings of an

unprecedented devastation. the fight for the future as egypt has become a pitched battle on the streets. clashes are still going on in cairo between supporters of president mubarak and demonstrators that have been calling on him to go. in the last few hours, at least one person has been killed. there are three deaths and hundreds of injured. the u.s. contributes vast sums each year in aid. the political transition should begin immediately. this is following the explosive events in cairo.

>> it is dark, dangerous, and violent in tahrir square tonight. protesters are fighting for the center of the space that they declared the center of their revolution tonight. in the morning, the atmosphere was different. the president's men appeared. the first time i have seen them in any numbers in a week. >> the ruling party is a very organized force. that is clear that efforts have been taken to get their people out onto the streets. >> it did not feel spontaneous. many of them were bused in and a lot of the placards booked -- looked professionally made. they risk losing party privileges and the only leader they have ever known. >> we are the egyptians. we choose our leader. president mubarak is our leader.

our leader. our leader. >> as the supporters of the president moved closer to tahrir square, it got much nastier. they lined up on the edge of the square, trading insults with the opponents of the regime. the pro-mubarak demonstrators stretched way back there. it seems to me that i have more people out there than there are in here. the tension is rising. and then the president's supporters broke through, chanting, we will not leave. at first, the protesters fell back as far as they could. some were not fast enough.

they collect of themselves and counterattack and volleys of stones went both ways. most of the afternoon, the clashes and and flowed across the heart of egypt's capital. the army's warned the protesters to get out early in the morning. men on camels and horses join the battle of the president's side. soldiers pulled out some casualties, but did not intervene. >> of the army needs to stand up to their responsibilities. we the people, no matter what the opinion is. we do not want this. >> some of the president's people were captured by the protesters. both sides claimed that their proponents were paid.

>> this is president mubarak tried to reassert his authority over the sand dollar -- center of the capital city. for a leader like this, it is a terrible devastation to have something like this to go on for so many days. dozens of casualties on the anti-government side were taken to an improvised dressing station. it overflowed into the streets. the doctor in charge did not have much time to talk. >> he is a kid, 17 years. >> many of the wounds were caused by knives as well as stones. the violence overwhelm them all. the protesters thought that the president's rapid departure was a done deal. >> what does he want?

he was so calm and peaceful on tv. he said that egypt will be stronger after i go. i do not think so. he will destroy the whole nation before he goes. >> of the regime has entrenched itself in power since the 1950's. it will not go quietly. >> el bar -- it is emerging as egypt -- elbaradei is emerging as egypt's leading opposition leader. >> from a legal point of view, what is happening is a criminal act. to allow the pro-government protesters to clash with demonstrators who have been demonstrating peacefully over the previous week. in my behavior, it is the

criminal behavior of a criminal regime. it raises doubts about the reforms that mubarak claims to plan to do. i say this is understood due to the situation that everything in the country is paralyzed. i think we should address this question to president mubarak himself, not to the egyptian people or the opposition. why put egypt in this position? why does he not step down? assuming he continues as president for the next seven months, while the country be stable again or will he have any credibility? >> a short while ago, i spoke to a professor with the american university in cairo. >> continues to be ugly. the peaceful protesters who have been on the street for almost a

week now. they were attacked by security service in plain clothes, in civilian clothes. they were attacked using machetes, molotov, fireballs, huge rocks, everything you can imagine. >> what is the picture at the moment? what is the picture in the square? >> the protesters are still there. they are trying to protect the entrances to tahrir square. there is still quite an exchange oat one of the entrances. the other two entrances are secured. that is so that someone not come

from the back. >> is the army sticking to its decision to stay out of the fighting and not impose any violence on protesters? >> yes. by the military taking this stand, what it means is that the peaceful protesters are being attacked by the thugs and the army is doing nothing about it. it is understandable. -- at the end of the day, it is an army, it is not meant to put down protestors. they have tanks. they can't deal with this using tanks. >> we have often heard that middle-class and higher ranking workers are taking part in these protests. do you think they will be put off by this violence? >> i do not think so. what i am seeing on the square,

