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>> and now, "bbc world news." >> egyptian opposition protests spread and the leadership lashes out at american interference. >> allow me to have control and to stabilize the nation and the state. >> as the muslim converts plead guilty to terrorism, the government warns that it's our level is highest since 9/11. colombian rebels take a step towards possible peace talks. welcome to "bbc world is -- news." a girl makes a television and -- a mother of the missing twin girls missing has made an

appeal. demonstrations in egypt and demanding an end to the role of president mubarak have intensified. the egyptian vice president has hinted at a declaration of martial law. the foreign minister has rejected american calls for changes. >> almost by the hour, the symbols of state power are slipping away. this is the egyptian parliament near the center of the protests. anti-government protests since

the took over the whole area with no resistance from security forces. now, there is a caricature of president mubarak handing on -- hanging on the gate. the protesters say that it was elected fraudulently and it that the leaders used their position to enrich themselves. they are preventing the government from operating normally. some of the demonstrators filled on in their mobile phones. others stood outside celebrating at the demise of the hated institutions. >> this is one of ignorance, people of money, businessmen. >> this is a huge amount of corruption and of the king is hosni mubarak. >> there were protests in

alexandria as well. they torched the governor's office and his cars. another development for the government is the spreading strikes. some suez canal workers walked out about of the canal still open. factory workers and other employees are on strike. oby contrast, the most quiet place in egypt is probably the most -- in egypt are the pyramids. the collapse in tourism is hurting many egyptians. in the square, they are wondering what the vice president meant. a threat of martial law perhaps. it is difficult to see what the

government can do to keep the state from slipping away. >> sold his had been killed in north pakistan. -- soldiers have been killed in a bomb attack in northern pakistan. 6 kilograms of explosives were used in the explosion. the united states has urged the egyptian government to do more to ease the demands of protesters. robert gibbs called for the lifting of the emergency lot and says that the action taken so far did not meet of the minimum demands of the people. >> it is clear that the egyptian government will have to take some real concrete steps in order to meet the threshold that

the people of egypt requires from the government. i think unless or until that process takes hold, you will see the continued pictures that all of us are watching out of cairo and other cities throughout egypt. >> the egyptian foreign minister has publicly rejected what he called american attempts to impose its will on the government in cairo. he said ben that the american vice president had called for the change in status. >> right now, as we speak, we have 10,000 prisoners out of jails that have been destroyed. how can you ask me to despair and the emergency laws?

-- how can you ask me to>> hello and welcome. -- how can you ask me to disband. allow me to stabilize. then we will look into the issue. what we are in right now is imaginary. we imagine ourselves in the midst of the nile moving from one back to the other. we need to go with the card and see how we reach that point. >> human rights advocates are telling us that security forces have containing the -- have been detaining more and more people. this is despite repeated international calls for restraint. >> still missing.

>> missing. >> still missing. >> the names of the disappeared affected by the state. from a list according to this human rights organization and doctors who were treating the injured. there are blockers -- bloggers, one of whom has not been seen in six days. the information as to who conducts the interrogation, very often it is brutal. a blogger was beaten so bad by police said he was almost unrecognizable. there are reassurances from the government that things are changing. the evidence pointed different way. on thursday, after a meeting with the opposition, two people were arrested, beaten, and tied

so tight that their wrists bled. they work left in the back of the truck all night. >> how long were you blindfolded? >> 27 hours. >> within the barricades of the square, their safety in numbers. out here on the streets outside of the main demonstrations, the leaders, agitators, even ordinary people are being picked off. intimidation is rife. human rights activists are compiling a growing list of people who have gone missing in just the past two weeks. >> there is a security, activists. we are talking about in the last few days, usually it was four or six. >> an arts teacher and a father

of two was killed in tahrir square. his body was dumped in a morgue and left in a freezer for six days. >> i wanted to see him and remember him one last time resting peacefully. i could hardly tell was him. >> he is a hero to his brother and thousands of others who pass his shrine. this reminds him of what is at stake. if this protest was to fail, the consequences would be just as dire for those who started it. >> of the homeland security secretary has said that in some ways the threat of the terrorist attack is at its most heightened state cents 9/11.

new attacks with little 0 no warning would be inspired by al qaeda. an american man has pleaded guilty to plotting attacks in the u.s.. he is charged with conspiring to provide support to terrorists and to murder, kidnapping, maine, and injured people. several others have been charged with involvement in terrorist activities. earlier, our correspondent explained how the u.s. authorities feel that the latest cases suggest that the threat to security is developing. >> the americans, they are showing that this is more evidence of the kind of threat that they face here. what we heard today from the homeland security secretary was that of the threat is much more within the borders of the u.s. and that is why the terror

threat is at levels almost as high since 9/11. she said that they're concerned about the threats coming from al qaeda in the arabian peninsula. that group is believed to be led by an american born cleric. part because of the focus on osama bin laden and those associated with him were believed to be in the trouble areas of pakistan. it is believed that those other groups are allowed to rise to the forefront. there's the threat inside of the borders and also outside. before he was elected, president obama said it was the policies of his predecessor that helped to make the u.s. more of a target and you have this situation where they have said

that the white house is as much of a target as it was after 9/11. >> have we seen a difference in the types of security? >> no word of any increased security measures but of course, there has been many changes in security all over the arrests -- all over the u.s. and a security checks that people have to go through when they fly and this sort of thing. that is likely to continue. >> a colombian hostage has been reunited with his family after 19 months in captivity. the hostage was handed over at a secret location. he is one of five hostages that the hostages have promised to release.

