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corporations. what can we do for you? >> and now bbc world news. >> welcome to bbc world news. the headlines -- the u.s. to carry council? action against colonel gaddafi with a resolution to -- the un council backs action against colonel gaddafi with a resolution. celebrations in been gaungazi ae news of the resolution reaches the rebels. desperate for aid, more than 300,000 people are still homeless and food is in short supply.

>> the united nations security council has approved a resolution for the creation of a no-fly zone to protect the people of libya. the resolution calls for all necessary measures, but rules out the use of foreign ground troops. 10 countries voted in favor and none were against. there were five abstentions, including russia and china. >> when it came, there was no opposition to the plan that britain, france, and 11 on had presented. sit -- significantly, both russia and china were among the five countries to abstain. afterwards, britain made clear why its government felt it had to act.

>> the world should not stand by and accept the dump the hospitality against his own people. this resolution. tonight in the united nations security council is an expression of that resolve. it is a positive response to the call of the arab league last weekend for measures to protect and safeguard the civilian population of libya appeared close friends, too, will contribute a strong contingency for those enforcing the no-fly zone. its foreign minister told the security council that the world cannot let the events in libya continued unchecked. >> as i speak to you now, colonel khadafy's -- colonel gaddafi's troops continue. we cannot let these warmongers do this. we cannot abandon the civilian population. >> responding to the resolution, lydia's foreign minister said it threatened what

he called the unity of this country. >> we also sent a letter this morning to the secretary general of the united nations. it was to give assurances to the international community that we care about our people and we care about the territorial unity of the country. >> the resolution allows countries to not only establish a ban on all flights over libya, but to take all measures to protect the people of libya, including in benganzi. that means air attacks and shelling from warships. while excluding an occupation force. the timetable for the implementation of the no-fly zone is unclear. britain has cautioned against suggestions that it could be

within hours. american warships already off the libyan coast, but the level of their involvement is still yet undefined. italy has said it is prepared to allow its airspace to be used. >> we will speak with our correspondent at the united nations in new york. first, let's look at the pictures that came out of bengazi. as the security council resolution was passed, these were the scenes in the rebel stronghold. it is, of course, where the libyan national transitional council is based. it is a city of 1 million people. there were thousands in the streets. they did cheer and waved flags as they got the news of that u.n. resolution. 1, 2, 3, thank you sarkozy, the crowd shouted. we will triumph. let's speak with mat walls of the united nations in new york.

some are saying that it may be too late. >> yes, exactly. i think the feeling here tonight is that, since the four british and the french and the americans forced the hand of the u.n. security council, they dared them to veto this resolution. of course, we do have 10 in favor out of 15, but there were five key extensions. they have grave doubts as to exactly how to consider this resolution, this use of force. you have to go back to 1991, to the gulf war, to get a resolution that had this much opower in it. there are already those who are saying, if you look at the position of germany, for example, there is not enough

detail in this resolution to guarantee the desired affect to protect individuals. >> do you have more details of what is in the resolution apart from the no-fly zone? >> yes. it is calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities by the gaddafi forces. it is calling for an immediate ban on all libyan-owned air force around the country. to some degree, there is a great sense of achievement at the u.n., that the security council moved very fast to come with this very effective resolution, on paper at least. but those deaths are very serious fishers. -- but those doubts are very serious fissures. there are clearly some doubts

how intense the military activity will develop. >> thank you. colonel gaddafi has warned his opponents to expect no mercy if they laid down their weapons. government warplanes have spun targets on the outside of bengazi. this report is from before the united nations vote. >> shooting at an enemy that cannot be seen and it is proving almost impossible to stop. today, it seemed as though the battle for bengazi had begun. fighter jets are reported to have attacked. city fences opened up. [chanting] within minutes, the find crowds poured into the streets.

there were jubilant of news that two adopt your plants had been shot down. -- two gaddafi airplanes had been shot down no evidence emerged that any targets were hit or airplanes shot down. in the city braced for attack, the people are desperate for good news. >> the number of deaths is increasing. they're determined to go to the end until they get their demands. i am proud to be libyan. >> but this is what they are facing. we cannot verify these pictures from yesterday. we believe there were taken in ajdabia, a front-line town besieged. the rebels have tried to force them back.