what i have seen in the past few days is a huge lift in solidarity with the protesters. >> the violence is being broadcast by the world media. the international community put some pressure on president mubarak. they insisted that the political change had to take place white -- right away. >> the demonstrators have a new friend. after days of hesitation, president obama has thrown his weight behind their cause saying that passion and the mindy was an inspiration to the world. >> people of egypt, i want to be clear, we hear your voices. >> today's violence was a challenge to the order of the change that the west wants. ban ki-moon condemned it. if it turns out that the regime

has been sponsoring or tolerating this violence, that would be completely and utterly unacceptable. >> the white house called the violence out regis and deplorable. >> if any of the violence is instigated by the government, it should stop immediately. >> president obamas spoke to mubarak for half an hour. he was said to be frank, direct, and candid. what do the americans mean by now? how soon is that. the president's press secretary had a way of putting it. now is yesterday. they want mubarak to go as soon as possible. for years, american presidents have seen mubarak as an indispensable ally. he has been backing the middle east peace process and a bowl worked -- a bulwark against islamic extremism. it seems like there is some

possibility that this may end with mubarak still in power and mubarak shaping the next step in egypt. i think it increases the risks of instability. >> for two years, he has been telling mubarak and allies that he had to change or -- but they would not listen. he said that he will not try to handle job to his son. he says that the usa will have to support democracy all over the region. >> they have received the message loud and clear. the support for undemocratic regimes in the middle east is an unsustainable. it might in -- end in disaster for american foreign policy. >> they are the key to a future without mubarak. >> you are watching bbc news.

looking into outer space. there are thousands of new planets undiscovered in distant solar systems. poland's foreign minister has warned the president of belarus that he could be ousted by his own people if the decide to follow the example of protesters in tunisia and egypt. >> the smiling face of belarus' hard-line president, casting a ballot in an election that he won with almost 80% of the vote. the outside world said that it was seriously flawed. in minsk, days after the results, his opponents became involved in clashes with police. 700 were arrested. some of which are in detention

now. that did not stop him from another inauguration. this time, the pomp and ceremony was boycotted by many e.u. countries, angry at the flawed elections. he risks being overthrown by his own people if they follow the example of tunisian and egyptian protestors. >> if he did not know in december that he was losing, after the events in tunisia and egypt, it is obvious. the matter of his victory has provoked furious in other european capitals. >> on december 19, and what they have continued to do since then, has been without parallel on the continent of europe. it was worse than what slobodan milosevic did in the year 2000.

>> for the moment, there is no sign of souththat the man who ty call europe's last dictator is changing the guard any time soon. >> you are watching bbc news. the headlines this hour. violent clashes are going on in cairo between president mubarak 's supporters and the demonstrators. at least one has been killed and hundreds have been injured. the white house has said that the political transition should begin immediately. the question on the lips of everyone in egypt is whether or not president mubarak should go now or in september. his supporters seem determined to fight on. some of them are not afraid to display their support.

our middle east correspondent said this when they are arrested him. he has been released and that managed to file this report. >> this is the other side of cairo. the large pillars and expensive apartment blocks. this is where egypt's ruling elite live. i have come here to meet president mubarak's close advisers. anybody that thinks he is going to step aside should listen to what he says. >> he is an odd man. if they abandon their posts, they are shot dead. this is a battle. cox a battle in which after a week of silence, egypt's elite have found their voice. out on the street and

immediately confronted by a group of locals with an angry message for an outside world. >> america, britain, the u.s. are getting a lot of weight to such people. you can give these people the lead. this is your aim. is this your aim, to lose egypt? >> within minutes of leading the interview, our car is pulled over by the police. these are the first police we have seen in cairo in days. they are angry and suspicious. we talk our way out and head on. a group of men in another car start screaming at us to pull over. the man in red is the one that has forced us off the road. at this point, we are handed

