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>> the u.n. expresses outrage at the deaths of 12 people in one of its buildings in afghanistan. the commander seeks to gaddafi dismisses a cease far. seeking to oust lauren bag bo. welcome to bbc news. globe comi later for you, clash titens prepare for saturday's world cup finals. >> it's quite a daunting prospect but a very exciting. and i'm looking forward to it. but there's a lot of planning to be done. >> a hint of wedding for the young airman as he looks forward to his big day.

the united nations secretary general has described as outrageous and cowardly an attack on a united nation's building in afghanistan. 12 people were killed when demonstrators tor ched the building in the city. local officials said clerics had urged people to protest over the purported burning of the koran last month. >> after friday prayers there were prayers in many afghan cities. a rumor swept the crowd that hundreds of korans had been destroyed. not just one. deth to america, they shout. death to the jews and the

infidels. the afghan police tried to keep the crowd back from the u.n. headquarters. they failed. the outer wall was breached. the u.n. staff inside hunted down. some were shot, some stabbeds. two were beheaded, it's claimed. afghans were killed, too. they blamed the u.n. guards. but witnesses said the u.n. did not fire first. >> this was an outrageous and cowardly attack against the u.n. staff which cannot be justified under any circumstances. >> some say the taliban was behind all this. it is supposed to be one of the first places to transfer to afghan security control.

still, the police couldn't protect the u.n. there today. >> it was always thought of as one of the safest places. the governor blames the taliban. it may be less about the insurgency and more about the issue of koran burnings which inflames passion about this deeply religious country. >> well, the bbc is in afghanistan they said it's vital in rebuilding the society. >> it employs a lot of afghans themselves actually as part of the mission there but it does a huge amount of work in terms of civil rights, in terms of women's rights, in terms of drug trafficking, countering that. it's a real nation bileding exercise and it contributes in aid, around $1 billion u.s. dollars. so it's very important and there's a lot of concern about thou this attack might impact

the mission in afghanistan in the future. >> also, as far as the u.s. mission and nato mission, as far as the fighting that's going on, it's supposed to be one of the pilot force this project of handing over domestic security to afghan troops. do you think the u.s. may be reconsidering at least the time frame of that handing over now that we've seen this violence in the northern city? >> i think at the moment that it's too early to say what the real g pact of this attack might be and whether it really holds such serious implications as you suggest. but the white house is being very strongly condemning this attack in the strongest possible terms. we also heard condemnation saying this is a cowardly attack and can't be justified under any circumstances. interestingly the white house has refused to comment on the idea that these protests and demonstrations were sparked or caused in some way by the burning of a copy of the koran which is overseen by the pastor in florida nearly two weeks

ago. now, many people will remember terry jones in florida from last summer when he was threatening to burn a copy of the koran on the anniversary of the 9/11. he didn't carry that out in the end after a widespread public outcry and a lot of condemnation even from president obama who spoke on the issue. but two weeks ago when he reportedly carried this out, there was no media attention of it whatsoever but it was posted on the internet and has sparked controversy from there. >> the libyan government has rejected the offer of a condition cease fire. a spokesman said it was mad to expect the government to withdraw its forces from cities. meanwhile, the man who is said to be in charge has made an appearance. jut outside the city of brager. >> rebel fighter rushed away, apparently he shot himself while cleaning his gun.

a casualty of libya's chaotic freedom struggle. we join the rebels on the road to brager, a town they are trying to take back. there was a hero's welcome for a rare visitor, the general who is supposed to be in charge. he is a former interior minister and head of special forces who switched sides. leadership has been missing here, so have trained soldiers. today, we saw a lot more of both. men like him, who was expelled from gaddafi's years ago, has now turned his gun on the regime. we'll never give up, he says. and the general's visit is very important to us all. it will give us a push. >> while the rebels here have

been given a real boost by the general's visit to the area. a lift of moral after a few difficult days of defeat. they're continuing to edge forward but they're still outgunned and outnumbered by as many as 10 to one. >> overhead, nato jets preparing to hit connell gaddafi's forces. the air strikes have been crucial. so far, there have been hundreds of sortees but now there's a claim that seven civilians were killed by an air strike on wednesday. a doctor at this hospital told the bbc a military convoy was destroyed but an ammunition loree exploded, killing villagers including three sisters. still, he says, local people want more air strikes. >> they are accepting this damage and he has told me imagine if this convoy had

reached, maybe hundreds and hundreds have been killed and maybe thousands will be injured by this convoy. >> we cannot confirm the doctor's account. nato says it's checking the claim but has no evidence to substantiate it. back on the battle field, there was a pause for friday prayers today. a rebel leader has offered a cease fire if colonel gaddafi pulls back his troops and leaves the country. but there's no sign he's listening. >> security forces in syria have shot dead at least ten people. they opened fire on anti-government protests in the suburb of the capital damascus. there was also unrest in several other towns. the bbc's leana reports from damascus. >> through the streets on the