so far, no success. there are reports that dozens may have been killed here. it is impossible to get into the town. we reached one woman who says that she has been trapped there for the past two days. >> we do not have anywhere to go. we will die. we are so scared. >> if you were able to speak to the international community right now, what would you say? >> please help us. we need help. our children are scared. please help us. please. >> it is exactly one month since the revolution began. what they are praying for is peace, prosperity, and freedom. hundreds have already lost their lives to this cause and many more said they would rather die than surrender.

but so far, their passion has been a poor match for a ruthless regime. tonight, they know government forces are planning to advance on this city. in the last few minutes, colonel gaddafi says he will bombed it this evening. they know colonel gaddafi forces are getting closer. [jansing] -- [chanting] people are bracing for the attack. the only thing that is guaranteed is that more people will die. >> japan's nuclear association says that smoke were seen rising from fukushima's crippled no. 2 reactor could be coming from the spent fuel pool or from an explosion in the fuel supply

timber. all four reactors -- meanwhile, britain, the united states, and france have arranged special flights for those who want to leave tokyo. in japan, even the scramble to leave is incredibly orderly. on the street outside tokyo's immigration office, the line stretches for more than a mile. thousands and thousands of people are waiting for a piece of paper so they can leave japan. the fact that they have to do this makes some here very angry. >> the japanese government has a secret requirement that, even though you have a visa, you still have to get a reentry stand to get back into the country. otherwise, you lose a your visa. a lot of people here are people from china, the people that run

most of japan's economy. for the past six days, this woman got her mother was day -- was dead, swept away by the tsunami. she just got a call from her. just a minute ago. she said that she is alive and in the refugee center. i want to go get her a ticket back to china with me, but she said do not wait for me. tokyo is too dangerous. she told me i must go on by myself without her. once again today, giant military helicopters swung low over the fukushima plant. this time, they succeeded in dropping their loads of water, although most of it seemed to miss their target. outside of the plan, fire engines and water cannon trucks lined up to join the battle to cool the reactors. the general opinion of experts around the world appears to be that the situation inside the to cushion the plant is out of control.

what we're seeing are increasingly desperate in provides the thames to bring it back under control. if those attempts fail, there is a real chance that this can turn from a major nuclear incident to a full-blown nuclear disaster. this evening, britain's ambassador to japan told me that he is now telling the britain's in tokyo to think about leaving. >> it is clear that there are problems as they try to get control of what has happened. >> at tokyo station, this family is already taking that advice and heading south. >> it is pretty traumatic for our children. the aftershocks and things and i think they can sense that we are worried about the nuclear situation.

>> folks and australia are urging their people to leave tokyo immediately many people are not waiting for their government. many have decided to leave now than wait for the panic. >> he is at the southern city of osaka. first of all, give us an update on the situation at the fukushima plant. >> we are trying to get the reactors back under control in a number of ways. helicopters are on standby and military fire trucks are on standby to try to get water in. the helicopters from the air, the military trucks were able to pump water toward the reactors for about an hour yesterday. we are also told that more than 100 tokyo fire brigade firefighters are at the plant ready to join into that water pumping effort. the question is just how successful water dropping from

helicopters and growing it infrastructure us today was. the tokyo electric power co. says that it might have been somewhat successful because of the steam that has been seen rising out of the plant this morning. >> what about the relief effort? is it finally catching up? it hasn't caught up with the demands of the situation? >> -- has it caught up with the demands of the situation? >> all of the concern and concentration has been on the nuclear power plant. it is easy to forget that there are hundreds of thousands of people in northern japan who are in a desperate situation. we are hearing that the rescues have managed to contact 26,000 people. that is what the government is saying. sendei it is becoming slightly more easy to buy food. nearly a quarter of japan's population is over the age of

65. we are hearing stories of people who have been evacuated from hospitals and nursing homes who have died in evacuation centers. >> this is abc news. more on the u.n. security council -- this is bbc news. more on the u.n. security council resolution. this is bbc news. the united nations officials have warned of shocking and illegal human rights violations in bahrain. >> braving the bullets, an anti- government protester in december -- in the suburb of the city. he struck and the lake and rushed away in a car.

