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>> and now, "bbc world news." >> libya's foreign minister flees to britain amid reports that he is severing his links with the good of the regime. rebels in libya are retreating in the face of an advance by government forces. >> they have managed to go a short distance up the road. we have had rounds landing very close to the car. >> the white house refuses to comment on reports that president obama has approved covert support for the libyan rebels. there are sanctions onfor refusing to step down.

india's cricket fans celebrate as their team beats pakistan, of their biggest sporting rifle, to reach the finals of the cricket world cup. -- their biggest sporting rival, to reach the finals of the cricket world cup. the libyan foreign minister, moussa koussa, who is regarded as one of colonel khadafy's closest allies as arrived in britain. he is resigning and is no longer prepared to represent the libyan government. british officials say that moussa koussa flew under his own free will on what is believed to be a british military plane. the government claims that he is visiting as part of his official duties. we will explain what is

currently known about moussa koussa's arrival. >> we know very few details about moussa koussa traveling to britain. the foreign ministry explain what happened. they said that the libyan foreign minister had traveled to the u.k. from tunisia, out here arrived in england some hours ago. if we are told that he traveled under his own free will and he is no longer willing to represent gaddafi on the world stage, a job he has done for several years. we understand moussa koussa is being debriefed probably by intelligence officials but he has not yet met the foreign secretary or the prime minister. the statement from the foreign office goes on to say that he is a senior figure in the gaddafi government at that britain urges other senior figures in tripoli to abandon their leader and to allow the libyan people to transition to democracy. we are waiting for more details to emerge.

we have not seen the word defection use by the foreign office but there is no doubt that this is a senior figure turning his back on it gaddafi. >> the bbc's world affairs editor is in tripoli. he says that colonel gaddafi is going to be too concerned by the resignation. >> this will have an impact but we have to remember that gaddafi has lost plenty of ministers before. his interior minister is now a senior figure in benghazi. there have been others as well. my guess is that they will stop this off. whether moussa koussa will be such a gain to the rebels and their representatives in london is uncertain. we must remember that some people have been in accusing him of involvement with the lockerbie bombing, for instance. he was the head of intelligence

for colonel gaddafi. that is not a neutral post. nevertheless, it means that they're going to be people are around colonel gaddafi that will be thinking now about their future is very carefully. but at the same time, this is really a one horse government. it is all about colonel gaddafi and those people who are loyal to him. my guess is that they feel that their futures are entirely bound up with him. >> rebels in libya are retreating in the face of the military advance by government forces. hundreds of opposition fighters had fled. they have already abandoned several other coastal towns in the past 24 hours. we have a report from along the coast. >> beginners lessons in using a rocket-propelled grenade. there is more guess work here than expertise. the rebels want more weapons

than the international community is now suggesting that they might get them. what is really missing here is training and leadership. >> these are oil fields. if we get the new weapons, someone trying us, maybe we can do something to push him back. we cannot do anything. >> he was actually in charge? >> together. there is no commander here. we're all together. we are talking together and we make the plans together. maybe, he is with us. i don't know. >> you just heard some names? >> yes. just names. >> some generals have defected to the rebels but they are not leading from the front. instead of command and control, we saw confusion and infighting.

something they did not want us to film. the rebels are moving now now, they say that they are holding their weapons and they have reorganize themselves along the side of the road. there has been a lot of singing, chanting, and brain, but you don't get the sign that there has been much planning. there is no sign of anyone in charge. they pushed forward but right into a trap. gaddafi's forces were waiting to ambush them. the tactics are all on their side. with incoming fire, it was time to move. open bracket gun fire] -- [gunfire]

>> keep driving. keep driving. >> we have now had to join the rebel forces pulling back. they managed to go a short distance before we came under fire. we have rounds coming very close to the car and a fire fight is continuing now. it was a long retreat. the rebels losing more and more ground. a pattern that keeps getting repeated. left to themselves, the pro- democracy fighters are being easily outmaneuvered. >> there has been reported -- reports that president obama signed a secret presidential order organizing secret support for the forces opposed to gaddafi. there's debate about the legality of the forces opposed to gaddafi. >> the details are fairly sketchy, to be honest.