outskirts of damascus. eye witnesses said snipers on roof tops fired on the crowd. >> it was especially difficult and there's a lot of secret service and clashes between secret service and people. also snipers on roofs, and the snipers were throwing stones on people. after that secret service on the ground and snipers from the roof opened the gun fire on people. >> in damascus it's felt the security forces locked the doors of the central mosque in an attempt to prevent protests. instead, the demonstration took place inside. chanting, we are all one. syrian people are all one. a pointed message to the president which has accused

protesters of the country. they have called for a day of nationwide protest. that call was widely answered with demonstrations. the coastal cities, in the center of the country. and in the south. a common complaint, the limited nature of reforms announced by the president. expectations were raised by a speech on him on wednesday would see the end of draconian laws in place for almost 50 years. but those hopes were dashed. the laws will stay for the moment at least. the president can still draw huge crowds to support him. but protests like this one accusing the regime of killing

its own people are like the demonstrations themselves cropping up more and more. proving perhaps that suppression alone has done little to damp down the cause for reform. >> in yemen hundreds of thousands took to the streets after friday prayers in the capital. anti-government protesters gathered near the university. those backing the president were addressed by him in the city square. there were more protests on the streets of jordan's capital as demonstrators continue to demand changes. the protesters took place under heavy police presence. the power struggle continues in the ivory coast. the international committee of the red cross believes 800 people have been killed this week. forces loyal to the internationally recognized president have been attacking

areas still controlled by bag bo who is refusing to step down. the whole city is like this now a blizzard of bullets. residents scrambling for shelter. a million have thread. the rest are trampled as the battle for the overry coast reaches its cly -- ivory coast reaches its climax. right now things seem to be going the way the international community wants. the man who lost last year's presidential election outgunned perhaps eevep cornered here, his generals deserting him. one resident described the scene. >> special forces controlled by the president cannot resist all of them are withdrawing, they are running away. some of them are already surrendered.

where the president person is living is surrounded now. >> for months the world has told him to step down. but even now all he's proposing is a cease fire. >> the president will not resign. he will not give up in front of this coalition of foreign fighters who have invaded the ivory coast. he has never used violence. >> this was a french colony. the paris of west africa. but today, france is treading lightly here. its troops only helping to rescue foreigners like these caught up in the violence. elsewhere, a different mood. these are supporters of the winner of november's elections but whose have swept through with dizzying speed. >> speaking on his own

television channel, he called for months for a peaceful transfer of power but his rival had answered only with violence. so now it comes to this. an urban showdown. the violent test case for african democracy. >> you're watching bbc news. still to come, counting the human cost of fighting in libya. we visit a hospital in ben gazi. >> unacceptable in a g-8 country. those are the words of one eight aid country on the tiny italian island. he says the people are having to live in substandard accommodations. italian authorities have promised to move them off the island by saturday.

>> the most sourtsdzerly outpost, normally 5,000 people li here eeking out a living. but now, the only people coming here are migrants mainly tune izzion fleeing the upheavel of the arab uprisings. many thousands have been here for weeks. at one point as many as 22,000 living in conditions that at least one aid agency has called unacceptable in a g-8 country. >> the conditions are completely out of standard even for a refugee camp. the standards are much higher, like having one la trin every 20 persons here, we have 16 la trins here for 2,000 to 3,000. >> the migrants themselves say the conditions are making many of them sick. >> we are sleeping on the ground. we don't eat well.

the cigarettes are not good. we are tired, we're stressed. it's a lot of stress. >> the authorities are trying to house some of the migrants on the mainland but there are reports that several hundred have escaped from a tent camp there. the prime minister has said the weight of people has been like a human tsunami. he promised to move them by saturday but moving them further into europe may not find favor in brussles. and he has admitted repat ration may be the most durable solution. >> this is bbc news. the headlines the united nations has expressed outrage after a protest by protesters in one of the buildings leaves at least 12 people dead. an offer of a conditional cease fire by rebel forces has been

rejected by gaddafi's government. >> well, an israeli air strike has killed at least three palestinians. the israeli army says the target was hamas militants who they allege was planning to kidnap israelis. hamas confirmed the men who died were militants but they refused to comment on the alleged kidnapping plot. now on the attack in afghanistan. the incident has been widely condemned in the united states. >> we did hear from some of our constituents today and they asked us to do what we did, which is condemn what happened. that's unacceptable no matter what the provocation. that's no not what islam teaches us to do. >> what is the feeling among muslims in the united states about the burning of the koran last month? >> well, we find it