over to the secret police. handcuffed, blindfolded, and taken to an interrogation cell. we were eventually released on to cairo back street. what we were shown shows how the authority's attitude is heartening to the protesters and to the foreign media. egypt's elite is fighting back. >> in northeastern australia, it is revealing the trail of destruction left by a cyclone that struck in cyclone with wins over of 300 kilometers per hour. they expressed relief that the worst of the storm is over. >> reports are still early and sketchy in some parts. at this stage, it appears we have not lost any life as the result of a cyclone. many australians would have

banned gladdenned at heart that we had a new baby born in any evacuation in these circumstances. >> joining me now from northern queensland is a reporter with abc radio. thank you very much for calling me. -- joining me. you have been broadcasting from a shelter in the coordination center. >> the storm surge had the original predictions this time yesterday. they went to the disaster coordination center. that is the first time it has been used. they had been broadcasting through the event from there. the cyclone turned more to the

southwest. that is about 100 or so kilometers south. >> it is quite amazing that there have been no casualties so far. >> the important thing as that the is are still preliminary figures. it is still almost impossible for emergency services to make a proper appraisal. it looks better and better with each 15 minutes. we have had a net gain of

three. heard about one baby born in in evacuation center. it is now 3. >> thank you very much for joining us. in other news, president obama has signed documents approving a major nuclear arms treaty between the united states and russia. there will be big cuts and re- establishing the monetary system. it will come forth when russia and the u.s. exchange signed papers. russia is increasing the number of officers in the military by 7000 and nearly doubling their pay. they need this to renew the aerospace defense branch ministry. it is part of streamlining efforts. scientists from the american space agency nasa say they may have found as many as 1000 new planets. that is in addition to 500

world's that were discovered already. our science correspondent reports. >> the deeper we look, the more we find, not just stars in their billions, but orbiting around them, planets as well. new planets emerging from the dark in far greater numbers than expected. this is what is behind the latest wave of discoveries, the keppler space telescope. pointed at one spot in the sky. it is showing the planets revolving around their solar system. >> this is as good as it gets. this seems to us as the most important find since 1995 when the first extrasolar planets was discovered. >> the mission of hunting planets is picking up speed.

they can see planets move in front of them. when they do, the stars get slightly dimmer. the equivalent of looking at a car have by and seeing a flea pass in fron. -- front. there are an astonishing 54 that would be hospitable to life, not to warm, not too cold. >> it was nearly two years ago that a rocket blasted the telescope into space. its key components made here in britain in these clean rooms. hear, they specialize in making photographic centers, a tiny devices. people are delighted at what they are finding. >> you cannot get this in any other industry. this is an environment where we get to see the results of our

endeavors. to get a very wide community of people excited about these endeavors. >> all of the time, raising the chances of discovering an alien world where it is possible that there might be life. >> he is not quite a foot tall and he is made of plastic. he has a very special place in the hearts of young girls. he is ken, marty's boyfriend. he is celebrating his 50th birthday. >> nuremberg's toy fair. batteries not included. this year's event is a little bit special, almost historic. they come to say happy birthday. this was the big day for big ken. the ken in question, barbie's

boyfriend. a real-life replica celebrating desperate for his birthday, he is going to get the girl. they split up apparently. you might have missed that. >> added is exciting to see ken catch up to barbie. since the unfortunate break up, people have not heard as much about ken. to see him work to get her back, it is an exciting time. >> ken was launched in 1961 as a male companion. the toy makers were coy about the relationship. anatomically incorrect and the cutting edge of fashion. there was not a hairstyle or a mustache that he would not try. no word on what barbie got him for a present.

>> hello and welcome. >> see the news unfold, get the top stories from around the globe and click-to-play video reports. go to bbc.com/news to experience the in-depth, expert reporting of "bbc world news" online. >> funding was made possible by the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu. newman's own foundation. the john d. and catherine t. macarthur foundation. and union bank. >> union bank has put its global expertise to work for a wide range of companies, from small businesses to major corporations.

what can we do for you? >> "bbc world news" was brought to you by kcet los angeles.