we have had confirmation from government sources that over the past two or three weeks, president obama signed a presidential finding. that is a directive that paves the way for covert military operations to take place by american forces aiding the rebel forces. there is reports in "the new york times," that says that cia officers are already in libya. so far, the white house and the cia as you can expect, have refused to comment. >> we are being told that government forces have confirmed that barack obama signed this operation two or three weeks ago which is interesting given the fact that he talked about army rebels in the country itself last night. >> there is a big debate raging about whether the u.s. military should arm the rebel forces. there's a lot of concern among some members of congress about who the rebels really are and

whether decision to arm them could come back to bite in that respect for the u.s. there is a concern about whether garmin the rebels will be the right decision. -- arming the rebels will be the right decision. >> moussa koussa has arrived in libya having defected from the libyan regime. has there been any comment on this from the white house? quite strangely, the white house has been quiet on this issue. -- >> strangely, the white house has been quiet on this issue. that is surprising, really. we have not had any comment on this whatsoever. there is the issue as to whether the u.s. will arm rebel forces. the white house spokesperson has said that we are not ruling it out or in. the obama administration is fairly tight lid on this choice.

this directive that was signed by president obama does not necessarily mean that the army has already taken place -- arming has already taken place. >> the u.n. security council has unanimously ordered sanctions against ivory coast current presidentand his refusal to hand over power. violence in the country has increased with forces making heavy gains. we report from the u.n.. >> trying to free the growing unrest in the ivory coast. workers gather looking for a way out from an unstable country. forces loyal to president ouattara came to the couple

while gbagbo insists that he is the winner. the u.n. security council has been criticized for not doing more. they have imposed a travel ban and seized the assets of laurent gbagbo. >> there is the sanctions regime against the rebels and specifically in the one united voice which requires gbagbo to give power to president ouattara and to respect the will of the people. >> there are u.n. peacekeepers in ivory coast. west african states have called for their mandate to be strengthened so that they can protect the people more effectively. the security council ended up

calling on the peacekeepers to prevent the use of heavy weapons against civilians. >> the indians, they are a major contributor, and brazilians, they simply do not want to become part of the fighting, part of the civil war. >> the security council is trying to isolate laurent gbagbo and increase the pressure on him to go. they hope that he will give up the claim to the ivory coast presidency. the question is what impact it will have on the fighting 5,000 miles from here. >> you are watching "bbc news," still ahead, the syrian president has said that there's a conspiracy against national unity. 50 people have been killed in heavy fighting in southern thailand. the government says nearly a million people have been affected by more than a week of unseasonably heavy rain.

tens of thousands of tourists are stranded on the islands. >> southern thailand has been battered by more than a week of heavy rain. the coast has been hit by a ferocious see. it has lead to fatal floods in 8 southern provinces. there are dozens of people still missing. there has also been lucky escapes. these men were fortunate to be pulled to safety. the damage has been widespread. the prime minister has been to see this for himself. he has ordered the evacuation of residents in the worst affected area. landslides have been responsible for some of the deaths. with many villages completely cut off, there are fears that the number of dead will rise. transport and other infrastructures such as electricity and phone lines has been badly affected. roads have been blocks, train service is canceled, flights

delayed. the only aircraft carrier has been used to evacuate about 1200 stranded tourists. they were ferried to the ship from the small island. with supplies cut in many remote parts of the country, the navy has been distributing assistance. you can get some idea of how widespread the flooding is from above. with more rain forecast in the coming days, the situation is likely to get worse before it gets better. >> you can see more on the flooding by visiting the bbc website where you will see pictures that have been sent into us and of course more analysis and the details of where the flooding has been taking place. the headlines this hour, libya's foreign minister fleas

amid reports that he is severing his links with the good of the regime. rebels in the country are retreated in the face of a military advance by gaddafi's forces. we will stay with the situation in libya and get the latest in the city of misrata. misrata that is the only major insurgent stronghold remaining in the west. it has been under siege by gaddafi troops for about three weeks. we are speaking to a residence there and he joins me on the line. give us an idea of what the latest there is where you are. >> yes, hello there. the current situation is that we witnessed an attack that is targeting the seaport and an attempt to destroy. this attack was by the gaddafi's troops.

the military troops of the dufty -- of gaddafi, they used heavy weapons like mortars and tanks. >> we have some footage that you shot that you have given to us. we are just plain that. we are seeing plumes of smoke coming from a building. -- we are just playing that. what happened when you took those pictures? >> this building is the social insurance building. this is one of the highest points in the city. i was shooting this smoking which was coming up from the building. the rebels told me that -- were located on the building. they started to move out of the building.