unfortunate. but welcome to the first amendment. that's his right to do that. and terry jones, the pastor in florida who did the koran burning, he is a media seeker. that is what he wants. he wants the spotlight. he wants people to pay attention to him. so we did the best thing you can do, which is ignore him. and it's been that way for about a week. nobody's paid attention to what he did here and he will fade back into the trash can where he belongs. >> earlier from washington, d.c. now, as the fighting rages on in libya, there has been of course a human cost, and nowhere is that more visible than in the country's hospitals. our correspondent has been to one hospital in ben gazi. from the beginning of the report you may find some of the images distressing. >> under deep sedation, 19 years old, a student, one of five brothers blown up by a

rocket that exploded beside his home. he's lost both legs, is fighting to breathe, and two of his brothers are dead. the other two are in the adjacent ward. he has multiple fracture of the right leg and has lost his left below the knee. he keeps a photo by his bed has lost his arm. >> we don't want gaddafi any more. we are ready to sacrifice anything. >> but this is the true cost of rebellion. bodies twisted and torn by the blunt instruments of war. the doctor did not want to be identified. the regime they said has spied. the medical staff has disappeared. he told me one of the missing is dr. ali albag, a father of four young children, the director. he left the hospital on march

18 to look for the wounded. >> this is the ambulance in which he was traveling to the front, highly visible and clearly marked as an ambulance. and yet, it is riddled with bullets. inside, there are blood stains and judging by the explosive nature of these rounds it's hard to imagine anyone inside could have survived. yet, eye witnesses say the driver and the doctor still in his scrubs were last seen tied up by the vehicle on the edge of the road. >> his cousin, a paramedic who traveled behind, the doctor was hit in the shoulder. they have not told the family what happened, he said. there's still no information to give. he himself was shot on duty. one hit the tire and the other is still lodged in his abdomen. >> among the missing is a card ologist and a neuro surgeon.

everyone is now a legitimate target be it fighter, civilian, or doctor. >> now, to what's been billed as a clash of titans because it's a world cup final in mumbai. india will play sri lanka. >> friday results in india revealed the population rise to 1.21 billion. a world cup final only adds to the frenzy. but it is possible to focus on exro contrary cricketters. the most successful prolivic players the world has seen. both now seeking a perfect moment in mumbai. he has scored over 32,000 international runs. ? one day cricket his highest score is 200 sand he needs just one more century to record a hundred international. he remains the inspiration.

>> he's an amazing person to have. i think that has not changed for the last 21 years. most of the people, i think everyone who lost interest but it's such i think gorgeous medium to play cricket. >> the world cup final will be his last one-day game. no one has ever taken more international. his best one day figures are 7 for 30, a match winner for nearly 30 years. 22 times. he still is crucial team member. >> it's great to have him. it's great to hopefully have him tomorrow. and to have him play that this work final with us because there is no other way we can have it. >> cricket fans have seen prices for the final raise to over 60,000 rupees. that's 20 times the average monthly salary. they are prized out of the market but not the excitement.

>> this is very important. especially india absolutely approximately 60%, india. >> an indian victory would only tighten crickets hold. this is the park in mum by. it's famous for one reason, eyi it was 30 years ago. now for once cricket here will stop when the world cup final is on tv because the crowning moment awaits. well, maybe. >> finally, every groom is allowed to be nervous ahead of his wedding so it came as no surprise when prince william said what worried him was just the whole thing. >> when even the queen can't

manage an elegant arrival you know the weather must be bad. unsurprisingly prince william was tasked with showing his grand parents around for some of the visit. this, the sea king, the aircraft he flies. if there's a chance for prince william to show off to to his grand parents and give him an insight, it's a job he says has made him feel impencely proud and privileged. >> it's also given him a relatively normal life by royal standards. here he is just flight lieutenant wails. no royal title, no protocol. but brewing are royal wedding nerves. >> i was telling everybody my knees started tapping quite nervously. it's very exciting and i'm looking forward to it but

there's still a lot of planning to be done. >> just a touch of smugness about the -- >> it's always quite exciting to outfox the media and it was a military operation. >> royal status holds little way among the colleagues. since the engagement and the teasing has been endless. >> whenever he washes it we always throw in the towel and we've got the kate and wills embroidered pillow that we put on his bed. and it's all light hearted banter and he loves it as well. it's great. >> the next major family get together will of course be the wedding. but there will also have to be some real organization. despite the mockry prince william has invited those he worked with to westminster abby and they all plan to be there. >> on the website there is a special royal wedding website

for you to visit. >> welcome. >> see the news unfold. click to play video reports. go to bbc.com/news to experience the indepth expert reporting. >> funding was made possible by the freeman foundation of new york, stowe verm, and honolulu. new man's own foundation, the john d and katherine t macarthur foundation. and union bank.

union bank has put its gleeblingstizz to work for a wide range of companies. what can we do for you? >> bbc world news was presented by kcettv los angeles.