>> 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 global expertise to work for a wide range of companies. what can we do for you?

>> and now, "bbc world news." >> detained by gaddafi's security forces, a bbc team are beaten and subjected to mock executions in libya. >> and i thought they were going to shoot us from behind. i was thinking we're done. >> they do it, i can't do anything and just close my eyes and ask my god to help me. >> as gaddafi's forces gain the upper hand the international community ponders how to respond to the violence. king mohammed of morocco promises constitutional reforms in his first speech since last month's nationwide protests. welcome to bbc nuelings. broadcast to pbs in america and also around the globe. coming up for you, violence escalates in ivory coast as militias loyal to the two presidential rivals hunt down their opponents. and an historic touchdown for

discovery. the oldest of america's space shuttles. and its remarkable 27-year career. bbc team in libya have been jailed and subjected to beatings and mock executions. the events took place when they were detained early they are week but only now that they have left the country are we reporting their story. while they were in prison they witnessed first hand the horrifying levels of violence meted out by colonel gaddafi's security forces and other prisoners. the bbc team were teasted at a rest point six miles south of zawiya where some of the feesest fighting is taking place. after their release they spoke to our middle east editor jeremy bowen in tripoli. >> 30 miles and many checkpoints separate zawiya

from tripoli. the town has been sealed off. tonight, the gaddafi forces seemed close to victory there. but we can't firm that because the libyans won't let foreign news teams move freely. the bbc like many news organizations here has attempted several times to get through to zawiya without official permission. when a team from bbc arabic tried on monday, they were stopped at a checkpoint and detained for 21 hours in three other locations. correspondents on the right was badly beaten and saw prisoners mainly from zawiya in a much worse condition than they were. >> i can't describe how bad they were. most of them, hooded and handcuffed tightly. and all swollen hands. they were -- they were screaming. i found -- prisoners, two

egyptians, the majority of them were zawiya. and i understand some other, fighters against muammar gaddafi's army. four of them, with their faces and their bodies. >> they had been tortured. >> yeah, sure. >> that was a big operation going on there. and from the second floor, i heard a lot of screaming. and i can't describe. it was horrible. the worst thing i've ever seen. in my life. and i've seen a lot of bad stuff. >> some of them told me that he has at least two ribs broken. i spent six hours helping them to move from one side to another. they were in a very bad situation. >> the bbc tee takenees were

accuse -- detainees were accused of spying, having their lives threat scompnd put through mock execution -- lives threatened and put through mob executions. >> get out of the car. one. guys, soldiers, he had the gun in my back on the ground. and then they asked me to put my hands behind my head and there this -- >> the weapon. >> just behind me. and i said that's just would sh. >> probably beaten up. because i could hear his -- he was in agony and suffering. and then suddenly the door opened. and then enter the cage. and handcuffed us, hoods on our

heads, and pushed me outside. and i heard those gun noises. they were getting ready. and i thought the execution in moments probably. i thought at this moment, that if they decide to do this, they will do it. i can't do anything. i just close my eyes and ask my god to help me. >> and they start shouting, and i thought they would shoot us from behind. it did not happen but i was thinking this is the end. >> libyan tv has been showing old army parades. the regime's official said the bbc's experience wars not right and they were released and said we should understand that libyans believe they're at war and that britain's war machine and its spies are coming. jeremy bowen, bbc news, tripoli. >> the controller of languages

for the bbc global news is lilian landon and issued a statement in which she said the bbc strongly condemns this abusive treatment of our journalists and calls on the libyan government to ensure all media are able to report freely and are protected from persecution. patrick butler is vice president of the international center for journalists in washington, d.c. it trains journalists in the middle east. earlier, he told us foreign and local journalists are both victims of a major lebian government crackdown. -- libyan government crackdown. >> the conflict is more violent than other arab countries where this has happened. but a big part is libya's control. media which has always been much more of a factor than any other middle eastern country. of course, the libyan government tried to welcome journalists and then take them on a little propaganda tour. but the kind of independent reporting that we need from libya now we're seeing what happens when journalists try to do that. >> there is not really anything journalists can do. i don't suppose there's much