-- that the rebel group has promised to release. >> marcos baquero stepped off of the helicopter and into the arms of his family. he was one of the of hostages to the group had wanted to trade for imprisoned rebels. >> of the loneliness. knowing that my family was suffering. there are many other people going through the same thing, being kidnapped. not being able to know anything about anyone. not getting news from anyone. i believe this is the worst thing that can happen to a person. >> the farc has promised to release hostages on friday and saturday.

they're perhaps and prompting the government into peace talks. they do appear to be interested in dialogue but they have demanded that all of the hostages in rebel hands be released. the rebels were willing to release all of the remaining hostages over the next six months which could pave the way for peace negotiations to end 46 years of civil conflict. >> you are watching "a bbc news ." refugees in the u.s. are thinking about going home to the sudan. three bombs have exploded in the northern iraqi city of kirkuk killing at least 70 people. -- killing at least seven people

and injuring 70. two police are among the dead. these are the biggest attacks in the city for around six months. no group has claimed responsibility for the attacks. >> two bombs had already gone off in the city. and emergency vehicles or racing to assist. amazingly, the camera man staggered to his feet and kept filming. three bombs in total, six dead, and more than 30 wounded. this is what they experienced. this is somewhere in iraq every day. often, it is worse.

the immense oil fields make this a vital region for iraq. this is also fiercely disputed. between the authorities and the central government, kurds, arabs. u.s. troops and help to keep the balance but they will be gone by the end of this year. nowhere else with the challenge for the forces be greater. today, they were the target. security in these conditions is very hard to build. >> the headlines this hour. the opposition demonstrations are spreading in cairo. the foreign minister has

criticized washington's calls to lift the emergency rule. the u.s. homeland security secretary has warned that the threat of terrorism against the u.s. is at its highest level since the attacks of september 11th, 2001. let's bring you more on the breaking news. at least 10 soldiers had been killed, several more injured in a suicide bombing at an army recruitment center in northwest pakistan. the attack is reported to have taken place in -- let's get more on egypt. our world affairs correspondent spoke with the american egyptian nobel laureate about the way forward for egypt and the role he could play in the country's future. >> and you met omar suleiman

who is now talking to the opposition. did you say to him that you believe that president mubarak should go now? >> i had almost an hour with the vice president and that was one of the issue is. i think that the vice president and the prime minister have made the point not only to me but also publicly. this is not in the cards. they would like to see that the president's -- the president completes his term and then steps down. >> and if he does not steps down, do you fear for your country? >> i do. i do because i worry. if you look at it economically, what are the major resources in each of at this point? the suez canal? then if you're talking about

tourism, all three are in danger. all three. that is one aspect. there is also the human aspect. i don't want to see the use of egypt being in a state of despair and being unhappy. they really need to be looking to a new future hopeful and for a great egypt. >> at the mother of twin girls who have been missing from their home in switzerland for more than a week has gone on television to appeal for their return. the girls were taken by their father. our correspondent in italy has more. >> they have not been seen since the end of january.

omar suleiman -- alessia and livia's safety is now the main concern. the father of the child had apparently committed suicide days after taking the girls from their home. they might have traveled to france possibly boarding a fairy to corsica. no one knows if they made it off the boat with their father. the twins mother has amended this bitter pill for the safe return. >> anyone who was on the ferry and might have seen my daughter's, a key blond curls, even some that might not seem important to you, please contact the police. >> they sent postcards and money

in the days before his death saying that he could not cope with their breakup but giving no clues to the girl's whereabouts. switzerland, france, italy, the police simply cannot say where they are. what did stepfather do with them? -- what did their father do with them? >> the preparations are underway in sudan. many of those who were forced to flee are looking to play a part in the new transition. >> when he was 6, this man lived in a refugee camp in ethiopia. a decade later, he became a lost boy. he was taken to live in the u.s. his people have voted for

independence to create the world's newest nation. >> what does it mean to have a new country? >> it means my father did not die for nothing. >> he graduated from michigan and has a master's. he works as a youth counselor in washington, d.c. there is a map of his new nation on his wall. that is where he plans to go. he would like to help his young country. >> one of the things that americans do very well is that people have grown as a person or as a professional, as an educator. they are looking to build a new nation. >> we have to rebuild the

country and work hard. people are coming up with new ideas. we hope that you could replicate that. this is the south sudanese mission. this is in the heart of washington d.c.. there are about 40-60,000 people living in the u.s. and they want as many of them as possible to take their knowledge and expertise. inside, there is all of the optimism and celebration that you would expect. they face a daunting task. with oil, saddam might be a resource-rich but it is one of the most underdeveloped places in the world. there is the fear that it could be seen -- there is a fear that they would be seen as foreigners because they left before the civil war. >> the government has to

step in. they would have the issues of food security otherwise or security jobs and health care. there would be some tension. >> the skills will help the southern sudan. most of them have lives in the u.s.. now they are willing to give up the jobs here for a country have dreamed of being a part of four years. >> greek authorities say that today suspect somali pirates have taken a tanker. the hijacking is one of the biggest in the area so far. just yesterday, an italian tanker was snatched reinforcing fears that it was spinning out of control. there has not been any official statements but reports from

damascus to suggest that the governments block on facebook and youtube has been lifted. some foreign web sites are inaccessible. nokia has painted a rather clique picture of the company's fortunes. an internal memo like is the company to a burning platform surrounded by the blazing fire of competition grabbing at their market share. a congress woman shot in the head has recovered enough to speak. gabrielle giffords made a verbal request on monday. six people were killed in the attack, several others were wounded. we have had reports that of these 10 soldiers have been killed, several more injured in a suicide bomb blast in

northwest pakistan. >> 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 presented by kcet los angeles.