they went to the main court. this is just opposite to this building. >> very briefly, described to us if you are still getting the water and electricity that we were speaking about. >> yes. no, no, right now we don't have any water supplies. this is supplied just too small part of the city, that is all. >> we appreciate you talking to us. that is a resident in misrata with pictures that he took from the situation on wednesday. the levels of radioactive activity found in seawater near the stricken nuclear power plant is believed to be 4385 times more than the legal limit. that is the latest update from the nuclear safety agency who says that the government must

consider expanding the evacuation zone around the plant. we go live to tokyo. there is for the rigid vision of boards of those figures. -- for the revision upwards of those figures. >> yes, a thousand times greater than before. that is of concern. that measurement was taken about 300 meters off the coast and near reactors 1-4. there is also high levels of radiation found near five and six. there is this worry about it. of course, as the authorities are pointing out, knowing is doing any fishing within 20 kilometers of that zone. -- no one is doing any fishing within 20 kilometers of that zone. the radiation will dilute as it does purses. -- as it disperses. >> criticism has been levied at

the prime minister for not expanding that exclusion zone. is it now inevitable that he will have to do so? >> no, it is not. you have to be careful about the line. at the moment, this is just coming from one news agency. what happened is that the iaea has said that in one village which is about 40 kilometers from the zone, there are levels of radiation in the atmosphere which exceed one of its criteria for evacuation. what it advised the government was in fact that they should assess the situation carefully. the government said that they are assisting the situation -- assessing the situation. they have said they're looking at the situation very carefully. certainly, in the long term, if the radiation remains that high, it will be a problem.

at this stage, they say it does not pose a risk. >> thank you. the syrian president bashar al- assad has addressed the country since the protest began two weeks ago. he failed to announce widely expected reforms and instead accused syrians enemies of conspiring against national unity. hundreds of people took to the streets chanting "freedom." >> president assad at the lighted his allies in syria's parliament. -- delighted his allies in syria's parliament. he disappointed reformers who had hoped for a big gesture like the end of the emergency law which has powered the police state since 1963. instead, a foreign plot was

responsible for the protest. >> yanase king battles or fights. -- we are not seeking battles or fights. we have never stopped from defending ourselves or our causes. those who want to take us on, they are welcome to do so. >> you must guard to release the prisoners. >> we reached a dissident inside of syria who spent more than 8 years in jail. >> he did not say anything new. all his speeches from the past. >> he would like to be a reformer, do you believe him? >> i do not believe the regime. not now, not before. this is a bad resume. they rule the country by making the people feel fear, put them

in jail. -- this is a bad regime. >> in total, 60 people have died in anti-government protests in syria. >> i don't think that there is any middle eastern regime that is immune to the democratic virus that is mutating in the region. there is a great awakening taking place in the arab world. syria is an extension of what is happening in the arab world. >> syria is a center of the middle east. its neighbors are turkey, lebanon, israel, jordan, iraq. there the linchpin of the so- called resistance alliance. close allies with iran. in recent years, president assad has been courted by western countries. he is seen as a key to peace or war in the middle east. many syrians like president assad that he is facing the worst crisis of his presidency

and he seems to be calculating that strength, not some sessions -- not concessions will get him through it. >> more than a billion people are thought to have spent the day watching the second semifinal of the world cup. india faced their neighbors pakistan. the first match was played on even soil since the mumbai tax that india blamed on militants based in pakistan. -- the mumbai attacks that india blamed on militants based in pakistan. >> at times, people seemed part of the problem. they promised security and we have seen it in operation. the line is the lucky ones, people with tickets. they have been funneled through these metal passages to an area where they could be searched again and where their tickets

can be checked. somehow, patients prevails and the world cup had forced india and pakistan together in a way that many fans were trying to embrace. >> i love india but i want pakistan. >> we were not expecting this kind of response from people. >> noble thoughts but security was everywhere. the reason, politicians. prime ministers of both countries were here to watch and to talk. this stage in itself a venue for dialogue that had stalled after the mumbai attacks. in a semifinal, one side must win. this was a rapid start for india. the whole country was desperate for -- to make his hundred international entry.

-- took five wickets including a key into balls. india got to 160. in islamabad, they watched on television. they were hopeful. one of the batsmen needed to impose himself. he eliminated the evening briefly but he could only make 29. pakistan needed 10 and over. his fell into indian hands. -- kept it going and then pakistan fell short. 231 all out. this was a mad steepen significance. wait until the next one because india will play against sri lanka on home soil. -- this was a match steeped in significance. >> india faces sri lanka on saturday.

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