advice you can give journalists who are ordered by a government not to go to certain areas. >> well, journalists have to do their jobs. and each news organization and its journalists have to make these decisions. so i certainly can't say whether -- what media portion should do about getting reporting from these conflict situations. the irony of course is that this is going to be far more embarrassing for the libyan government than if they just let the journalists do their job. not only because of the incident itself but also because we have reporting from inside a detention center about the conditions of detainees and the beatings and torture that we never would have had otherwise. >> pat rk butler in washington. -- patrick butler in washington. libya appears to be in a civil war in which colonel gaddafi appears to be gaining the upper hand. his forces have bombarded towns held by opposition fighters east and west of the capital tripoli. the most intense action has been for control of zawiya where doctors said 40 died op wednesday. -- on wednesday. and more fighting and the

nearby town of benjuwad. nato members will discuss the international summons to the violence and the bbc's north america, following that side of the story. >> in the mediterranean, there's no shortage of american military might. an aircraft carrier, and its strike group are just off libyan fighters and now nato has ordered 24-hour air surveillance. crinlt. but it's reluctant to give a political lead. >> nato is not looking to intervene in libya. but we have our -- asked our military to conduct the necessary planning for all eventualities. >> president obama has a stark dilemma. his mission has been to pronlt a new america after -- to project a nu america after iraq, and very aware that gaddafi has accused the u.s. of planning a no-fly zone to steal libyan oil and some opposition groups are just as wary.

>> this is not about the united states. it's not about western powers, european powers. it's about the people of the region and in this case the people of libya. >> obama's dilemma is that doing nothing runs a terrible risk. in reined the international community stood by -- rwanda the international community stood by as 800,000 were massacred and in bosnia a no-fly zone was not enough to prevent slaughter. in wap in the exclusive metro -- in wap in the scluche metro between the senators and congress, the world is keshed about what would -- is concerned about what would happen if americanot lead. >> against the popular movement of the people without recourse is serious question for all of us. >> if we stand by and let it happen, for sure, that will be a black mark on our record for a long time. >> but obama has given pause by the military reality, too. the u.s. military says stopping all flights by colonel gaddafi's air force would be a

complex operation taking units away from afghanistan. first, air defenses around the government's strongholds of tripoli would have to be taken out. risking civilian casualties. and enforcing a in fly zone would need hundreds of fighter jets supported by pore larger air crast with radar and refueling. war ships for radar cover and helicopters for search and rescue. in iraq such an operation costs $1.5 billion a year. and it would raise new questions. >> certainly to impose the initial no-fly zone may take a matter of days. but if the political aim is to support the rebellion, what if the rebellion last two years, are we willing to make the commitment for that amount of time? >> military operations have to have clear political objectives. and at the moment, the international community is far from united. >> many here in congress may feel it's america's job to be seen to be leading the world. and it's certainly true if there is any operation america will provide much of the brains and the brawn behind it. but the president feels it's

really important, particularly in the muslim world, that america, after iraq, after afghanistan, isn't seen out front, leading the pack. bbc news, washington. >> away from libya the nobel laureate, former head of the united nations nuclear watchdog mohamed elbaradei said he will run for the egyptian president. mr. elbaradei announced on local television that he intends to enter his name when the presidential nomination opens. elections are expected later this year. and mr. elbaradei has called on military leaders to delay a referendum on constitutional amendments which include limiting presidential terms. the 13 people have died and 140 wounded in cairo after clashes broke out between muslims and christians. officials say the violence broke out on tuesday night when a group of couldn't ib christians blocked a -- of coptic christians blocked a highway after a church was --

>> and a committee set up to review the constitution. his first speech since protests last month, king said individual and collective liberties were to be expanded. >> moroccan state tv on wednesday night and a rare appearance from the head of state to usher in plans for broad political reform. >> taking into consideration what we have developed in participation in power attempts for reform, we have decided to form a special committee to review the constitution. >> morocco is a constitutional monarchy with an elected parliament. executive power is exercised by the government but more importantly, also by the monarch. among his powers is that of dissolving parliament at will. the king can also issue binding decrees called dahirs which have the force of law. morocco was affected by the

broad uprising that began sweeping across the arab world two months ago. although the widespread persistent unrest of neighboring countries did not happen. but five people were killed in violence linked to protests across the country on february 20. the ire of the protesters was directed more at parliament rather than the institution of the monarchy itself. nevertheless, the force of their demands for liberalization seemed to be succeeding. >> our initiative for constitutional reforms is an essential step to reinforce four -- our democratic approach and we will have political, economic, cultural and social reforms. >> the monarchy in morocco has existed in various forms for hundreds of years. how people react to these proposed reforms could help determine how long it remains that way. dominick kane, bbc news.