there is a mood of defiance in the shiite suburbs. they will shift defenses to keep the military out. this young man said the protest movement, the push for change, would not stop. >> we are not afraid anymore. finished. they tried to scare us. it is not working anymore. >> we are now trying to get to the main hospital. troops are not allowing anyone in or out for large parts of the day, even if they need medical help. many people are not terrified to go there. we got close enough to see the troops are still in control of the hospital. it is an opposition stronghold. the doctors are now being allowed in and out. manama, theer of mondawmi

troops are in control. small protests were later dispersed by security forces using tear gas and shotguns. this is one of the men injured. this is the car of the a bahraini filling in the area for the bbc. it was shot at. it is not clear why. but it is clear that the authorities did not want the world to see how they are dealing with the uprising here. >> this is abc news. the united nations security council has agreed that all necessary measures will be taken to protect civilians in libya from attacks from colonel gaddafi forces and the implementation of a no-fly zone. in japan, just getting around

the coastal region most affected is a big job in itself. >> this is the center. you can see the cleanup operations well under way. the bulldozers are in. you see people all over town trying to clean up their homes, their businesses, their shops, as best they can. there is thick mud in a lot of these places. the water cayman up the high street and smashed into these shops and businesses. all of this, they are trying to make some kind of impact on. but it is such a huge task. this was a thriving town.

it was the center of japan's fishing industry. all of that now lies in ruins. what happens to this community in the future is very much an open question. at the moment, people of china clear as much as they can of all of this debris. they're trying to find out what happened to missing loved ones. there are lists in the main information center where people are trying to find out where the evacuation centers, whether they may have perished and their bodies have been recovered. it seems so organized. people are trying to get on top of this disaster. when you look around, it is an absolutely enormous task that faces these people. >> that it was racial party in japan. now in libya, howard globalittls in tripoli.

>> all the signs is that he will go on with his determination to put down this rebellion and reunite the country under his control. even as the diplomats in new york gathering, colonel gaddafi, knowing that this resolution was coming, knowing that it was likely to be passed, went on television and told the rubble in bengazi -- told the rebels in bengazi, "we are coming! we are coming." there have been counseled that any interference from the outside would be difficult.

this is not the rhetoric of a government that is not ready to back down on its promise to bring the country under its control. >> michael from los angeles is an expert on security measures and the middle east. thank you very much. do you think it makes any difference that this un resolution is not unanimous? >> not particularly. looking at where we were in this debate last week when russia and then chinese reticence looked to be an impossible hurdle to clear, the debate shifted rather quickly. it is sending that we got to re passed resolution. frankly, i think extensions from -- i think that as tensions from russia and china is the best that we could have hoped for. >> do you think there will be

military action from the west against colonel gaddafi forces? >> it does bring a point of tension within the resolution itself. the resolution talks about a cease-fire and protection of civilians. there is an unquestioned. what happens if colonel gaddafi and his forces respect the cease-fire, have an organized tactical retreat, do not engage armor against the cities in the east, would u.n.-backed forces be authorized to undertake military action? >> you pre-empted my next question. analyze that force. what happens if colonel gaddafi respects this solution and basically withdraws? >> as a legal matter, looking at the language in the resolution, i do not think there would be a mandate for military action.

that is clearly in conflict with statements we have heard from european leaders and american politicians as well who see this as authorizing and decisive action. i do think that is a tension that has yet to be resolved, along with many open questions. we have seen the authorization of a set of tactics and given legal backing to those international actions. but we have yet to see a filling in of the desired and state, of a strategy, how this will play out, who will be participating, what exactly will be undertaken. to reassure many onlookers, i think it would be very useful to have a more concrete picture about just what will unfold in the coming days what type of consensus we have come to.

the language is so broad. i think it could be interpreted in many different ways. >> thank you. this is bbc news. let's show you pictures which came out of bengazi a few hours ago when the un passed the resolution in the security council. fireworks, as you can say, were set off. what you cannot see are the thousands of people who gathered in citi main squares to shout and chant and say thank you particularly to nicholas because the french minister to libya was in the chambers of the secret council to get this resolution passed. 10 voted in favor and five abstained. none were against.

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expertise to work for a wide range of companies. what can we do for you? >> bbc world news was presented by kcet los angeles. by kcet los angeles.