>> this is bbc news. still to come, the final moments in discovery's remarkable career. the oldest of mesh's space shuttles has retired and is preparing for life as a museum piece. no longer on display from april next year in supermarkets, the effort to reduce the number of smokers. >> blackpool out of season. the sea. the amusement arcades. and the cigarettes. 35% of adults here smoke. and one in three pregnant women. twice the national rate. >> as an average baby about seven to eight pounds. >> when i was pregnant, i smoked. so not a lot of what i did. >> and people start young here. >> when did you have your first cigarette? >> about 10.

>> why are smoking rates so high here? look around. it's a deprived area. unemployment is high and poor communities smoke more. on average blackpool residents not only die younger than those in more affluent communities, they also have many more years of ill health. and it's smoking, not poverty, which is the number one factor. one in two lifelong smokers will die from their habit and it cuts an average of 10 years off life expectancy. the conservatives were against a ban on shops displaying cigarettes when opposition. but from next year, large retailers will have to remove tobacco from show. with smaller shops following in 2015. but the tobacco industry will fiercely oppose any further restrictions on what remains a legal product. >> property tycoons robert and

vincent venges were arrested among others in a nanne -- in a collapse of a bank and asking whether manipulation and fraud were involved. this is bbc news. the headlines this hour, bbc team working in libya have described how they were subjected to mock executions. after being detained by colonel gaddafi's forces. as pro-gaddafi forces gained the upper hand against rebels in the western city of zawiya the international community ponders how best to respond to the violence. let's stay with that story because nato countries will be meeting on thursday. let's speak to a former u.s. ambassador and joins me from washington. we heard of the head of nato say that nato doesn't want to intervene.

last week, he said nato doesn't want to intervene unless something serious happens. well, how serious would nato consider attacks by plane and tank? >> i think there are several issues here that make us very complicated for nato. first off, the discussion shouldn't be about intervention. intervention sounds like the west deciding to move into an arab country and impose itself will. that's not what this is about at all. this is about rebels in hibia who are trying to throw off -- in libya who are trying to throw off a dictator and looking for help and will we can help them and how. nato countries are unwilling to take any step on their own and looking for some form of authorization. they would look for a u.n. security council resolution. given the makeup. security council and the nature of the situation, i don't think that's likely. so i think that we're not ghoge to see very much -- we're not going to see very much proactive out of national scarborough and the question for the united states or the u.k. or others, are there ways in which we can provide

nonintrusive but effective support to help the rebels who are trying to throw off this dictator. >> things have changed quite a bit in the past two weeks. i mentioned that time frame because it was about two weeks ago that the italian prime minister, silvio berlusconi addressing a meeting of interior ministers and asked about libya and he said this is ditch. we have to remember we have relations with these people. and they provide us with our energy. >> yes. >> with that in mind, how likely is a consensus in nato? >> well, i think things have changed a lot over the past two weeks. and i wouldn't count berlusconi's statements reflective of where the italian government is now. even analyzing that statement, who did we have the relationship with? it was with the regime that was already brutally repressing its people and is now attack being its people with tanks and with aircraft and thoroughly discredited in the international community. so we're facing a very different situation now. two weeks ago, a no-fly zone might have been a very good because we koch saved a lot of lives -- we could have saved a

lot of lives when he first attacked the protesters but now we have an opposition and a rebel military force that we need to see what they need and what they feel is going to be helpful in empowering them to take control of their country away from this dictator. >> does libya have any friends in national joo? -- in nato? there has been libyan diplomatic activity, playing the italian foreign minister, confirmed that libyan plane had landed in brussels for a meeting there. is any of that going to make any difference? >> i've heard those reports as well. and certainly i would expect that a lot of european nations would be open to dialogue. they want to hear what people have to say. i don't believe that libya has any advocates within nato whatsoever. i think that everyone in nato can see very clearly what's happening on the ground. rather, what i think you see is the caution of a number of states not wanting to see themselves in the position of intervening in a foreign country and arab country. and here is where i think we

need to get the message right. this is not about intervention at all. this is actually about supporting the people of libya. as they're trying to secure their own future. for them this is the chance of a lifetime. >> we appreciate your time. >> thank you. >> the tur mole in libya,-- the turmoil in libya, the bloody struggle for power in africa. in ivory coast. and warnings of a looming civil war. as bagbow will not hand power over to watra who is recognized as the winner of the presidential election. our africa correspondent andrew harding has sent this report and just a warning that andrew's report does contain some very graphic images. >> it's become more like a nightmare than a city. this is abijon. carved up by rival militias. a gauntlet of terrifying outbreaks. this is what can happen if your luck runs out here.

beneath the burning tires are two men slow deaths filmed by a local website. multiple sources have told us this is genuine and recent. ♪ occasionally, public outflows overcome fear. these women support alistan watra who won november's presidential election. the groups of women gathering with crowds like this, calling for peace. at a time when ivory coast does seem to be going closer and closer toward a resumption of civil war. we're unarmed, she says. our only demand is democracy here. even if it means our blood must be spilled. she's referring to this. a similar demonstration last week. which ended badly.

bagbow, the man who lost the presidency, opened fire into the crowd. seven women were killed. to which the country's internationally recognized government, you have to fly across the front lines of a once prosperous city and into a besieged hotel. ministers trapped here are protected by the u.n. and backed by the west. but they know former president bagbow will not step down without a fight. >> we are afraid of a dictator losing the power, getting crazy, ready to burn out everything before he leaves. that's our main fear. >> it's starting already. in the city center, we're caught in another firefight. it's a skirmish. and the momentum is building

fast here toward a violent end game. andrew harding, bbc news, abijon. >> the defense lawyer for the former president of liberia charles taylor has arc you'd his client's war crimes trial is driven by politics and is a 21st century case of neo-colonialism. charles taylor who boycotted some earlier hearings in the netherlands, 11 charges relating to the civil war in siere lee own -- leone in the 1990's. one accused of shooting 13 in arizona has pled guilty to dozen -- not guilty to dozens of charges. jared loughner pleaded not guilty to the murder of a federal judge and five others. if convicted the 22-year-old could face the death penalty. and heavy rain has caused severe flooding in several states along the atlantic coast and residents evacuated from homes in new jersey while melting snow caused flooding in

connecticut. a late winter snowstorm also caused problems in new york and vermont. and the forecasters say more rain is expected. the new forbes list of the richest people, there are more than 1,200 billionaires across the globe. russian capital moscow has 79 of them. that's more than any other city. and the world's richest man is still the mexican tycoon carlos slim who is worth $74 billion. the space shuttle that's flown further and for a longer time than any other has landed for the very last time. discovery touched down in cape canaveral and an end to a 27-year career. andy gallagher reports. >> discovery traveling 440 miles an hour. altitude four miles. >> gliding gently back to earth, this was discovery's final approach. the end of its final mission. after almost 30 years of service, 6,000 trips around our

planet and a total of a year in space, it was time to call it a day. >> and the shuttle being rotated toward the flight deck. >> discovery delivered more supplies and equipment to the international space station. but soon, this iconic craft will be heading to a museum to live out its dates as a symbol of the shuttle program. it's a fitting tribute for one of the space agency's most accomplished ships. for many, this marked the beginning of the end. >> ignition. and we have liftoff. liftoff. >> for now, only two missions left before the entire fleet is retired for good. after that, america will have to rely on other nations for space travel. the first time that's happened in 6 0 years. andy gallagher, bbc news, florida. >> we say farewell, discovery. >> if you want to see it, the place to go is washington, d.c.'s smithsonian museum. look at the bb c-webb site for the stories we featured -- the bbc website for the stories we

featured in this bulletin. >> 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 financial strength to work for a wide range of

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